Belmont: The Costliest High School in California

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Belmont Learning Complex has been called America-s most expensive high school. The never-finished site was designed as a mini-city with stores, restaurants and classrooms for 4600 kids. But explosive gas and toxic chemicals seeping from abandoned oil wells halted it construction. There were lawsuits, recriminations and protests from a neighborhood where existing schools are cruelly overcrowded. Now, Superintendent Roy Romer says he can make the downtown LA site safe, and the elected school board is about to vote on two contracts. We speak with David Abel, former member of the Proposition BB Oversight Committee, and School Board member Genethia Hayes about the saga of the off-again, on-again project.
  • Reporter-s Notebook: Former Labor Secretary Joins Californians in Democratic Conference
    Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor during President Clinton-s first term, is in LA this for a conference sponsored by Americans for Democratic Action. After spending half of his life in public service, Reich has decided to run for elective office -- Governor of Massachusetts. Reich talks about the campaign trail, his association with the Clintons and supply-side economics.

http://www.nsbn.org

http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us

http://www.laweekly.com/ink/02/11/news-blume.shtml

http://www.robertreich.org

http://adaction.org

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney

Producer:

Frances Anderton