Patt Morrison for Thursday 12/3/09

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Thursday, December 3, 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

 

1:00 – 1:30

Those pesky vanishing jobs: President’s summit tackles the jobless recovery

The unemployment rate, the most vaunted of the “lagging economic indicators” has now become a political albatross around the necks of President Obama and his fellow Democrats.  In an effort to get creative on jobs creation the President will convene a jobs summit this morning, in search of innovative ways that the government can encourage more hiring.  But several key groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, failed to get an invite and there are even splits among Democrats about how to best proceed.  Can the government build a better job?

 

Guest:

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-CA; Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works; member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation

SHE CALLS US:

• Boxer has authored two job-creation bills:  1) The Bank on our Communities Act (1822) that would allocate existing Troubled Asset Relief Program funds to community banks on the condition that they restart the flow of lending to small businesses; 2) The Small Business to Capital Act (1832) that would increase the maximum size of Small Business Administration loans so that more small business owners can access lending programs.

 

UNCONFIRMED - do not promote these guests

-Representative from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

-James McNerney, CEO of Boeing

-Representative from the United Steel Workers

-Representative from the United Food & Commercial Workers

 

 

 

1:30 - 1:40

Higher education in California - getting the golden gleam back

It’s been a tough few years for most of California’s public institutions, but the higher education systems of UC, Cal State and community colleges have been particularly hard hit. In the face of a continuing economic downturn and with the state's coffers dwindling, educators and legislators alike are taking a look at the 50 year-old Master Plan on Higher Education.  Hearings start next week on realigning the mission and goals of our learning institutions to address the changing economy and demographics of our once dynamic state.

 

Guest:

UNCONFIRMED:

Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, Democrat from Redwood City

CALL HIM

 

 

1:40 - 2:00

The 10 X 20 push for new antibiotics to fight superbugs    

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention drug resistant bacterial infections kill tens of thousands of Americans each year and the World Health Organization considers antimicrobial resistance one of the three greatest threats to human health. The Infectious Disease Society of America has recently asked for a commitment from the Obama administration and the European Union to develop 10 new antibiotics by 2020. Will they commit and can 10 new antibiotics really make a difference?

 

Guests:

Dr. Brad Spellberg, Fellow at the Infectious Disease Society of America and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

CALL HIM:

 

Spokesperson for the California Medical Association

UNCONFIRMED

 

 

 

2:00 – 2:20

Supreme Court to hear anti-corruption law case

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the merits of the “honest services fraud” law designed to keep a healthy distance between lobbyists and public officials.  Law enforcement officials claim the law is one of their best weapons to go after public officials who accept money, tickets, jobs or other such “gifts” in exchange for political favors. Critics claim the law is vague and believe it should be struck down so that Congress can clearly define what’s acceptable “gift giving” and what is…uh, bribery. 

 

Guest:

Erwin Chemerinsky, Founding Dean, UCI School of Law and a constitutional law expert

CALL HIM

 

 

2:20 – 2:30

Obama’s kicking K Street to the curb

A new White House initiative, which will be phased in over the coming months, will (if all goes according to plan) kick over 13,000 lobbyists out of key positions on federal advisory panels. And K Street is none too happy about it.  Lobbyists advise on matters relating to trade rules, troop levels, environmental regulations, and consumer protections—and the advisory panels are an unwieldy group of nearly 1,000 panels with total membership exceeding 60,000 people.  Can the plan help to root out corruption and unfair influence inside the Beltway?

 

Guest:

Michael Masserman, Director, Office of Advisory Committees. International Trade Administration

BY TELEPHONE

 

 

2:30 – 3:00

I See Rude People (everywhere!)

Rude people are everywhere, as they always have been. But what’s the best way to stop them? Advice Goddess columnist Amy Alkon is a little more forthright than Emily Post might be; from noisy cell phone chatterers to crying babies in restaurants, she takes no prisoners. Is this the only way to fight back, or does matching rudeness with rudeness only double the trouble?

 

Guest:

Amy Alkon, Advice Goddess columnist and author of “I See Rude People: One woman’s battle to beat some manners into impolite society”

IN STUDIO