Patt Morrison for Tuesday, August 17, 2010

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Tuesday, August 17, 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

OPEN

 

 

1:30 - 1:39

Wedded bliss on hold: 9^th Circuit takes up Prop. 8 case, stays gay marriage

And the fight continues:  Two weeks after Judge Vaughn Walker heartened supporters of same sex marriage by ruling Proposition 8 unconstitutional, the 9^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to take up the case on appeal and in the process extended a stay on the marriage ban until at least December.  As gay couples across California were preparing to exchange vows on Wednesday, which was the deadline for the temporary stay put in place last week by Judge Walker, county clerks were preparing for potentiality of thousands of weddings.  Instead they’ll have to wait for the 9^th Circuit to rule on the case—while the appeal was inevitable but the stay on marriages has to be a disappointment.  We examine the legalities of the case as it makes its slow march toward the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

Guests:

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean, University of California, Irvine School of Law

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1:41 – 1:58:30

DWP GM on ratepayer advocates, green energy & how L.A.’s political drama will impact your power bill

It’s been a tumultuous year for L.A.’s Department of Water & Power:  after putting a sprinkler rationing program into effect, water manes started bursting all over the city; after proposing a hefty increase to power bills to fund new renewable energy programs, the City Council burst in a show of defiance; and after initially denying a promised $75 million transfer in revenues into L.A.’s general fund, the L.A. Controller burst with outrage, accusing the DWP of playing politics with city finances.  The interim general manager of the DWP embodies the delicate position in which the city utility finds itself, straddling the line between influential offices in L.A.’s political universe and handing down policy decisions with huge implications, from city infrastructure to the push for new green energy sources.  We talk to the head of DWP about how the relationships in city government will impact the future of your water & power bill.

 

Guest:

Austin Beutner, interim general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power; First Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles for economic & business policy

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2:06 – 2:30

Foreclosures up, loan modifications down

The foreclosure crisis shows no sign of slowing—July marked a 4 percent increase in the number of foreclosure filings, up 10 percent from the same time last year.  The Center for Responsible Lending is releasing a first-of-its-kind report that focuses on the character and makeup of those affected by the foreclosure crisis here in California.  It examined 600,000 foreclosures in the state and found that race and geography play an important role.  Another key aspect of the foreclosure crisis is those trying to avoid it by seeking mortgage modifications.  But, many homeowners aren’t getting the help they need.  A ProPublica questionnaire found that banks are routinely neglecting to comply with government rules, losing documents and giving false information. Many homeowners complain that the process has become an aggravating, never-ending saga of phone calls, endless paperwork, and confusion.  Meanwhile, the crisis isn’t subsiding.  If the loan modification process was easier would it help keep more people in their homes? Should the federal government be doing more to ensure the process is effective? 

 

Guests:

Paul Leonard, Director, California Office, Center for Responsible Lending

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• The Center for Responsible Lending is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and policy organization dedicated to protecting homeownership and family wealth by working to eliminate abusive financial practices. 

 

• They released their first-of-its-kind study today (Tuesday) at 10am.  It examined 600,000 foreclosures in the state.

 

Paul Kiel or Olga Pierce, reporter for ProPublica

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UNCONFIRMED

George Goehl, executive director, National People’s Action in Chicago

 

• National People's Action, founded in 1972, exists to create a society in which racial and economic justice are realized in all aspects of society, resulting in more equity in work, housing, health, education, finance, and other systems central to our well-being.  NPA has over 200 organizers working to unite everyday people in cities, towns, and rural communities throughout the United States.

 

 

 

2:30 – 2:39

OPEN

 

 

2:41 – 2:58:30

We're all famous for 15 minutes... or maybe 20

Celebrities. We love them, we love to hate them and we love scrolling through endless paparazzi photos of them walking their dog, eating a burger, doing things – just like us!  But what do we really know about what’s going on in their lives, especially when we see pictures of certain celebs stumbling out of clubs or partying their way through a movie?  In his book "Star Island," author Carl Hiaasen takes us into the life of 22-year-old pop star Cherry Pye, whose hard-partying ways have led to her handlers hiring a stunt double to appear as the conscious and un-intoxicated Cherry.  Hiaasen brings back some of his favorite past characters, whose lives are intertwined with Cherry’s.  It’s a journey into the life of a celebrity and paparazzi culture, but in typical Hiaasen-manner, hilariously outlandish.  Hiaasen talks with Patt about our society’s strange obsession with celebrity.

 

Guest:

Carl Hiaasen, columnist for the Miami Herald; author of "Strip Tease" and "Hoot"

IN-STUDIO

 

 

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

626.583.5171, office

415.497.2131, mobile

jserviss@kpcc.org / jserviss@scpr.org

www.scpr.org