Today on AirTalk we'll preview former President Bill Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention, discuss how the City of San Bernardino failed to pass budgetary plans and what that means for the future, why 400 trees in south LA are being cut down and what Space Shuttle Endeavor has to do with it, why city governments can't randomly seize the property of the homeless, LA sports fans are being asked to play nice and the dying era for voice mail. Plus, the latest news.
Bill Clinton back in the saddle at the DNC
Tonight, Bill Clinton will take the stage at the Democratic National Convention. It’s an honor he’s had many times, and the seasoned political veteran will certainly draw millions of eyeballs to TV sets all over the country to see what he says.
While Clinton is obviously a pro at giving speeches and connecting to voters, he’s also shared a somewhat tumultuous relationship with President Barack Obama’s White House. The 2008 Democratic primary between Obama and Hillary Clinton was bitter and divisive within the party, and recently the former President has directly contradicted the Obama campaign in the press. Further complicating matters is the fact that Clinton’s single speech will be serving two distinct purposes: get people to vote for Barack Obama in 2012, and get people to possibly vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
It’s a daunting task, but if anyone could do it, it’s Bill Clinton. Even though he left office after a brutal impeachment process, his approval ratings are as high as ever.
What is it about Clinton that makes him so appealing to voters across the board? Is it smart for the Democrats to rely so heavily on one man’s speech? What is Clinton expected to cover?
Guest:
Doyle McManus, Washington Columnist, covering national and international politics, Los Angeles Times, joining us from the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina
San Bernardino fails to pass massive budget cuts proposed in bankruptcy process
Not willing to “go along just to get along” the San Bernardino City Council meeting for planned budget cuts ran late last night, but no agreement was reached.
The Council is taking its first steps into bankruptcy proceedings with a plan designed to cut more than $22 million from the budget. Most of the cost savings come from cutting over 100 jobs and closing three of the city’s four libraries. That still wouldn’t close the entire $45 million gap, but Council members see it as a starting point.
Where they can’t see eye-to-eye is on cuts to the Fire Department. Pulling that issue out into a separate vote worked for a moment, but the narrowly-passed proposal was vetoed by Mayor Pat Morris. Morris called the alternate proposals “irresponsible.” They’ll try again in a meeting this afternoon.
Given San Bernardino’s extreme fiscal problems, how should City officials proceed? What cuts should be a priority? And what are the consequences of further delay?
Guests:
Steven Cuevas, KPCC’s Inland Empire reporter
400 trees in South LA to make way for the stars as Endeavour arrives
The space shuttle Endeavour has had a long journey, circling Earth over 4,600 times. It soon begins its last: landing at its permanent home at the California Science Center. Getting the shuttle from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to L.A. is no easy logistical matter, and to help the Endeavour on its final trip, officials plan to remove 400 trees from South L.A. neighborhoods, including the Crenshaw District and the City of Inglewood.
The enormous shuttle cannot be dismantled and packed up without sustaining permanent damage, so trees, power lines and streetlights will have to give way as it dodges freeway overpasses on city streets. While residents are excited about the scientific learning opportunities of the nearby shuttle, the loss of hundreds of mature trees isn’t going over well with Endeavour’s new neighbors.
Lark Galloway-Gilliam, executive director at Community Health Councils and longtime Leimert Park resident, said her neighborhood won't be the same without the trees.
"We're talking about trees ... anywhere from 30 to 80 feet in height, trees that have sort of grown up with all of us and provided not only an environmental and economic benefit, but really protected the health of the children and our seniors in the community by helping to insure that the amount of toxins coming from the cars are filtered," she said.
Gilliam added that the science center should have conducted an environmental report about available alternatives, and seeing the facts might better sway those feeling a little anti-Endeavour.
"So far we're just hearing it from their mouths, and we're not seeing any documentation showing us why this can't be done in different ways. Had they done the [California Environment Quality Act], ... I think we'd all feel a lot better about what they're reported," she continued.
No one from the City of Los Angeles, Inglewood or the California Science Center could join Larry on AirTalk, but the science center sent a statement:
"The space shuttle Endeavour will arrive on September 20th, will be transported by city streets to the science center. It'll be one of the largest things to move over city streets in Los Angeles history. We're working with the cities of Los Angeles and Inglewood, moving power lines, street lights and trees. In evaluating the route, priority was always given to preserving trees. For every tree that will be removed, two will be planted with higher quality trees, and we will make additional improvements to beautify these cities. Two years of pre-maintenance – the loss will be provided by the California science center foundation."
The science center has funneled in $.5 million to fund tree removals and planting, but the replacements will be younger saplings, and though they'll be as mature as possible, they have years of growth before matching the current shady, mature magnolias.
The city has already begun maintenance in the Crenshaw district. "You can see dozens of orange traffic cones over the stumps, all those trees wiped out along the median, along the sides of Manchester and Crenshaw," KPCC's Corey Moore described.
He said sentiments about the tree removal are mixed. Inglewood, for example, has long been fighting with Ficus trees that rip up sidewalks with their roots.
Gilliam said she's encouraging people to go to the L.A. department of Public Works for a coming hearing on the issue.
"We're trying to organize an effort with the city to look at the trees that need to be replaced. Two-to-one sounds great, but that's like the minimum requirement now in the City of Los Angeles, so we're not really getting much. We're trying to increase the number of trees and we're trying to increase the size of the trees, and that's where the battle will lie," she said.
WEIGH IN:
Is it a fair tradeoff for a space wonder? Or should Endeavour plot a new course to its museum home?
Guests:
Lark Galloway-Gilliam, Executive Director, Community Health Councils; longtime resident of Leimert Park and member of the neighborhood council
Corey Moore, KPCC reporter
Cities can’t randomly seize possessions of the homeless, federal court rules
Homeless citizens in urban areas across the nation, specifically those on Skid Row in Los Angeles, won a huge legal victory today. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 decision that the city of Los Angeles, including its police force, can’t randomly seize a homeless person’s property unless it’s a threat to public safety or serves as criminal evidence. This also applies to other cities in the United States. In those specific situations where property can be seized, it must be kept intact and moved to a location where the owner can retrieve it.
This all started when the City of LA posted flyers on Skid Row informing the homeless citizens that property must be moved on street cleaning days. When the property wasn’t moved, city workers had it removed and destroyed. Some of Skid Row residents obtained a court order against the city to cease and desist, which the city appealed.
The two judges in the majority said that homeless residents’ property is protected under the 4th amendment, even in public places. Otherwise, the court argued, illegally parked cars could be towed and destroyed as well. The dissenting judge said, common sense tells us we can’t leave personal items in a public place without the risk that they’ll be rifled through or destroyed. Where do you land? Should cities have more leeway to remove personal items out on the street in homeless enclaves like Skid Row? Or are the courts correct in protecting the property rights of the homeless?
Guests:
Estela Lopez, Executive Director, Central City East Association
Carol Sobel, Executive Vice President, National Lawyers Guild
SoCal sports fans had better play by the rules
Swearing, throwing drinks or even punches at games have become as much a part of the fan experience, for better or worse, as hot dogs and mustard. But Southern California sports venues now hope to nurture a kinder, gentler breed of sports fans.
“In an effort to create a more secure and enjoyable game-day experience,” according to their press release, The L.A. Sports Council has just issued a code of conduct governing fan behavior at sporting events in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The Fan Code of Conduct will be enforced at Staples Center, Dodger Stadium, the Rose Bowl, Angel Stadium and other major sports venues of 10,000 or more seats. Forbidden activities include profanity, intoxication, throwing your soda, fighting , and storming the field.
Fans who violate the code will face ejection or arrest. Didn’t like the umpire’s call? Perhaps a disapproving look will express your displeasure. If you absolutely must say something, at least use your indoor voice. Do you resent the idea of being held to a behavior code? Do you prefer your sports events rough-and-tumble, or more civilized? How do you think this will change the game for you?
Guests:
David Simon, president, Los Angeles Sports Council
George Cunningham, chief operating officer, The Rose Bowl
Lee Zeidman, senior vice president and general manager of Staples Center, Nokia Theatre LA LIVE and LA LIVE
Southern California Fan Code of Conduct
Don’t leave a message after the beep
In case you haven’t been to a movie theater recently, more and more people are texting on their cell phones. In fact, so many people are texting at this point that voice-mail, the technology which liberated us from our telephone lines decades ago, is now on the decline.
Within a year, the Internet phone company Vonage saw an 8 percent drop in callers actually leaving a voice message. What’s even more dramatic is how it seems people don’t even have the patience to listen to their voice-mails, with retrieved messages falling by 14 percent in the same period.
For the young people primarily using cell phones these days, texting is just simpler, faster and less annoying than waiting for a person’s voice-mail greeting, putting up with the menu and then going through the messages left on your phone.
So be honest: When you call someone to talk and realize you’re getting a voice-mail, do you simply hang up? Do you text instead? Are you happy that people are moving away from voice-mails, or do you lament the potential extinction of messages that aren’t completely written in text speak? Is there a way to save voice-mail and make it more appealing for younger users, or is this simply a generational thing?