Patt Morrison for Wednesday, March 23, 2011

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, March 23, 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 – 1:39

OPEN

 

 

1:41 – 1:58:30

Prison break of a different kind:  state looking to transfer prisoners to California’s county jails

It’s one of the many money saving gimmicks in Gov. Jerry Brown’s overarching budget plan:  “nonviolent, nonsex-offender, nonserious” inmates and parolees will be moved out of the California prison system and into county jails and probation departments throughout the state.  The legislature approved a bill last week that would give $5.9 billion to the counties to take these prisoners and ensure that most of them will never return to the state prison system, as parolees will now be going to county jails for parole violations.  Critics of the plan charge that the end result will be a massive release of prisoners, as 34 of the 58 county jails in California are already overcrowded and simply have no room for prisoner transfers.  Supporters contend that it will save the state desperately needed money and resources, and will impact inmates who are not threats to public safety.  It’s a big piece of the plan to close the state’s $26 billion deficit, but is the potential hit on public safety worth the saved money?

 

Guests:

Matthew Cate, Secretary of the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation

HE CALLS US:

 

UNCONFIRMED

Lee Baca, Los Angeles County Sheriff

 

 

2:06 – 2:30

OPEN

 

 

2:30 – 2:58:30

Republican strategist Frank Luntz on the future of the Republican Party

No one understands the power of words like political pollster Frank Luntz. Coining euphemisms like "energy exploration" (for oil drilling) and popularizing phrases like the "death tax” (a.k.a the estate tax), Luntz has made a career of marketing, sloganeering and devising useful—albeit divisive—rhetoric for the Republican Party. Fast forward to the present day, and Republican hopeful Governor Tim Pawlenty is getting slammed for supporting seemingly liberal green energy initiatives in Minnesota, while Republican Governor Mitt Romney is pressured to distance himself from his universal healthcare reforms in Massachusetts, the kind that pre-dated and vaguely resembled “Obamacare.” In the post-Luntzian political landscape, is their room for moderation? Can you still cherry-pick your political views and be a gun-toting, solar energy-loving, universal healthcare-supporting pro-lifer? Or has American political rhetoric become too rigid?

 

Guest:

Frank Luntz, political consultant and pollster. He’s a frequent commentator on Fox News. His latest book is in: The Key Principles to Take Your Business from Ordinary to Extraordinary

IN STUDIO

 

 

Jonathan Serviss
Senior Producer, Patt Morrison
Southern California Public Radio
NPR Affiliate for Los Angeles
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jserviss@kpcc.org / jserviss@scpr.org
www.scpr.org