PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 1, 2012
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
1:41:30 – 1:58:30
U.S. Senator George Mitchell discusses turmoil in the Middle East at UCLA
George Mitchell is the go-to guy for working out conflicts – from the Mideast to Northern Ireland to steroid use in baseball. Following the Camp David Summit in 2000, and at the request of President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat, Sen. Mitchell served as chairman of an international fact-finding committee on violence in the Middle East. The committee's recommendation, widely known as “The Mitchell Report,” was published in 2001 and was endorsed by the Bush administration, the European Union, and many other governments. In 2009, President Obama appointed Mitchell as Special Envoy for the Middle East, a position he held for more than two years. He joins Patt to talk about the volatile region.
Guest:
Senator George Mitchell, former Senator from Maine (1980 - 1995) and Senate Majority Leader (1989 - 1995); he served most recently as the United States Special Envoy for Middle East Peace (2009-2011) under President Obama
2:06 – 2:39
Ride along with Metro Chief Art Leahy
Join Patt for the latest installment in our transportation series with Metro chief Art Leahy, with updates on the Metro’s plans for new highways, railways, and extensions of the existing Orange and Gold Lines. President Obama's proposed budget included $81 million for two of Metro's projects—$31 million for a subway system downtown dubbed the "regional connector" would connect the Gold, Blue and Expo lines. The remaining $50 million would go towards extending the Purple Line from Wilshire Boulevard to Westwood. Meanwhile, Metro's Expo line is in its final testing phase as is Metro's Orange Line extension and we'll find out just how soon they’ll open. Once that happens, Metro will have to address another problem: how to keep people from dodging fares. Unlocked turnstiles and lax security have been blamed for the estimated $4 million Metro loses in unpaid fares, but will locking turnstiles really be the silver bullet? How will the Metro’s decisions to eliminate some bus lines and significantly reduce others affect its low-income riders, whose numbers are expected to increase in light of rising gas prices? Whatever came of the controversy surrounding the construction of a new station in Leimert Park? Weigh in with your transit questions and comments.
Guest:
Arthur Leahy, chief executive officer, Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority
IN STUDIO
2:41:30 – 2:58:30
Homeownership – the end of the American dream? Find a job, get married, buy a house. It’s been the standard formula and the unquestioned dream for generations of Americans. But over the last thirty years, even with interest rates on the decline, first-time home ownership has been steadily decreasing among the young. Between 1980 and 2000, the share of late twenty-somethings buying homes declined from 43 to 38 percent. Homeowners in their early thirties dropped from over 60 percent to around 55 percent. That’s to be expected during the recent housing crisis, but what explains the pre-recession skittishness? And even now, with mortgage rates down, houses sitting empty and an increase of women in the workplace, Generation X would rather rent than buy. The ripple can be felt throughout the economy, from lowered property values and tax revenues to a slump in the construction and housing services industries. Among the blame factors: rising student debt, a steady decline in the marriage rate and a rootless work force. And even if they could afford it, many millenials are watching their older brothers and sisters sink under the weight of ill-advised mortgages and asking themselves why they’d want the same. How will this trend affect the overall housing market? Are you a young person – married or single – who has decided home ownership isn’t for you? Or a homeowner who regrets being saddled with a mortgage payment? Is this still the American dream?
Guest:
Derek Thompson, business editor at The Atlantic
Lauren Osen
Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC
626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278
losen@scpr.org @Patt_Morrison
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