Is California bloated with state workers? Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and his new book, White House Diary. California Attorney General candidate Kamala Harris. The Green Party candidate for Governor of California.
Is California bloated with state workers?
Former Ebay executive Meg Whitman says if she’s voted in as California’s next governor she’ll tighten the budget belt and slash tens of thousands of state jobs. Public employee unions have responded in part by spending millions to support her rival, Jerry Brown. Public employees say they often take the heat for the state’s chronic fiscal woes, despite the fact that California has fewer state workers than most other states. So what are the facts? Does California have too many public employees? If so, then what can and should be done? And how much would this help the state’s budget woes?
Guest:
Jon Ortiz, columnist, blogger and reporter for the Sacramento Bee. He covers state workers and researched census data on the number and relative pay of state workers in California.
Terry Brennand, Senior Government Relations Advocate, Service Employees International Union
Marcia Fritz, President, California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility
Jimmy Carter’s White House Diary
Only six American presidents have kept personal records of their time in the White House, but during his four year presidency Jimmy Carter made several entries in his private diary every day. The White House Diary by Jimmy Carter is his personally annotated compilation of these entries, a revealing document of the struggles and triumphs of Carter’s life in the White House. President Carter joins Larry Mantle to share this intimate view of his presidency and how the Carter family lived inside the White House over thirty years ago.
Guest:
Jimmy Carter, our thirty-ninth president and author of White House Diary. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and has written numerous best sellers including An Hour Before Daylight and Our Endangered Values.
Why is support for California’s Prop 19 lagging?
A new L.A. Times/USC poll shows that the majority of California voters oppose Proposition 19 – the state’s ballot measure that would legalize marijuana for recreational use. An interesting break-out statistic found that younger voters support the pot prop, but a majority of older voters are against it. This is interesting given that many in the older generation of voters have used marijuana in the past. So, why aren’t they supporting Prop 19? Larry opens the phones to find out.
Kamala Harris - candidate for Attorney General
Kamala Harris is the District Attorney for San Francisco. In November, she could become California’s Attorney General and the first African-American woman to hold the post. President Obama supports the Democratic nominee in her race against Los Angeles County's three-term District Attorney Steve Cooley. But critics say she’s soft on crime and has mismanaged her San Francisco department. What are Harris's stances on the death penalty and the enforcement of environmental law? And will her candidacy withstand Republican attack ads?
Guest:
Kamala Harris, San Francisco District Attorney and Democratic candidate for Attorney General
Green Party underdog for California Governor
In the race for California's next Governor, frontrunners Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman grab most of the spotlight, but there will be other names on the November 2 ballot - including Green Party candidate Laura Wells. Wells proposes creating a California State Bank, focused more on Main Street than Wall Street, revamping Prop 13 and starting the process of getting a new state constitution. What else is on Wells’ platform? How does she hope to overcome her underdog status and win votes in this election?
Guest;
Laura Wells, Green Party Candidate for Governor of California