Tesla Motors Wins, the City of Downey Loses
Host:
Produced by:
Subscribe to this Podcast:
Listen to/Watch entire show:
Tesla Motors will mass-produce electric cars in California, but it won’t be in Downey. We hear how that local town lost out to Fremont in the Bay Area, with help from Toyota. Plus, big trouble at the City of Hope, the renowned cancer center in Duarte. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, the federal deficit is getting so big that even defense spending will have to be cut in the interests of national security. Has the Obama Administration seen that coming?
Banner image: (L-R) California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk pose in front of a Tesla Model S before a news conference at Tesla Motors headquarters May 20, 2010 in Palo Alto. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Making News
War between Doctors and Foundation at City of Hope ()
First, with a $1 billion fundraising drive underway, the City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte has accused doctors of using "sick patients as pawns" in a dispute over money. City of Hope's renown as a center for treating cancer could be at stake. Evan George covers healthcare for the Los Angeles Daily Journal.
Guests:
- Evan George: Reporter, Los Angeles Daily Journal, @evanlgeorge
Main Topic
Tesla Runs Off with Toyota, Leaving Downey at the Altar ()
Governor Schwarzenegger is among those congratulating Tesla Motors for its decision to make electric cars in California. Tesla has made a deal with Toyota to use a recently closed factory in Fremont, in the East San Francisco Bay Area. While it's great news for Fremont, it's a crushing disappointment here in Los Angeles County. The City of Downey spent a year negotiating with Tesla to operate in buildings where the Apollo spacecraft were built. But the same day that Downey called a special City Council meeting to approve the Tesla deal, Tesla said it had other ideas.
Guests:
- Elon Musk: CEO, Tesla Motors, @elonmusk
- Mario Guerra: Councilmember, City of Downey
- John O'Dell: Senior Editor, Edmunds.com
Links:
Main Topic
Defense Spending and the Federal Deficit ()
A familiar scenario is developing this year on Capitol Hill. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has advised President Obama to veto a spending bill that includes the C-17 Cargo plane and an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Those are two projects the Pentagon says it doesn't need, and Gates has warned that the soaring deficit is about to shrink the "gusher" of money that has poured forth since September 11, 2001.
Guests:
- Robert Hale: Undersecretary for Defense and CFO, Defense Department
- Gordon Adams: Former Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs, OMB, @Gadams1941
- Kori Schake: former Director for Defense Strategy, National Security Council
- Daniel Gross: Economic Columnist, Newsweek and Slate, @grossdm
Links:
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.
Engage & Discuss
Further the conversation with your thoughts and comments. Agree, disagree, present a different perspective -- engage.
For information and guidelines click: Terms of Service | Privacy Policy
Please note, comments are moderated. KCRW reserves the right to edit and or remove posts deemed off-topic, abusive or not in accordance with KCRW's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
