A Tale of Two Budgets
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Desperate times are met with futile actions in Sacramento. LA's school superintendent concedes that budget cuts will do real damage to public education. Can parents be organized to make a difference? Plus, a murder conspiracy charge against a high-profile gang-intervention leader. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, just one day after tough new talk from the White House, there's been more bloody violence on the streets of Tehran. Can the President sustain his effort to engage with Iran? What about negotiating concessions on nuclear development?
Banner image: UTLA May 26 march and rally at the Los Angeles School Board
Main Topic
President Obama and the Search for Common Ground ()
There was bloody violence on the streets of Tehran today as police clubbed, gassed and possibly even shot at some 200 demonstrators. Yesterday, President Obama hardened his tone toward Iran, using language that’s already become familiar.
Guests:
- David Sanger: Washington Correspondent, New York Times, @SangerNYT
- E.J. Dionne: Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution, @EJDionne
- Michael Goldfarb: Online Editor, Weekly Standard
- Jonathan Chait: Senior Editor, The New Republic, @jonathanchait
- John "Rick" MacArthur: Publisher, Harper's magazine
Links:
Making News
Anti-Gang Crusader Alex Sanchez Arrested ()
The executive director of Homies Unidos, one of LA’s major gang intervention programs, has been arrested by the FBI. Thirty-seven year old Alex Sanchez is charged with racketeering offenses, including conspiracy to commit murder. Shock and disbelief express the response of many in the community, according to freelance journalist Celeste Fremon, who specializes in gangs and law enforcement and blogs at WitnessLA.com.
Guests:
- Celeste Fremon: blogger, WitnessLA.com, @witnessla
Main Topic
LAUSD Slashes 1.6 Billion Dollars over Three Years ()
Yesterday, the Los Angeles Unified School Board passed a $5.5 billion budget. That sounds like a lot, but the LAUSD is the nation’s second largest, and the operating budget’s been cut so much that 2200 teachers will have to be laid off, class sizes will increase and in coming years, it’s going to get worse.
Guests:
- Ray Cortines: Superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District
- Tanya Anton: Parent, Walgrove Elementary School
Reporter's Notebook
GOP and Governor Reject Democrats' Partial Budget Fix ()
The largest state in the union is a major engine of the same national economy the Obama Administration is trying to stimulate. But California Democrats appear resigned to going without help from Washington. In Sacramento they’ve spent the day trying to round up enough votes for a budget Governor Schwarzenegger has already promised to veto.
Guests:
- Evan Halper: Sacramento Bureau Chief, Los Angeles Times, @evanhalper
- Harold Meyerson: Executive Editor, American Prospect, @haroldmeyerson -
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Underwriters
Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.
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