Which Way, L.A.?

Racial Privacy, Public Policy

The Racial Privacy Initiative would prohibit state government from collecting individual racial and ethnic data, statistics used for allocating money and determining Legislative districts. A recent Field poll shows that Californians approve the measure, which could be on the statewide ballot this November, by a 3-to-2 margin. But critics fear the loss of data they call crucial to identifying and understanding minority health and housing issues. Will the proposed initiative help create a colorblind state or a state blind to the special needs of minority populations? We get opposing views from David Horowitz, of the conservative Center for the Study of Popular Culture in Los Angeles, and Eva Patterson, of the liberal Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco. (Managing Editor Kyle McKinnon guest hosts.) Newsmaker: Informal Economy Threatens Wages, Tax Base Thousand of unskilled and low-skilled workers are benefiting from a thriving underground economy that's done better in recent months than Southern California's on-the-books economy, according to a report by the nonprofit research group, Economic Roundtable. Pascale Joassart-Marcelli, lead author of the report on the phantom work force, has more on who benefits and who suffers. Reporter's Notebook: Hollywood Powerbroker Mike Ovitz Sells Company Tonight, former Hollywood powerbroker Michael Ovitz finds himself further away from the rest of the industry than he has in decades. His Artists Management Group is now under the control of a company called The Firm. Ken Auletta, media columnist for The New Yorker, has more on the man who couldn't be satisfied in doing what he did best, and Hollywood's joy at his failure. (Originally broadcast on today's To The Point with Warren Olney.)