KCRW - Santa Monica

The Wall Street Journal's reporting that Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Utah are telling corporate executives, venture capitalists and manufacturers to relocate outside of California. Last Friday, Colorado got the jump on the rest with valentines to hundreds of local CEO's with the message: "Mile High State Seeks Sea-Level Executive." We hear more from economists in Denver and Los Angeles. Link to audio

The longest budget stalemate in state history is not over yet. Governor Schwarzenegger says he'll veto the plan finally approved this week by both parties. He says it contains "fake budget reform" and makes the fiscal crisis even worse because "it kicks that can down the alley" into next year.

Guests: Ed Mendel: Sacramento Bureau Chief for the San Diego Union Tribune Joe Mathews: Irvine Senior Fellow, New America Foundation Kevin Starr: Professor of History at the University of Southern California

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Russian forces have moved further into Georgia's rebellious province of South Ossetia, despite Georgia's call for a ceasefire. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili ran for cover, saying Russian planes were flying over the presidential palace in his capital city. Russia's Prime Minister Putin has flown home from the Olympics, but President Bush was still in Beijing when he denounced Russia's "disproportionate" response” to explosive hostilities in the region. We catch up with events and get the background on a long running local dispute with international implications. What are… more

Governor Floats Sales Tax Hike To End Budget Standoff: Legislators in have told reporters that Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed a one-cent hike in the state sales tax to balance the budget. LINK to Audio

Guests: Evan Halper: Reporter for the Los Angeles Times Chuck DeVore: Republican Assemblyman from Irvine Mark Paul: Senior scholar at the New America Foundation

States like Texas and Oklahoma long ago ended racial segregation in their prisons. Now it’s California’s turn, after the Supreme Court ordered change. State prison officials have to bring white, black and Latino inmates together and still prevent rampant violence.

T.A. Frank, Editor of the Washington Monthly and a Fellow of New America Foundation, discusses how California begins to desegregate its prisons. LINK to audio

Joe Mathews discussed California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state budget, on KCRW, an NPR station.

(KCRW)--In the recall election against Gray Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger promised to end the annual budget crisis once and for all. But once again this year there’s no state budget, and the revenue shortfall is 15 billion dollars. Schwarzenegger’s public opinion rating has dropped to 40% and the legislature’s is a lot lower than that. Now Schwarzenegger says he’s cutting the salaries of state workers—down to… more

In January, Governor Schwarzenegger made national headlines by proposing universal health insurance in California and there was talk of creating a national model. After months of wrangling in Sacramento, he offered a legislative proposal yesterday. It would still require that every Californian buy health insurance. It would change the formulas for employer participation. The big news has to do with the state lottery. ... $37 billion could be raised by it and some of the money could be allocated to… more