What Are Your Questions for KQED's New CEO?
KQED's parent company, Northern California Public Broadcasting, has appointed John Boland as its new president and CEO. Boland comes to NCPB from PBS in Washington, D.C., where he served as PBS' first chief content officer. Share your questions, thoughts and ideas with us here and then tune in Friday, March 26, for Belva's conversation with John Boland on This Week in Northern California.
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4 Responses to “What Are Your Questions for KQED's New CEO?”
Do you think the recently announced health insurance rate increases will affect public support for health care reform?
Anthem Blue Cross recently informed many of its approximately 800,000 individual policyholders that premiums would increase by as much as 39% starting March 1. (Murphy/Alonzo-Zaldivar, AP/Ventura County Star, 2/12). The insurer also told members that it might start adjusting premiums more often than once a year (California Healthline, 2/10). The parent company of Anthem Blue Cross is blaming the California insurer's rate increases on a range of issues, from the bad economy to the aging population.
Victoria Colliver reported Thursday in the San Francisco Chronicle that Anthem Blue Cross is not the only company raising rates for individual policyholders. Members of other health insurers say they've also received notice of rate hikes. Companies in four other states have announced increases as well.
The Administration has pointed to the Anthem increase as further evidence of why health reform efforts in Congress should continue.
Do you think the recently announced health insurance rate increases will affect public support for health care reform?
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Will Steve Poizner's accusations that Meg Whitman's advisor attempted to force him out of the governor's race hurt his campaign or hers?
The week got off to a odd start when GOP gubernatorial hopeful Steve Poizner held a press conference to announce that a campaign strategist for Republican rival Meg Whitman had made "threats" designed to drive him out of the race. Poizner's campaign released a copy of an e-mail sent by Whitman advisor Mike Murphy that asks a Poizner consultant if the candidate would consider dropping out of the race. According to the e-mail, which Poizner also sent to the FBI, the U.S. Attorneys Office, state Attorney General Jerry Brown, and the Fair Political Practices Commission, Murphy says Whitman's campaign could spend $40 million "tearing up Steve if we must." Poizner called Murphy's tactics "highly improper and unethical."
Read more:
Poizner claims political extortion by gubernatorial rival Whitman, Sacramento Bee
Will Steve Poizner's accusations that Meg Whitman's advisor attempted to force him out of the governor's race hurt his campaign or hers?
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2 Responses to “Will Steve Poizner's accusations that Meg Whitman's advisor attempted to force him out of the governor's race hurt his campaign or hers?”
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judy on
February 5th, 2010 10:17 pm
Poizner is a rock bottom 30 % behind and is behaving like a very bad loser. He's been in office for several years and nobody even knows it…he lacks people skills and he's not going to win. He's LOSING, SO HE HAD NOTHING TO LOSE by being petty and mean. Either he staged it himself for press coverage OR there's always the possibility Jerry Brown did it because he's terrified of losing to Meg Whitman. Brown would like to campaign dirty and he's afraid how he'd campaign against her. It's well known Brown would prefer running against Poizner…who he could beat. Meg is very qualified and he can't play her like a Repub politician….cause she' not. She's a serious accomplished leader…. who charted her own course. She hasn't built up a long list of people she OWES, like jerry has. She independently did it all herself.. owes nobody !!!
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Rosa on
February 6th, 2010 1:47 pm
I've never registered with any political party, so it's immaterial to me who runs in primary elections, but the email excerpt contained in Poizner's letter to the FBI sheds some much-needed light on how elections are shaped by people who are rarely reported on–campaign strategists.
And not just strategists for individual candidates. The email is an interesting insight into how a party takes a state-level view of all the races in any given election year. It wouldn't surprise me if something similar had been sent to Tom Campbell to get him to quit the Governor's race and try for US Senate instead.
As for whether it will hurt Poizner's campaign or Whitman's–in my view it should hurt hers more than his, but the media and voters have such a cynical view of politics the prevailing attitude seems to be if you can't stand the heat, get out of the devil's kitchen.
What would need to change in order for Californians to feel more optimistic about the coming year?
According to The Field Poll released Tuesday, the first conducted in six languages and dialects, a majority (59%) of registered California voters report being worse off financially than they were a year ago. Forty-eight percent think there will be no change in their economic well-being in the coming year, and slightly more (27%) believe they will be better off than worse off (18%).
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2 Responses to “What would need to change in order for Californians to feel more optimistic about the coming year?”
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Laura Callahan on
January 21st, 2010 9:30 pm
I would feel more confident if California were to make Education a priority and make a statement that we need to invest in the youth of our state, our future workforce and leadership. Without a well educated work force and an investment in the youth of our state, we are headed in a dangerous direction that will be very hard to reverse. We have already fallen behind in many areas.
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Gina Oltman on
January 22nd, 2010 9:17 pm
If our politicians would be more reasonable, work together to solve society's problems, compromise with each other once in a while, drop the dogma of their political parties, and stop putting themselves and their contributors first for a change, we'd all be better off.
What effect has this recession had on your favorite small business in your community?
Tell us what effect has this recession had on your favorite small business in your community?
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One Response to “What effect has this recession had on your favorite small business in your community?”
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diane carter on
January 16th, 2010 12:38 pm
I have seen a uneven impact of the recession on small businesses in my community. In general minority owned businesses are frequented by their community members. The Asian small business community in San Francisco has prospered. They are supported financially by their community members in mass.
The African American businesses in the community have had less success due to the fact that fewer members of their communities are part of the population of San Francisco at this time. Your program mentioned the loss of African American population as one of the reasons for the economic down turn being experienced by some business in the African American community. You also, however, stated a bigger problem for small businesses which is competition from big businesses which have the economic clout to offer the services at lower cost and the capital to out run small business with the distribution and circulation of advertisements for their companies.
It seems to me that some of the larger companies should subsidize small business to the degree that small business vendors especially minority owned businesses will be able to keep their unique businesses open during this hard economic time. The biggest threat to minority business is large corporate competition.
What are the most critical public safety issues in your community and how should they be addressed?
Kamala D. Harris is our guest on this week’s episode of This Week in Northern California. In 2003, she became the first woman in San Francisco’s history, and the first African American woman in California’s history, to be elected District Attorney. Harris has written a new book entitled Smart on Crime about ways in which we can better fight crime and improve public safety. She argues that we need changes that will not only cut costs and reduce recidivism but, most importantly, make us safer.
Our Question of the Week: What are the most critical public safety issues in your community and how should they be addressed?
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One Response to “What are the most critical public safety issues in your community and how should they be addressed?”
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Dan Brekke on
January 11th, 2010 1:16 pm
I'd argue that most important public-safety issue we face in the urban Bay Area–and in cities everywhere–is how to create a true sense of personal security for those who live in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. High levels of crime in these areas erode or destroy what those in more affluent areas think of as "normalcy" — the sense that you can go about your life with a certain expectation of safety. The lack of this sense — in fact, the prevailing and widely justified fear that one's person and property are chronically at risk — has a huge negative effect on the life of many inner-city communities and all the institutions that try to operate there, from the schools to small business.
But: It's easy to say all that, very difficult to find and implement solutions. One small step in this direction, though, would be for police agencies to make serving these communities their first priority.
What do you believe are the most pressing issues facing California in 2010?
What do you believe are the most pressing issues facing California in 2010?
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3 Responses to “What do you believe are the most pressing issues facing California in 2010?”
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Robert Sholtz on
December 23rd, 2009 4:11 pm
The most pressing issue facing California in 2010 is the budget. We must find ways to raise the funds necessary to provide educational opportunities for our children and to care for those in need.
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Christina Tworek on
December 27th, 2009 5:32 pm
Most pressing issues for California in 2010:
1) To avoid delays in approving the budget, amending the State Constitution to allow a simple majority to decide on a state budget.
2) Making an absolute priority in budgeting: education! This includes giving back Adult Education budgets to Adult Ed, so that the K-12s of the districts don't decimate education for the parents of the K-12 children, including ESL, GED/High School Diploma programs, job training programs, programs for seniors and disabled adults. Also of vital importance are community colleges and state universities. Making California number one in education again will create a state of wealth, opportunity and ingenuity–with the emphasis on ingenuity!
3) Preserving California's State Parks by creating a new funding source, i.e., an additional car registration fee= free daytime admission to the parks, and a budget separate for the parks that cannot be touched. -
Christine Clayworth on
January 1st, 2010 9:10 pm
The early release of over 18,000 inmates from the overcrowded state prisons in addition to the other parolees due to be released in 2010 will be one of the most pressing problems in CA this year. Recognizing that two thirds of the inmates in our prisons are illiterate, this segment of the population will join the rest of the unemployed in CA, but with greater odds against them.
Education is the key and CA has to get more serious about this issue–not just in prison but in general. Prisons are not crowded with educated people–criminals are for the most part, an uneducated population. This is a complex issue but offering education programs (GED training, literacy tutoring and other educational plans) is a start. Ex-felons who can't read or write will not make it on the outside and will resort to what they know best–crime.
What are your beliefs about climate change and how is or isn't that reflected in your lifestyle?
What are your beliefs about climate change and how is or isn't that reflected in your lifestyle?
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What do you think were the major stories of 2009?
On the December 25th edition of This Week in Northern California (and reprised on January 1st ), we'll devote the entire show to discussing the top news stories of 2009 and look ahead to 2010. My confirmed guests are Paul Rogers, Environment Writer for the San Jose Mercury News, Carla Marinucci, Political Writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, John Myers, Sacramento Bureau Chief for KQED Public Radio, and Odette Keeley from New America Media. Tom Vacar, KTVU's Consumer Editor, indicated he's "probably available."
Give it some thought and let us know: What do think were the major stories of 2009 in Northern California? Do you have questions you’d like me to put to our panel?
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Should a public health insurance plan be offered as part of national health care reform legislation?
The House and Senate health care reform bills each are around 2,000 pages long. The public health insurance option fills less than 15 pages in each bill, but is making headlines and stirring heated debate between Democrats and Republicans, and among Democrats in both chambers.
In both the House and Senate versions, the so-called "public option" is a proposed health insurance plan offered by the U.S. federal government. The idea is that if a government-run option were offered to compete with private insurers, it could help keep costs in check and ensure quality. It would compete with similar private insurance plans in a newly-created Health Insurance Exchange or marketplace, from which individuals, families and small businesses could buy health insurance that meets a minimum federal standard. Those covered by other employer plans or state insurance plans such as Medicare would not be eligible for coverage from the exchange and could not obtain this form of federal health insurance. The federal government's health insurance plan would be financed by premiums with no subsidy from the government. The Senate version would allow states to opt out of the federal program.
Should a public health insurance plan be offered as part of national health care reform legislation?
Resources:
The Kaiser Family Foundation's Side-By-Side Comparison of Major Health Care Reform Proposals
Pro-Publica's ongoing coverage
Forum with Michael Krasny: Senate Committee Passes Health Care Bill (Oct. 14, 2009)
The California Report: The Future of Insurance Age Rating (Oct. 27, 2009)
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4 Responses to “Should a public health insurance plan be offered as part of national health care reform legislation?”
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jacksmith on
November 27th, 2009 6:07 pm
CRITICAL!! From jacksmith – Working Class
My Fellow Americans and People Of The World
A strong Government-run MEDICARE like Public Option is CRITICAL!!
I have to tell you now that the H1N1 virus is a manmade WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION! and TERROR! It is a WEAPONIZED version of a flu virus. It has swept the planet infecting millions. And causing a global pandemic that has killed tens of thousands, and injured millions.
The H1N1 virus is the product of the DISGRACEFUL, GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX! It was released in the U.S. in Texas in early January of this year, but not recognized until around April in California. The reason I know this is because when it came to America, it came to see me FIRST! How sweet…
This was around the time the MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX! assaulted the Whitehouse with all their devils deals to cripple and weaken YOUR! healthcare reform. Especially your right to have a single payer system like HR676 (Medicare For All) which most of you wanted.
They don't even want you to have your HUGE!!! compromise position of a strong government-run MEDICARE like Public Option CHOICE. To compete with their DISGRACEFUL, GREED DRIVEN, MURDEROUS, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT PRODUCT (The single most deadly and dangerous product sold in America).
They also wanted to take away your rights to have your government meet it's responsibility to use it's full power to regulate, negotiate, and control drug cost, healthcare cost and quality. Something every other civilized country in the developed World has done for it's people. Their Greed! moral degeneracy and lack of patriotism knows no bounds.
Many of you will remember that before we knew about H1N1. I posted a open message to the President and Congress warning them to be vigilant about their health, and cautious about any medical advice they received. As I said then "they will not hesitate to try and hurt you".
The U.S. and the World have been under a BIOLOGICAL TERROR ATTACK! for over a year now. It is CRITICAL that We The People Of The United States take away control of our healthcare system from the GREED DRIVEN MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!
For our own National security, and the security of the world.
A Strong, government-run, MEDICARE like Public Option CHOICE. Available to everyone on day one, with the full unfettered power of the federal government to regulate, negotiate, and control cost and quality. Would be the most workable way to deal with this global crisis at this time. Including patent suspensions as needed for national security or the greater good.
As an American I invite the peoples of the World to help us fix our healthcare crisis. And bring pressure on our government to meet it's responsibility to protect global security by controlling, and removing the corrupting influence of GREED and the PRIVATE FOR PROFIT motivations from healthcare in the U.S. and around the World.
I call on the governments of the World and the global intelligence community to track down these MASS MURDERERS, and bring them to justice. CONNECT THE DOTS! And be vigilant that they don't slip in another viral strain on you under the cloak of H1N1 sequestration.
Further, the proposed patent protection on biologic's must be stripped from the US bill. And greatly shorten/restricted, or abolished completely. This is a grave danger to humanity and global security.
I think President Obama is doing the best he can at playing the disastrous deck of cards he inherited from the previous administration. And I think he is doing an excellent job. But the wolves and devils of the medical industrial complex! are trying to exploit, and take advantage of his good heart, and desperate desire to help suffering Americans. But we must be strong and insist that healthcare reform be done right for the American people. Or everyone loose's.
This is all I can say in a message post. I'll try to find a way to tell you more later.
God Bless You My Fellow Human Beings
jacksmith – Working Class
p.s. The so-called nominal H1N1 virus is designed in such a way as to make it more lethal to children and young adults. The medical community must be more vigilant of secondary bacterial infections in the young caused by H1N1. And remember, a viral infection is also a transfer of genetic code to you. Think about it, and be vigilant.
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Eric McCaskie on
November 27th, 2009 9:10 pm
Yes!
The choice of basic health care in the developed world should be a human right.
I believe big profits and greed are corrupting the political process against the public option.Thank you,
Eric -
Jane on
November 27th, 2009 9:30 pm
Please add a public option for health care reform. I am actually in favor of single payer health care–after the Medicare model–but since this isn't even being discussed, I'll go for the public option.
I'm really worried that the politicians aren't listening to what the people want and are paying too much attention to the insurance company lobbyists lining up outside their doors.
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Craig Martin on
November 27th, 2009 11:17 pm
The insurance industry has made an astonishing amount of money by denying people health care. I suspect that they will find ways to line their own pockets, at our collective peril, much as they always have. Advertising is marvelously effective and they will find their victims regardless of whether a public option is available or not. Good non-profit plans (Kaiser comes to mind) may offer many of the advantages of a public plan, at least to those intelligent enough to make the choice. An interesting, and disturbing, question is how health insurers will distort public policy to improve their bottom lines. But to my mind the single most important issue is that the cost of health insurance premiums should not discriminate based on health expectations. This has been required since the early 1950s by the IRS in order for corporations to deduct their health insurance outlays as a fully qualified business expense. If not for this IRS rule, people with any health problem, or over the age of 50, would simply not have jobs.
why hasn't KQED reached out to ex members like me to find out why we do not donate?
Two months after the transmission transition I could not get reception with my antenna.I miss you.
Will you be discussing/researching the controvery regarding P.G.&E.'s Smartmeter installation?
Would appreciate KQED"s in-depth analysis of this topic.
Really enjoy seeing Rebecca Smith (Wall St. Journalist) again.
C.
Are you going to get rid of the pseudoscience infomercials? Do you realize that airing that stuff is a complete and utter betrayal of everything that public television is supposed to stand for? Budget problems may be bad, but that's no excuse for abandoning your mission statement completely.
Viewership can be monitored over cable for PBS,
but not so for listeners on the radio.
Could supporters vote their preferences for programming, perhaps on the website?
It seems that NPR news has taken a turn to the conservative. Since Candidate Whitman announced
she listens to NPR, hopefully she also a supporter?