Kitty Felde

Endangered species: married couples

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:27:04 -0800

Married couples are on the verge of becoming a minority. A Pew Research Center study released today shows that just over half, 51% of those over 18 are married. A decade ago, the number was 57%. College graduates are more likely to marry. Nearly two thirds have tied the knot.

So I'm doing my part. Twenty years ago today, I marched down that aisle in way too many ruffles and bows (it was the Princess Di influence) and said "I do" to a nice guy from Chicago named Tad Daley and have lived happily ever after. More or less. I highly recommend it.

Fear the beard?

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:01:27 -0800

Washington has earned its reputation as one of the dullest fashion spots on the planet, so I always appreciate the California delegation's willingness to break out out of the usual charcoal/navy suit routine for the gentlemen and finding alternatives to the Nancy Pelosi suit on the feminine side.

Republican Congressman John Campbell has taken several fashion risks over the years, including a navy pinstripe suit that would have let him play Nathan Detroit in the Little Theatre of Alexandria's production of "Guys and Dolls." But I applaud the effort to break out of the dull of the rigid Washington dress code.

However, the Republican from Irvine is now sporting facial hair and is soliciting opinions about whether it's a good look or not. Distinguished or makes him seem like his evil twin from an alternative universe? It's not the scary Brian Wilson of the San Francisco Giants beard, but it's a statement.

So we have the Beard Poll. Weigh in now. Yeah or nay.

Angry Democrats

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:14:38 -0700

The news conference featured more than a dozen California Democrats mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. The target of their ire: not their GOP colleagues. They were furious with the man at the top of their own party: President Obama.

One in three Californians owes more than their house is worth. Members of Congress say they're hearing from those constituents.

Congressman Dennis Cardoza of Modesto accused the administration of not doing "a darned thing" to help homeowners floundering in the housing crisis, saying the Obama administration has "not gotten it right over and over and over."

Jackie Speier of San Mateo demanded, "Do something real, Mr. President!"

Jim Costa of Fresno said he doesn't want "to hear about tweaks" to federal rescue programs. He's looking for the White House plan to solve the housing crisis.

Anna Eshoo of Palo Alto said she'd met recently with the President's housing chief Edward DeMarco, and found him "tepid and defensive."

John Garamendi of Walnut Creek complained about numerous meetings with members of the Obama administration, the "highest of high officials to no good end and no good result." He referred to the protests out on the streets, saying, "Listen up, listen to the sound of the street, listen to the sound of the people." He said their "frustration is well placed."

It's the most passionate I've seen Democrats in months. Whether it will hurts or helps President Obama remains to be seen.

There were 14 California Democrats at that news conference, but only two from Southern California: Laura Richardson of Long Beach and Judy Chu of El Monte. Three, if you count Susan Davis of San Diego. The rest were from central and northern California.

The letter they sent to the President was signed by all but two of the 34 California House Democrats.

Missing? Nancy Pelosi, who doesn't sign such things because she's Minority Leader - and Maxine Waters. There has been no comment from Waters' office about why her signature is missing.

The letter to President Obama demanding help for homeowners had no Republican signatures. They weren't asked to sign, but as Irvine Congressman John Campbell put it when describing the Democratic letter: "I agree with their sentiments, but not their solutions."

Democrats want all Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgages to qualify for refinancing. Campbell and fellow Republican Gary Miller of Diamond Bar prefer scrapping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and creating a new agency to handle home mortgages.

Construction has stalled in California. So have home sales. The state's 53 House members - the biggest delegation on Capitol Hill - agree that something must be done. They just can't agree on what "something" is.

Years ago, members of the Texas delegation bragged to me about how well they work together, statewide, even across party lines. It's something the Californians haven't mastered.

Protest of the week: mimes on Capitol Hill

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:17:26 -0700

It's a lousy radio story. But here's my vote for the most creative protest this week.

The press release from Consumer Watchdog promises "a troupe of mimes – dressed in white “Google Track Team” suits and wearing Google “Wi-Spy” glasses – will follow people around Dirksen Senate Office Building where the Judiciary hearing will be held. They will dramatize how Google is recording everything consumers do on the Internet."

Will post pictures when I spot them.

Security heavy in DC

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:23:18 -0700

They've really cranked up the security here on Capitol Hill as a result of the vague Al Qaeda threat made public just before 9-11. The short metal fences that block cars from getting close to the Capitol are up. I've seen two bomb-sniffing dogs this morning - one outside the office of House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy. And there were security personnel of all stripes waiting outside the Congressional meeting room where US mayors were meeting with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Bag checks are thorough. Haven't spotted any of the submachine guns I saw the night President Obama came to address Congress. Yet.

Dodger news mirrors fictional story

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:25:31 -0700

This morning's news that “certain state-owned investment institutions of the People's Republic of China'' are interested in spending money on the Dodgers sounds very familiar. Back in the '80's, David Ritz wrote a novel called "The Man Who Brought the Dodgers Back to Brooklyn." Back when he wrote it, the Dodgers were golden. But he imagined a team that fell on hard times. The stands were empty. And as I recall, a German investor offered to buy the team. A pair of die hard fans come up with a plan to bring the team back to Brooklyn, saving both the team and the borough.

There is one big difference between fiction and reality, though. In Ritz' novel, Brooklyn is at the bottom of the barrel. Today, of course, it's the hippest place to live in New York.

The book appears to be out of print, but I see there's a copy still circulating at the library.

You know you've been away from LA too long

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:35:23 -0700

I jaywalked. Without thinking about it, I crossed a busy street in the middle instead of walking 50 feet to the signal. What was I thinking?

It would be no problem if I was back in DC, where jaywalking is a right. I've had pedestrians swear at me and give me the finger as they dash in front of my car near the Jefferson Memorial. But here in LA, as it was me on foot, dashing in front of cars, they looked at me like I was mad. And perhaps I am.

There are other signs that my Angeleno-ness is fading away. My internal map is fuzzy. I can't remember the name of Playa del Rey. Is the Tujunga offramp off the 170 or the 101? I haven't heard of any of the hip restaurants in town. I even check the box scores for the Nats AND the Dodgers.

But jaywalking was the wakeup call. We locals have been warning out-of-towners for years about tickets handed out liberally for the offense. And yet, I didn't even notice I'd done it until an Angeleno pal pointed it out to me, shocked.

Give me a day or two and I'll remember where I am. Just in time to see you Tuesday, September 6th at 7pm in The Crawford Family Forum for KPCC's first in a series of Open Newsroom discussions: "Journalist or Vulture: covering disasters in the Southland." I'll be joined by colleagues Nick Roman, Managing Editor; and Cheryl Devall, Senior News Editor to talk about the delicate balance of covering this particular kind of news. Admission is free, but reservations are required. To RSVP, visit kpcc.org/events.

Goodnight, Irene

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:28:22 -0700

It was an amazing experience, this first hurricane. Or tropical storm, actually, by the time it got up here to New England. But the winds were strong enough to knock out power to a third of the state of Maine and wash out roads and bridges, isolating the communities near Rangeley Lake - an area we'd visited just Wednesday. The winds turned the placid lake outside our front door into an angry, grey-green monster with whitecaps and actual waves. Tree branches are everywhere.

But there was something thrilling about walking around in that kind of wind! Of having rain fly at you sideways. Of playing Crazy Eights by lantern. It was like a magnitude 4 earthquake - strong enough to get your heart racing, but not enough to tear your house down. Yes, there's damage and destruction in several states and more than a dozen people have died - mostly from falling tree branches. But, as one wag put it, "Like many girls before her, Irene went to NYC, hoping to be as big as she was in Carolina, only to be mocked by the locals." Or as Mainers say, "I guess fall came early."

Waiting for Irene

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 10:45:37 -0700

We've been in Maine the past two weeks on vacation. The plan was to drive south to DC on Saturday and Sunday via I-95. If that sounds familiar, it should. It's the path Hurricane Irene has been following as it travels up the east coast. And so tonight, the first rains from Irene are supposed to reach us here.

I'm a California girl. I know brush fires and mudslides and earthquakes. I don't know hurricanes. What are you supposed to do? First of all, it was impossible to think of venturing out on the road. We were told we could get a) blown off the road, b) washed away by a flash flood, c) felled by a tree or flying debri, or at the very least, d) find ourselves stranded when we run out of gas because all the gas stations are closed or without power.

So here we sit. My neighbors back in DC told me "they knew hurricanes." After all, they were from Mississippi. They promised to bring in the plants and furniture from our screened in balcony. I had visions of aluminium furniture raining down on the annoying neighbors across the way.

But I knew the most likely thing to happen both in Maine and DC was a prolonged power outage. So this afternoon, I got a new giant battery for the giant flashlight and one of those chargers that lets you uses your car's cigarette lighter spot to run the computer. Here at the cabin, the water pump runs on electricity, but if worse comes to worst, there's lake water available. We spent the afternoon helping our hosts store kayaks and securing plastic Adirondack chairs. We made soup. Our friends made muffins and pasta. We're packing up the car and driving it up to the main highway, just in case trees get blown down that would block our exit. And most all, we kept switching between CNN and The Weather Channel, just in case that massive swirl of clouds changed directions. Which doesn't look likely.

What does a hurricane feel like? Or even a tropical storm? Stay tuned.

That's where the President went

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 06:24:12 -0700

Usually, when the President leaves town, you can track his progress by the trio of large helicopters that leave the White House, travel down the Potomac, turn left at the Anacostia, and head out to Andrews Air Force Base.

Yesterday, a pair of much smaller choppers flew right over where I live. That's unusual because the airspace over Washington is off limits to most aircraft. It was also unusual because they left from Ft. McNair, two blocks down the street. And then they were followed by one of the large helicopters associated with the President. I couldn't figure out where he was going. It wasn't on the official schedule.

This morning, the mystery was solved. The President visited Dover, Delaware to meet the aircraft carrying the remains of the Navy Seals killed when their chopper went down in Afghanistan.

Another Sherman in Sherman Oaks

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:51:33 -0700

Just got the bright pink birth announcement from Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman: Lucy Rayna made her appearance in the world yesterday at a DC hospital (though the announcement insists she's really a Valley girl). 7 pounds, 9 ounces, 20 inches. Mother and baby doing fine. Sisters are curious. "And the father is expected to recover."

Feinstein off the hook

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:30:19 -0700

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid just announced his Democratic Senate picks for the "super" committee. Missing from his list, California's senior US Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Named to the panel: Senate Democratic Conference Secretary Patty Murray of Washington state, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry of Boston.

Kerry has a similar reputation to Feinstein: a Democrat who works well with the other party.

More Californians on "super" committee?

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:02:09 -0700

When it's 90 degrees at 9 in the morning with thunderstorms by the end of the day, it's crazy time here in Washington. The perfect time to start asking "what if..." Or, in this case, "let's float some names of folks who might get named to the 'super' committee."

"The Hill" has posted its latest list of likely candidates...and several Californians are on it. Democratic Congressman Xavier Becerra has been mentioned often. He's mentioned again.

So is Republican Congressman Buck McKeon of Santa Clarita. He heads the House Armed Services Committee and has been critical of cuts to the defense budget.

But here's a couple of new names: Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, known for her success in crafting bipartisan agreements. And Democratic Congressman George Miller of San Francisco's East Bay, a reliable liberal voice.

No confirmations from anyone, of course. The Committee is to be chosen by next week. That lucky group of 12 has to come up with ways to trim the national debt by a trillion and a half dollars, and do it by Thanksgiving.

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/175991-the-contenders-dark-horses-and-long-shots-to-land-on-debt-supercommittee

The latest labor war: NLRB vs Issa

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:04:53 -0700

Labor issues were at the heart of the dispute over funding the Federal Aviation Administration. Language in a long term funding bill changed the way votes were counted for airline employees deciding whether to unionize. A short term funding bill was passed, without resolving the labor dispute.

The nomination of former Edison International CEO John Bryson as Commerce Secretary is hung up over labor issues as well. Bryson sat on the National Labor Relations Board which stopped Boeing from moving jobs from Seattle to South Carolina.

Now, Republican Congressman Darrell Issa of Temecula, as head of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has issued a subpoena to the NLRB as part of its investigation into the Boeing decision. Here's the reason, according to Issa,"NLRB's action in the case against Boeing has the potential to create a job-killing precedent just as U.S. manufacturers are working toward economic recovery. That a Washington, D.C.-based bureaucracy could dictate the work location and parameters for a world-leading company is unprecedented in a global economy and hobbles a leading American job creator at a time of economic vulnerability,"

It's not just government spending that divides Democrats and Republicans. It's going to be a long, hot September when Congress returns to Washington.

A sign of the times

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 11:08:12 -0700

Spotted a bright yellow sign on the front lawn of the Vice President's house reading "loan modifications." Wonder if that refers to the house at the Naval Observatory or the nation's debt problems.

Super women?

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:25:14 -0700

There's lots of backroom maneuvering on Capitol Hill to decide who will sit on the so-called "super" committee. That bipartisan group of twelve will be charged with finding a trillion and a half dollars in cuts over the next decade. If they fail, automatic cuts split between defense and domestic spending will kick in.

There's a lot at stake. Lobbyists are moving quickly. So just who should be on that committee? A blogger at Forbes thinks at least half the members should be female:

http://blogs.forbes.com/shenegotiates/2011/08/05/the-congressional-super-committee-should-be-50-women/

What do you think? Are women better at reaching concensus than men?

Who's on the "super" committee

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:34:08 -0700

If you listen to the buzz in the nearly empty halls of Congress, there's likely to be one Californian on the so-called "super" committee: LA Democratic Congressman Xavier Becerra. His name keeps cropping up in the "who should be on it" articles for two reasons: he's the number two guy in the Democratic caucus and he sits on the House Ways and Means Committee - the one that writes tax law. And the big fight to come will be whether this "super" committee will find a way to cut enough spending without raising taxes. Democrats want new revenue, Republicans say "no."

Dog days of August waiting for debt ceiling vote

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:06:55 -0700

Reporters asked Democratic Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota if he had a dog in this fight and begged him to throw them a bone. The dog is named Dakota, by the way.

Votes on raising the debt ceiling

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:56:30 -0700

There were three California Republicans who voted against raising the debt ceiling - Tom McClintock, Devin Nunes, and Duncan Hunter. And there were 13 California Democrats who voted for it - Karen Bass, Howard Berman, Lois Capps, Jim Costa, Susan Davis, Anna Eshoo, John Garamendi, Nancy Pelosi, Loretta Sanchez, Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Jackie Speier, and Mike Thompson.

One Californian didn't vote at all: Democrat Joe Baca of San Bernadino. He was having reconstructive ankle surgery this morning in California. He says if he was here, he would have cast a "yes" vote.

How to solve the debt crisis in under an hour

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:56:26 -0700

Here's my solution to the debt crisis: turn off the air conditioners.

It's REALLY hot. Over 100 plus high humidity. A heat advisory until 9 pm tonight. It's one of the reasons Congress in the old days would leave town in August.

But members don't have to experience the weather. They arrive in the Capitol in air conditioned cars, spend the entire day in air conditioned offices or the extremely well air conditioned House floor, and head home to their air conditioned Capitol Hill digs.

Turn off the air conditioners. Literally, let them sweat it out. I guarantee ideologues on both sides will find common ground - ie: we're hot, let's go home - very quickly.