Which Way, L.A.?
Iran and Nuclear Weapons; A 'Mystery Man' for LA
Austin Beutner is Mayor Villaraigosa's latest pick to head the Department of Water and Power. Today's Daily News calls him a "man of mystery." Can a banker and financier run a public utility? What about increased utility rates and "green" power? We talk with Beutner. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, in a Top Secret memo, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said there's no long-range plan to deal with Iran if it learns to make nuclear weapons. Gates denies it was a "wake-up call."
Arguments over rates charged by LA's Department of Water and Power have been central to what Mayor Villaraigosa calls the undermining of "civic unity." Now he's put a Wall Street banker in charge of the DWP. We ask Austin Beutner about his qualifications to run a public utility, how the DWP can be made accountable to the public that own it, his plans for converting to "green energy" and what they might cost. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, in a Top Secret memo, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said there's no long-range plan to deal with Iran if it learns to make nuclear weapons. Gates denies it was a "wake-up call." So, what was he up to? And what are the options?
Banner image: Mayor Villaraigosa announces nomination of Austin Beutner as Interim General Manager of the Department of Water and Power. April 19, 2010
In this episode
2 storiesDissecting the Iran Memo
President Obama has tried diplomacy, but yesterday Iran announced that it's starting work on a new plant to enrich uranium. The President's fallback strategy is getting the United Nations to step up sanctions designed to prevent Iran from "reaching the threshold."
Read the story28 minMayor Villaraigosa's Latest Choice to Lead the DWP
In last night's speech on the State of the City , Mayor Villaraigosa said the strain of challenges facing LA have "undermined civic unity." He referred specifically to the battle over increasing utility rates, explained as necessary for the Department of Water and Power to switch from fossil fuels to "green energy."
Read the story25 min