Today on AirTalk we'll look at Governor Brown's tax proposals making it's way to new Cal State University students, Mitt Romney is in Los Angeles today trying to rally the Hispanic business owner base, a conversation with author Frank Parnoy about his new book "Wait: The Art and Science of Delay", the ACLU challenges the state of California's DNA collection procedures, what's really behind Mitt Romney's tax plan and whether if it really is "revenue neutral" and a conversation with author Naomi Wolf about her new book “Vagina: A New Biography”. Plus, the latest news.
Cal State system may warn applicants of 'trigger' cuts from Prop 30 failure
Every fall, students submit their college applications for the following year. They can then expect an automated response, thanking them for their application and letting them know when decisions will be made.
For students applying to the California State Universities this year, they’ll be getting something extra after they hit submit button.
In a draft of this year’s automated response letter, applicants are warned about “trigger” cuts tied to Proposition 30, which would amount to $250 million cut in funds for the CSU system. Critics say the wording of the letter amounts to a political pitch to support Governor Brown’s tax proposal at the polls this November.
"California law is very clear that, while public money can be spend public money on purely informational activity, it cannot take a side in an election," said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, on AirTalk. "This has clearly crossed the line into political advocacy and using taxpayer resources to do so."
If passed, Prop 30 would would temporarily increase tax levies and income taxes for the those who make $250,000 and more a year, raising billions for the state budget. If the measure passes, the letter continues, more applicants can be admitted to CSU; if it fails, fewer freshman will be joining the ranks.
CSU officials deny that the purpose of the letter is to gain support for Prop 30, and say it is simply to be transparent about the status of applications.
"This is essentially an effort to educate students and parents about why we're holding all of the applications until after the November election…and also about what Prop 30 means to our budget, since our budget is tied to enrollment," said Claudia Keith, CSU assistant vice chancellor for public affairs. "If Prop 30 fails, our budget will be cut immediately by $250 million. That's a fact, that's not advocating one way or the other."
However, anti-tax advocates say the implication is clear: Vote for Prop 30 to improve your chances of getting into CSU.
"It's not factual, we've seen this over and over again where K-12 is threatened, we saw this in 2009 with proposition 1A…When the voters rejected it miraculously they found the money to do it," said Coupal. "Prop 30 would give California the biggest tax burden in America. There are states that fully fund higher education and do it better with much less money, so its not a question of money it's a question of political will."
The CSU application process begins October 1, so officials still have two weeks to finalize the wording of the letter.
Weigh In:
Is CSU hoping to coerce applicants into voting for a measure that will fill its coffers? Have you or your child applied to a CSU school this year? How will Proposition 30 fit into your college plans?
Guests:
Jon Coupal, president, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Claudia Keith, assistant vice chancellor for public affairs, California State University
Mitt Romney courts Hispanic vote in LA at US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce convention despite protests
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will speak at the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s (USHCC) 33rd Annual National Convention in downtown Los Angeles today, but the GOP hopeful won’t skate by without provoking protest from critics.
Elected officials, business leaders and DREAM Act activists opposed to Romney’s proposed economic and immigration policies are set to march across the street from the convention where the former Bain Capital CEO will give his speech. The USHCC represents about 3 million people and its Annual National Convention is the largest gathering of Hispanic business leaders in America with approximately 5,000 expected to attend.
How supportive are Hispanic business people of Mitt Romney? How well will the GOP candidate be able to lure Hispanic voters and how vital is that voting demographic for winning the presidential election?
Guests:
Frank Stoltze, KPCC Reporter, covering the convention
Wendy Lee, KPCC Reporter, covering the convention
Do good things come to those who wait?
What difference does a second make? According to Frank Partnoy, it could change everything.
In his new book “Wait: The Art and Science of Delay,” Partnoy develops and supports his theory about decision-making: wait as long as possible. Whether it’s a comedian timing a punchline or a naval officer assessing when to attack a potential enemy plane, Partnoy highlights the benefits of the pause. In our increasingly fast-paced world, “Wait” advises a slow-and-steady-wins-the-race mentality.
Partnoy’s findings are backed up by numerous expert interviews and scientific studies across various fields. Even as technology encourages us to value split-second decision-making and speedy responses to everything from e-mails to job offers, he says, every choice in our lives could still use some mulling over.
While the professional tennis player or high frequency stock trader may have only seconds to ponder, Partnoy still encourages us to wait until the last possible millisecond to make your move. This provocative book will change how you think about every decision you make. Time and deliberation may win out over hasty efficiency after all, to every procrastinator’s delight.
How long do you ponder the important decisions in your life? Have you made hasty choices that you regret not spending more time on? Or do you go with snap judgment and take your chances?
Guest:
Frank Partnoy, author of “Wait: The Art and Science of Delay” (Public Affairs Books); director of the Center for Corporate and Securities Law at the University of San Diego. His previous books include “F.I.A.S.C.O.: Blood in the Water on Wall Street” and “Infectious Greed: How Deceit and Risk Corrupted the Financial Markets.”
California’s DNA collection process goes on trial
Proponents of warrantless swabbing of the cheek with a Q-tip call it an integral part of the justice process, but critics say it is nothing more than the 21st Century’s equivalent of fingerprints. But on Wednesday, the ACLU will make the argument before a federal appellate court in San Francisco that the DNA collection is unconstitutional.
The ACLU specifically takes issue with the cheek swab of those arrested for a felony before they are convicted. Critics are not challenging the collection of samples taken from convicted felons, just those sampled before convicted. They claim that it comes too early in the justice process, that Americans are innocent until proven guilty and that it provides the government lifetime genetic surveillance.
The law went into effect in 2009 and California law enforcement officials are currently collecting 11,000 samples a month.
Guests:
Michael Risher, ACLU staff attorney; lead attorney Haskell v. Harris
Anne Marie Schubert, Sacramento County Supervising Deputy District Attorney who helped write an amicus brief on behalf of California DA’s Association
Is Romney’s tax plan really 'revenue neutral?'
Mitt Romney’s proposed tax plan has long been under scrutiny by Democrats, but now Republicans are splitting hairs as well. In an effort to combat Democratic claims that Romney’s plan would raise taxes on the middle class, Republican economists analyzed their nominee’s budget plan, and what they found was not pretty.
To make the numbers work, Romney would have to raise income taxes on families in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. Additionally, Romney needs to eliminate most, if not all, tax deductions and credits for households over $100,000. This could prove troubling for the Romney campaign among middle class voters, especially in light of the candidate’s statement last Friday that “middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 and less.”
Furthermore, Romney has pledged that his budget would be “revenue neutral,” meaning that for every dollar cut in taxes, a dollar would be raised somewhere else. However, Romney isn’t naming the ways in which he would open up other lines of revenue for the country.
Do these revelations spell doom for Mitt Romney? What are the specific differences between his plan and that of President Obama? What else did these Republican economists discover about Romney’s take on taxes? How would his plan affect you?
Guests:
Dean Baker, economist & co-director, Center for Economic and Policy Research
Chris Edwards, economist & director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute and the editor of Downsizing Government.org
Naomi Wolf links female consciousness with the vagina
Life was smooth sailing for bestselling author Naomi Wolf in the Spring of 2009 until she began to notice a considerable decline of orgasmic sensation during sex. Doctors eventually informed Wolf that she was suffering from a compressed pelvic nerve and diagnosed her with a mild form of spinal bifida, also known as lower-back degenerative spinal disease, which was diminishing her pelvic nerve’s ability to relay orgasms to her brain.
This diagnosis launched Wolf’s deeply personal exploration of how a woman’s sense of self-identity is defined by her vagina. In “Vagina: A New Biography,” the author shares her findings about the intricate connection between the female psyche and sex organs and concludes that American women are suffering from an epidemic of sexual dissatisfaction.
The book, with its blunt title, has certainly grabbed attention, but not all of it positive. In an op-ed article published in the Los Angeles Times last Thursday, columnist Meghan Daum scoffed, “[the book] suggests that women are neither whole nor even the sum of our parts but, in fact, just one part.”
Does a woman’s vagina and its connections to the female nervous system comprehensively characterize her neurological interface with the outside world as well as encompass her self-identity? How crucial is sexual fulfillment for women and what influence does such fulfillment (or lack of fulfillment) have on women’s overall vitality?
Guest:
Naomi Wolf, author of “Vagina: A New Biography” (HarperCollins), wrote “The Beauty Myth,” “The End of America,” and pieces for Ms., Esquire, The New York Times and more
Wolf will be at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena at 7 pm today for a book reading and signing. The event is free and open to the public. She will also be appearing as part of the Live Talks Los Angeles series tomorrow night at 8 pm.