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SAN DIEGO WEEK IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY A GRANT FROM THE PARKER FOUNDATION.
TROUBLES FACING SAN DIEGO WILL BE THE FOCUS.
A 50% HIKE IN RATES. THIS IS SAN DIEGO WEEK.
HELLO, I'M JOANNE FARYON. THANKS FOR JOINING US. ONE WEEK AFTER THE BIG BLACKOUT, WE WILL
FIND OUT ABOUT THE SEWAGE SPILL AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL FALLOUT AND PLUS MORE PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN
POVERTY AND WE WILL TELL YOU WHAT IT MEANS IN SAN DIEGO.
GOD AND POLITICS, WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW THE TWO MIX DESPITE THE GROWING NUMBER OF ATHEISTS
IN AMERICA.
WE GO TO DWAYNE BROWN.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GROCERY WORKERS COULD BE ON STRIKE BY SUNDAY NIGHT. THE WORKERS
HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATING FOR A NEW CONTRACT WITH RALPH'S AND ALBERTON'S ANDVON'S. THE CONTRACT
WILL BE OVER ON THURSDAY. RALPH'S WILL CLOSE ALL OF THEIR STORES IF THERE'S A STRIKE. IF
THE COMPANIES CAN AGREE ON CONTRIBUTIONS TO HEALTH CARE FUND FOR EMPLOYEES THERE WILL
BE NO STRIKE.
UNEMPLOYMENT DROPPED IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY LAST MONTH. THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS 10.2% IN
AUGUST, DOWN .4 IN JULY. IT WAS LOWER THAN THE STATE RATE OF 9 .9. THE POSTAL SERVICE
IS TRYING TO CUT COSTS AND MAY LAY OFF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. 1400 MAIL PROCESSING CENTERS MAY
BE CLOSED, IT IS A PLAN FOR CUT COSTS BY AS MUCH AS THREE BILLION DOLLARS.
IT WOULD BE A WEEK BEFORE WE LEARN WHY SCAFFOLDING GAVE WAY. IT CREATED A TRAFFIC JAM. IT IS
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RENOVATION PROJECT. FIFTY THOUSAND VEHICLES PASS THERE EVERY DAY.
THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION IN TO THE BIG BLACKOUT LAST WEEK AND NOW A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IS
FILED. TWO MEN FILED THE SUIT GSDG AND E AND ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE ACCUSING THEM OF NEGLIGENTLY
OPERATING THE POWER PLANTS AND THEY ARE SUING THEM ON EVERYTHING SUCH AS SPOILED FOOD.
SACRAMENTO WILL BE USING E VERIFY FOR ALL OF THE NEW HIRES. SUPERVISOR BILL HORN SAYS
IT IS A NO COS WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNTY JOBS GO TO THOSE THAT LEGALLY LIVE HERE. HE
WANTS TO SEE IF COUNTY CONTRACTORS CAN BE REQUIRED TO LIVE THE PROGRAM AS WELL.
THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO IS CONSIDERING PROGRAMS TO KEEP FORECLOSED PROPERTIES FROM BEING EYE
SORES. THE PROPOSED LAWS WOULD REQUIRE REGISTERING FORECASTED PROPERTIES AND FINES OF UP TO ONE
THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY IF THE PROPERTIES ARE NOT MAINTAINED. THE CITY CODE ENFORCEMENT
LOAD SAYS IT WOULD INCREASE THE WORKLOAD FIFTY THOUSAND MORE.
A FIVE PERCENT DROP IN YEAR TO YEAR PRICES IN THE COUNTY. THE MEDIAN PRICE WAS $320,000
AND SALES WERE UP BY ABOUT FOUR- AND-A-HALF PERCENT. >>> I'M DWAYNE BROWN IN THE KPS NEWS
CENTER.
WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF THE BLACK OUT AND IT CAUSED MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF SEWAGE
INTO WATER WAYS, IT CLOSED BEACHES FROM LA JOLLA TO CORONADO. THE BEACHES HAVE BEEN REOPENED.
IT IS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR ECOLOGY EFFECTS. THANKS FOR BEING HERE, JAN.
THANK YOU. THERE WAS A SMALL SPILL OR RELATIVELY SMALL SPILL INTO SAN DIEGO BAY FROM THE SWEET
WATER CREEK AND A MUCH LARGER SPILL TWO MILLION GALLONS THAT HAPPENED IN LAS VENAS CREEK.
AND THAT SPILL CAUSED A LOT OF BEACHES TO BE CLOSED. CAN YOU BRIEFLY TELL US THE ROUTE
THAT TRAVELS THE SEWAGE --THAT IT WOULD TRAVEL.
THAT PARTICULAR PUMP STATION IS UPSTREAM FROM THE LAGOON AND THE WATER WENT INTO THE CREEK
AND WENT TO A STREAM BY THE LAGOON WHERE THERE'S A THICKEST OF OF WET LAND PLANS AND THAT CAUSED
THE SEWAGE WATER TO SLOW DOWN AND MAKE ITS WAY SLOWLY THROUGH THE LAGOON AND OUT TO THE
BEACH AFFECTING THE COASTLINE UP AND DOWN THE COAST FROM THERE.
SO WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE IMPACTS AND THEN SORT OF THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS WHEN YOU HAVE
A SPILL OF THIS SIZE?
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND THIS PARTICULAR CASE WE KNOW THE IMMEDIATE IMPACT, MOST OF
YOUR VIEWERS ARE FAMILIAR W THE BEACHES AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS FROM BEACH-RELATED BUSINESSES
THAT LOST REVENUE AS A RESULT. IN TERMS OF HEALTH OF THE CREEK AND THE LAGOON, WE KNOW
BASED ON DATA THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT ACUTE WATER IMPACTS IN THE CREEK. THE WATER
MONITORS WHEN THEY GOT TO THE SCENE ON SATURDAY MORNING NOTED IN THE CREEK A VERY STRONG SMELL
OF SEWAGE. THE WATER WAS LIKE A BLACK DARK GRAY OPAQUE COLOR AND THEYED FOUND DEAD FISH
ALONG THE SHORELINE AND FLOATING ON THE SURFACE OF THE CREEK. BECAUSE THAT HAPPENS TO BE A
SITE WHERE WE REGULARLY MONITOR EVERY MONTH, AS PART OF OUR PROGRAM, WE COLLECTED SAMPLES
AND WERE ABLE TO COMPARE THE SAMPLES FROM PREVIOUS RESULTS THAT WE HAVE HAD AND WE NOTED
THAT THE BACTERIA CONCENTRATIONS WERE WAY HIGHER THAN THEY HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY UP TO
600 TIMES, AT LEAST 600 TIMES HIGHER THAN NORMAL. THE NUTRIENT LEVELS LIKE PHOSPHORUS
AND AMMONIA WERE 16 TIMES HIGHER THAN WHAT THEY WERE ON AVERAGE. THERE WAS PRETTY MUCH
XEROX JEN IN THE WATER WHICH PRESUMABLY IS WHAT LED TO THE DEATH OF THE FISH. THERE WAS
INDICATION FROM THE STATES PARKS PRESERVE PEOPLE THAT THERE IS FISH KILLS IN THE LAGOONS
IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTER MATHS THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE. OVER THE LONG TERM
DEPENDING ON EFFICACY OF THE CLEANUP, SEDIMENTS CAN BE A RESERVOIR AND THERE'S A POTENTIAL
IT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THAT TYPE OF POLLUTION FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME TO COME AND THE IMPACTS
THAT IT HAS ON THE FISH POPULATION IN THE LAGOON AND THE CREEK RIGHT NOW ARE UNKNOWN
BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT THAT PARTICULAR POPULATION WAS HARMED OR IF ANY
OTHER POPULATIONS WERE HARMED.
NOW THIS SPILL OCCURRED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO POWER AND PUMPS WENT OUT. I FEEL MANY OF
US THOUGHT THERE WERE BACKUP GENERATORS BUT THERE WERE NOT IN SOME CASES WHAT IS BEING
ASKED TO DO BECAUSE THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
WE ARE WORKING ON FROM FRONTS ONE WE ARE WORKING TO ENSURE THAT OUR REGULATORY AGENCIES LIKE
THE REGIONAL WATER CONTROL BOARD AND DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME AND STATE PARKS DO THE SWIFT
DISK AND MOST THOROUGH INVESTIGATION THAT THEY CAN INTO THE PARTICULAR EVENT AND IDENTIFY
THE ROOT CAUSES SO THE CITY ADDRESSES IT AND WE PREVENT FROM IT HAPPENING AGAIN AND SECONDARY
IN TERMS OF THE ENFORCEMENT APPROPRIATE MITIGATION HAPPENS TO RESTORE THE ECOLOGY AND WORKING
IN OUR LAB TO CONTINUE WATER MONITORING TO TRACK THE RECOVERY POST CLEANUP OF THE SPILL.
JEN KOVAS,, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK.
THIS IS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS AND THE BIG BLACKOUT CAUGHT A LOT OF SAN DIEGOANS UNPREPARED
FOR THE DISASTER. K PS AND THE RED CROSS ARE PASSING OUT DISASTER KIDS. IT IS HAPPENING
IN CARE MESA ON SATURDAY FROM TEN UNTIL NOON, YOU CAN LEARN MORE ON KPBS.ORG/TOTALLY UNPREPARED.
EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON EXPANDED CENSUS DATA FROM 2010 WAS RELEASED SHOWING MORE PEOPLE
ARE LIVING IN POVERTY. ONE IN SIX AMERICANS ARE AT THE PROPERTY LINE WITH THE OFFICIAL
POVERTY RATE JUMPING ALMOST A FULL PERCENTAGE POINT FROM 2009. JOINING ME NOW TO TELL US
WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN TO SAN DIEGOANS IS MAURICE BOOMA AND HE HAS WORKED ON PROPERTY DATA FOR
SEVERAL YEARS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE.
HOW IS THE POVERTY RATE MEASURED.
IT IS BASED ON THE COST OF FOOD THAT WAS ESTABLISHED FOUR DECADES AGO, A NATIONAL METRO ACROSS
THE BOARD OF FOOD COSTS, $11,300 FOR A SINGLE PERSON AND 22500 FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR.
SO BELOW THAT IS POVERTY. SO DO WE KNOW IN SAN DIEGO IF THAT HOLDS TRUE.
IT IS PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE BOARD. IN CALIFORNIA WE SEE THE NUMBER IN POVERTY BEING HIGHER.
THERE'S 16% POVERTY RATE. IN CALIFORNIA 1 PERCENTAGE POINT HIGHER THAN ACROSS THE NATION.
IN SAN DIEGO WE TYPICALLY SEE SOMETHING LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL LEVEL TWO PERCENT LOWER
AND IN A TREND THERE'S INCREASE DURING THE RECESSION. I THINK THAT WILL BEAR TRUE IN
SAN DIEGO AS WELL.
I THINK PEOPLE AT HOME MIGHT HAVE HEARD FAMILY OF FOUR AND 22,000 DOLLARS, WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT SAN DIEGO COUNTY, WHAT IS UNIQUE TO OUR COUNTY TO INFLUENCE IF YOU ARE LIVING
IN POVERTY OFFICIALLY OR UNOFFICIALLY BECAUSE THAT 22,000 DOLLARS FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR,
HOW DO YOU LIVE ON THAT?
IT DOESN'T GO FAR TO MAKE ENDS MEET IN SAN DIEGO AND THE BIGGEST COST IS HOUSING AND
EVEN THOUGH THE HOUSING IS SO EXPANSIVE IT IS MORE IN TERMS OF COST OF LIVING, MORE THAN
IN OTHER PLACES. HEALTH CARE IS RUNNING UP AND FOOD AND EDUCATION, THOSE ARE SOME OF
THE SIGNIFICANT COSTS IN THE BUDGET FOR A FAMILY.
SO REALLY SHOULD ANYONE BE SURPRISED BY THE NUMBERS GIVEN THE RECESSION AND GIVEN THE
HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AND UNEMPLOYMENT RATE THAT IS HIGH NOW AS WE GO INTO YEAR TWO?
IT IS NOT --IT IS SURPRISING THE EXTENT AT WHICH IT HAS GONE UP BECAUSE REMEMBER THE
RECESSION ACTUALLY ENDED A YEAR-AND-A-HALF AGO BUT THE FACT THAT POVERTY HAS KEPT INCREASING
AND INCOMES HAVE KEPT DECLINING IS SURPRISING. ONE IN THREE AMERICANS SHALL FINDING IT HARD
TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND THEY ARE BELOW THE ECONOMIC HARDSHIP THRESHOLD OF 200% OF THE POVERTY
RATE. THIS IS A SIMILAR SITUATION IN SAN DIEGO AS WELL. WE FIND THAT 200% TO BE ROUGHLY CORRESPONDENCING
TO WHAT IT COST TO MAKE ENDS MEET IN SAN DIEGO.
SO IS THIS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE OF GETTING PEOPLE BACK TO WORK OR IS IT AN ISSUE OF PERHAPS
UNDER EMPLOYMENT WHERE WE MIGHT SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN JOBS AND PERHAPS JOBS
THAT DON'T PAY ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE ON?
IT IS BOTH. THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE OVER 10% HAVE IMPACTED PEOPLE'S INCOME BUT AT THE SAME
TIME FOR EVERY ONE HIGH END JOB WE ARE CREATING, WE ARE CREATING LOW WAGE JOBS IN REGION AND
THAT'S COMING DOWN. I MUST POINT OUT THAT FACT THAT THE MEDIAN INCOME FELL LAST YEAR,
THE MEDIAN MEANS OF AVERAGE FELL BY OVER ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS MEANS THAT THE MIDDLE PERSON
ACROSS THE BOARD IS FEELING THE PINCH OF RECESSION. TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE A MALE WORKING WORKING
FULL TIME YEAR ROUND TODAY IS EARNING LESS THAN HIS FATHER WOULD IN 1978 WHEN ADJUSTED
FOR THE COST OF INFLATION.
WE WILL LEAVE IT THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU, JOE ANN.
SAN DIEGO IS EXPECTED TO GROW BY A MILLION MORE PEOPLE OVER THE NEXT 40 YEARS. THIS WEEK
LOCAL LEADERS HELD A SERIES OF PUBLIC FORUMS TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO HANDLE THAT GROWTH AND
AS DWAYNE BROWN REPORTS EVERY DAY SAN DIEGOANS ARE ASKED TO PUT IN THEIR TWO CENTS.
THIS MAY LOOK LIKE A POPULAR BOARD GAME BUT THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS AT THE CONCOURSE
DOWNTOWN TO LOCATE WHERE JOB AND HOUSING GROWTH WILL BE IN THE NEXT 40 OR 50 YEARS IN SAN
DIEGO AND CREATE A PLAN OF ACTION. RANDY MARKER FROM CITY HEIGHTS SAYS WE NEED TO IMPROVE
THE PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM.
I KNOW PEOPLE THAT COMMUTE AN HOUR EACH WAY TO AND FROM THEIR HOME TO WORK AND I WOULD
VERY MUCH LINING TO SEE PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO WORK CLOSER TO WHERE THEY LIVE AND LIVE
CLOSER TO WHERE THEY WORK TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT AND TO SPEND NOT DRIVING ON THE ROAD
BUT WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY LIVING IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND DOING THE THINGS THEY
ENJOY DOING.
I WANT TO SEE MORE PUBLIC SPACE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. THE PUBLIC SPACE IS LIMITED TO A MALL. AND
IT IS GREAT, A BEAUTIFUL MALL BUT WHEN YOU ARE THERE, YOU HAVE THE DISTINCT IMPRESSION
IS TO BUY SOMETHING AND IF YOU ARE NOT YOU ARE NOT WELCOME.
I AM GLAD FOR THIS APRIL.
THIS LADY LIVES IN THE SOUTH END AND HOPES HER FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WOULD GET INVOLVED.
I AM NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER PERSON, MY NEIGHBOR FROM THE COMMUNITIES I HAVE LIVED
IN AND I HAVE GROWN UP IN SOUTHEAST SO I HAVE A CHERISHED LOVE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND THE
SCHOOLS THE CHILDREN GO TO AND HOW WE INTEGRATE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AS WELL. I WANT OTHERS
TO LOOK AT ME AND SAY I CAN DO THAT TO AND GET JUST AS INVOLVED AS APRIL.
MARY BALL SAYS 70% OF THE POPULATION GROWTH WILL COME FROM INSIDE THE COUNTY.
IT WILL COME HERE FROM PEOPLE LIVING HERE TODAY HAVING CHILDREN AND WE ARE GOING TO
NEED TO CREATE A HALF A MILLION NEW JOBS IN THE NEXT 40 YEARS. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO
HAVE 400,000 NEW PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE. AND WHAT WE HEARD FROM PEOPLE THAT'S WE ARE
WORRIED ABOUT THAT CHANGE. WE ARE WORRIED THAT THERE'S NOT A PLAN FOR OUR REGION.
PUBLIC FEEDBACK FROM SIX FORUMS WILL HELP SHAPE A MENU OF CHOICES IN NOVEMBER AND THE
GENERAL PUBLIC WILL HAVE CIVIC LEADERS TO CONSIDER.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT VOLUNTEERS TO SEE ONLINE AT SHOWYOURLOVESD.ORG.
DESPITE THE SEPARATION BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE IN AMERICA, RECENT POLITICAL DEBATE
WOULD SUGGEST OTHERWISE. IN 2008, PRESIDENT OBAMA'S RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION WAS QUESTIONED
AND NOW IN THE GOP PRIMARY, QUESTIONS OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF TAKE FRONT AND CENTER. THE INCREASE
IN RELIGIOUS DISCOURSE IS SURPRISING GIVEN THAT SECOND YOULARRISM IS ON THE RISE AND
WE HAVE MORE ON THAT, AND MY GUEST IS REBECCA MOORE, THANKS FOR BEING HERE DOCTOR. TELL
ME ABOUT THIS CONFERENCE.
IT IS STUDYING THE UNBELIEF AND ATHE I SM AND THEN ALSO STUDYING MICHAEL BURN FOR BEING
AN ATHEIST AND HE WAS BURNED AT THE STAKE.
HOW IS THIS BELIEF DIFFERENT FROM ATHEISM.
THERE IS ATHEISM AND PEOPLE THAT SAY THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY NO GOD TO SKEPTICS AND DOUBTERS
AND HUMORISTS WHO SOME WOULD SAY HUMANISM IS A TYPE OF RELIGION AND OTHERS WOULD SAY
IT IS A PHILOSOPHY AND FREE THOUGHT BEING REALLY AN APPROACH TO LIFE. SO I THINK MANY
PEOPLE IN THE UNBELIEF COMMUNITY WOULD PREFER TO CALL THEMSELVES RATIONALISTS AS OPPOSED
TO RELIGIONISTS AS TO THEIR APPROACH IS LIFE IS NATURAL AND BASED ON THE NATURAL AND NOT
THE SUPERNATURAL.
DO WE KNOW THE NUMBERS IN MAKE, I KNOW THEY ARE INCREASING IN TERMS OF PEOPLE THAT COME
UNDER THE CATEGORY.
THE FIGURES RAISE BETWEEN FIVE TO TEN PERCENT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD SAY THAT THERE IS AN ATHEIST.
BUT WITHIN THAT CATEGORY, THEIR VARIETIES OF ATHEISTS AND ATHEISMS AND ANOTHER STATISTIC
IS ABOUT A QUARTER OF AMERICANS ARE NONE. NO RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION, THEY ARE NOT CONNECTED
WITH ANY RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION.
SO WE ALSO KNOW THAT NOW IN OUR POLITICAL DEBATE THIS IS A VERY BIG TOPIC EVEN NOW IN
THE GOP PRIMARY. WE ARE SEEING IN CANDIDATES THEIR RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION, WHY IS IT THAT
THERE IS MORE TALK OF RELIGION WITHIN THE POLITICAL DEBATE?
ALTHOUGH OUR CONSTITUTION IN ARTICLE 6 SAYS THAT THERE SHALL BE NO TESTS FOR PUBLIC OFFICE,
NO RELIGIOUS TEST FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, WE FIND THAT RELIGION HAS REALLY NOT JUST RECENTLY
BUT ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE. I THINK IT IS MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE PEOPLE
PERCEIVE THERE TO BE CULTURAL AWARDS AND ATTACK ON FAMILY VALUES AND RELIGION IS SEEN AS FAMILY
VALUES AND IT IS AN ISSUE IN SOME CAMPAIGNS BUT NOT ALL.
DO YOU THINK WE WILL SEE A TIME THAT A POLITICAL CANDIDATE WILL DECLARE HIMSELF AS ATHEIST
OR NONBELIEF ER.