Patt Morrison for Thursday, 1/7/10

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Thursday, January 7, 2010

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 – 1:19

California, searching for money anywhere, turns to black gold

In a state where almost nothing is free of politics, the idea of tapping into California’s fossil fuel wealth to generate badly needed revenues is again touching off a partisan fight.  There are two proposals being floated in front of the Legislature that would profit off of California’s oil and natural gas reserves but in two very different ways.  First, Democratic Assemblyman Pedro Nava wants to impose a 10% oil severance tax on each barrel of crude pumped out of California, but he does not propose allowing any new drilling.  Then, GOP Assemblyman Chuck DeVore estimates we can raise $16 billion by opening up new bids for oil and gas drilling throughout the state, but without onerous taxes on oil companies.  What’s the best way to make a buck off of our black gold?

 

Guests:

Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, Republican - Irvine,

HE CALLS US

 

NOT CONFIRMED - DO NOT PROMOTE THIS GUEST

Assemblyman Pedro Nava, (D- Santa Barbara)

CALL HIM

 

 

1:21 – 1:39

Prisons by the numbers

Governor Schwarzenegger wants to spare taxpayers by letting private companies run state prisons. Does it really save money through economies of scale and with better efficiencies? And what about oversight of those companies that would be charged with managing the incarceration of 170,000 plus inmates?

 

Guests:

Assemblyman Alberto Torrico (D - Fremont), Assembly Majority Leader and chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Prison and Rehabilitation Reform

CALL HIM

 

NOT CONFIRMED:

Representative of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association

 

 

1:41 – 1:58:30

To PIN or to sign?

Few consumers know, or care, what the difference is between signing their name and using their PIN number when they make a purchase using their debit card.  Ah, but merchants do.  That simple choice you make can add up to hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars in annual fees for merchants.  If you sign (and 61% of us do), it can cost a merchant twice as much as using a PIN (which is less vulnerable to fraud).  Costco won’t allow their customers to sign for transactions because of the higher fee.  Visa and MasterCard dominate the market and they set the fees, which banks collect.  Those fees (the ones mentioned above and others including something called an “interchange fee”) have some merchants outraged.  So outraged that some have banned together to file the largest antitrust class-action lawsuit in US history.

 

Guests:

Mitch Goldstone, President and CEO, ScanMyPhoto’s.com

CALL HIM @

 

• He is the lead plaintiff in the anti-trust class-action lawsuit against Visa Mastercard and member banks
• This is the largest antitrust class-action lawsuit in US history

 

UNCOMFIRMED:

Representative from Visa

Representative from the National Retail Federation

 

 

2:06 – 2:30

Do hard economic times = more domestic abuse?

The National Domestic Violence Hotline reports that calls increased by 21% last year.  Philadelphia experienced a whopping 67% increase in domestic homicides in 2008 and California is no stranger to domestic violence cases either; the Golden State has the highest number of emergency calls in the nation.  While it can be difficult to prove a direct correlation between domestic violence and personal financial strain at least one national survey shows the economic meltdown is a major factor contributing to the increase in domestic violence.   What is the federal government doing to assist state and local governments struggling to keep up with the demand for services but facing dwindling resources and what’s happening here in LA?

 

Guests:

Katie Ray Jones, director, National Domestic Violence Hotline

CALL HER@

 

Detective Angelica Romeral, project coordinator for the San Fernando Valley’s CARE (Crisis and Recovery Services) family Justice Center

SHE CALLS US

 

Sara Berdine, executive director, Haven Hills

IN-STUDIO

Incorporated in 1977, Haven Hills provides a 24-7 crisis line; confidential crisis shelter; outreach counseling center, and an 18-month transitional shelter program.

 

UNCONFIRMED

US Department of Justice

 

 

2:30 – 2:50

OPEN

 

 

2:50 – 2:58:30

Give it up for your Los Angeles Bills!?

With the NFL playoffs gearing up this weekend, wouldn’t it be nice if it had a Los Angeles presence? It may be closer to a reality than you think. Majestic Realty has announced 7 teams that they will try to persuade to relocate to the City of Angels to play at their brand new stadium being built in the city of Industry. The obvious plus side would be getting the NFL back in L.A., but the downside would be coming at the expense of another city’s NFL franchise. We talk to Matt “Money” Smith on what this could mean for NFL fans in L.A., the NFL itself and which teams are the most realistic suitors.

 

Guest:

Matt "Money" Smith, host of the “Petros & Money Show” syndicated nationwide on Fox Sports Radio, heard locally in L.A. on AM570 KLAC
CALL HIM:

 

 

Jonathan Serviss

Producer, Patt Morrison Program

Southern California Public Radio

NPR Affiliate for Los Angeles

89.3 KPCC-FM | 89.1 KUOR-FM | 90.3-KPCV-FM

626.585.7821, office

415.497.2131, mobile

jserviss@kpcc.org / jserviss@scpr.org

www.scpr.org