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DOES RISE OF LONG BEACH POST SIGNAL FALL OF LOCAL JOURNALISM?

May 12, 2011: Long Beach’s its fastest-growing informational outlet is LBPost.com, a website co-owned by two local political and business insiders—1st District City Council member Robert Garcia and Shaun Lumachi, who makes his living as a government-affairs consultant for California Chambers of Commerce advocate and designing websites for several local public officials and is a Mayoral appointee to a city commission. As the Press-Telegram shrivels away, what does this mean for journalism in Long Beach? Dave Wielenga discusses the issue with Lumachi, Dr. Christopher Burnett (new chair of the Long Beach State journalism department) and Steve Lowery (an alumnus of that department who has worked at the Los Angeles Times, Press-Telegram, District Weekly and ESPN).

Also, Nicole Stevenson discusses the Patchwork Indie Arts and Crafts Festival she is holding Sunday in Long Beach with Ellen Griley, who wrote the column, Buy Curious, for the District Weekly.

LAKEWOOD HIGH LEGISLATORS AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT

May 5, 2011: Students in a Lakewood High School civics class are pushing a bill through the California legislature, and everybody’s excited about the incredible education they are getting. However, reaction to the content of Assembly Bill 1174—which puts the safety of students over some traditional rights to free speech—is definitely not unanimously positive. Tonight’s show sorts through the issues with two of the students (Andrew Stockwell and Brandon Perez), their teacher (Wendy Salaya), the bill’s sponsor (Assembly member Warren Furutani) and the research director at the Center for First Amendment Studies (Dr. Kevin Johnson). But first, City councilman Robert Garcia is off Cinco-de-Mayoing in Washington, D.C., at the invitation of the Obama’s, and we’re not sure why, since Garcia is of Peruvian descent and Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday. So we Ask A Mexican—that is, Gustavo Arellano, the OC Weekly managing editor who writes the syndicated column of that name.

SOLVING THE STANDOFF BETWEEN HOTELS AND THEIR WORKERS

No matter what your opinion of the pay and treatment of employees in Long Beach hotels, solving the standoff between union organizers and hotel owners is essential if local taxpayers are ever going to get a return on the $750 million in subsidies they have invested in downtown hostelries—that is, if Downtown Long Beach is ever going to reach its potential as a tourist attraction. Dave Wielenga discusses nuts-and-bolts solutions with workers’ advocate Jeanine Pearce; representatives of the hotels were also invited, but none accepted. Also, local architecture expert Theo Douglas discusses the death of the guy who helped give us Googie, and reviews the Long Beach Heritage’s list of the Ten Most-Endangered Buildings in Long Beach.

 MARIO CORDERO GOES TO WASHINGTON

April 21, 2011: A week after the Presidential appointment of Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Mario Cordero to the Federal Maritime Commission was confirmed by the Senate, Greater Long Beach publisher Dave Wielenga leads the Port of Long Beach’s strongest advocate for better environmental practices through an assessment of progress made and opportunities missed. Also in studio is attorney Alex Cherin, lobbyist for the Harbor Trucking Association, which has resisted some of the Port’s truck-related environmental policies.