Patt Morrison for Tuesday, December 28, 2010

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Tuesday, December 28, 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

 

 

1:21 – 1:39

Don’t like your Christmas gifts?  Let Amazon be rude for you

There are infamous examples of bad Christmas presents—fruitcake, bunny-themed pajamas from grandma, the toy rifle that will shoot your eye out (hat tip to “A Christmas Story”).  But there are also honest mistakes made by gift givers that happen not just over the holidays but for birthdays and all other special occasions—differing tastes in music, clothes, bad sizing estimates.  The embarrassment that is felt on the part of both the givers and recipients of bad presents is one motivation for Amazon.com’s patented new approach to giving gifts but another potent motivator is the economic inefficiency of returning those bad gifts.  Amazon is working on a way for people to return gifts before they receive them, allowing users of the website to specify a “convert all gifts” option that would in effect keep an online list of lousy gift-givers whose choices would be vetted before anything ships.  Critics say that Amazon’s idea takes the spontaneity, the surprise and the manners out of gift giving.  But if it allows you to ditch the fruitcake before you even receive it, are manners a worthy sacrifice at the alter of bad gifts?

 

Guests:

NOT CONFIRMED

Representative of the Emily Post Institute

 

NOT CONFIRMED:

Representative of the Digital Division of the National Retailers Federation

 

 

1:41 – 1:58:30

STRATFOR report: Mexican Drug War – no easy options

 In 2010: President Felipe Calderon declared war on Mexico's powerful cartels.  He replaced many corrupt local cops with better trained, better paid, and more effective federal police.  Result: the cartels have been weakened but at a price--a jump from 6,000 to more than 11,000 civilian deaths in the year.  And the cartels are fighting back.  In 2010, they got their hands on improvised explosive devices like those used against American forces in Iraq.  Entire Mexican provinces are now under cartel control, according to a report released on Monday by the global intelligence company STRATFOR.  Mexico may be slipping into civil war.  The questions both Mexicans and Americans are asking: should Calderon step up his war against the cartels, as bloody as it may get before his country slips into civil war?  Should he accept assistance from the US in this effort?  Or should he back off of the cartels in order to cut down on the death count?  A back-burner story may move to the front burner in 2011.

 

Guest:

Scott Stewart, Vice President of Tactical Intelligence for STRATFOR, a global intelligence company.

CALL HIM:

 

 

2:06 – 2:19

OPEN

 

 

2:21 – 2:39

Greening for green: Making the most of 2010’s energy-efficient home tax credits before it’s too late

One of the less volatile but still controversial elements of the $858-billion federal tax bill signed into law December 17^th was the gutting of tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements.  Still thinking about installing solar panels or insulation, replacing your front door or otherwise weatherizing your home?  It would behoove you to do so in the next four days, before those tax credits are slashed from 30% of the cost to just 10% with a $500 maximum for things like insulation, exterior windows and storm doors, skylights and metal and asphalt heat-resistant roofs. Looking at some energy-efficient windows? If installed before this Friday, December 28^th, they’ll net you a tax credit of $1,500, but wait until the New Year and you’ll be looking at just $200. Patt talks with a tax and energy expert about how to get in your last minute credits and about the larger question of how Washington’s decision to cut these tax incentives could affect homeowners’ decisions to invest in long term savings by installing high-efficiency upgrades.

 

Guest:

CAN TALK ABOUT THE TAX CREDIT, WHAT QUALIFIES UNDER IT AND HOW IT WILL CHANGE

Tom Simchak (SIM-chak), Senior Research Associate, Alliance to Save Energy, a Washington, D.C.-based coalition of business, government, environmental and consumer groups

CALL HIM @

 

-         ASE lobbied unsuccessfully for retention of the credits as they were in 2010

-         To qualify for 2010 tax credits, work must be “placed and serviced,” so it’s a bit late to do anything in time for this year, but you could still run out and buy some attic insulation!

 

CAN TALK ABOUT HOW TO FILE FOR THE CREDIT AND MAKE SURE YOU TAKE ADVADVANTAGE OF IT ON YOUR TAXES THIS YEAR:

NOT CONFIRMED:

John W. Roth, senior tax analyst for CCH, a tax publisher in Illinois

CALL HIM @

 

OR

 

Selwyn Gerber, CPA managing partner and founder of Gerber & Co., Inc., located in Century City

CALL HIM @

 

 

2:41 – 2:58:30

Gavel crosses the aisle for the 112^th Congress - what’s in store?

Congress wrapped up its so-called lame-duck session last week with an unexpected string of victories for President Obama and Democrats, including the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the nuclear-arms reduction agreement, a health bill for 9/11 responders, a food safety bill, middle-class tax cuts and the extension of jobless benefits. But legislators taking a holiday break won’t have long to rest before they’re back at their desks in Washington on January 3rd, with a new Republican majority in the House and a slimmer than before Democratic majority in the Senate. And what’s on the table? Try this… the omnibus spending bill (failed in the lame-duck voting but will be back on the floor before the freshman congressmen and women find their offices), tax overhaul, education, immigration, redistricting, increased investigations of all-things Obama, and funding of the various parts of the health care bill. How will all this shake out?  We find out from our California representatives, starting with Congressman Henry Waxman, former chair of the House Government Reform and Energy and Commerce Committees.

 

Guest:

Rep. Henry Waxman, D – California’s 30^th District, which includes Los Angeles.  He is former chair of the House Government Reform and Energy and Commerce Committees.

WILL CALL IN:

 

 

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