Budget Solutions Look Bad and Worse

Main Topic

President Obama, America's Doctors and Healthcare Reform ()

In President Obama's speech to the American Medical Association asking help in enacting healthcare reform, he included a pitch for the so-called "public option" to compete with private insurance. The President told doctors that the current medical system rewards them for quantity, rather than quality.

Guests:

• Noam Levey: Reporter, Los Angeles Times, @NoamLevey
• Uwe Reinhardt: Professor of Political Economics, Princeton University

Links:

• Levey's article on Obama's health plan, proposed cuts to Medicare, Medicaid
• Dartmouth Atlas
• New Yorker article on Texas and the cost conundrum
• AMA on healthcare reform
• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Act of 2009 (Senator Conrad's bill)

Reporter's Notebook

Iranians in Uproar as Ahmadinejad Wins Election ()

Despite threats of violence, the streets of Tehran were filled with defiant protesters, and the official loser in last week's election was allowed to address the crowd. Is the Supreme Leader really in charge? We get reaction from Tehran and Washington and from the Persian-American community in Los Angeles.

Guests:

• Borzou Daragahi: Middle East Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, @borzou
• Massimo Calabresi: White House Correspondent, Time magazine
• Reza Aslan: Columnist, Daily Beast, @AslanMedia

Links:

• Aslan's article on Iranian election fraud
• Calabresi's article on White House response to Ahmadinejad's re-election
• Daragahi's article on Iranian protesters contesting Ahmadinejad's re-election

Making News

Local Iranian Community Responds to Election Turmoil ()

So many former Iranians and their descendents live in and around Los Angeles that it's often called Little Persia or Tehrangeles, a combination of Tehran and Los Angeles. Hossein Hejazi, former program director of the Farsi language radio station KIRA and now with LA-based Persian-American satellite TV, has local reaction to recent events in Iran.

Guests:

• Hossein Hedjazi: former Program Director and Host, Radio Iran, @Golgasht

Main Topic

Budget Solutions Look Bad and Worse ()

In Sacramento, it's almost axiomatic that a $24 billion budget gap will have to be closed without any new taxes. After last month's special election, Governor Schwarzenegger said the voters had spoken out against any new taxes.  Republicans, of course, agree. Democratic legislators have talked about increased revenues in the most muted terms. We hear from Sheila Keuhl, who served six years in the Assembly and eight in the State Senate, until she was termed out last year.  We also hear from Joel Fox, former president of the Harvard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, now editor of "Fox and Hounds Daily," a blog about the confluence of politics and business in California.

Guests:

• Sheila Kuehl: former California Legislator
• Joel Fox: former President, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

Links:

• Walters' article on the Democrats, budget impasse

Reporter's Notebook

Criticism Grows over Cost of Lakers' Parade ()

To celebrate the latest champions of the NBA, the City of Los Angeles has agreed to split the cost of Wednesday's parade with the Lakers. The president of the LA Police Protective League has complained about spending a million taxpayer dollars at a time when city workers face layoffs and furloughs. Councilwoman Jan Perry represents the 9th District, which is home to the Staples Center.

Guests:

• Jan Perry: Los Angeles City Councilwoman, @JanPerry