Patt Morrison for Wednesday, 11/11/09

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

1:06 – 1:30

President Obama's Asian Agenda

In his first foray into the world of Asian multiculturalism, on Thursday President Obama heads to Tokyo, and on to Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul… five cities in six days, with a long list of priorities on his agenda.  From climate change to global security and antiterrorism to balance of power issues, he hopes to increase the United States' influence in the region and engage as a full Pacific nation partner.

 

Guest:

Evan A. Feigenbaum, senior fellow for East, Central and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations.  He is former deputy assistant secretary of state for South Asia and Central Asia with the Bush administration.

CALL HIM:

 

 

1:30 - 1:39

OPEN

 

 

1:41 – 1:58:30

New approaches to wounded warriors: Obama Admin & veterans’ affairs

One of the earliest criticisms of the Bush Administration’s war policies were the lack of accommodations for returning veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  From mental health services to support for families back home, the Department of Veterans Affairs seemed less-than-ready to handle the new demand from returning vets.  President Obama promised to make veterans affairs a priority, and almost a year into his term how’s he doing?  In light of the Ft. Hood tragedy, are there enough support services in place for America’s warriors?

 

Guests:

Matt Flavin, director of the White House Office of Veterans & Wounded Warrior Policy; veteran of Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan

HE CALLS US:

• Flavin commanded a 450-person intelligence unit in Bosnia and fought with the Navy SEALs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• His policy priorities in his first eight months on the job in the White House have been expanding benefits to veterans of current conflicts; ease the processing of claims at Veterans Affairs by introducing an electronic medical records system; implement a new GI Bill to grant more generous education benefits to veterans of Iraq, Afghanista and other post-9/11 conflicts; and crafting a new policy to better address PTSD and brain injuries in returning vets.

 

2:06 – 2:19

OPEN

 

 

2:21 – 2:58:30

Our $12 trillion hole….and how to dig ourselves out of it

The national debt is like the dangerously over-stuffed closet in your hallway:  you know that it’s about to explode, with potentially disastrous consequences, and yet as long as it’s out of sight it’s easy to ignore.  The cumulative American debt is $12 trillion, and is projected to continue growing as we fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, continue to spend money to prop up our weak economy and continue to pay for huge entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.  Patt talks with a panel of experts who will chart how we dug ourselves this huge hole and how we can dig ourselves out of it—and the risks of not acting now.

 

Guests:

Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition

HE CALLS US

 

David Walker, former Comptroller General of the U.S.; president & CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation

HE CALLS US

 

Isabel Sawhill, senior fellow & co-director of the Center on Children & Families at Brookings Institution; former associate director of the Office of Management & Budget in the Clinton Administration

SHE CALLS US

 

Andrew Biggs, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute; former deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration in the Bush Administration

HE CALLS US

 

 

 

Jonathan Serviss

Producer, Patt Morrison Program

Southern California Public Radio

NPR Affiliate for Los Angeles

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415.497.2131, mobile

jserviss@kpcc.org / jserviss@scpr.org

www.scpr.org