Patt Morrison for Tuesday, March 29, 2011

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

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 – 1:58:30

OPEN

 

 

2:06 – 2:30

How to do your taxes like GE: make $5.1 billion, pay Uncle Sam $0

General Electric last year reported $14.2 billion in profits, $5.1 billion of which was made on American soil, but the company paid $0 in federal taxes. In fact, they were so good at dodging the bullet through a series of fierce lobbying efforts, overseas loopholes and imaginative accounting, that at the end of the day on April 15^th, the federal government owed them money—$3.2 billion, to be exact—giving a whole new meaning to the GE slogan, “imagination at work.” In the 1950s, 30% of all federal revenue came from corporate taxes, whereas by 2009, that had shrunk to 6.6%. How is it that the United States has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world at 35% but companies increasing pay less and less?

 

Guests:

NOT CONFIRMED:

Charles Rossotti, former commissioner of the IRS; senior advisor, Carlyle Group

CALL HIM @

 

 

2:30 – 2:58:30
Losing your job to a machine
How would you feel about a vending machine, instead of a person, serving you your warm pizza, with your topping of choice; asking you if you’d like to buy boxers or briefs; and dispensing your morning coffee or box of cigarettes at the gas station? To cut costs, companies are increasingly turning to machines instead of humans to dispense everything from clothing, including shoes, to electronics to hot food and even gold and silver for nervous investors. Some see this automation as the enemy since the retail industry has been a reliable, often last-resort, source of employment in tough times. Others claim that retail automation will free up low-skill workers to learn more advanced skills. Once gas stations had attendants who pumped for you, and elevators had attendants who pushed for you. Now both are self service. At Fresh & Easy Markets, there is no choice now but do-it-yourself checkout. Do you like it that way, or have operate-it-yourself elevators and pump-it-yourself gas stations conditioned you to prefer machines to people?

 

Guests:
Martin Ford, author of The Lights in the Tunnel: Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future; has his own blog – EconFuture; founder of Silicon Valley-based software development firm

CALL HIM:

 

Brentt Arcement, vice president of investor relations for AVT Inc, the vending machine firm that produces fully automated gas stations and vending machines that dispense pizza, hamburgers, gold and silver, movies, electronics, shoes, bathing suits, and Armani underwear, among other items

CALL HIM:

 

 

Jonathan Serviss
Senior Producer, Patt Morrison
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