Latest Crisis at Department of Children and Family Services
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LA County's Department of Children and Family Services is back in the news, with reports that Director Trish Ploehn may be losing her job. A new state transparency law has led to horror stories about the abuse and deaths of children. Has the law itself made it harder for Ploehn's staff to concentrate on some 30,000 young people? Is Ploehn being scapegoated for years of overwork and/or incompetence that have been swept under the rug? On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, if “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” is not repealed by this year's lame-duck session of Congress, gay and lesbian activists say they'll resort to the courts. What about the impact of a Pentagon study of the rank and file, leaked to the public in advance of scheduled debate on Capitol Hill?
Main Topic
Latest Crisis at Department of Children and Family Services ()
The Los Angeles Times reports that Trish Ploehn, LA County’s Director of Children and Family Services, is likely to lose her job, probably to be reassigned. This comes after months of horror stories, including some involving children who’ve suffered abuse and even died while under the radar of Ploehn’s department.
Guests:
- Garrett Therolf: Reporter, Los Angeles Times, @gtherolf
- Donna Myrow: Member, California Supreme Court Commission on Children in Foster Care
- Mark Ridley-Thomas: LA County Supervisor, @mridleythomas
- Zev Yaroslavsky: LA County Supervisor, @ZevYaroslavsky
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Main Topic
'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Moves to Crucial Phase ()
After decades of controversy, Congress recognized the right of blacks and women to serve in the US military. "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" is a political compromise, signed by Bill Clinton, to get around granting equal treatment for gays and lesbians. With pressure building for repeal, the Pentagon surveyed the opinions of the active and reserve rank and file, timed for release on December 1. But last week, the results were leaked to the Washington Post.
Guests:
- Ed O'Keefe: Federal Eye blogger, Washington Post, @edatpost
- Aaron Belkin: Director, Palm Center
- Kieran Lalor: Founder, Iraq Vets for Congress
- Matt Welch: Editor in Chief, Reason magazine
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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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