Patt Morrison for Friday, May 7, 2010

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Friday, May 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 – 1:39

OPEN

 

 

1:41 – 1:58:30

Life would be perfect if I lived in that house

In terms of social cachet, perhaps the only thing in Southern California more telling of your status than your car is your house.  “House lust” abounds in the land where open houses and fixer-uppers are recreational activity; the American dream is imagined behind picket fence; we build Mcmansions and pay thousands of dollars per square foot of urban condo or seaside shack.  Banking practices and our faith in the ever-increasing value of real estate as a sound long term investment have fueled an obsession with property but why are we so desperate to own?  In “Life would be perfect if I lived in that house,” LA Times columnist Meghan Daum explores her and her country’s obsession with the home.

 

Meghan Daum is a columnist with the LA Times and author of “Life would be perfect if I lived in that house”

IN STUDIO

 

 

2:06 – 2:30

Congress introduces stricter vehicle safety standards in light of recent problems with Toyota

Consumer advocates are hailing the efforts of some members of Congress for introducing what they feel are long overdue auto safety standards.  If passed, the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 would set new standards for brake override controls, standardize stopping distances in cars, set a minimum distance between the brake pedals and the vehicle floor and attempt to uniform keyless car ignitions. The legislation would also increase the fees automakers would have to pay for non compliance and require all new vehicles to have a data recorder, known as a black box. The Association of International Automobile Manufacturers isn’t as enamored with the bill as consumer groups and they are getting some Republican support.  The AIAM wants more time to comply and claims that the elimination of a penalty cap of 16.4 million “would risk bankrupting a manufacturer”.  Will the new rules be a runaway hit in Congress or stall without enough bipartisan support?

 

Guests:

Clarence Ditlow, executive director, Center for Auto Safety. He testified before Congress yesterday (THURS) in support of this bill.

CALL HIM @

 

• He testified before Congress yesterday (Thursday) in support of this bill.

 

• Ralph Nadar founded the Center for Auto Safety (CAS) in 1970 to provide consumers a voice for auto safety and quality in Washington and to help lemon owners.  CAS has a small budget but a big impact on the auto industry.  With less than half of what GM spends on a single Super Bowl ad, CAS has taken on the auto giants and won for consumers. 

 

UNCONFIRMED

Rep. Michael Rogers (R-Mich)

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Michael Stanton, CEO of the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers

 

• The AIAM’s members include Honda, Nissan, and Subaru

 

 

 

2:30 – 2:39

Behind bars or not, she’s still my mom

Most everyone wants to be with their mom on Mother’s Day; it just may be tougher for some sons and daughters. And if your mom is in a California state prison, it’s an especially painful and lonely time, with so many children unable to travel to see their parents. That’s why the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Center for Restorative Justice Works are sponsoring the 11^th annual “Get on the Bus” event, a program that takes kids to see their moms in prison. We join the reunion today at the California Institution for Women in Corona.

 

Guests:

Karen Plante, Southern California Regional Coordinator for “Get on the Bus.”  She’s at the California Institution for Women in Corona.

WILL CALL IN

• This year there are 700 kids plus their caregivers traveling on 30 buses and three airplanes to three prisons:
• California Institution for Women in Corona
• Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla
• Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla

 

Mom with her child at the California Institution for Women 

 

 

2:41 – 2:58:30

Orange is the new black: my year in a women’s prison

Soon after graduating from Smith College and working as a waitress to try and find herself, Piper Kerman was smuggling drug money for a West African drug lord and in way over her head with what even the most liberal of parents would have called “a bad crowd” - ten years later those poor choices landed her inside a Federal Prison.  Patt talks with Piper about everything from the lack of literature written for women on how to prepare for prison, to the use of power and the hierarchy within the minimum security camp were she served, to how her 15 months reformed her and made her rethink prison reform.

 

Guest:

Piper Kerman, author of “Orange is the New Black”

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Jonathan Serviss

Producer, Patt Morrison Program

Southern California Public Radio

NPR Affiliate for Los Angeles

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