Money, Power and Politics LIVE in New Britain!

by John Dankosky - 2010 will be a record year for campaign spending in a midterm election. In Connecticut alone, we’ve seen tens of millions poured into races for Governor and Senate. Meanwhile, our state has struggled to institute a new “clean elections” law that was meant to take money and influence out of politics.

But does big money always mean political success? What does Linda McMahon’s stunning success so far tell us about political spending?  How are the dollars spent on Washington lobbying and Connecticut TV ads really affecting the way our government is run?  And how does the landmark “Citizens United” ruling by the Supreme Court change the game when it comes to transparency in political contributions?

I hope you can join me tonight at 7pm (Wednesday, September 29) at Torp Theater on the campus of Central Connecticut State University for “Money, Power and Politics: A Where We Live Special.” This program will be recorded in front of a live audience, and broadcast on WNPR at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, October 1.

Peter Overby photo by Antony Nagelmann

The guests are Peter Overby, a veteran NPR correspondent in Washington, whose work directly uncovers how money and influence are linked; and Ned Lamont, a former candidate for Senate and Governor in Connecticut, who is a Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at CCSU. Lamont has spent millions of his own dollars running for office, but supports public funding of campaigns.

Ned Lamont at WNPR by Chion Wolf

This program is a co-production of WNPR’s Where We Live, CCSU’s Journalism Program, and The Arts and Sciences Public Policy Committee. Support comes from The Robert C. Vance Endowed Chair in Journalism and Mass Communication.  (To provide full disclosure, I am the current holder of the Vance Chair at CCSU.)

What’s Coming Up

by Catie Talarski

It’s Sunday night!  It’s officially Autumn!  Dankosky is back!  There promises to be lots of excitement this week on Where We Live… even an opportunity to come see a live taping at CCSU on Wednesday night.  Hope to see you there.

MONDAY: Interfaith Amigos

A pastor, a rabbi and a sheikh walk into a radio studio.  No, it’s not a bad joke, it’s Where We Live. They have been called the “Interfaith Amigos” – United Church of Christ minister Don Mackenzie, Rabbi Ted Falcon, and Sufi Sheikh Jamal Rahman.  The three have been working together for years providing understanding on the road to interfaith collaboration, and have just written a book Getting to the Heart of Interfaith: The Eye-Opening, Hope-Filled Friendship of a Pastor, a Rabbi & a Sheikh. They’ll stop by our studio before speaking at Asylum Hill Congregational Church.

TUESDAY: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

Despite Lady Gaga’s best efforts, Senate Republicans succeeded in blocking the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell on Tuesday.  But the case isn’t closed yet, according to Senator Lieberman who announced that the policy will be repealed.  When?  No one knows.  We looked at the policy a year ago and we revisit it today with a panel of people on both sides of the issue, including a West Point cadet who resigned from the military in a public protest again the discriminatory policy.  What has changed in the past year, and will anything change in the future?  And we’ll ask why Lady Gaga has become more outspoken on the issue than the President.

clevercupcakes, creative commons

WEDNESDAY: Tweeting the News

Since the trial for Stephen Hayes began, the twitterverse has been bombarded with at least a half dozen reporters and others “live-tweeting” every gruesome detail of the Cheshire Petit murders.  Tweets from the courtroom became an important part of finding out minute-by-minute details on the corruption trial for Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez.  Coming up, we’ll explore journalism in the age of Twitter.  Is more information always better?  When is it necessary to know every detail and when is it too much?  What has it done to the value of news?  Join the conversation.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT –  7PM – Live Where We Live Recording at CCSU

2010 will be a record year for campaign spending in a midterm election.  In Connecticut alone, we’ve seen tens of millions poured into races for Governor and Senate.  Meanwhile, our state has struggled to institute a new “clean elections” law that was meant to take money and influence out of politics.  But does big money always mean political success?  How are the dollars spent on Washington lobbying and Connecticut TV ads really affecting the way our government is run?  And how does the landmark “Citizens United” ruling by the Supreme Court change the game when it comes to transparency in political contributions?  Join us at 7pm at Torp Theater on the campus of Central Connecticut State University for “Money, Power and Politics: A Where We Live Special.”  The guests are Peter Overby, a veteran NPR correspondent in Washington, whose work directly uncovers how money and influence are linked; and Ned Lamont, a former candidate for Senate and Governor in Connecticut, who is a Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at CCSU.  Lamont has spent millions of his own dollars running for office, but supports public funding of campaigns.

THURSDAY: Rude Politics

Have you no respect!  Today we look at civility in politics.  Do politicians mind their manners anymore or has the White House become an unfiltered free-for-all?  Two panelists from CT Forum’s upcoming panel on Incivility in Politics join us, along with the author of the new book “Rude Democracy.”  And we’re visited by some young politicians who explain why they’ve chosen to pursue public service despite the callous political climate.  Has politics devolved into mayhem with the angry rhetoric of Tea Partiers, ideological commentators, and provocative bloggers?  Can we, as a society, have a civil political discourse, or are the gracious, high-minded speeches of Obama drowned out by impassioned, rude rhetoric?  We look to the next generation of politicians to see if there is hope for restoring courtesy to politics.

kevin dooley, creative commons

FRIDAY: Money, Power and Politics
*This show is a broadcast of Wednesday night’s live taping.

2010 will be a record year for campaign spending in a midterm election.  In Connecticut alone, we’ve seen tens of millions poured into races for Governor and Senate.  Meanwhile, our state has struggled to institute a new “clean elections” law that was meant to take money and influence out of politics.  But does big money always mean political success?  How are the dollars spent on Washington lobbying and Connecticut TV ads really affecting the way our government is run?  And how does the landmark “Citizens United” ruling by the Supreme Court change the game when it comes to transparency in political contributions?  We’ll hear from Peter Overby, a veteran NPR correspondent in Washington, whose work directly uncovers how money and influence are linked; and Ned Lamont, a former candidate for Senate and Governor in Connecticut, who is a Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at CCSU.  Lamont has spent millions of his own dollars running for office, but supports public funding of campaigns.

Follow-up on Greenwich Sex Offender Restrictions

by Catie Talarski

Following up on our conversation “Reexamining Sex Offender Laws” – pegged off a vote taking place in Greenwich that would ban registered sex offenders at schools, parks, playgrounds and beaches in town.  Last night the Representative Town Meeting decided to postpone the vote.  This is the third time the proposal has stalled at the Greenwich RTM.

From Greenwich Time:

The motion to postpone came from the RTM’s health and human services committee. Its chairman, Karen Fassuliotis, District 7/North Center, said her committee believed it didn’t offer any extra safety for children and would be an additional burden on police.

“Child Safety Zones” have already been implemented in six Connecticut towns.

What’s Coming Up…

by Catie Talarski

Next Week: A Pre-Taped Call-In Show??!!? (that never gets old.)

Just because John Dankosky is leaving us for a week to attend the international Nintendo Wii boxing competition does not mean we would think of depriving you, our loyal listeners, of some of the best programs that we’ve aired recently. Obviously we won’t be taking calls during the shows – but feel free to send us lots of emails.  This is also an exciting week because I (a mediocre runner) got to meet a barefoot hero, and Dankosky (a drummer of decent capacity) got to meet a legend in the field.  Let’s get on with it…

Here is what’s coming up, September 20-24:

McDougall and Talarski

MONDAY (rebroadcast): Born To Run… Barefoot

Barefoot running seems to be the new athletic craze.  So have you gone and purchased your VibramFive Fingers yet? Or perhaps you are suspicious of the fad. Maybe you aren’t even a runner, let alone one with raw and calloused feet.  Today we’ll explore the painful and exhilarating world of running with author Christopher McDougall. He set off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process found out that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.  McDougall joined us from the studios at Fairfield University, to talk about his new book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.

TUESDAY (rebroadcast): Loan Modification Leaving Many In The Lurch

Every month, the treasury department releases new numbers about how homeowners in its mortgage modification program are faring… and every month the numbers are bleak.  The Treasury department program was meant to help homeowners avoid foreclosure – but a report by ProPublica says its falling far short of its goals.   More than half-a-million homeowners have been strung along in the “trial” period  – as their mortgage servicer determined if they qualifed for a permanent modification – but then eventually they’ve been denied.   Coming up, we’ll hear from Connecticut homeowners, and a staff attorney at the Connecticut Fair Housing Center about the federal government’s loan modification program – which bailout watchdog Elizabeth Warren says is “behind the curve.”

WEDNESDAY (rebroadcast): Photojournalism’s Uncertain Future

Everyone loves this photo.

When WNPR’s news photo of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal was stolen – four times – by opponents for negative ads, it got us thinking about images. Not just the ownership of images – the picture in question by Chion Wolf was clearly labeled “rights reserved” when posted online – but their use, their misuse and the ethics around photography in 2010.  In the heyday of newspapers and large-format magazines, iconic photographs told the story  – sometimes better – than the words that surrounded them.  But the history of photojournalism has also been filled with fakery and forgery.  And in a new world inundated with high-quality images, the source of these images is often shady.  Today where we live – the current state and the future of photojournalism.  Is traditional photojournalism is dead – or just changing?  We think it’s still up for debate.  (Also – check out the Courant’s great new photo blog “Eye Contact“.)

THURSDAY (rebroadcast): Explorers

It’s been fewer than sixty years since Hillary and Norgay ascended the height of Everest, since Piccard and Walsh survived the depths of the Mariana Trench. Not even a century has passed since Peary and Amundsen traversed the North and the South poles.  But today more than a hundred people climb Mount Everest every year, and commercial cruise lines promise a trip to the poles for a fee and your signature on a waiver. So what’s left? What is there still to discover?  Where, on earth, is the frontier?  Today on Where We Live we go exploring in the world of earthbound exploration. We’ll poke around in the deepest caves, we’ll peek out from the tops of the tallest trees. And we’ll try to stop and look at what we might’ve missed on our mad rush to the edges of the Earth.

Dankosky and Jimmy Cobb

FRIDAY: Jazz and Canadian Folk

Jimmy Cobb is the last living member of one of the greatest bands of all time – and played a pivotal role in the most famous jazz record in the world, Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue.”  He was in Hartford recently as part of the Porkpie Hat Jazz series – and we talked with him about his remarkable musical journey.  We’ll also hear from a French Canadian folk band who are coming to town this weekend.

Rowland on the Radio: The Sequel

Former WTIC hosts Diane Smith and Colin McEnroe

by John Dankosky - Funny moments in the WNPR newsroom this week when Colin McEnroe realized that his old time-slot on WTIC is being taken over by former Governor and ex-con John Rowland.

As Colin told the Courant’s Java column, “It’s also a beacon of hope for Eddie Perez…Somewhere there’s an overnight slot waiting for him.”

Now, I’m not going to pass judgement on the quality of the show – it starts today, and who knows what it will sound like after a few weeks of doing this every day.   Nor do I want to suggest to the people at WTIC what they should do with their programming.  (Last I checked, a lot more people still listen to WTIC every day than WNPR.)

But this decision to put Rowland on the radio seems to have fully taken our state’s “50,000 watt flamethrower” and completely turned it into a vehicle for partisan political speech.  At least, when Colin and Diane Smith were let go more than a year ago, the station preserved an afternoon drive time slot for daily Connecticut news.  ”Total News” with Bill Pearse and Aaron Kupec was an aggressive attempt to bring a big chunk of daily news content back to the air, in a classic WCBS style.  Now, that news is gone, too, replaced by a steady diet of Ray Dunaway’s kind and gentle conservatism, Jim Vicevich’s country music tea party on the air, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and now a disgraced former Republican Governor who’s been (not too subtly) looking everywhere for work and attention since being released from a Pennsylvania prison.

First his hometown of Waterbury gave him that attention by dropping a sweetheart “economic development” job in his lap, now Connecticut’s most venerable broadcaster has indulged him, too.

Look, I wish John Rowland well, and I hope his radio career is the beginning of a second act filled with redemption.  But as someone who loves radio, and what it can mean for our community, I’m just very sad about the shape of the “flamethrower.”  WTIC has a remarkable history of providing diverse viewpoints, news and analysis.  But it now seems content to park itself on the Right, taking on a predicable position in a loud, pointless culture war.

I can’t wait to listen to the show.  I hope Rowland proves me wrong.

Where We Live, Next Week

by Catie Talarski –

A look at next week in history: Francis Scott Key pens “The Star Spangled Banner” (9/13/1814); U.S. President William McKinley dies after being shot by a deranged anarchist during the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York (9/14/1901); Muhammad Ali defeats Leon Spinks at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans to win the world heavyweight boxing title for the third time in his career, the first fighter ever to do so (9/15/1978); and Confederate and Union troops in the Civil War clash near Maryland’s Antietam Creek in the bloodiest one-day battle in American history (9/17/1862).

A look at next week on Where We Live (9/13 – 9/17):

niffty, creative commons

MONDAY: Be Happy

We spend a lot of time talking about the things that make us unhappy.   But what about happiness?  How does it work… and what role does it play in the larger questions of how we live our lives and how we treat one another?  Philosopher Sissela Bok joins us to talk about her new book Exploring Happiness: From Aristotle to Brain Science.

TUESDAY: Eddie’s Trial

Former Mayor Eddie Perez is sentenced today on corruption charges.  WNPR’s Jeff Cohen and others will join us to talk about what’s ahead for Perez and what’s changed in the city since his conviction.

orangeacid, creative commons

WEDNESDAY: A Race To Where?

The Obama Administration’s “Race To The Top” education funding contest is meant to spur states into making big changes in the way they teach students and evaluate teachers.  In fact, they see competitive grants as a new model for funding education.  But what about the rights of states to educate children in a way that works best for them?  As a follow-up to our program about neighboring states that have received money from the “Race To The Top” program, we’ll talk with Connecticut Education Commissioners Mark McQuillan and other education experts about whether we’re on the right path toward better schools.  Is this really a “race” worth running?

THURSDAY: Making Use of Old Buildings

Investing in existing infrastructure makes financial, economic, and environmental sense – yet few people understand it as a primary urban, economic, and environmental planning tool for our state.  Coming up, we’ll talk about the economic benefits of historic preservation as we preview an upcoming Connecticut Preservation Action conversation, “New Money from Old Places”.

FRIDAY: Those Aching Joints

gfoster67, creative commons

Arthritis is the number one cause of disability and chronic pain in the United States.  More than 80% of Americans either suffer from arthritis or know someone who does, and the treatment of the disease costs the nation more than $128 billion a year. Coming up, we’ll talk to Dr. Judith Fifield from UCONN along with some of the top specialists in the region, as they prepare to head to a national conference later in the month.

Purple Hearts Denied To Soldiers With Brain Injuries

Graphic From ProPublica

by John Dankosky – ProPublica and NPR continued a remarkable series about traumatic brain injuries this week, with a devastating exploration of the military’s decision not to give Purple Hearts to soldiers suffering from concussions sustained on the battlefield.  The reasoning?  ”No more John Kerrys,” a reference to the Massachusetts Senator whose three Purple Hearts were the subject of controversy during his 2004 bid for the presidency.

NPR’s Daniel Zwerdling and T. Christian Miller of ProPublica prepared this new story as part of the series, Brain Wars, which we featured on Where We Live in July.  They also appeared on the PBS Newshour to talk about the report. I encourage you to read and listen to the new stories in the series, which point out a clear lack of understanding about these injuries amongst some military personnel.

There’s been news in Connecticut about the impact of concussions, as well.  That was the second part of our conversation in July.  We talked about new legislation meant to protect young athletes from concussions.  As the Connecticut Post reports:

A new study, published in the American Academy of Pediatrics‘ journal Pediatrics, showed that between 1997 and 2007, emergency department visits for concussions by 8- to 13-year-olds in organized team sports doubled. For 9- to 14-year-olds involved in sports, emergency room visits for concussions over that same 10-year period increased by more than 200 percent.

WNPR News Partners Celebrate Milestones

by John Dankosky – Congratulations to two of Where We Live’s like-minded news partners, The New Haven Independent and The Connecticut Mirror for major steps forward this week.

The Independent, brainchild of Paul Bass, marks its 5th anniversary.  It’s been a groundbreaking half-decade for the incredibly rich online newspaper, which Bass better describes this way:

Five years ago today, the New Haven Independent hit the net with a new idea: completely local multimedia online-only professional news reporting focused on city news and issues, with reporting used as a springboard for wide-ranging community discussion. Not a “newspaper.” Not a radio or TV news program. A journalism-driven online urban community.

And, it’s real, good journalism.  The Independent breaks news that others don’t or can’t touch, and provides a kind of window into life in New Haven for those of us who don’t live there.  And, the Independent’s sister publications, The Branford Eagle (edited by state journalism treasure Marcia Chambers) and the Valley Independent, shine light on parts of the state that don’t get covered enough.  They’ve also formed a unique working partnership with Christine Stuart and CTNewsjunkie, which extends and deepens their coverage.  Kudos to Paul and his team for their work – and congratulations.

The Connecticut Mirror launched its redesigned site this week, aimed at making it “easier to read and navigate and provide more news, features and links to content elsewhere on the Web.”  The Mirror has come a long way from the first meeting I attended, more than a year ago – a brainstorming session about how to create a new site that would fill the hole created by the massive layoffs at The Hartford Courant and other state papers.

The big hole they filled originally was coverage of the state capitol, but through savvy hires, they’ve expanded to include coverage of health, education, and Washington.  The redesigned site shows that they’ve learned a lot about how the web works, and what readers expect – but they’ve kept their trademark in-depth stories, which have become the standard for state political reporting.

To Jim Cutie, Michael Regan, Mark Pazniokas and all of our partners at the Mirror – you look better than ever!

Next Week On Where We Live

by Catie Talarski

Next week we promise that we’re not doing shows on hurricanes, the king of the pan flute, or goats. But we are airing these programs for the week of September 6-1o:

woodleywonderworks, creative commons

MONDAY: Labor Day Special – Mind the Gap: Why Good Schools are Failing Black Students

This documentary won a 2010 Peabody Award. Nationwide, suburban schools are doing a good job educating white students, but those schools are not getting the same results with black and Latino students. This documentary tells the story of a suburban high school with lots of resources and a diverse student body that is struggling to close the minority achievement gap.

TUESDAY: Questions For The Ombudsman?

NPR’s Ombudsman is the public’s representative to the network, serving as an independent source regarding NPR’s programming.  So, if you get lots of your news from NPR – you probably have questions for NPR Ombudsman Lisa Shepard – questions about story selection, language and choice of guests. Questions about coverage of divides in Washington politics and in the Middle East.  Today, Where We Live, Shepard joins us again to answer your questions. As a longtime reporter, professor and media critic, she’ll talk about what steps NPR takes to assure accuracy and transparency in the news.

Mykl Rovantine, Creative Commons

WEDNESDAY: Heart Health

Nearly 2,300 Americans die of cardiovascular diseases each day – one person every 38 seconds. Heart health is a serious matter.  But that doesn’t mean staying healthy has to be boring.  Coming up, Dr. Lori Mosca joins us to talk about her family-based approach to heart disease prevention.

THURSDAY: Reexamining Sex Offender Laws

States spend millions of dollars every year to imprison, treat and monitor sex offenders.  Sex offender photos are easily searchable on state and national registries, and laws have been put in place to protect children from ex-offenders.  But do these laws increase public safety, or create a false sense of security?  Sex offender restrictions have been criticized by some who argue it’s unjust to banish any segment of society, and that it’s more productive and cost-effective for most offenders to undergo parole and treatment in the community.  Ordinances in five Connecticut municipalities ban convicted sex offenders from many public places frequented by children. The “Child Safety Zone” ordinance is up for a vote this month in Greenwich. Coming up, we’ll explore how society treats sex offenders, what restrictions are effective, and the impact of treatment.  Join the conversation.

oedipusphinx, creative commons

FRIDAY: Arts Magazine

Tune in to hear a cornet player who’s been bicycling his way through New England and Wesleyan artists trying to make sense of their fractured social connections.

Have a fabulous Labor Day Weekend!

Stuck In Traffic? Floss Your Teeth.

by Catie Talarski

From Richard Florida, in The Atlantic:

Commuting is a waste of energy and time, and carries with it enormous economic costs. Commuting costs America an estimated $90 billion dollars per year in terms of lost productivity and wasted energy, according to the annual Urban Mobility Report… Every minute shaved off America’s commuting time is worth an estimated $19.5 billion dollars.  That translates into $97.7 billion for five minutes, $195 billion for 10 minutes, and $292 billion for every 15 minutes saved nationally.

daveynin, creative commons

While researching tomorrow’s show on the dreaded Interstate 95, I’ve come across a few time-filling activities for all you folks stuck in hours of traffic on a weekly basis.

Of course there are the obvious physical activities: stretching, butt clenching, or deep breathing exercises.  But how about car care, teeth cleaning, or exploring all those buttons on your blackberry? Do you want traffic info sent straight to your phone?  There’s an app for that. (TIP: Download it BEFORE getting stuck in traffic).

Spike has their own list of outlandish stuck-in-traffic activities including nose picking, honking for no good reason, and having an existential crisis.  You could also catch up on phone calls and texts, but use caution! In Connecticut (like Massachusetts) you can still get a ticket, even in traffic.  You don’t want to increase your chances of rear-ending another car, after all.  Then you’ll be even more late to work… and your boss won’t like that.

yummiec00kies, creative commons

If you’ve tried ALL these tips, and are still impatient and full of rage… know that the web is full of resources to help people just like you.

Or you can channel your rage towards Congress.

But, in the meantime, at least you can find a delicious place to eat.

(Check out the NPR series “I-95: The Road Most Traveled“)