Patt Morrison Thurs, 8/14

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Thursday, August 14, 2008

1-3 p.m.

 

1:00 – 1:30

OPEN

 

 

 

 

 

1:30 – 2:00

Americans Seem to Be Getting It:  Drive Less, Spend Less

As the price of gasoline undertook its slow, steady and maddening march toward and beyond $4/gallon, analysts constantly wondered what would be the tipping point to change the driving habits of Americans.  It seems that by June we’d reached that tipping point and then some, as the number of miles driven by American motorists dipped dramatically.  The Federal Highway Administration found that we drove 12.2 billion fewer miles in June than in the same month a year earlier, a decline of 4.7%.  Could it be that even the open-highway loving, SUV driving, energy hogging American public has its limits?

 

Guests:

Doug Hecox, spokesman for the Federal Highway Administration

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[NPR NEWS]

 

 

2:00 - 2:30

New HUD Secretary: Will the Government Rescue You From Mortgage Oblivion?

It’s now been over two weeks since President Bush reluctantly signed a sweeping mortgage relief bill that originated from Democrats in Congress eager to help out cash-strapped homeowners.  Among the many provisions the measure gave the government $300 billion in new loan authority to back cheaper mortgages and gave $3.9 billion for communities to fix up foreclosed properties causing blight in neighborhoods.  Many of these programs will be administered by the Department of Housing & Urban Development and the money is just now starting to trickle down to homeowners.  Patt has the new secretary of HUD here to hold his feet to the fire burning in the fireplace of your foreclosed home.

 

Guests:

Secretary Steven Preston, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

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• Before taking over at HUD, Preston was Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

 

 

 

2:30 – 3:00

Medicare Medi-can’t?

In 2031, the entire Baby Boomer generation will be over 65 and eligible for Medicare. The question remains, will social insurance programs like Medicare be able to provide adequate coverage for aging Californians? Medi-Gap plans or Medicare supplemental insurance plans are one solution, but there are still coverage issues related to extended care and prescription drug plans. With an aging population reliant on drug therapy for conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, these costs have the potential to economically cripple the Golden years in the Golden state. Many call for reform, yet attempts to modernize the system have resulted in increased privatization. Will California lead the way in reform or will we whimper and pay?

 

Guests:

Geoffrey Joyce, Senior Economist at RAND and Co-director of the UCLA/RAND Health Services Research Training Program

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Judith Stein, Executive Director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, an organization that works to increase access to comprehensive Medicare coverage and good health care for elders and people with disabilities.

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**this segment is part of KPCC’s special coverage on health care for the elderly