A Pearl Harbor survivor recounts his story, L.A. County Board of Supervisors approve tax measure to tackle homelessness, San Bernardino takes next step in bankruptcy exit plan
'We were wondering if we were going to survive': Pearl Harbor vet recalls infamous day
Memorial services are being held today to mark 75 years since Japanese forces attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
In Southern California, there's a remembrance ceremony in San Pedro aboard the battleship Iowa to honor those lost on that infamous day.
Meanwhile, in Honolulu, some of the last remaining survivors of the attack will gather at the memorial to remember. Among them, Wetzel Sanders of West Virginia
He was serving in the Army, stationed near Pearl Harbor in 1941. Now 93, Sanders is the last living member of his company. He shared his experience with Take Two.
Click the play button below to hear his story. Headphones are recommended.
(Click the "BONUS AUDIO" link to hear more about Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's upcoming visit to Pearl Harbor.)
California's new Legislature has biggest gender gap in quarter century
Proposed sales tax increase crucial to getting homeless off the street, LA County Supervisor Kuehl says
In a few months, L.A. County voters will consider a sales tax increase that will fund the homeless services necessary to "make a significant dent" in the area's homeless crisis, L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl said.
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to place the measure on the March 7 ballot. It would increase the county's sales tax from 9.25 percent to 9.5 percent, and it would expire after 10 years. It requires approval from 2/3 of voters to pass and it would raise an estimated $355 million annually for services like mental health counseling and substance abuse programs for the county's homeless.
This measure comes on the heels of Measure HHH, which voters in the city of Los Angeles overwhelmingly approved in the November election, to fund the construction of ten thousand units of housing for the homeless. Now the issue goes to Los Angeles County voters—not just those living in the city of Los Angeles.
Kuehl told Take Two's Alex Cohen the revenue from the proposed sales tax increase will make a "significant dent, if not do everything needed to get people into housing and get them the wraparound services" they need.
"We’ll construct housing, but without the county and without this quarter-cent sales tax, I don’t think we can help people get off the street," she said.
You can read highlights from the discussion below, or hear the full interview above.
Interview highlights
What are the latest numbers on homelessness in LA County?
Supervisor Kuehl: We’re still using the number 47,000 that we identified during the last homeless count. We're about to enter into a new count... We're going to concentrate a little more strongly on finding transition-age youth and young people in their twenties because sometimes they’re homeless but they’re couch-surfing and so we haven’t been counting them as homeless. So it could be even more.
How much would this quarter-cent sales tax generate and what programs would the revenue fund?
Sup. Kuehl: It would generate [...] about $355 million a year. The reason that this is really important is that the people who live in the city of L.A. overwhelmingly approved Measure HHH in the last election and what that will do is eventually build as many as 10,000 units of housing, but it can only be used for capital. It cannot be used for the kinds of wraparound services that actually [are] what’s needed to end homelessness.
It’s fine to say, "Here’s your house, bye-bye." But if you need mental health services, if you need addiction services, if you need training because how are you going to stay there without having a job of some kind?, it’s the county that’s called upon to provide these services. Our homeless initiative, which has a very well-delineated set of areas where we will use this estimated that to get the 47,000 [people] off the street would probably take maybe $450 million a year. But we’re going to tackle it, and $350 [million] is a good start on $450 [million], I’d say. So I’m really hoping everybody will say yes to this and we can provide the services.
If voters do approve this sales tax increase, how then would you make up that $100 million difference in funding?
Sup. Kuehl: Well, interestingly, we’ve already committed $150 million a year, and that doesn’t count what we’re putting in to affordable housing. What our health agency is doing in terms of homeless for health, where they do housing first and then services. I think we could make a significant dent, if not do everything needed to get people into housing and get them the wraparound services.
Now, it’s not just mental health and health services or addiction services that we do. In our homelessness plan, we also fund programs to prevent homelessness. Perhaps you’re being evicted, and you might need some help with a couple of months’ rent. The county actually has a program that can help you with that, but we need to get that information out.
We have homeless prevention programs for individuals and families. We subsidize housing. We do rapid re-housing, so if you’ve just lost your home, we don’t want you to end up on the street. We want to get you right back into something and hopefully in the same area where you were living. We provide subsidized housing to disabled people, people on SSI… but mostly the money goes for case management and services, jail in-reach — so that when you’re getting out of jail you don’t end up on the street.
There’s a lot that we do. This money, along with the $150 million we put in every year, will really help us to get there.
Is there a concern that taxpayers might have a limited appetite for what they're willing to pay to solve this problem?
Sup. Kuehl: It’s possible. And yet when you ask people what’s on their mind about the greatest problems in the county, so many more people come up with the answer: homelessness, homeless people.
It bothers people that in, allegedly, the richest country in the world, we’ve got thousands of people living on the street, just in our county. So, I think people are still aware, and if we explain appropriately that the money they have taxed themselves will build housing and that’s it, I think the county is the safety net, the county provides the services. The state is also going to be building housing for homeless people. They're going to use a portion of mental health funds from Prop 63 to issue a bond — so it’s going to be wonderful.
We’ll construct housing, but without the county and without this quarter-cent sales tax, I don’t think we can help people get off the street.
Sports roundup: The Chargers reach out to the LA Coliseum and the latest on the Golden State Warriors
After a two-decade drought the forecast for L.A.? Flooded with football.
A story in USA Today says the San Diego Chargers have reached out to L.A. Coliseum about playing there next season. The Chargers have until January 15 2017 to decide.
Also, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted last week that he used pot to manage his pain after having back surgery. Kerr says it didn't work for him but that didn't stop him from touting the benefits of medicinal marijuana.
And lastly, is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
For that and more, Andy and Brian Kamenetsky joined A Martinez to discuss.
To hear the full segment, click the blue play button above.
Sexual victimization perpetrated by women is more common than you think, study reveals
When you hear the words sexual assault, who do you picture as the perpetrator? And who do you see as the victim?
There's a good chance you might assume the perpetrator is a man and the victim is a woman because that's often how such situations unfold.
But not always.
There are plenty of instances when men are the victims and women the aggressors. That's just one of the surprising findings of a new study by Lara Stemple. She is the director of UCLA's Health and Human Rights Law Project. Stemple spoke with Take Two's Alex Cohen about her findings.
To hear the full interview, click the blue play button above.
San Bernardino's bankruptcy plan will allow it to restore some services
San Bernardino is on its way toward solvency after a judge approved the city's bankruptcy plan Tuesday.
The city has been in bankruptcy proceedings since 2012, when it found itself facing an operating deficit of more than $45 million. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Jury praised the city government for its cost-cutting efforts over the four-year period.
City officials celebrated the ruling too, though it won't take effect for a few more months, San Bernardino Sun reporter, Ryan Hagen told KPCC's Take Two.
Hagen said the bankruptcy has not only affected the city's finances and municipal services, but also the psyche of San Bernardino residents.
"This was a tough time for a lot of residents, and businesses and potential visitors might not have understood the financial details, but just the scarlet letter of being bankrupt — it's a big blow to a city," Hagen said.
The economic recession, the closure of Norton Air Force Base, and budgeting issues and errors were among the contributors to San Bernardino's financial woes. In its bankruptcy, the city has faced challenges: poor maintenance of parks and streets, and a diminished police force.
As part of the bankruptcy plan, San Bernardino will pay back about one cent for every dollar it owed, saving taxpayers about $300 million. The city now has a balanced budget and a new charter. To cut costs, the city outsourced trash collection and its fire service, cutting its municipal workforce almost by half through that outsourcing, attrition, and some layoffs. The city also managed to not raise taxes and limit spending, Hagen said.
"Although things are certainly tight and there are still lots of services that won't be provided, the city is afloat," Hagen said.
The city's first priority is to hire more police officers and upgrade technology, Hagen said, because San Bernardino has experienced an increase in crime this year. As for a business development, city officials hope simply exiting bankruptcy will attract more businesses to the area.
"It's a city where a lot of people are kind of down on the prospects of the city, but there's kind of a deep resilience there too," Hagen said.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue media player above.
LAUSD sets up hotline, support centers for anxious students
It's been a full month since the presidential election, but for many, emotions are still raw. Some are feeling excited and hopeful about a shift in power. Others are feeling anxious and scared.
LAUSD students who fall into that latter camp now have a new resource. The school district has launched a hotline and set up a number of support services for those concerned about the election of Donald Trump.
For more on the hotline, Steve Zimmer, LAUSD's Board of Education president spoke with Take Two.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue media player above.
Santa Monica pilot program plans to protect SoCal coastline
A stretch of Santa Monica beach is undergoing a makeover.
It's part of a pilot program designed to protect Southern California's coastline.
The project broke ground Tuesday, and over the next four weeks, three acres of beach will be transformed into a coastal ecosystem, with a low fence and native beach plants.
The Santa Monica Beach Restoration Pilot Project is a partnership of the City of Santa Monica and the non profit environmental group, the Bay Foundation.
The Foundation's executive director, Tom Ford spoke with Take Two's A Martinez about the pilot and how it help preserve Southern California's beaches.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue media player above.
The Styled Side: the most trendy holiday gifts for 2016
Maybe Black Friday left you blue and empty-handed.
For advice on the trendiest gifts this holiday season Michelle Dalton Tyree from Fashion Trends Daily joined Take Two with some ideas.
For the too-cool teen who Instagrams
A mermaid blanket, duh!
It’s this cozy knit blanket knit into the shape of a mermaid tail that just slips on to the lower half of your body.
This blanket is one of the hottest items on social media right now.
Mermaid everything has been a very hot trend this past year – in fact, young kids were buying these mermaid swimming tails – but this trend is big with the Instagram-obsessed set.
For the little kids in your life
A pet ... but one that is parent approved.
Hatchimals is the hottest toy of the season. The kind where feathers fly in the store as parents claw over it.
When you pet it, it hatches into the bird-ish creature. Then, as the kid interacts with it, the pet is trained to say things and play games.
For the hipsters you know
This is easy. You get them the Hipster Nativity Set.
It's from the San Diego-based company Modern Nativity, which has been garnering a ton of press this season both from fans and unhappy Christmas purists alike.
This hilarious toy is practically a non-denominational nativity set with, according to the site:
- "Fresh off a Whole Foods Shopping Spree, Joseph is rocking his man bun and finest shirt"
- "He and Mary are taking selfies, and she’s making a duck face, of course."
- "The Three Wisemen are on Segways in their cool hipster outfits of suspenders, bow ties, hats"
For the bingewatchers
The official HBO shop is where you want to be if you want, say, a "Game of Thrones" Jon Snow mousepad or a pair of Freaky Freezies "Winter is Here" gloves.
Those gloves are like the material from the 80s and 90s that change color with the temperature.
For your office white elephant party
The ugly holiday sweater is the gag gift that keeps on giving, and has actually turned itself into a bona fide fashion trend.
Last year, I thought we were reaching the apex of the holiday sweater trend, but we weren’t even close because retailers doubled down on holiday sweater inventory this year by including vests and sweater dresses
L.A.-based Forever 21 has ugly holiday sweaters galore, and Target has even added pajama sets for the whole family.
For the Star Wars superfan
For the guys who want to go see Rogue One in style, how about a pair of X-Wing Starfighter cufflinks?
Or, since there are plenty of women who are also superfans, too, there's an R2D2 coffee press. Who doesn’t need a cute droid to help them wake up in the morning?
http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/itns_r2-d2_coffee_press.jpg
For the fashion maven
Take the designer bag she already owns and personalize it with a monogram or motif of her choice at L.A.-based DTLA Custom.
Located downtown, they will customize any leather you own — from designer bags to leather biker jackets.
Monogramming and personalization has become a huge trend over the past five years and it is really reaching a high, with many luxury brands offering it as well.
For something uniquely L.A.
Go online at Sisters of Los Angeles. There’s no better place to find gifts that showcase your L.A. pride.
You can toast to traffic with rocks cocktail glasses, each with a freeway printed on it: the 5, 405, 101 and the 10.
They don’t just do California, either. They’ve expanded into other states, too, so pick your favorite city.
And the holiday shop to visit this season in person: Goop.
It comes from Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle blog Goop, which people either love, hate or love to hate.
This brick-and-mortar store opened up at the Brentwood Country Mart, and all of the sections are categorized by personality: The Health Nut, The Traveler, The Host, etc.
Some of these gifts border on the opulent and ridiculous, like a $125,000 gold dumbbell set.
But the funniest one I saw is the “Consciously Uncoupled” key tag, so it's nice to see she pokes fun at herself for when she broke up with Chris Martin by saying they “consciously uncoupled."