Los Angeles/Orange County Freeway Shootings; Prescripton Drug Bulk Purchasing Pool For Los Angeles; Is PBS Too Liberal?; Bob Baker Marionettes
Los Angeles/Orange County Freeway Shootings
In light of the recent slew of freeway shootings, Larry Mantle talks about the real risks of freeway driving. Larry talks with Officer Rick Quintero of the California Highway Patrol, Frank Stoltze, KPCC’s Political Reporter, Joel Best, Professor and Chair of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware, and author of More Damned Lies and Statistics: How Numbers Confuse Public Issues, and Fairley Washington, Director of Communications for AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Prescripton Drug Bulk Purchasing Pool For Los Angeles
Wednesday morning the LA City Council will vote on a measure by Council member Antonio Villaraigosa that takes the first steps toward establishing a prescription drug bulk purchasing pool for the City of Los Angeles. If approved, a steering committee would be formed to verify the feasibility of such a pool and ultimately choose a Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM) to administer it. Larry discussed the proposal, which would allow Angelenos to pay a small annual fee to receive a membership card that would allow them to purchase discounted drugs at pharmacies throughout the city. Larry talks with Jerry Flanagan, health policy analyst for the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, Howard Weitzman, Comptroller of Nassau County NY, Mr. Weitzman was behind NassauRX, the prescription drug discount program implemented in July, 2004, and Tom Rice, Professor of Health Services in the UCLA School of Public Health.
Is PBS Too Liberal?
Kenneth Tomlinson, the Chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, believes PBS is too liberal, and he’s taken measures to make some of its programs more “balanced.” Critics say the Chairman’s involvement is inappropriate, and that his actions represent government interference in PBS programming. Tomlinson says he’s simply trying to correct bias, and to make PBS appealing to a broader constituency. Larry Mantle talks with Common Cause President and CEO Chellie Pingree and Tim Graham of the Media Research Center.
Bob Baker Marionettes
Author and Southern California nostalgist Charles Phoenix and Master Puppeteer Bob Baker join Larry to talk about Baker’s life and career as the director and creator of Bob Baker Marionettes puppet theater.