The Supreme Court Scales Back Whistleblower Rights; Proposition 81; Iraq Update; The Haditha Investigation; Are CEOs Paid Too Much?
The Supreme Court Scales Back Whistleblower Rights
In a 5-4 decision on Tuesday the Supreme Court ruled that government workers who blow the whistle on official misconduct are not protected by the first amendment. The justices said that public employees do not have free-speech protections for statements they make in the course of their jobs. Critics of the ruling claimed if would discourage government employees from exposing misconduct, but supporters said it would protect the government from frivolous lawsuits filed by disgruntled workers posing as whistleblowers. Larry Mantle discusses the ruling with UCLA School of Law Professor Eugene Volokh and Steven Kohn of the National Whistleblower Center.
Proposition 81
Larry Mantle moderates a debate on Proposition 81, called the California Reading and Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act. The 600 million dollar bond would go to the construction, expansion and/or renovation of local California libraries, and the upgrading of computer and electrical systems within them. Larry talks with LA County Library System Librarian Margaret Todd who supports the measure, and National Tax Limitation Committee Presient Lewis Uhler who opposes it.
Iraq Update
As the new Iraqi government attempts to establish itself and take over more security duties from U.S. and coalition forces, Iraqi insurgents continue to mount deadly attacks. Larry Mantle talks with Newsweek's Baghdad Bureau Chief Scott Johnson, and New York University School of Law's Noah Feldman about why the new government has so far failed to gain control of the insurgency.
The Haditha Investigation
U.S. military is investigating a dozen Marines for possible war crimes in the November incident. The killings, which included women and children, came after a bomb hit a military convoy on Nov. 19, killing a Marine. Marines then allegedly shot and killed unarmed civilians in a taxi at the scene and went into homes and shot others. Larry Mantle talks with Marine Corp Times staff writer Gidget Fuentes for the latest on the investigation.
Are CEOs Paid Too Much?
The method of determining executive compensation packages stirred much debate in a recent hearing by the House Financial Services committee. Democratic congressman Barney Frank's shareholder protection bill, H.R. 4291, proposes shareholder approval for executive pay packages and perks. Larry Mantle speaks with Congressman Frank, William Niskanen of the Cato Institute, and business journalist Kathy Kristof about HR 4291, the increasingly high levels of executive pay that have prompted the bill, and the controversy over executive compensation packages.