Can California afford earthquake preparedness? NFL makes example New Orleans Saints, but... How campaigns cope with avalanches of social media criticism. Grandfather of Indian Gaming in California passes away. Nick on the news, with KPCC’s reporters.
Can California afford earthquake preparedness?
This past week, a large earthquake hit near Acapulco, Mexico which made its presence felt in Mexico City. Over a year ago, the devastating earthquakes and tsunamis battered Japan, causing damage that is still being felt financially and otherwise. Here at home in California, both scientists and lay men often talk of “The Big One,” an expected catastrophic earthquake which, in theory, will originate on the San Andreas fault.
Even though earthquake culture makes up a large part of California’s identity, the state still lacks an effective early warning system which the likes of Mexico, Japan, Taiwan and other countries have in place. One reason such a comprehensive system doesn’t exist is purely financial. For instance, Japan spent $1 billion building theirs, while California researchers have typically spent only $400,000 a year on technology development. Experts predict an additional $150 million is needed to build the system here, with an additional $5 million a year for operating costs.
Further compounding the lack of preparedness is the fact that, unlike Mexico and Japan, California hasn’t experienced a truly catastrophic earthquake in over a century. Scientists are bullish on California finally getting a system in place, but the real issue is whether it will be here before or after such a quake occurs. The system would use a series of underground sensors, as well as communications technology, to detect quakes, determine their strength and impact, and then disseminate said information to social media sites, TV and radio, fire stations, power plants and public transportation operators. While earthquakes happen fairly quickly, electronic signals can outrun the tremors of the Earth, giving responders crucial seconds of time to get a jump on the situation.
But just how much difference can a few seconds make? What else does California need to get this project off the ground? How will it be similar to or different from those in place in Mexico and Japan? How will scientists point out that the benefits outweigh the costs?
Guest:
Tom Heaton, Professor of Seismology & Engineering, Caltech
Doug Given, Earthquake Early Warning Coordinator, U.S. Geological Survey; Geophysicist
NFL makes example of New Orleans Saints, but...
Members of New Orleans Saints coaching and management staff have been fined and suspended and the team itself has been fined half a million dollars as a result of their bounty program. Coach Sean Payton has been suspended for the entire 2012 season and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely. A three year investigation uncovered a cash pool, that both player and staff contributed to, that was used to reward players for injuring those on the opposing team.
In a sport that is already considered violent, some are calling the punishment overly harsh. Viewers tune in for the big hits, so why is this activity considered so egregious? Part of the reasoning seems to be that the team continued offering the bounties even after they were told to stop. For NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell it is a “serious violation of an existing rule that threatens the health and welfare of our players,” adding, “We will always make the decisions that are best for the game, long term, and our players.”
While it can be assumed that the Saints aren’t the only ones guilty of bounties, they are certainly the only ones that have been caught at the moment. Now every team must deliver written and signed compliance with the anti-bounty rules by March 30.
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But will it stop the practice or just make it more covert? Has the NFL done enough to make an example of the Saints or should it investigate league-wide on the issue? Should players be punished as well? And what impact will this renewed enforcement have on the upcoming season? Also, is football worth watching without the big hits?
How campaigns cope with avalanches of social media criticism
Last week, the Texas government cut health care clinics affiliated with abortion providers from the state’s Medicaid Women’s Health program. As a result, the White House stripped the program of all its federal funding.
The Texas Medicaid Women’s Health program encompasses cancer screenings, birth control and HIV testing for women who earn less than 20,000, so about 120,000 in the state. Rick Perry, a supporter of the new Texas law, stated he would not be deterred by the Obama administrations move and would find a way to replace the $30 million with state funds.
However, Texas’s policy change didn’t just make governmental waves, it made digital waves too. After the announcement, Rick Perry’s Facebook profile blew up with many comments, mostly from women, which sarcastically referred to Perry as an expert on women’s health and asked him questions. They ranged from the purely sarcastic to the explicitly graphic, but they all represent a manifestation that several members of Facebook find fault with the governor’s position.
In Kansas and Virginia, state officials have also had their Facebook profiles “sarcasm bombed” after pushing for legislation that limits access to abortion. Rick Perry’s office has been routinely scrubbing the page of such statements, but people are grabbing screenshots and uploading them to their own pages, which the Perry administration has no control over. Governmental figures have never had to deal with this kind of media before, and the situation shines light on the potential pitfalls and perils of engaging in new technologies.
How should candidates handle such situations? Is it better to control your image by deleting and censorship, or to simply let it all hang out? Besides, people are going to see it one way or another, maybe it’s best to own it.
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To our listeners, have you ever engaged in this type of commenting on a politician’s page? Did you do it just to let off steam, or to try and make your voice heard in a meaningful way? Did it work? Will you keep doing it?
Guests:
Andrew Rasiej, Founder, Personal Democracy Media – at the intersection of politics and technology
Meredith Turney, Social and New Media Political Consultant based in Austin; Contributor to California’s influential political blog, the Flash Report.
Grandfather of Indian Gaming in California passes away
Richard Milanovich, who as chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians helped launch a new era of wealth and political power for many Native Americans through the development of tribal casinos in California, died of cancer on March 11 at age 69.
For three decades, Milanovich guided the Agua Caliente from a rude desert existence to the prosperity that accompanies casino-fed wealth. The transformation wasn’t just experienced by the tribe but coincided with the economic renewal of Palm Springs and concomitant advancement of the adjacent reservations throughout the Coachella Valley.
Richard Milanovich was at the forefront of this transformation and had the vision and leadership ability to aid in the economic development of an entire region. Nick Roman takes a few moments to talk about the contribution that Richard Milanovich made to Indian gaming and economic development of the Palm Springs area.
Guest:
I. Nelson Rose, Professor of Law at Whittier Law School. Rose is a consultant and expert witness on gambling law for governments, industry and players. He writes regularly about gambling developments on his blog, Gambling and The Law.
Nick on the news, with KPCC reporters
KPCC’s Kitty Felde just scored a highly coveted press seat to cover the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court hearings over the health care law. We’ll preview the arguments over the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. There’s a lot at stake. How the court ultimately rules could impact health care in the U.S. for generations to come and might even impact the outcome of the 2012 Presidential election.
On the business beat, the Obama administration is hosting an Urban Economic Forum today at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. Representatives from the White House Business Council, the U.S. Small Business Administration and Mayor Villaraigosa’s office will gather to discuss the Administration’s efforts to create private-sector jobs and policies to support entrepreneurs. L.A.’s richest resident, Patrick Soon-Shiong, will be there, as will Magic Johnson. Soon-Shiong was expected to join Magic’s bid group to buy the Dodgers, but instead joined the bid group led by hedge-fund billionaire Steven Cohen. KPCC’s Matt DeBord will be there too and will join us to share any Dodgers gossip he can uncover, as well as economic news coming out of the summit.
Meanwhile, L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca is considering a plan to shutter a portion of the troubled Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles. The bold proposal comes at a time when Sheriff Baca is facing new scrutiny amid allegations that he’s abused his power and failed to stop deputies from assaulting inmates inside county jails. KPCC reporter Frank Stoltze joins us to preview a series he’s working on about Baca, arguably the single most powerful elected official in Southern California.
Guests:
Kitty Felde, KPCC’s Washington D.C. Correspondent
Matt DeBord, KPCC Reporter; writes the DeBord Report KPCC.org
Frank Stoltze, KPCC Reporter