Which Way, L.A.?
Can Redevelopment Survive Jerry Brown?
Why does Governor Jerry Brown want to eliminate redevelopment statewide? Because, as John Dillinger once allegedly said about banks, that's where the money is. Some 425 agencies plan to spend $3 billion, enough to make a sizeable dent in California's $25 billion shortfall. But city and county officials and construction companies say those dollars are vital to economic recovery. Others say redevelopment is a scam that subsidizes what should be private projects with public money intended for public safety and schools. We hear what's shaping up as one of this year's most heated debates. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, the President, the Republicans and the rhetoric.
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenWhy does Governor Jerry Brown want to eliminate redevelopment statewide? Because, as John Dillinger once allegedly said about banks, that's where the money is. Some 425 agencies plan to spend $3 billion, enough to make a sizeable dent in California's $25 billion shortfall. But city and county officials and construction companies say those dollars are vital to economic recovery. Others say redevelopment is a scam that subsidizes what should be private projects with public money intended for public safety and schools. We hear what's shaping up as one of this year's most heated debates. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, President Obama delivered an emotional tribute last night to the victims of Saturday's shooting in Tucson. We weigh whether he's likely to succeed in changing the tone of America's public discourse.
Banner image: A discarded chair sits in an undeveloped lot in San Francisco, California. Governor Jerry Brown proposed his budget on Monday that includes deep cuts to all sectors of California's infrastructure including cuts to redevelopment agencies. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
In this episode
2 storiesCan Redevelopment Survive Jerry Brown?
In Sacramento, Governor Brown and his wife, Anne Gust Brown, live in a loft apartment in an old building restored with redevelopment money. But Brown wants to eliminate all 425 redevelopment agencies statewide. Three billion dollars could then be used to pay off their debt with $1.7 billion left for public safety and schools.
Read the story26 minThe President's Speech and the Politics of Tragedy
In last night's memorial service in Tucson, President Obama began with touching stories about the dead, the wounded and the first responders, apparently learned in telephone calls during the past few days. He addressed the question of what caused the killings and woundings that shattered what he called "a quintessentially American scene."
Read the story26 min
