Jerry Brown Takes Office, Again
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Jerry Brown completed his second term as Governor 28 years ago. Today he was sworn in again. In his inaugural address he condemned state politics for degenerating into "mere spectacle" and called for "courage and sacrifice." We hear excerpts and get assessments of what might come next. Also, Interstate 5 and the weather. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, in two years, President Obama's stimulus package has not produced the infrastructure projects many people expected. Is that what it was really designed to do? We hear from two state "stimulus watchdogs" and others.
Banner image: Anne Gust Brown (R) looks on as her husband Jerry Brown (L) is sworn in as the 39th governor of California by California on January 3, 2011 in Sacramento. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Main Topic
California Has a New Governor… Sort of ()
California's newest Governor, Jerry Brown touched two themes today that he emphasized in both his previous inaugural speeches: the state's dire financial situation and the public's lack of trust in government. We hear excerpts from an address that was stern with touches of humor, but with no details of the spending cuts and tax extensions he reportedly plans to announce next week.
Guests:
- Joe Garofoli: Political Writer, San Francisco Chronicle, @joegarofoli
- Dan Schnur: Chairman, California Fair Political Practices Commission, @danschnur
- Joe Mathews: Irvine Senior Fellow, New American Foundation, @joemmathews
Reporter's Notebook
Storm Passes and the Grapevine Is Open Again ()
Interstate 5 from between Castaic and Kern County was closed by yesterday's heavy snow and thousands of travelers were stranded all night. It's open now, but a lot of people won't forget what they went through. Sam Allen has been up on the Grapevine for the LA Times.
Guests:
- Sam Allen: Reporter, Los Angeles Times, @samallens
Main Topic
Economic Stimulus: The Promise and the Reality ()
President Obama's stimulus package is officially called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It was advertised as a fast-track program for hiring the unemployed as well as creating new jobs. After it was enacted in 2009, California received $50 billion. Two years later, only half that amount has been spent. We hear from Laura Chick, California's former "stimulus watchdog" and others.
Guests:
- Laura Chick: former Inspector General of Federal Stimulus Dollars, State of California
- Harold Meyerson: Editor-at-Large, American Prospect, @haroldmeyerson -
- Gary Burtless: Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
- Tom Evslin: former Chief Recovery Officer, State of Vermont
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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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