Which Way, L.A.?

Green-Car Technology

With the Los Angeles Auto Show opening tomorrow in the smog capital of the country, auto makers are claiming a "landmark achievement to help clean the air and protect the environment." At the Downtown Convention Center, one of the themes of this year-s displays of the latest in automotive style and technology is "clean and green." But is the "new generation" of vehicles really 99% cleaner than cars were 30 years ago? Could it be cleaner? Have auto makers "cooperated constructively with government regulators," as they claim, or have they been dragged kicking and screaming into a new age? We have a debate on these issues and hear about the cars of the future from the auto industry, environmentalists, technology advocates and a spokesman for the Auto Show. Making News: Educators Speechless at Governor's Across-the-Board Cuts The Director of the California School Boards Association says yesterday-s State of the State speech by Governor Schwarzenegger left him "absolutely speechless." He's not alone. Jill Tucker, who has been covering education for eight years at the Oakland Tribune, says there is shock throughout the state by "across the board" cuts that violate Schwarzenegger's $2 billion agreement with educators earlier this year.