Which Way, L.A.?
Government Salaries and the Public's Right to Know
When the LA Times revealed that officials in Bell were paid from $100,000 to $800,000 a year, the news went nationwide. What about other public officers in Southern California? Are their salaries and benefits public knowledge? Why is LA County keeping some of its payroll secret? Are there genuine concerns about privacy and personal safety? Also, another debate between Boxer and Fiorina, and the McCourt divorce trial winds down. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, cyber security and Internet freedom.
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenWhen the LA Times revealed that officials in Bell were paid from $100,000 to $800,000 a year, the news went nationwide. So what about other public officers in Southern California, elected and otherwise? Are their salaries and benefits public knowledge? Why is LA County keeping some of its payroll secret? Are there genuine concerns about privacy and personal safety? Also, another debate between Boxer and Fiorina, and the McCourt divorce trial winds down. On our rebroadcast of today’s To the Point, the Obama Administration wants new authority to eavesdrop on the Internet. We hear how the virus called Stuxnet has led to worldwide worry about cyber warfare.
In this episode
4 storiesAccusations Fly in Boxer-Fiorina Debate
Democrat Barbara Boxer and Republican Carly Fiorina went at each other tooth and nail in a debate broadcast on radio today by Pasadena station KPCC. In a race becoming increasingly personal, Boxer attacked Fiorina for supporting Prop 23 , which would postpone enforcement of Governor Schwarzenegger's green-house legislation.
Read the story8 minGovernment Salaries and the Public's Right to Know
City Council members making more than $100,000…a City manager whose salary and benefits reached $1.5 million. When its reports on the City of Bell created widespread outrage, the Los Angeles Times began asking about other cities and about LA County. The paper now has a database online that took a lot of time and effort to put together.
Read the story14 minIt's a 'Wrap' in the McCourt Trial
Lawyers for Frank and Jamie McCourt made final arguments today in a divorce case that could determine who owns the Dodgers . Gene Maddaus, staff writer for the LA Weekly , says the trial focused heavily on a marital property agreement, signed in 2004.
Read the story4 minCyber Security, Stuxnet and Internet Freedom
Stuxnet was first discovered a few months ago, and it's now regarded as a weapon of cyber sabotage -- with the capacity not just to corrupt computer software but to manipulate programs that control machines.
Read the story26 min