Patt Morrison for Monday, November 15, 2010

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Monday, November 15, 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

 

 

1:08:30 – 1:43

OPEN

 

 

1:43 – 1:53:30

Election reform, local style: changes coming to the way you vote in L.A.

While campaign finance reform and tinkering with voting systems continues nation-wide, Los Angeles is taking its first small steps toward election reform with two measures that will soon change the way you vote.  First off is a plan to institute a vote-by-mail system in the next available special election for a city council seat, a kind of test-run of the voting by mail which has been shows to dramatically increase voter participation in other cities and states where it’s used.  Second is a measure going before voters in March of 2011 that will life the cap on the City’s Matching Fund account, injecting more public money into campaigns and ostensibly cutting back on the influence of special interests.  Third, and the measure that could probably stir up the most controversy, is the idea of “ranked choice voting” that would enable L.A. voters to rank candidates on the ballot, a system that was just put into place in Oakland.  Can the measures make elections in L.A. more fair and equitable or are you happy with the way you vote?

 

Guests:

Jose Huizar, L.A. City Councilman from the 14^th District; author of the “Los Angeles Voters Bill of Rights”

HE CALLS US:

 

Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause

SHE CALLS US:

 

2:08:30 – 2:19:30

The “Robin Hood” tax: should rich American companies be helping poor countries?

Even as rich countries struggle to overcome a global recession, there remains a huge gap between the wealth of economic giants like the United States, Germany, Japan and China and the most impoverished countries.  There is a controversial proposal that’s been around for some time and received further consideration at last week’s G-20 meeting that aims to close that gap:  the “Robin Hood” tax, a global financial transaction fee that could raise hundreds of billions of dollars to pay the cost of the global financial crisis and support developing nations.  A coalition of 183 organizations from 42 countries issued a plea urging leaders at the G-20 summit in South Korea to adopt the measure, which in theory would impose a .5 or 1% fee on every stock transaction made.  Predictably most multinational corporations vigorously oppose the idea, arguing that the unfettered conduct of their business (minus these kinds of fees) is what will ultimately work best to pull many poor countries out of poverty.  Is it morally righteous, and economically sound, to a little from the rich to help feed the poor?

 

Guest:

UNCONFIRMED

Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University & professor of sustainable development

 

David C. John, a senior research fellow in retirement security and financial markets at The Heritage Foundation

 

 

2:26 – 2:53

Sex at Dawn:  The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality

Humans are natural monogamists right? Not so fast! In their new book, Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origin of Modern Sexuality, psychologist Christopher Ryan and psychiatrist Cacilda Jethá suggest that monogamy is actually the furthest thing from human sexual nature. Using evidence from anthropology, archaeology, primatology, anatomy and psychosexuality, as well as trends like less people getting married and steadily rising divorce rates, Ryan and Jethá explore the roots of human sexuality and offer explanations for infidelity, decreased passion with the growth of love, and homosexuality. So you’re too sexy for your shirt – how about monogamy?

 

Guest: 

Christopher Ryan, psychologist, teacher, and co-author with Cacilda Jetha of Sex at Dawn

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

626.583.5171, office

415.497.2131, mobile

jserviss@kpcc.org / jserviss@scpr.org

www.scpr.org