DiaBlog
Dialogue hosts/producers Marcia Franklin and Joan Cartan-Hansen write about Idaho public affairs.
People often ask me what I studied in college to prepare for being a journalist. The answer to that is “nothing and everything.”
“Nothing,” because there was no “communications” or “journalism” degree at my university. “Everything,” because every subject you study helps you prepare to be a reporter.
Reporting requires you to know something about history, literature, philosophy, language and religion—all humanities subjects--not only to ask relevant questions, but also to draw connections between events happening in the present and those from the past. In my view, then, those courses become as important as journalism classes.
I realize not all professions require such a wide breadth of knowledge. An engineering student will obviously take fewer courses in the humanities than in math. But it still saddens me to hear students say they only want to take courses that will help them get a job, skirting what they view as the less practical humanities courses.
Whether you’re going into a field such as journalism or not, you can take lessons from the humanities and apply them to the workplace and to your own life. The humanities teach us about what it is to be human, and that fits all job descriptions.
This subject was part of my recent Dialogue conversation with Jim Leach, the current chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Leach, a former 15-term Republican U.S. Representative from Iowa, was appointed to his position by Barack Obama, a Democrat (we talk about that, too.)
Known for independent thinking that didn’t always follow party lines (he voted against the Iraq War in 2002), Leach was a founder of the Congressional Humanities Caucus in 2004, which promotes the humanities within the halls of Congress and advocates for funding of humanities programs.
In his current position as chair of the NEH, which he’s held for a year, Leach is on a 50-state “civility” tour, speaking out against what he says is a current political invective that’s bordering on hate speech. We discuss why he’s made this issue a priority, particularly since some conservative academics see his message as inappropriately political for his position.
And I ask him what he’d say to a parent worried that if their son or daughter majors in the humanities in college, he or she might end up coming back home to sleep in their childhood bedroom!
In a “web extra,” we continue our conversation.
I graduated into a deep recession with a degree in “general studies.” I was blissfully ignorant of its potential impracticality, and because I was willing to take a secretarial job in television, that’s how I got my start. I later went on to get a master’s degree in journalism. Each person is different, but I’m glad I studied the humanities in college. It’s helped me countless times in my life and in my career, including preparing for this interview!
This week I had to cancel the program I had originally scheduled, because several of the guests had conflicting plans for the evening. But that problem became an opportunity, as I ended up producing a program that taught me about a period of American history that has been often ignored. I also met some wonderful people.
Here’s what happened. When my first program fell through, I talked with our program director, Ron Pisaneschi, about what was in the national PBS schedule for that week. He said he was airing a documentary about the 60th anniversary of the Korean War.
As it happens, I had been in Washington, DC recently and had gone to the Memorial Day concert on the Capitol grounds, which was dedicated to Korean War veterans. So I had the subject fresh in my mind. But honestly, I still knew little about it. However, that’s always a good challenge for me!
I set about trying to find veterans who might appear. What I thought might take two days ended up taking the better part of two weeks. First of all, it’s hard to find Korean War veterans. It’s not like there’s a list of them, and they don’t tend to congregate together like WWII and Vietnam Vets do.
When I did locate veterans, some would talk over the phone, but their memories were so emotional that they refused to appear on television. Others were interested in participating, but hadn’t seen much combat. Still others were out of town. (These 80-year olds have active lives!)
I was also hampered by my lack of knowledge about the war. Either I wasn’t paying attention when my teachers were talking about the Korean War, or I wasn’t taught well. I suspect it was a bit of both. It isn’t called “The Forgotten War” for nothing. The focus of our history books were the World Wars, and the Vietnam War, which had just ended.
Slowly, though, by reading and talking with veterans, I began to learn about why we were involved in Korea, about some of the major battles, and the war’s legacy. I found some veterans who were willing to go on television, including one that we flew down from Coeur d’Alene. And I located a wonderful professor at Boise State University, Shelton Woods, who could put the war in historical perspective for our viewers.
My original program had been scheduled for an hour, and I soon enough I realized I shouldn’t have given up the time! The program went so quickly that we taped a web extra for another 30 minutes, including a veteran who wasn’t in the televised program but who has a great story.
In the web extra, the veterans delve more into their feelings upon returning home, and how the war changed their lives. “It took a happy-go-lucky boy and made a killer out of him,” said one.
Meeting the veterans was a privilege for me. The battles they endured were gruesome, some of the worse trench fighting in modern American history, in temperatures of 30 degrees below zero. They won’t be around for all that much longer to tell their stories, so I’m glad I had a chance to record some of their memories.
I haven’t checked a high school history textbook in a long time, but I hope it includes more about the Korean War than it did when I was in school. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from nearly two dozen countries died during the war, as did millions of civilians. To this day, the world continues to be affected by both the war and its eventual stalemate. I plan to keep learning about this chapter of our history.
Twice a year, in the winter and the summer, I try to produce and host a “good reading” program. I love talking with authors about their works, and sharing their recommendations. It’s also fun to hear what our viewers are reading.
Six months before this summer’s program, back in January, I “booked” Brady Udall for the program, since I knew he had a new work coming out that was going to be in demand. The Boise-based author has penned a novel, The Lonely Polygamist, about a weary man with four wives and 28 children. Brady, a member of the well-known Udall family of Utah, has been upfront about the fact that he was intrigued by the subject because there were polygamists in his family.
I also asked Anthony Doerr to participate. A Boise author who has just finished his fourth book, Memory Wall, Doerr is mastering the art of the short story and novella and is the recipient of numerous awards, include a recent Guggenheim Fellowship. Reading his stories is like unwrapping little candies! He’s been on Dialogue several times in the past and is one of the most warm-hearted guests I’ve hosted.
Doerr is just finishing a three-year stint as Idaho’s Writer-in-Residence, and Udall will be taking over the position. I went on vacation excited about the program and carrying the authors’ two books with me to read.
Upon my return, I discovered that despite his press agent having confirmed his appearance twice, Brady Udall was not available. He was still traveling for his book tour and vacation.
It was a bit disappointing, because I had an image of the two authors together on the program, trading stories, so to speak! Plus, I usually have two or three authors on the program, so I had to think quickly about a replacement. In the end, though, I decided that Anthony is such a good writer and speaker that he could carry the full half-hour. He’d just have to come up with a few more books to recommend.
Thanks to a suggestion from our associate producer, Melanie, I would also add a new feature: book picks from the IdahoPTV staff. And I’d put the word out on Facebook for recommendations.
The program ended up being a lot of fun, and Doerr more than carried the show. He’s so interesting and easy to listen to; he talked not only about the process of writing his short stories, but also explained his book picks very colorfully and succinctly (a good skill for television!)
In a web extra, we talked about the relative value of eBooks, such the Kindle. Doerr explained his reservations about the phenomenon, including the way that royalties are paid to authors, but also a potential asset, the ability to buy short stories one by one, the way you can buy individual songs on iTunes.
In the end, we put together an extensive and diverse booklist. Check it out for some great summer reading!
We had lots of comments about our show on school budget cuts. I scheduled this show because I believe it will become an even greater topic of discussion as the fiscal year unfolds, but before we could properly develop the show, we needed more information. Idaho is a big state and no one seemed to have a good handle on what kind of cuts schools were actually making. So, associate producer Melanie Corry and I decided to spend the bulk of our week calling each school district and asking a short round of questions. Believe me when I say it took the two of us several days to get the information we have. A few folks weren’t in and a few said they would call back, so the survey isn’t quite complete, but I think you will find it very interesting. I was moved to hear the sadness in so many district officials’ voices. One man was almost in tears as he described cut after cut. Another sounded so hopeless when he said they just didn’t know where they were going to find more places to cut. I am quite sure we will be returning to this subject as the election draws closer. Check out the survey here and if you have any information to help us fill in the blanks, please send me an email.
At times, I run across a story that is so compelling that I want to share it with you all. That’s the case with this week’s show. Dorothy Read has written the life story of Ilse Evelijn Veere Smit, a young girl from the Dutch East Indies, who during WW2 survived a Japanese concentration camp only to become a target of Indonesian revolutionaries who were killing Dutch colonialists. Ilse was never allowed to talk about her experiences until she was in her 70’s and finally she wanted her children to know the truth.
I was amazed by the emails we received before the show from people all over the country who had somehow heard about the program and wanted to say they too had suffered in silence and were excited to see someone tell the story. And, for the first time I can remember, we had phone calls during the show from California and Massachusetts as well as from folks here in Idaho. Truly, this is a story that touches people’s heart.
After the show, I received calls about other people who had amazing survival stories or who knew someone who did and who should be recognized for his or her courage. I am afraid I can’t give everyone a chance to come on the show and share their experiences, but I am happy to post them here on our Diablog. Send me an email if you want share your story. I am happy to do what I can and to honor those silent heroes.
This week’s show certainly generated a lot of comments. Two came in after I went on the air so I couldn’t share them at the time. So, I’ve decided to include them here.
Alica wrote:
“Senator Jorgensen, I agree with Mr. Morales that the drug problem and illegal immigration are two entirely different problems that must be dealt with by the proper methods and authorities. I do not see blame being taken by our country as is the usual custom, I am ashamed to say. The market here is so tremendous and our legislators are not speaking about this issue. Trying to put the 2 together is not the answer. Our legislators must fix our internal drug problem if we expect solutions. Mexico at this point is the only country doing something and loosing many innocent people while billions of our people are using these drug and buying them. Who is paying the billions of dollars here? Do we ever talk about it? NO, it is much easier to blame the immigrants, right? Do you have an answer for me?”
Kathryn wrote:
“Estimates show that more than 40% of unauthorized immigrants have U.S. citizen spouses and/or children. An enforcement-only approach is likely to split up many of these families, leading to great suffering in communities in Idaho and throughout the nation. It is unjust to adopt a policy like the AZ law that is going to lead to such harsh consequences (i.e., removal of unauthorized immigrants) without fixing the broken system that does not allow unauthorized immigrants a reasonable means to legalize their status. Thanks for giving me a chance to express my opinion.”
If you have a comment you want to get on the air, you will need to email it to me or post it to Facebook by 6pm on the day of the show. After that, I cannot guarantee I will get it before I walk into the studio. My thanks to all of you who call in during the show and all of you who send in your comments via email or on our Facebook page.
There are some truisms in the television business, and here’s one: good stuff inevitably happens right after you turn off the camera. Sometimes it’s just bad luck; the animal you’ve been waiting for all day suddenly appears for an instant, a boat flips over in a rapid (with no one getting hurt of course), or someone finally finds that gemstone they’ve been looking for.
Other times it’s not luck; it’s because the person you’ve been filming now feels comfortable to say what’s really on his or her mind.
In the studio, we often film web extras for just that reason. Even though the camera is still rolling, the segment isn’t being broadcast live, so people tend to relax. Something about it being on the web doesn’t seem so daunting, but in reality, more people may actually watch it there!
I had one of those “why isn’t the camera rolling?” moments with my guest this week, Larry Echo Hawk.
The former Idaho attorney general had to give three speeches after appearing on Dialogue, and he had a very bad cold. He had already delayed his trip by a day, and his voice was hoarse. After our program, we both decided that we had discussed all the major issues in our televised conversation, and I fully expected him to leave.
But he didn’t. He stayed, and talked. And talked. With the crew standing around him, he reflected on some of the tough choices he had to make as attorney general, including waiting an agonizing six minutes as the U.S. Supreme Court made the final decision about whether a convicted criminal already strapped down for lethal injection should die.
Echo Hawk said he’d always carry that image and burden with him, as well as the strain that his position on Indian gaming (he was strongly opposed to it) created in his relationship with the Sho-Ban tribes he had served for years.
And then, just as he was leaving, I asked him whether he’d be going back to BYU when his tenure at the Department of Interior was over. No, he said, he’d be coming back to chilly eastern Idaho to be near his children and grandchildren.
Not only that, after the tour of the restored Capitol he had just taken, he thought it would be ‘fun’ to run for the state legislature.
I asked him if he was joking. No, he said, he was serious. Boy, did I wish the cameras had been rolling then! At the elevator, he kind of winked and said something like, “You’ve got a little story there, eh, that I’d like to run for the legislature?”
So there you have it. I’m telling the story. We’ll see what happens in a few years when he returns. I’d have thought that especially after having been in DC he’d want to spend time with his family, but for career politicians, the itch to run for office is great!
Even though I wish our cameras had been rolling on that tidbit, I still think the main interview is quite compelling. Echo Hawk talks about why he hesitated taking his current job as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, what his current views on tribal gaming are, and looks back at his 1994 defeat for governor. We also discuss the rumors that his brother, John, might be nominated for the U.S. Supreme Court, and the role that the LDS faith plays in his life.
And for those of you with an editor’s eye, I asked him why his name is now split in two. When I covered him in the ‘90s, we always spelled it “EchoHawk.” He laughed and said the family has an “identity crisis” over the name and many members spell it differently. But he believes it was meant to be two words.
I enjoy these kinds of in-depth interviews, and hope you do, too. And next time, I’ll keep the camera rolling!
When I was a teenager in the 1970s, two refugees arrived at my junior high school. Twin brothers, they were from Cambodia, escaping the aftermath of the Vietnam War. They had no parents, and had been adopted by a Christian couple.
The two were very different—one was very outgoing, the other rather surly. Even at the time I realized that perhaps the angry one was homesick, having trouble fitting in or having difficulty learning English. But as children, we didn’t really know what to do to help.
Undoubtedly, more refugees kept arriving at my school, but the one I remember most was a young man from Vietnam who showed up my junior year. He told us how scary it was to come over in a boat, with people dying along the way.
Phan spoke Vietnamese, French and English. While the rest of us did our homework in front of the television set, he managed to get his completed while working at his parents’ corner store, which was not near our school. He knew he wanted to be a doctor. By the time we graduated, he was our valedictorian.
I always admired these refugees. Perhaps it was because my grandparents were refugees, too. Even in his 90s, my grandfather cried when he recalled how wrenching it was to leave the Ukraine and his grandfather, who he considered his father. He would never see him again. But the opportunity to go to America meant that he was spared from the Holocaust.
Many, many Americans share this heritage. Our country was a safe haven.
It still is. We take in the vast majority of the refugees in this world, more than 2.5 million people since the 1970s. One in 100 Americans is estimated to be a refugee or a child of a refugee.
On this week’s Dialogue, I look at one aspect of a refugee’s journey to safety—their interface with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. I talk with Michel Gabaudan, the U.S. and Caribbean representative to that agency. He discusses how helping refugees has become more complex because traditional wars, with defined leaders the UN could negotiate with, have given way to terrorism caused by non-state agents who rarely negotiate. All over the world, millions of people are internally displaced in their own countries, as ethnic wars and genocide rage.
We also talk about why the residents of Haiti, as devastated as they are by the earthquake, are not considered refugees, and what Gabaudan thinks of people who try to help in those situations, such as the missionaries from Idaho.
Idaho has taken in more than six thousand refugees in the past decade. Many are struggling along with other Idahoans to find jobs. Their plight is even more difficult because they don’t speak the language, have different cultures, receive assistance for only eight months and have to repay the cost of their family’s airline tickets in a short period of time. Some have become homeless.
So is it doing more damage to refugees to bring them to the U.S. if there’s no work for them? I ask Mr. Gabaudan about that, too.
My grandfather, who arrived in this country over 100 years ago, eventually became a dentist. The last I heard, Phan, the valedictorian of my class, had graduated from medical school. On the internet I found several doctors with his name. On the web I also looked up the name of the outgoing Cambodian refugee from my junior high school and saw that he became a political activist in the Cambodian-American community in Lowell, MA and ran for office there in the 1990s.
All of these refugees added strong stitches to the fabric that holds our diverse country together, as will the new Americans landing here even as you read this.
I wasn’t actually supposed to host a live show this week. Because I’m so busy, I had a taped program all ready to put in the schedule. And it was timely, an interview with the US Representative to the UN High Commissioner of Refugees, to dovetail with the 30 anniversary of the U.S. Refugee Act.
But then I thought, “The program will fall on April 15th, and the Tea Party folks will probably be having some major rallies. Why not do a show with members of different Tea Parties from around the state? And wait, what about the Coffee Party? Wouldn’t it be interesting to have members of the two groups meet each other?”
And just like that, I increased my workload, but set down a path of learning more about a political movement in our state. It’s just one of the reasons I enjoy my job. I love learning, and I like translating that information to a wider audience. I hope you find the program informative.
Some background on producing the show: it wasn’t hard to find the names of the different Tea Parties in our state; there’s a website that lists them. What was a bit difficult was finding people who had the time or the inclination to go on television that night.
The first person I tried to reach, Pam Stout of the Sandpoint Tea Party, was vaulted into media celebrity recently by the New York Times and then by David Letterman. She was still in California, scheduled for an appearance on CNN that night. It’s kind of hard to compete with that!
Other potential guests were involved in Tax Day events; still others were skittish of the media and had actually disconnected their phones. I finally booked one guest, only to get a call from him saying he had a death in the family. I waited to hear from his replacement and when no call came, I discovered that he had been taken to the emergency room! Another person agreed to do the program in his place, but I had no time to pre-interview him. Then two other guests wanted to substitute different people at the last moment.
It’s at those times I think, “You, too, can work in television!” Sometimes it’s pretty stressful.
One thing I did not encounter was any resistance from the Tea Party people to having a Coffee Party representative on. It kind of surprised me, but the Coffee Party is so new that even the Tea Party panelists wanted to hear more about it.
In the end, I found four guests—three Tea Party members and a Coffee Party member. (I really wanted Tea Party members from all over the state, so that left only one slot for the Coffee Party, but thankfully their representative was OK with that.)
It’s been my impression that much of the media attention on the Tea Party movement has focused on some of the yelling and inflammatory signs at their events. I was interested to know who some of the quieter, and yet very active, members in Idaho are, and what concerns them. Of course, I also wanted to know how they reacted to the criticism that they have racist elements within their ranks.
The result was, I think, a civil discussion about differences between the two groups. We had so many calls that we taped a web extra for almost another 20 minutes. Several callers (and I) wanted more specifics about what the Tea Partiers really wanted to see cut from government, but that wasn’t immediately forthcoming. By the same token, the Coffee Party seems to be struggling to find its identity. Is it just promoting civil discourse, or does it have a political agenda?
All of these issues will take time to sort out, but in the meantime, I’m glad we took a snapshot of both groups.
This week, I experienced a lot of drama relating, not to the live show, but to the guest selection process. Normally, we schedule the panel several days if not a few weeks ahead and then send out the press release. Sometime, news breaks and we have a few days or even hours to put a show together. And once in a while, we get a show partially booked and then find a guest just before the airdate. Two weeks ago, I had only enough time to confirm three of the four guests I planned for the April 8th show before going on a long over due vacation. My intention was to add a fourth guest when I returned. After all, I had four days and had already done some research on good possibilities.
Upon my return, however, I was swamped with a number of emails from viewers who had learned of the names of two of my guests and felt it was an unbalanced panel. Now, I am a big girl and can take criticism, but this email campaign started with an incorrect assumption and that was a bit unfair. As the day progressed, some of the emails became, I felt, a bit on the abusive side. And, even after I sent out a note explaining the facts, the emails continued. Many of those who wrote felt passionately about the impact CAFOs have on their lives and with good reason. But no one, those who wrote with grace and those who wrote with bile, bothered to call me. We quite often get asked how we pick our guests or a topics and how to get on the show. If you have a cause or think something is worthy of a story, give me a call, and better, do it before things heat up. I too will try to do a better effort to reach out when we start researching a topic and try to find you, but if I miss you, don’t be shy about calling. That station’s number is (208) 373-7220. I really do appreciate viewers who watch and who take the time to participate. That’s what a dialogue is. And I believe it is our responsibility to provide a civil, respectful discussion about the issues of the day and that starts with a few polite words.
The Idaho National Laboratory is a mystery to many Idahoans. They don’t know it exists let alone is the state’s third largest employer. I am from that part of the state and both of my parents once worked at the INL. The scientists there do incredible research out in the middle of the desert.
While nuclear research is its primary mission, scientists at the INL are also working on hybrid cars, the next generation of batteries, defense contracts and homeland security. The Idaho National Laboratory has gone by many names over the years, but it has always been an important scientific facility. It currently has more than a billion dollars in research projects. That means jobs and good things for Idaho’s economy.
I’ve enjoyed speaking with the INL’s director John Grossenbacher before and this time was no different. He is an engaging speaker and is proud of the INL’s accomplishments. But I am afraid people won’t take to the topic; that they may shy away because it can be a complicated discussion. Please hang in there. If we are to solve the nation’s energy puzzle, we need to hear from people like John Grossenbacher. We need to know what scientist say they will do with issues like nuclear waste. We need to find out what our energy choices really are. So let me know what you think. Send me an email. I look forward to hearing your opinion.
Are you ready for some football? Most folks do not typically think of Dialogue when they think of sports, but they might be surprised. I think what makes our show unique is that we have the chance to talk with interesting people from all sorts of different backgrounds. This week, I had a chance to talk with BSU Head Football coach Chris Peterson. Peterson is well spoken and passionate about what he does. He and I have been on the show together before, so it was nice to pick up where we left off. Peterson faces some major pressures for the upcoming season. He gave a great interview and one I hope viewers enjoyed. I know the staff did. Before we began taping the interview, about ten Idahoptv staffers came down and got autographs for themselves and their kids. Coach Pete was gracious and everyone was thrilled.
Coach Pete with Jared
Coach Pete with Tim
Idaho director Michael Hoffman’s most recent film, “The Last Station,” was the first movie to be mentioned by Oscar hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin last Sunday night. It was also the first movie to receive a bit of a ribbing.
“Having 10 films is a good thing,” said Baldwin, referring to the expansion of the “Best Picture” category from five films to 10. “It means that some movies can get attention that ordinarily would not, like “The Last Station.”
“What’s that movie about?” asked Martin. “It’s about Leo Tolstoy and his wife Sophia,” responded Baldwin.
“Oh, Alec, you should have said “spoiler alert!” joked Martin.
Ah, yes; Hoffman’s film doesn’t have the suspenseful nature of a typical Hollywood flick. It is basically about a marriage. And if you know anything about the Tolstoy story, you know how it will end.
But it has great drama, and two of its main actors did receive nominations for their stellar work: Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer. That in itself was thrilling for Hoffman, whose film almost didn’t get picked up by a distributor in time to qualify for the Academy Awards at all.
It wasn’t until last September, when executives at Sony Pictures Classics saw the film at the Telluride Film Festival, that they purchased it and gave it a limited release so that it would qualify for the Oscars.
“It was extremely risky for them to try and take it out at that point,” says Hoffman in a Dialogue interview I had with him recently.
“I remember meeting with the publicist at the time and they had their head in their hands, you know, saying “The Variety Oscar issue has closed, the Hollywood Reporter Oscar issues are closed; we can’t get into those, you know, it’s going to be such an uphill battle.” But the movie really gained momentum.”
Neither Mirren nor Plummer won an Oscar; they had tough competition. But the exposure for the film will undoubtedly help it.
The Oscars expanded its “Best Picture” category ostensibly to help audience favorites like “Avatar” get nominated, instead of what has become viewed as an elite list of films seen by just a few.
But all along, the favorite to win was an independent film, “The Hurt Locker,” which has grossed only $15 million, compared to $720 million for “Avatar.” And it did win, in the critical “Best Director,” “Best Screenplay” and “Best Picture” categories.
The definition of an independent film is a bit loosey-goosey; for the purposes of the Independent Spirit Awards, it’s a movie made for less than $20 million with “original and provocative” subject matter, even if it was financed by a major studio.
There was quite a bit of overlap between the two awards ceremonies this year, with “The Hurt Locker,” “Precious,” and “Crazy Heart,” all defined as independents, up for both Oscars and Independent Spirits.
But Hoffman, speaking to a Washington Post reporter at the Independent Spirit Awards, says that just shows the quality of the smaller-budget movies, and the need for them.
"It really proves to people that there's an audience for independent film, that there's excitement about independent film, that there are good movies being made for the adult audience that's really, really underserved," said Hoffman.
That doesn’t mean they’re easy to make. In a Dialogue web extra, Hoffman discusses the state of the American film industry today, where financing is extremely difficult to come by.
Unfortunately “The Last Station,” which had been nominated for five Independent Spirit awards, took none. That honor went to “Precious,” which won in all five categories for which it had been nominated.
I haven’t talked to Hoffman yet to get his reaction, but in addition to the recent Dialogue program, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing him in 1999 and 2002 about his works. Check out the videos to learn more about what motivates one of the most creative people we have in our state. You’ll also see me before I had gray hair!
After tonight’s show, one of the master control operators came up to me and said, “That was a boring show.” Ouch! It is tough to take on a topic like improving the Pardons and Parole process and make it seem sexy. I realized that when I picked the topic. People often ask how we decide what shows to do. Sometimes we try to follow the news cycle and put on programs that relate to the headlines. Sometimes we are lucky enough to get to speak with interesting people whose stories are worth sharing with our viewers. And sometimes, we take on a seemingly boring topic because it is an issue important to bring to our viewers’ attention.
Many might have argued that banking regulation was a boring topic until the financial market collapsed. What is boring or what is vital depends upon where you stand. If the Correction Department or the Pardons and Parole Commission have a melt down because of the staff is stretched too far, public safety is at stake. That is important. If any state agency is wasting your taxpayer dollars because administrators are too entrenched or too fearful of a challenge to their power, then that is an important story. If legislative decisions to cut budgets instead of raising taxes mean vital services are eliminated, that is something in which we should all be interested.
I hope you will give this show and this topic some attention. Resist the “this issue doesn’t impact me so why should I care” impulse and watch, read the report, and let me know what you think. Thanks.
I’m thankful that I’ve always had a roof over my head, but embarrassed to say that I’d never been inside any of Idaho’s homeless shelters before deciding to do a program on the subject, even though all of Boise’s shelters are near my own house.
Like many people, I felt it might seem prurient or invasive to ask for a tour. And although I’ve thought about volunteering to serve meals, I never have. But I have always wanted to know more about how our shelters operate and who is using them. One of the wonderful things about being a reporter is that it allows you to go places and meet people that as a citizen you might not have the opportunity or the time to do. I knew that more and more people have become homeless because of the economic crises, so I decided to produce a Dialogue program on the issue.
I had heard that the City of Coeur d’Alene was becoming very proactive on this subject; it has an actual plan to end homelessness. So when I was in north Idaho getting footage for another program, I spent a day at St. Vincent de Paul north Idaho. There I met Jeff Conroy, the director, who is the former head of the United Way in the area. Under his direction, the agency has started a H.E.L.P. Center, bringing representatives from many social service agencies under one roof.
St. Vincent has also received more than $800,000 to administer a federal stimulus grant to prevent homelessness. I watched as a very patient and kind Karen Weppner helped Barbara Dillon get a letter to give to her Boise landlord, indicating that the agency would pay the $440 dollars she still owed on her rent. Dillon was 5 days from eviction, and talks about the situation in a piece in my program.
North Idaho faces incredible challenges; its shelters are tiny, and its “warming house” only opens when it’s less than 15 degrees outside. As a result, there are encampments of homeless people from Coeur d’Alene to the Canadian border. But the outreach workers at St. Vincent are trying their best to get services to those who need them I toured the Boise Rescue Mission’s shelters for men and women, facilities which include not only traditional bunks, but also individual rooms. We spent time at its kitchen, which is so crowded it feeds clients in several shifts.
My videographer and I also took footage at Sanctuary, a shelter in Boise that accepts families. Bunks overflowed with people’s sole possessions, including skateboards and dolls. One bunk simply had a guitar on it. It was very poignant.
Perhaps the most poignant thing that occurred, though, was a conversation I had with a man in a soup kitchen in Coeur d’Alene. He is an ex-felon; I learned that many of the homeless are men who have been released from prison, but can’t get jobs, and still have to pay hundreds of dollars a month for their parole monitoring.
The man told me that at least in prison he had a job, something that he’s always denied “on the outside” once the business does a background check. Granted, he said, he made only a little over $100 a month working as a highway flagger, but it was a job. He still had his flagger’s license in his wallet.
And, he continued, “At least in prison the guards counted me. Someone wanted to know that I was there. If I didn’t show up here, no one would know.”
Today, he bunks with friends, including women who take him in. He eats in soup kitchens. He doesn’t know what he’ll do next. It can’t be a lifestyle that is sustainable. He needs a job.
I met others who were on the road to having their own home, including one of the guests on my program. Here more about her inspiring story at the end of our web extra.
But there are thousands of Idahoans who are struggling. I wish that the program had been an hour so that we could have talked more about extreme needs and the resources available. But our website directs you to sources of information; please check it out.
And I know that I will not be a stranger to the shelters anymore; I will go and volunteer my time or send money. I encourage you to call the shelter in your area and see if you can drop by. Even if you don’t have time to volunteer, it’s important to know who in your community is in need, and what local groups are doing to help. I know the shelter operators would be glad to show you around. These are our neighbors.
Idaho is often in the news for rather negative events, but every day there are people like my guests working hard to make the state a better place for us all.
There is an old saying that economics is the only field where two people can win a joint Nobel Prize for having exactly opposite opinions. The economists we had on this week’s show certainly did their share of disagreeing, but in general, they found common ground on one point. Idaho’s economy is improving, slowly, but it should be getting better. It just doesn’t feel like it because, according to the experts, we are so shell-shocked by the downturn. I know my family is watching the pennies and reluctant to venture out too far financially. Still, it was heartening to hear that better times are coming.
And in honor of Valentine’s Day, my economist friends sent me this top to list of Economist Valentines created by Pat Marren in 1996. It is from the Web site Joke. Happy Valentine’s Day!
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TOP TEN ECONOMIST VALENTINES
- YOU RAISE MY INTEREST RATE THIRTY BASIS POINTS WITHOUT A CORRESPONDING DROPOFF IN CONSUMER ENTHUSIASM
- DESPITE A DECADE OF INFLATION, I STILL DIG YOUR SUPPLY CURVE
- WHAT DO YOU SAY WE REMEASURE OUR CROSS-ELASTICITY
- YOU BRING THE BUTTER; I'LL BRING THE GUN
- LET'S RAISE HOUSING STARTS TOGETHER
- FURTHER STIMULUS COULD RESULT IN UNCONTROLLED EXPANSION
- TELL ME WHETHER MY EXPECTATIONS ARE RATIONAL
- LET'S ASSUME A RITZY HOTEL ROOM AND A BOTTLE OF DOM
- YOU STOKE THE ANIMAL SPIRITS OF MY MARKET
- A LOAF OF BREAD, A JUG OF WINE, AND THOU BESIDE ME WATCHING RUKEYSER (Note from Joan: I guess now it would be Nightly Business Report!)
I worry that as our leaders make decisions about today’s budget crisis, they may not be thinking about the impact their choices will have on the future. While most state agencies have a strategic plan, many do not have a good vision of where that agency should be in five to ten years and have defined, quantifiable goals. How can our leaders make sound budget decisions if they don’t know the impact on that future vision?
That belief is what first attracted my attention to the work of the Education Alliance of Idaho. This group’s purpose is to develop a broad framework for improving Idaho’s education system. If you watch the show, you’ll learn that the members of the Alliance want to challenge our leaders to transform the current education agenda. They have goals with specific deadlines and goals with more flexibility, all with the bigger hope to making Idaho’s schools serve children better. And not just children, they want the school system to serve adults as well. We all need to be life learners (you’ll probably live longer and healthier if you are).
I encourage everyone to look at what this group proposes. They aren’t policy makers; they are just advisors. But if concerned citizens don’t take the time to get involved, what right do they have to complain that the system isn’t doing a good job? We did our part, now it is your turn.
We had a caller on our Good Winter Reading show I wished I could have kept on the line longer, but we were running out of time. Leevon, a 15-year old aspiring writer from Lewiston, called to ask my guests, authors Kim Barnes and Mitch Wieland, what advice they had for him.
“Write what matters and keep yourself in the chair and don’t leave the room,” said Barnes, whose lovely memoir about growing up along the Clearwater River, In the Wilderness, documents her tempestuous teen years in Leevon’s own hometown of Lewiston, as she struggled to reconcile the love of her family and her inability to embrace her parents’ Pentecostal faith.
“I would also say read as much as you can,” said Wieland, an author of two novels who enjoys mentoring students in the MFA program at Boise State. Interestingly, one of the main characters in his most recent book, God’s Dogs, is named Levon.
That kind of encouragement can have a big impact. When I was about 9, and going to elementary school in Washington, DC, I was chosen to attend a young writers’ camp. Up until then, I don’t think I had thought of my interest in writing and reading as a potential career, and I wouldn’t have that level of confidence for many years. But so proud was I to be chosen that I kept the button I received, which said, “Reading is Beautiful.”
I consider that camp, of which I have only hazy images, as a turning point for me. Someone (I wish I could remember who) had decided that I had potential writing talent, and that stayed with me.
Fortunately, as I continued my education and decided that I wanted to write as a living, I had support from my parents. Many children don’t. I talked to someone recently who ran a young writers’ camp last year. She received an application from a boy who really wanted to go, but his father wouldn’t let him, because he didn’t think his son should be spending time on creative writing.
I worry that we are becoming a country that is de-emphasizing the humanities in our secondary school and college curriculums, in favor of classes and majors that are supposedly better for getting jobs, like math and science. But learning to write often and well can serve you in any career, and just as importantly, in your personal life. Keeping a diary can allow you to explore your fears and goals, and who knows; that poem you write your girlfriend just might be the final offering that convinces her to become your wife!
Back to Leevon. I decided to try and find him, and was able to. We had a delightful phone conversation, during which he told me he’s “thrilled” to write, and that he can turn most anything into a story. And this is a student who knows “place;” he loves Idaho so much that he’s put up maps of the state all over his room, including his ceiling!
Leevon says he recently received a fortune cookie that read, “Pick one goal and stick with it.” He’s decided that he wants to be a “famous author,” so that’s why he called in.
I’m going to put him in touch with the director of the writing camp. And both Mitch and Kim have graciously agreed to answer any additional questions Leevon might have, in order to help him with this journey of exploration. Thank you! And thanks to Leevon for calling in and for having a dream. Good luck!
When I first covered the Statehouse in 1991, our program, Idaho Reports, was live--very live. We broadcast nightly from the fourth floor, out in the open, with a control room behind Plexiglas in the corner. One of my main jobs for the first several years was running down several flights of slippery marble stairs to make sure the floor waxer didn’t start doing his job while we were on the air!
Eventually we were deemed out of place for that setting. We moved into a cramped, dark studio in the basement, with ceilings so low that I sometimes worried the lights would catch something on fire! The control room was squeezed behind us, and we put up big photos of columns to hide it.
With funding cuts, Idaho Reports was slashed to once a week instead of daily, a transition over which I presided with some angst, as our viewers had grown to expect and depend on daily coverage, and I’m a believer in that. We moved our main studio back to Orchard Street, which meant a lot of running back and forth between the Statehouse and the Bench.
But nothing probably compares to the situation my colleagues have endured covering the session the past 30 months, as the Capitol was being renovated and lawmakers, the press and the public were crammed into the old Ada County Courthouse.
Well, no more. For the 2010 legislative session, lawmakers, the constitutional officers and the press are in brand spanking new quarters. And I have to say, it almost makes me want to go back to covering the legislature fulltime! My guests and I on Dialogue this week talk about how the new Statehouse might affect business there.
The building, which has much more light, and which has been expanded with two underground wings, is a much more pleasant place to work. There’s free Wi-Fi to fit with the times, but also historic touches and exhibits that allow you to learn more about the structure, which has always been considered one of the most beautiful Capitols in the country. An Idaho Public Television documentary gives some wonderful background on the history and transition of the Statehouse.
I do have some concerns about how spread out the building is now; there will be more places for lawmakers to meet away from the public eye, and there’s quite a distance between meeting rooms and the Senate and House floors.
In addition, the meeting rooms, while much larger, also have a rather austere, courtroom-like feel, with lawmakers sitting above their constituents, instead of at a table with people all around them. The exception is the new “Gold Room,” which is a fishbowl, with the lawmakers down below and the audience in banked seats.
I’m also mystified by all the “lounges” that have been created from previous meeting room space. Did they really think that every committee, even ones that barely get public attendance, deserved large meeting spaces in the underground wings? The press hasn’t been able to determine whether some of these lounges are open to the public, or are “VIP” rooms where lobbyists and invited guests can sit. Many of the old meeting rooms will provide convenient space for closed-door meetings as well.
Also, there’s a lot of new furniture, drapery, artwork, carpet, and every lawmaker now has a private office. Aside from the incongruence of seeing government spend that kind of money during a recession, reporters will need to do their homework to see what purchases were not warranted, and whether taxpayers got a fair price.
All in all, though, it’s a grand re-do, and an effective use of space to have the wings underground, preserving the open space above. It’s too bad that the trees that once existed there had to be ripped out, but in Statuary Hall you can see some art pieces that were made out of their wood, and I understand benches are being made from the wood as well.
I encourage everyone, even my friends reading this who are not from Idaho, to come visit the Idaho Statehouse. I think it will be a model for future Statehouse renovations to come.
One mystery still remains for me, though: what happened to the geese? Earlier this week, I counted 32 of them honking all over the grounds, with everything that comes out of a goose all over the sidewalks. Not an auspicious look for the grand re-opening on Saturday.
On Thursday, I noticed all the geese were gone and the sidewalks washed clean. Looks like some nets were employed, and the geese were relocated to less lofty quarters. There’s a metaphor perhaps. Just like the goose that laid the golden egg but was just the same on the inside as any other goose; we need to remember that no matter what the Statehouse looks like now, it is still the People’s House, doing the people’s business, and should be open and transparent.
Many people don’t understand why reporters often gravitate towards covering conflict. They think we’re adrenaline junkies, or always want to focus on the negative.
Speaking for myself, I’m often drawn to situations where people disagree (or are battling internal demons) because it’s at that raw edge where people’s core values are challenged, and where real work has to happen in order to reach consensus or, in rare instances, peace.
For Philip Gourevitch, my guest on Dialogue this week, ignoring the tough stories also makes him uncomfortable. In his view, when we turn away from those stories, that makes us even more culpable. Hence, after the 1994 Rwandan massacre of upwards of one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus, when much of the world was wiping its hands of the disaster, he wanted to know more. How could this happen? What would happen next?
His book, We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families, takes its title from a group of besieged Tutsis who were begging their bishop to try and save them, which the supposedly religious man did not, and for which he was later prosecuted. It’s just one of the harrowing tales that Gourevitch weaves into his history of the Rwandan genocide.
It’s a book that I kept stopping to read out loud to a friend, because the writing was so remarkable, and the stories so important. And it’s a work that garnered him the prestigious George K. Polk Award for Foreign Reporting.
Gourevitch talks with me about the lessons the world should have learned from Rwanda, and how the country is faring today, which is the subject of his next book.
We also discuss The Ballad of Abu Ghraib, in which he explores the actions of the soldiers accused of torture at the infamous Iraqi prison.
Gourevitch is passionate about his work. It was hard to get a word in edgewise when interviewing him! But when I went back to review the conversation, taped at the 2009 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference, I was once again drawn in by his intensity and his knowledge of the subjects he covers. We need reporters like him, who are willing to go to places that have been abandoned by others, so we can learn more not only about forgotten peoples, but also about ourselves.
“I think what frustrates patients more than anything else is that no one listens to their story.” So writes my guest for this week’s Dialogue, Dr. Abraham Verghese.
Verghese, a professor at the Stanford School of Medicine, specializes in teaching medical students how to improve their bedside manner. But he wasn’t always so sensitive to patients’ needs. It took AIDS to shake his consciousness and conscience. It was the mid 1980s, and Verghese, an infectious disease specialist, was living in rural Tennessee. Fresh out of medical school and residency training, he suffered from what today he calls “the conceit of cure.” Not much, he thought, was out of reach of the miracles of medicine. Then he started seeing more and more HIV/AIDS patients in his practice, and began realizing that there was little he could do for them in a traditional medical sense.
So Verghese began getting to know his clients, to see if he could relieve their suffering in other ways. As an Indian who grew up in Ethiopia and was now transplanted into the American South, he felt a kinship with these men, who had also been considered outsiders because they were gay. They had left their hometown because of the stigma, but now had come home to die.
As a result of his experiences, Dr. Verghese found a new side of himself. That journey is chronicled in My Own Country, a book I have read twice. In beautiful prose, he describes the incredible resilience, strength, wisdom and grace of his patients, and his own despair at their passing.
Verghese, a rare physician who also has a Masters degree from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, actually began his writing career with a short story about a man with AIDS in the New Yorker magazine. He had always wanted to return to fiction, and for years worked on a novel. That book, Cutting for Stone, was published in 2009.
The novel, which takes its name from a phrase in the Hippocratic Oath, is the saga of twin brothers who try to unravel the mystery of their existence. Almost all the characters are involved in the medical field, and Verghese says the book gave him the chance to talk about the strengths and frailties of his chosen “calling.”
And that’s how Verghese really sees his profession, as a “calling” to help heal. At the end of our interview, after we had talked about his work, after we had talked about health care reform, I asked him to read from one of my favorite essays of his, “A Touch of Sense.”
In it, Verghese describes the “healing ritual” of a bedside exam, and the importance of actually touching a patient, percussing them, rather than just diagnosing via computer. He closes with a poignant passage about the waning hours of one of his clients, and his promise as a physician to always be there for his patients.
Something so simple, really, but rarely done. Lost in the rush of billable hours, insurance payments, and liability concerns seems to be the old-fashioned concept of doctoring and healing, of the medical arts, instead of simply medicine. We would all do well to have more physicians like Abraham Verghese, and hopefully, now that he’s passing down his wisdom to future doctors, we will.
Although it seems that sexual scandals involving politicians are ever more in the spotlight, they been fodder for American media for centuries, particularly when newspapers were more associated with political parties.
In September 1802, newspaper editor James T. Callender, who was also a disaffected former friend of President Thomas Jefferson’s, published a report that the president had fathered several children with one of his slaves, Sally. The article was reprinted widely by Jefferson’s foes, but didn’t keep him from being elected.
The controversy subsided after Jefferson’s death, but was brought to light again when Fawn Brodie, a historian at UCLA, published Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History, in 1974. She drew on more evidence to suggest that our third president had indeed fathered children with slave Sally Hemings, who was also the half-sister of Jefferson’s deceased wife. Brodie’s book was a bestseller, but discounted by many of her peers.
My guest on Dialogue this week, Annette Gordon-Reed, received a better reception in 1997 when she penned Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy. The book examined how racism had clouded scholars’ abilities to judge the story of Jefferson’s liaison objectively.
The following year, both Gordon-Reed and Brodie were vindicated, in a sense, when DNA evidence showed that Jefferson was most likely the father of Eston Hemings, one of Sally’s children, and probably the father of all of her six known children. There’s still disagreement among some of the Jefferson clan, but most scholars now accept this finding. I talk with Gordon-Reed about what she thinks turned the academic tide for this story, and what she learned while researching her second book, The Hemingses of Monticello, An American Family.
That book garnered both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. In it, we learn more about the complex threads that tied the Jefferson and Hemings families together, including the fact that Jefferson took both Sally and her brother to Paris to live with him, and paid them wages.
Gordon-Reed also muses on what Jefferson might have thought about the election of Barack Obama. I think you’ll find her answer intriguing.
In a web extra, I ask Gordon-Reed, who is African-American, what she thinks of the idea of reparations for slavery. Again, I hope you’ll find her response thought-provoking.
This interview and three others I did this year were conducted at the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. My thanks to the conference organizers for allowing me to interview some of their speakers. If you’d like to learn more about the event and listen to my past interviews, please go to our Conversations from the Sun Valley Writers' Conference website.
Choosing around 70 clips from more than 600 programs is hard enough; stitching them together is a feat unto itself.
For this week’s special hour-long 15th anniversary show, associate producer Melanie Corry had to go back to our shows’ master tapes and find all the clips that Joan and I had selected. Then she and director Ricardo Ochoa digitized the material and ingested into an editing computer.
Ricardo then had to painstakingly make sure each clip was re-sized, because we’ve changed formats over the years from a 4x3 picture to a 16x19 picture. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about the quality of the video, so you can see with your own eyes what a difference our relatively new high definition studio cameras make. It’s pretty amazing how crisp and clear our picture is compared to the past. Of course, that means every flaw in an outfit or hairstyle shows!
Everything, including transitions, had to be timed out to the second. Unfortunately that meant cutting a few clips in the end, which was tough. Then Joan and I cut our interstitial comments in between the segments. Then it was time to proof everything—names, titles of shows and dates.
For Melanie, a newcomer to the state, the project had a side benefit; she says watching all those shows helped her learn more about Idaho and Dialogue.
If you’d like to learn more about 15 years of Dialogue, watch a web extra interview that Executive Producer Bruce Reichert did with Joan and me about some of our more interesting topics and moments. That’s also where you’ll find out who has been our show the most times!
Thanks to everyone who has worked on Dialogue behind the scenes—we couldn’t do it without you. And we are grateful to our longtime funder, the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation, and to you for tuning in to Dialogue.
Remember, you can always watch our shows on our website. And we’re on Twitter and Facebook, too. Check them out and become a “fan!”
Few things scare me. Many things frustrate me, but I am not one of those scared about Idaho’s fiscal crisis. Idaho’s budget is in serious trouble, but I believe the experts who say things in Idaho will turn around by 2012. That may be difficult to swallow considering the terrible home foreclosure report that came out this week and the on-going unemployment rate, but I see signs of hope in the economic indicators.
What does scare me is that I do not see any long term planning going on as budget writers cut programs. Cut higher education today and you may not have that trained workforce in place when new businesses come back in 2012. Cut education and prison costs may rise 10 years from now. What we cut today will have an impact years later. Do we know what that impact will be?
One wise retired politician said Idaho has “two-year eyesight.” It doesn’t have to be that way. Other states, Utah, Oregon and Nevada for example, have big picture goals for their states. Sometimes politicians pay attention to them and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes their lack of attention is understandable; sometimes it is a campaign issue. But at least with some sort of plan exists. Citizens can see what they want their state to become. Idaho has smart men and women deciding what programs will survive the next few years and what programs will be cut. Some of those individuals were kind enough to appear on this week’s show. It was a very interesting discussion about issues that many folks ignore until their favorite state programs are eliminated. I encourage everyone to watch the show and then contact their legislator or the Governor’s office and express their ideas about what kind of state government Idaho should have.
I’ve always admired people who have known what they wanted to do since they were young. I didn’t, so perhaps that’s why I went into journalism! I can cover different subjects all the time.
One of my joys is to talk to people who are driven both to achieve in their field and to make a difference. Plus, it doesn’t hurt when they’re also involved in something I love, in this instance cycling. I picked up the sport when I was in my 30s.
When she was 7, Kristin Armstrong’s classmates predicted she’d win a gold medal at the Olympics. That’s certainly better than being named “class clown,” and she set about achieving that goal. Not only did she fulfill her classmates’ predictions by winning an Olympic gold medal in the cycling time trial in 2008, but she has been the World Champion in her sport, not once, but twice.
Now she’s setting new goals. It’s the only way she can operate, she says, by having both short-term and long-term goals. All the better for us. Learn more about what she wants to do next by watching Dialogue. In the program, Kristin also addresses the issue of doping in her sport. I think you’ll find her thoughts interesting. I did.
And in a special web extra, Kristin talks more about tips for proper nutrition and training.
Idaho is fortunate to have this world class athlete in its midst, and it will be fascinating to watch what such a dedicated person will achieve next.
What a difference a year makes. Micron Technology used to be the largest private employer in the state; as of this June it’s now St. Luke’s Health System. With a nearly $1 billion budget, Saint Luke’s employs over 7,600 workers at hospitals in Boise, Meridian, Ketchum and Twin Falls, as well as in physicians’ groups and urgent care facilities.
The change represents not only Micron’s misfortunes, but also the growth in the health care sector. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, health care spending represents 16% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with the largest share (31%) spent on hospital care.
Hospitals have been lobbying the White House and Congress hard on health care reform issues, so this week I talk to Dr. David Pate and Sally Jeffcoat, the CEOs of St. Luke’s and Saint Alphonsus, the second largest hospital in the state, about their respective views on the topic.
Pate and Jeffcoat are both new to Boise, and it turns out that both knew each other years ago in Houston, where they worked at competing hospitals. And we discovered before the program that both have purchased houses around the corner from each other.
While they may be neighbors, their two institutions are definitely competitors. Callers were definitely interested in what they view as a duplication of services between the institutions, which used to be more specialized. For instance, St. Luke’s was known for its maternity services, while St. Al’s had the trauma center. The two hospitals now overlap in most areas.
I was curious to know what each thought of the phrase, “Is health care a right?” especially since Trinity Care, the parent company of Saint Alphonsus, states in its policy papers that it believes that statement to be true.
We also talked about the fact that the hospitals are “not for profit” and are not subject to income or property tax, while at the same time are expanding greatly. Clearly, there is profit, or what is called “excess revenue,” in the system. But by law, the institutions are allowed to plow it back into the community instead of paying taxes. There was a proposal to force hospitals to provide at least 5% charity care in order to keep their tax-exempt status, but that did not make it into any of the legislation being considered by Congress.
This topic is so large that 30 minutes doesn’t do it justice. In our web extra, we continue to take calls. At the end of the segment, I ask each of the CEOs to reflect on what has changed in their decades in the business. I found their responses intriguing. Check it out!
You would be hard pressed to find a topic that was more complicated, more emotional, and with more tendrils reaching into all parts of our society than health care reform. This topic has dominated the headlines for months. Both Marcia and I are spending a lot of time just trying to keep up with the issue. So earlier this summer, we decided to dedicate at least a few of this fall’s shows to this topic. I wanted to touch base with someone who is on the front lines of the health care reform battle: Dr. Ted Epperly, the board chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
I have been trying to book Dr. Epperly for months. Dr. Epperly’s assistant Michelle is very patient and very helpful. We spend days sorting through the doctor’s schedule to find a date. We finally decided to tape the interview because the doctor never seemed to be in town on a Thursday. We taped this week’s show on Monday because Dr. Epperly was heading back to Washington D.C. for another round of meetings. Incidentally, Dr. Epperly doesn’t seem too intimidated by the halls of power, but he did admit, off camera, that being in the Oval office is pretty cool.
Dr. Epperly is an interesting man and I knew the show turned out well. How? Well, our Dialogue crew sees a lot of guests come and go and have a lot to pay attention to besides what’s being said during an interview. But Associate Producer Melanie Corry tells me that you could hear a pin drop in the control room during this taping. Everyone was hanging on everything Dr. Epperly said. It’s a tribute to the importance of the topic and the quality of the guest.
After his term as Board Chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians is over, Dr. Epperly plans to write a book about his time lobbying on this issue and about America’s reaction to health care reform. Expect to see him on Dialogue again.
I always approach a “Dialogue” program on wolves with both excitement and a bit of trepidation. Excitement because this is a great topic; it involves both science and emotion, and includes valid points on all sides. Trepidation, because there’s just no way you can cover it in 30 minutes. Indeed, several of our programs have been expanded to 60 minutes to do justice to all the phone calls and emails we receive from viewers.
“Dialogue” has produced five programs on wolf issues since the species was reintroduced to our state in 1995, but if you count all the times the various directors of the Department of Fish and Game have been on the show, we’ve covered the topic even more than that. I have reported on the issue since its inception in the mid 90s, when I was at the legislature full time, and I produced a documentary piece on the Nez Perce tribe’s involvement with wolf management.
So I share the opinion of former USFWS wolf recovery coordinator Carter Niemeyer that it’s almost ‘surreal’ that a hunt has begun. It seemed that the lawsuits over delisting would never end, and a season on wolves seemed far off.
But a hunt has begun, and that is the focus of this week’s Dialogue, which follows a full Outdoor Idaho about wolves. Whenever possible, we try to tie the two programs together, and this subject provided a great opportunity.
As a person who enjoys data mining, the statistics about wolf hunting are already fascinating. 23,000 hunters in Idaho have purchased wolf tags. 58 wolves have been killed, out of a total quota of 220. The first wolf tag to go to auction fetched $8,000. People want to hunt these animals, or want to know that they can.
Indeed, Fish and Game wildlife manager Jon Rachael posits that just the fact that there is a hunt now has taken some of the heated emotion out of the topic. For wolf advocates, though, many of whom have identified with various packs of wolves, it’s devastating for them to see what they view as a rush to kill the animal. We often forget that this issue is an international one, with people as far away as Europe monitoring the fate of the wolf.
It will be interesting to see where Fish and Game spends the hundreds of thousands of dollars it’s bringing in with these tags. Will it go towards just wolf management, or other programs? Will the agency use it to pursue its desire to land helicopters in the Frank Church wilderness to collar wolves there, where access is limited?
One thing I learned in our web extra was that even if hunters don’t make the quota this winter, Fish and Game will consider killing wolves itself to meet the number. And, according to Rachael, hunters may be allowed to use trapping one day, just as the federal Wildlife Services agency (the old Animal Damage Control) can do when it kills wolves depredating on livestock.
Indeed, what many people may not realize is that Wildlife Services has already killed 77 wolves this year, and according to Niemeyer, more than 1,000 since the reintroduction began. Wolf advocates say this must be factored in when hunting quotas are set.
In the end, it’s important to remember that the lawsuit over the validity of the federal delisting order is still very much on the table. We’ll continue to monitor the situation to see what Judge Molloy decides, and undoubtedly will have more Dialogues about wolves in the future.
Now if you are paying attention to the TV schedule, you will have noticed that Dialogue won’t be on this week, pre-empted by the National Parks documentary. We will be airing a special show on the high def service and the traditional Sunday slot. We are repeating a 2007 interview with Forrest Church. Church, the son of the late Idaho Senator Frank Church, was the senior minister at Alls Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in New York City and the author or editor of 23 books. He passed away last week.
In this interview, we discuss his book about religion and our founding fathers, “So Help Me God.” Off camera, he and I discussed how amazing he felt after his most recent cancer treatment. He is certainly an example of a man who lived every day. In his second to last book “Love and Death,” he wrote about his pending death, grief and life. In learning of his passing, I took that book out and started re-reading it. Every page made me think and made me cry. But grief, he wrote, is part of love and we should not fear it. In writing how to say goodbye, Church wrote:
One thing I do know is that we can’t say goodbye to those love either too early or too often. “I love you” should end every farewell, howsoever briefly we plan to be apart. Death can pounce in the middle of the night or interrupt the most uneventful day. When this happens, what a relief it is that the last message we imparted to our loved ones was “I love you.”
Forrest Church will be remembered at a memorial service on October 3rd at All Souls Church in New York City. You can contribute a memory or thought for his family at an on-line tribute here.
And then there's the category of "Other." Those agencies (including Idaho Public Television), will need to find at least 7.5% of their budgets to cut. So how were those groups chosen?
Clearly, some are less "essential" than say, the Department of Correction or Health and Welfare. But the Departments of Labor and Commerce, which are on the list, seem pretty important in this down economy. Turns out they're in the "other" category because they could more easily find savings through an accounting procedure. Why is the Department of Water Resources, which seems like a pretty critical agency, in the "other" category as well? I asked Wayne Hammon, the governor's budget chief, and he wasn't sure, except to say that agency representatives had provided Otter with the figure. It seems future reporting is necessary to discover how each agency received its placement on the tiered list.
Otter says the holdbacks will cover 65% of the projected shortfall. “Clearly, we need to do more," he said. "We must explore significant restructuring and find further budget savings." He said that he would be meeting with lawmakers and taxpayers to work through ideas for "meaningful restructure" of state government.
But when asked if he could give an example of a potential significant restructure, he said "No, I can't." Later he clarified that, "Yes, I do have some ideas" but that they were "immature" in the thought process and wouldn't make sense for him to talk about, unless he had support from the legislative branch.
He has also called the holdbacks "temporary." However, if employees are terminated, it's extremely difficult to get permission to open those positions back up again.
Unfortunately, "Dialogue" is pre-empted this coming week, because otherwise this would make a great show. (We're off the air for a good reason: Ken Burns' program about the national parks will be airing in our time slot. I'll be watching!) In the meantime, "Dialogue" and our sister program, "Idaho Reports," will keep you posted on the latest reporting about the state budget via our Twitter feeds and Facebook pages, and both shows will be covering this issue more extensively as we get closer to the legislative session.
We try to get to as many callers as we can on each show, but we do sometimes run out of time. We try to pick up the remaining callers in our Dialogue Web Extras, but that means those callers have to stay on the line after the live show goes off the air. It is an act of faith to hang on, but we do try to get your questions to the guests. This last show, a caller from Parma didn’t hang on after the live show finished. I really wanted to hear his question because Jennifer, our call screener, said it was really a good one and because he was calling from a bar in Parma. Apparently, the folks had turned the show on in the bar and were watching. I am quiet flattered that they picked Dialogue to watch that night. So, next time, if you are on the phone when the show ends, hang on. And here’s a shout out to the folks in Parma.
This week, we are looking at the National Park Service properties in Idaho in conjunction with the upcoming Ken Burns documentary on the National Park Service. If you have a question about one of these amazing places in Idaho or why we don’t have national park, send me an email.
It’s not often that one of my guests is at a loss for words. But this week’s guest was stumped when I asked her a particular question. It surprised me; Gretchen Morgenson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning financial journalist for the New York Times, knows her subject inside and out, and is often a commentator on television and radio.
The question I asked her was whether she could think of a corporate executive who was leading the charge to reform the system, someone who was taking responsibility for their part of the financial mess we’re in. Morgenson paused, and paused, and paused again. “There must be someone,” she joked. But she wasn’t able to come up with anyone. That, she said, was a sad indication that it’s back to ‘business as usual’ on Wall Street.
You can watch the program here; we also talk about AIG, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the slow pace of loan modifications, and the increasing difficulty of covering this story now that it is more in the hands of federal regulators.
Speaking of that, in a web extra, I also ask Morgenson what she thinks of certain past and present federal officials in the financial sector, including Alan Greenspan. On that issue, she minces no words, calling him a “perfect example of a person who sort of read his own press clippings.” Check it out!
An example of such a dilemma can be found in the funding saga of the Vaccines for Children program, which we discuss on this week’s Dialogue. The federal program, which receives matching money from the state, is designed to make sure as many children are immunized as possible.
Those on Medicaid, the uninsured, Native Americans and people whose health insurance doesn’t cover childhood vaccinations can always get their required shots for free, although they are usually charged an administrative fee.
However in most states, people whose insurance covers shots have to pay for those immunizations the way they’d pay for anything else—i.e.: it goes towards their deductible, or they make a co-pay.
Idaho, however, is one of 15 so-called “Universal” or “Universal Select” states that assist people with insurance to pay for their children’s vaccines.
Last legislative session, though, Governor Otter and the legislature cut the funding for the portion of the program that helps the insured pay for vaccines, hoping that either federal stimulus money or a public/private consortium would fill the gap.
That didn’t happen, though, and an outcry from physicians, who would have had to buy expensive vaccines, as well as confusion among parents, caused the Governor and lawmakers to reconsider. They found $2.1 million to keep the program fully funded until January.
But what’s next in terms of funding options for this program? Why should the insured receive their vaccines for free? And why does Idaho continue to have such a low rate of immunization despite the subsidization? (60% versus the national average of 76 %.)
I talk with my guests about these issues, which will require creative solutions now that Idaho already needs its own “shot in the arm,” with a $150 million projected shortfall this fiscal year.
I had to print out the pdf file to really get a feel for all of the proposals, but the site has a great way to compare the different plans without having to waste paper. If you want to just dip your toes into the topic, I encourage you to watch this week’s show and the Web Extra. I was pleased with this week’s discussion because I felt the guests were able to touch on the most pressing questions and viewers posed the very questions facing our Congressional delegation. None of Idaho’s members of Congress or the Senate have apparently signed on any of the current proposals. Now is the time for you to get involved and let them know what you want.
But a variation of her words, “Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History,” now adorn bumper stickers, T-shirts, coffee mugs and refrigerator magnets all over the world, and are seen as a rallying cry for feminism.
After 30 years of seeing her words appropriated by groups as diverse as the Sweet Potato Queens in Mississippi and quilters in Iowa, Ulrich, now a professor of history at Harvard, did what any good historian would do—she wrote a book about the phenomenon, including histories of several “misbehaving women” like Virginia Woolf and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
I talk with Ulrich about her book, and about how growing up in Sugar City, ID influenced her choice to become a historian, in part because she became fascinated with women’s history in the LDS Church, of which she is a member.
Because of that interest in untold women’s history, Ulrich wrote A Midwife’s Tale, which meticulously chronicles the 27-year diary of a Maine midwife in the 1700s, and shows how through the diary, one can learn about a cross-section of American post-revolutionary society. That book garnered the Pulitzer Prize in 1991, and Professor Ulrich is also the recipient of a MacArthur“Genius” grant, which was used in part to help produce a PBS film version of A Midwife’s Tale.
Ulrich, still a devout Mormon, also considers herself a feminist. I talk with her about how the two aspects of her life dovetail, including her opinions on recent political activity by the church regarding gay marriage. She and I also talk about her thoughts on the recent American presidential election, and why history can sometimes be “dangerous.”
The interview was conducted in March, when Professor Ulrich was in Pocatello speaking to members of the Idaho Humanities Council. I thank that group for sparing some time in her schedule for the conversation, which I hope you find thought-provoking.
And now for something completely different… The folks at the NewsHour are about to launch a new version of Web project called “Patchwork Nation.” This project will explore what’s happening in America by looking at different communities over time. This is a partnership among the folks at the Newshour, The Christian Science Monitor and local PBS stations, including Idaho Public Television. Thanh Tan and I have been doing some work for the site (more Thanh than me). Look for a launch of this interactive site the week of June 8th.
I am currently working on the June 18th and 25th shows. I’m looking at a show on the buy local movement and one on the health care proposals currently before Congress. Let me know if you have questions on these topics. Marcia is the host next week with an interview with pre-eminent historian of early America and the history of women Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.
Learning about the development of the Smart Grid feels a bit like that. Proponents have a vision for what our lives will be like with the ET (Electron internet) overseeing the flow of electricity in and out of our homes and cars. In the broad picture, it is as much a revolution as Henry Ford’s automobile turned out to be. But proponents need to keep explaining what they want and why we should go along with it. They need to tell more of us why a smart grid is better than "a faster horse."
Change is not easy. Most of us give our electric grid as much thought as we do our sewer system. We complain only when it doesn’t work. But I predict that we will be talking about how we use electricity more in the future. It is an exciting moment of change for our country. Be sure to watch the 30 minute show to learn exactly what the smart grid is and watch the Web Extra to find out what you can do right now to save money on your power bill.
Oh, I have two favorite facts from these shows. Ten percent of all residential power use in California is attributed to just television sets. Ouch! But to help us all out, we will soon be able to buy a smart power strip that you plug your TV into that actually shuts off the power to the set…no more vampire power costs. That invention is something my pocketbook and I are looking forward to it.
The Mexican government decided that with an estimated 130,000 people of Mexican descent in Idaho, it was time to open a consulate here. The consulate, located near downtown Boise, helps process legal documents such as Mexican ID cards and birth certificates, and assists Mexican nationals who have been arrested or are in hospitals here. It was very busy when my videographer and I visited.
Its opening caused a bit of controversy; former Representative Bill Sali tried to block it, saying the Mexican ID cards could be used illegally by undocumented workers to get American benefits. I talk with Consul Pineda about that on the program, and he answers questions from viewers.
While its primary function is to assist Mexican nationals, the Consul and his staff welcome all Americans to visit or call if they have questions about visiting Mexico or doing business there. Its number is 343-6228, and is open in the mornings for business.
Well, this afternoon, one more case of the swine flu was identified in Eastern Idaho and, no doubt, by the time the show repeats on Sunday or through out the rest of the week on our digital service, more cases will have turned up. That means the show’s patient count isn’t accurate anymore. There isn’t much I can do about that and it is frustrating. Still, don’t let that stop you from watching. Dr. Hahn did a wonderful job handling tough questions about this strain of the flu and if the government and media are over reacting. The Dialogue Web Extra takes on a topic not covered in the 30-minute show, that is what planning should business; government agencies, school officials, etc. do to deal with the impact of a pandemic. So, if you have any questions about the swine flu, I would recommend you watch the show and the Web Extra and check out the links on Dialogue Web site.
I have one personal note to add. I regret to write of the passing of one of Idaho’s best legislators. Rep. Reed Hansen served several terms in the Idaho State Legislature starting in 1985 and was also a key player on the Idaho Water Resource Board. He retired from public office several years ago and his health has been poor for the past couple of years. But he retained the sense of humor that made him so famous in the Statehouse. He was passionate in his defense of Idaho’s farmers and its children. He cared about his community and felt it is was an obligation and an honor to serve. I will miss his wise debate, the twinkle in his eye, and his sourdough bread. Reed died in his sleep today at the age of 79.
In a special hour-long program, representatives of a diverse array of interest groups discuss how they went from foes to friends while working on the legislation. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), the sponsor of the bill, joins the program for the first 30 minutes to talk about his work on the legislation. We discuss not only what will change on the ground as a result of the new law, including land trades and road closures, but also how the negotiation process can be used for other seemingly intractable concerns.
In our web extra, we spend some more time talking about the pending Travel Plan for the area, which will affect off-road vehicles, and get some insight from our guests as to why they love this area so much.
While previewing the beautiful aerial video for this program, gleaned from our various “Outdoor Idaho” programs on the Owyhee Canyonlands area, I made a promise to myself to revisit this gorgeous and unique natural treasure soon!
Title IX wasn't in effect yet, so there were few organized sports teams for girls--we just played tag and hide and seek, climbed trees or pretended to "fly" off the wall in front of my house. And you know what? We had fun!
Those experiences were extended into the summer, when my parents put me on a train to Vermont for a camp where I spent up to two months living in a cabin with no toilets and minimal electricity. I learned how to hike, canoe and rock climb, not to mention deal with mosquito and spider bites.
Today, children are overprotected. Despite statistics showing that child abductions are extraordinarily rare, are declining and mainly occur within families, parents keep their children inside, in the backyard, or in a cul-de-sac. Unstructured play has been supplanted with organized sports and over-programmed days. A fear of germs, dirt and bugs also keeps people from enjoying nature.
The result, say experts, is "nature deficit disorder," which harms us not only in obesity-related illnesses like diabetes, but dulls our intellectual sharpness, saps our emotional strength, and may even make it more difficult to make independent moral choices.
On this week's Dialogue, I talk with four passionate Idahoans who want to change this trend, including two high school students. We discuss the Idaho Children and Nature Network, a coalition of over 100 groups that is coordinating activities and has developed a website at: http://www.visitidaho.org/children-in-nature/
You can watch the entire program and the web extra at: http://idahoptv.org/dialogue/diaShowPage.cfm?versionID=180378
I wish I had had a teacher like Dick Jordan, one of our guests, who not only takes his students out into the rivers and mountains, but to foreign countries to observe environmental conditions. And I was inspired by Tom Glass and Melissa Webster, two of his students. Both have resisted the seductive lures of electronic media to spend more time in nature, and plan on studying ecology in college. They are already leaders and mentors. So watch the show, and then go outside!
April 17, 2009 (Joan): We all have spending triggers, reasons why we spend our money the way we do. Author Jeremy Vohwinkle, from About.com writes, “If there are psychological factors in your spending, following a debt reduction plan is like wearing perfume to cover body odor. It treats the symptoms, but leaves the underlying cause unchanged. In other words, you can start controlling your finances until you understand how and why you spend your money the way you do. April is financial literacy month and we thought it was important to sponsor a little financial education session of our own. Todd Christensen did a masterful job helping me understand the different shades of my spending. I would encourage you to watch the full 30-minute program to learn more and then explore some of the links we have on the Dialogue Web site.
I do have some sad news to report. Jody Lee, Dialogue’s associate producer, is leaving us for a job near Spokane. While this is a positive move for her, we will really miss her skills, her cheerfulness and her caring attitude. Marcia and I may be the most obvious members of the Dialogue crew, but it really takes a number of talented people to pull off a show each week. Jody is an important part of the show’s success and we will miss her a lot.
Next week’s show highlight’s the Governor’s “Be Outside” movement. Your kids can also learn more about this and nature deficit disorder on Tuesday’s D4K program. Check out both shows and their companion Web sites.
Videographer Dave Butler interacts with Amber Lindig and
her development tech at the Adventure Island Playground in Meridian, ID.
Amber's mother, Angela, was a guest on Dialogue, talking about
disability issues, such as the cut in the hours for developmental services.
Photo: Marcia Franklin
April 14, 2009 (Marcia Franklin) If you ask Kelly Buckland how many people are served by his organization, the State Independent Living Council (SILC), he will tell you "One million, three hundred thousand." That's the population of Idaho.
Although the purpose of SILC is to advocate for the disabled, Buckland is not speaking tongue in cheek. He feels strongly that efforts on behalf of the disabled are good public policy for the general population, whether that be in the areas of housing, transportation, or civil rights.
On this week’s Dialogue, Buckland and Angela Lindig, a parent of a child with disabilities, talk about the effect that recent Medicaid cuts may have on the disabled population, and answer questions from viewers. Lindig also discusses how she help build a universally accessible playground in Meridian.
Buckland, the recipient of numerous honors during his 20-plus years of advocacy, is leaving Idaho in May to become the executive director of the National Council on Independent Living, which identifies itself as the "longest-running national grassroots organization run by, and for, people with all types of disabilities."
So if he holds true to his word, Buckland will now be serving more than 303 million people, the population of the United States. Because, as he puts it, as we age, “We'll all face some sort of disability."
April 3, 2009 (Joan): There is no doubt that Idaho's roads are in trouble. The questions are how are we going to pay for them and when. A half an hour is not long enough to solve the dispute, but it did make for an interesting discussion. The topic also sparked quite a discussion on my Facebook page. Here is some of that text (Note: I left out some comments for brevity's sake and did not include full names for privacy reasons):
Dennis: Roads will get all the attention . . . but the condition of the state's bridges is just as appalling. . . . [I] had a friend (a civil engineer) "let go" from the ID Dept of Transportation . . . for pushing this issue 5 years ago. . . . Sadly, it will likely take a bridge collapse to get the Legislature's attention . . .
Marjorie: Well, Idaho will have some "purty" roads, at the expense of her children. What are they thinking, seriously?
Dennis: I think the central issue is that people have to start grasping the fact that we are a poor state. . . . as in Alabama, Mississippi poor. . . . [O]nce you are outside of the Boise/Pocatello/Idaho Falls/Couer d'Alene bubbles the levels of poverty are astonishing. I agree it's a huge mistake to cut education spending . . . but we've also been ignoring infrastructure spending for 20 years. . . . [B]etween that, health care, unemployment, etc., we are tapped out as a state . . . and we can't print our own money!!!
Marjorie: Dennis, having grown up in Twin Falls, I understand what you're saying. I'm also the product of Idaho public education, all 12 years; in addition I got my BA from Boise State. Everything needs money, I get that. I don't know where the money will come from, but I think it's a critical mistake what the Leg is doing. On all accords. Comparing us to Mississippi, etc. is very appropriate. When I was in high school (long ago in the mid 80s), Idaho was 48th in spending per child in public education. Louisiana and Mississippi were the only ones behind us. Terrible, just terrible.
Obviously, there are lots of strong feelings about the topic. I predict that unless something happens over the weekend, that the House will reject even a two-cent gas tax increase. If you have a thought or comment about the show, you can email it to me or go to the Dialogue Facebook page.
Just a technical note for some folks: we had trouble with our encoding computer last night so we didn't get the Web Extra up right away. My apologies to all and thanks to the viewers who wrote wondering where it was. Nice to know you are watching it.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Seal
March 27, 2009: (Marcia): One of the best parts of my job hosting a television program almost every week is that I am continually learning. Now, I must admit, sometimes it feels like I’m also researching a term paper because the topics can be so complicated! But I enjoy taking complex material and trying to make it understandable to viewers.
This week's subject, the federal stimulus, is an example. Like many, I think my eyes glazed over a bit as I read news articles about the Act, coming as they did on the heels of news about all the attempts to bolster the financial sector, and national budget discussions. I wasn't quite sure what was in the stimulus.
So I was enthusiastic to learn more, and I wasn’t disappointed. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (or ARRA, as it’s known), is quite interesting in its breadth and depth. It’s not just about road and sewer construction, or additional dollars for Medicaid, education and food stamps, although those provisions are a huge part of the bill.
For instance, you can write off the sales tax on any car you purchase this year, and you can receive an $8,000 credit if you’re a first time homebuyer. And employers who lay off workers should be paying 65% of their COBRA health insurance for nine months. College students can receive higher Pell grants and can write off $2,000 of tuition.
There’s also some interesting politics involved with how the state will divvy up the portion it has some discretion over. Some lawmakers don’t like Governor Otter’s idea of spending all the $45 million on highway and water plant construction, sectors already covered in the main stimulus.
We talk about that in our program and web extra, as well as some of the provisions of the Act. Both can be found at: http://idahoptv.org/dialogue/diaShowPage.cfm?versionID=180374
And that's where we’ve got also got some great links posted so you can learn more if you want to. Check it out!
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo of a Grey Wolf.
March 12, 2009: (Marcia): Fourteen years after gray wolves were reintroduced to Idaho, passions still run high. On this week’s Dialogue, my guests talked for an hour about the recent recommendation by the Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to take wolves off the Endangered Species list. With dozens of emails, 1300 attempted phone calls and five guests, we were also easily able to talk for another 20 minutes about the issue in our “web extra.” Both the televised show and the extra can be seen online.
I’ve been covering this issue since 1995, when the wolves were reintroduced to central Idaho by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). I've sat in countless legislative hearings, some of them quite heated, during which lawmakers stridently refused to spend money on a wolf management program.
USFWS said until Idaho had such a plan, the wolves would stay on the Endangered Species list, and it handed over recovery and management duties to the Nez Perce Tribe instead. Under their supervision, the population has grown from 15 introduced wolves to more than 800.
In April 2003, the Idaho legislature finally ratified a wolf management plan, and in January, 2006, the USFWS gave Idaho day-to-day management responsibility for the species.
But the delisting itself has swung back and forth between the executive and judicial branches, with various injunctions stalling the process. Right before the end of the Bush administration, the USFWS recommended taking gray wolves in Idaho and Montana off the Endangered Species list, but that rule was halted by the Obama administration.
Then, on March 6, Secretary Salazar indicated that he agreed with the decision to delist, although the rule has not yet been published in the Federal Register. When it is, it is expected that conservation groups may sue once again, although they may not have enough time. Delisting means, among other things, that the Idaho Department of Fish and Game can administer a hunting season for wolves.
Despite the length of time this issue has been on the docket in Idaho, it never ceases to engender strong feelings on both sides of the issue. Hunters and livestock owners feel the time is long overdue to cull many wolves—conservationists fear they will be decimated. I was pleased that so many different parties were willing to sit around the “Dialogue” table to discuss the topic. I hope you enjoy the program and the discussion afterward.
Sketch of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in court.
March 12, 2009: (Marcia): This week’s Dialogue is notable not only for the subject matter, but also for what couldn’t be discussed. I interview Boise attorney David Nevin about his high-profile client, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who has claimed to be the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks and more than 30 other planned or completed terrorist acts.
While numerous reporters have detailed the fact that KSM (as he’s known in shorthand) was tortured in Guantanamo and at secret CIA prisons known as “black sites,” Nevin is prohibited by the tribunal system at Guantanamo from discussing such matters. He and I talk about those restrictions, as well as why he feels it’s important that one of the most reviled men behind bars be given a fair defense. That defense is undoubtedly complicated by the fact that KSM has not only confessed, but has expressed pride in his actions and has said he wants to be martyred.
Sketch of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed on the stand.
Because Idaho is a small state population-wise, it’s often difficult to find experts to talk on certain issues. So it’s quite unique that Boise would be home to an attorney with such an internationally recognized client. Of course Nevin is no stranger to controversial cases. He defended Kevin Harris, accused of killing a US Marshal at the Ruby Ridge, University of Idaho student Sami al-Hussayen, who was charged with providing support to terrorists, and Allan Elias, an environmental polluter. In the program and our web extra, I talk with Nevin about what draws him to these challenges.
The interview was a challenging one, as it delves into complicated legal territory, and because certain topics were off limits. Nevertheless, these issues are important for all of us to try and understand, and I feel fortunate that at public television we are afforded the time to discuss them. I hope you enjoy the program and learn from it, as I did.
For those of you on Facebook, we're there now, too. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dialogue-on-Idaho-Public-Television/50969282603 to become a fan and receive updates about program topics.
February 26, 2009: (Marcia): This week's Dialogue has become a tradition — a conversation with the director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. This is the third time that director Cal Groen has been on the program, and other directors appeared before him as well. They are without question some of the most popular Dialogues — Idahoans have passionate views on the management of the state's wildlife.
As long as I've been doing these interviews, the issue of listing (or delisting) wolves as an endangered species has been on the docket, and this program was no exception. Before the show, I received more than 50 emails, most of which were on that subject. As the producer, I made the decision to limit the amount of time we spent on that topic so we could get to other issues as well, but it still dominated the program.
The tension over wolves, which seemed to have abated during the early 2000s, is definitely ramping up again. Folks on both sides are getting tired with the legal limbo of the species. The director admitted that he's worried people may take the situation into their own hands and kill wolves illegally.
In addition to talking wolves, we also discussed the agency's fiscal picture, some fishing and hunting concerns, and a new initiative to encourage children to go outdoors more. You can find links to video of the program and the web extra at the show's web page. We have links to previous shows with Cal Groen there too.
For those of you on Facebook, we're there now, too. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dialogue-on-Idaho-Public-Television/50969282603 to become a fan and receive updates about program topics.
February 12, 2009: (Joan): A recent survey of historians ranked Abraham Lincoln as the best U.S. President. While I think you could make an argument for Washington or Roosevelt, I agree that he was certainly one of the best. It was a joy to speak with the three scholars on the show this week. We tried something new with this week’s show. We gave a quiz during the broadcast show and then gave the answers to that quiz in the show’s Web Extra. Check out the quiz on the show's web page and watch the Web Extra. For those of you who want to skip the Web Extra, here are the questions and answers for you. But, check out the Web Extra because there was also an interesting discussion about Lincoln’s approach to suspending Constitutional rights during the Civil War.
In our next show, we will be discussing the proposed cuts to the public education budget. The news this week is that funds from the Federal Stimulus package may eliminate the need for those cuts, but it will still be interesting to hear what our lawmakers are thinking and what it all means for your kids and your pocketbooks.
February 9, 2009: (Joan): If you wanted to find a more complicated story than the conflict over the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer, you’d have to look pretty hard. This is a story I’ve been covering for more than five years and I came into it late. What strikes me about the issue is that things haven’t changed much from our first show on the topic in 2003. In fact, we were able to use much of the same background piece this time around because the facts and most of the players are still the same. Money is at the heart of the problem, but that is not the only issue. The bigger question is how will Idaho handle growth? Water is a limited commodity. As our state grows, we all have to take an active part in deciding how we allocate what resources we have. That’s why I keep covering this story. It isn’t easy to understand, but it is extremely important to our state’s future.
We are taking a less serious topic for our show on February 12th. We will be talking about the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The 12th is the 200th anniversary of his birthday. We are putting together a Lincoln quiz for you. Keep a look out for it.
February 2, 2009: (Joan): Idaho’s economy was the focus of last week’s show. The numbers are not good.
President Obama says things will get worse before they get better. Other world leaders expressed their thoughts on the economic crisis at the World Economic Forum. Here are a few samples, courtesy Reuters:
"It's been said that confidence grows at the rate the coconut tree grows, and it falls at the rate at which the coconut falls.... I just hope we can give the coconut tree some compost, some special hormones, so it can get back to life."
--MONTEK AHLUWALIA, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, PLANNING COMMISSION OF INDIA
"I don't know what the name of this new crisis could be, maybe 'Big Mac' crisis or something like that."
--FELIPE CALDERON, PRESIDENT OF MEXICO
"The policy of doing nothing will allow this crisis to start a retreat from globalization with huge implications for prosperity in every part of the world in the years to come."
--GORDON BROWN, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER
Be sure to watch our Web Extra and find out what our guests think about the success or failure of the bank bailout.
We turn to another economic story on February 5th. We’ll be looking at the plan to resolve water rights issues over the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer. It is a complicated topic, but its resolution is essential to Idaho’s economy. Call in with your questions or email them before the show.
January 22, 2009: (Marcia): I grew up in Washington, DC, but somehow never made it to an inaugural. Maybe it was because as residents without a voting representative in Congress, we felt rather disconnected from the whole process. Or maybe it was for the same reason that I never toured the White House until much later in life-it was always there, so you kept putting it off.
My father did take my brothers to one inaugural, though, and he tells a funny story about how one of them got separated from him and was found right up at the Capitol steps near the swearing-in.
President Obama and his wife Michelle
walk in the inaugural parade
Gridlock at First and D Streets prevents
Purple Ticket holders from entering the inaugural
Certainly no one was wandering near President Obama last Tuesday. In fact, thousands of us with actual tickets to see the inaugural were locked out, the result of poor planning on the part of the Inaugural Committee and law enforcement agencies. We found ourselves in a sea of people trapped behind barricades in the freezing cold for hours, with no information at all. We had to resort to listening to President's speech on cell phones, even as we were within a golf driving range of the Capitol.
I had decided to go to the inaugural because of its historic importance, and because I wanted to report on the Idahoans who were making the trek. Many had their own fascinating stories. Because I grew up in DC, I also had a place to stay, which clinched the deal. So I traded in my frequent flier miles from my trip to Iran in 2003, and headed for an adventure. Little did I know I wouldn't get to see the event at all.
Barricaded away from the Purple Gate
Former Nez Perce Tribal Chair Rebecca Miles
dancing at an All Nations Pow-Wow in Virginia
Although that aspect of the trip was disappointing, it was still worth it. I was able to get some heartfelt interviews with Idahoans, which I included in this week's Dialogue, went to a Pow-Wow of Native Nations from all over the country, talked with Senator Risch and Representative Minnick in their new offices, and even got to hear one of my heroes, Pete Seeger, sing at the opening concert.
But the images that will linger the longest for me are of the multitude of people from all different economic and ethnic backgrounds converging on my hometown, which has often felt very segregated. I saw African-Americans awed by the sight of the White House, trying to snap a picture of it at night through the gates. There were thousands upon thousands of people taking in the sights of our national Mall, many perhaps even taking their first subway ride. Everyone was so happy and courteous, despite crowds and long waits for almost everything. And they were talking to their children about government, about how it works, about what it represents.
Pete Seeger singing in the opening concert
Videographer Jay Krajic and Marcia Franklin
in front of the Capitol the day before the inaugural
Do I wish that the police had thought out the inaugural situation better? Yes. I can't imagine a more poorly executed security situation, at least in my particular area. But for me, the crowds, as frustrating as they were, represented democracy in action. As someone who has always been interested in government and politics, it was uplifting to see that many people who wanted to be in Washington, which after all, is theirs.
January 15, 2009: (Joan): When I first booked the new Conductor and Music Director of the Boise Philharmonic on Dialogue, I sent an email off to an old high school classmate. Allen Combs is the Music Director of the Andover Choral Society and a solo tenor performing with orchestras and choirs around the country. He has achieved far more fame than I. He suggested some very good questions, some of which had to do with where and how Franz plans to lead the orchestra. Trying to discern what makes a good conductor is challenging. Miles Hoffman’s NPR Classical Music Companion takes a stab at it. Here is an excerpt:
A conductor must also have confidence in his ideas and the self-assurance and personal presence to lead well, to be completely convincing, even inspiring, in the role. A good ear is essential, both for judging overall qualities and for pinpointing specific problems within large and complicated masses of sound. A well-trained “inner ear,” too, or “mind's ear,” is very important for studying scores and for “hearing” music just by looking at the printed page. In order for an orchestra to feel at ease and confidant enough to play freely and beautifully, a conductor must also demonstrate a rock-solid sense of rhythm.
A good conductor must be at ease facing large and complex forces and coordinating their efforts, and he must know how to run an efficient, well-organized rehearsal. It may seem a simplistic thing to say, but with a good conductor, both the music and the orchestra playing it should sound better after rehearsal than they did before. Like all good musicians, a good conductor must also have a flair for performance, the ability to remain in control and yet bring a little something extra when it counts the most.
I watched Robert Franz conduct yesterday. He and the orchestra gave seven performances for almost 11 thousand school children. We filmed hour three. He and all of the musicians delighted the students. Franz was engaging. You could see he loved what he was doing. All arts groups are facing even tighter times than usual and a dynamic leader can be the difference between live and death. I believe Franz may have that spark needed to move the Boise Philharmonic forward. Watch the interview or the Web extra and decide for yourself.
December 23, 2008: (Marcia): This week on Dialogue marks a bit of a diversion from our usual topics, and at the same time a bit of a tradition. I interview bestselling inspirational author Richard Paul Evans about his new book, Grace. It is my third interview with Evans, who is best known for his first book, The Christmas Box. Although his books are centered around the Christmas season, he often includes serious themes, and Grace is no exception. It deals with a runaway girl who has been molested by her father, and is harbored by a young male friend.
Evans has donated some of the proceeds of his books to a foundation that helps abused children, and is particularly interested in children who are “aging out” of the foster care system. For more information on his books and charitable organization, or to watch this program and past Dialogues with Evans, check out our website.
December 15, 2008: (Marcia): I must admit that when I read Ethan Watters' book, Urban Tribes, parts of it irked me a bit. In it, Watters tries to dispel the thesis of sociologist Robert Putnam, put forth in Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. In that book, published in 2000, Putnam posits that American society and families are becoming more and more fragmented, and less and less involved in societal activities. He bolstered his theory in part by looking at the dramatic decline in bowling leagues.
Watters, who began writing his book to explore why he was in his thirties and still unmarried, argued that there were new social networks that Putnam had ignored. The informal groups form around shared events, such as "Burning Man" in the Nevada desert, shared job interests, or mutual friendships. These "urban tribes," populated by singles in their 20s and 30s living in cities, provide not just companions for entertainment, but also job connections, therapy and solace for those not yet in a marriage. In short, they are a type of family.
All well and good. But at the same time, Watters also seemed to criticize the "old" forms of associations, such as the League of Women Voters and Rotary Clubs, saying that they are nothing more than lunch bunches. Having worked with the League on projects, and having seen firsthand the effect of Rotarians all over the world, I would beg to differ.
Also, in Urban Tribes, Watters appeared to celebrate the liberating nature of belonging to groups that have no social cause, and that in fact exist only to help their own. It seemed quite self-indulgent to me.
And so, for our interview at the 2008 Sun Valley Writer's Conference, I came armed with questions about these subjects. I found Watters disarmingly, and charmingly, aware of the criticism. Indeed, he said his own mother, who had been a member of the League of Women Voters, had leveled the same complaints. And he agreed that the new friendship networks needed to broaden their reach and start helping others instead of just themselves.
Watters himself is living that mantra, as part of the "San Francisco Writer's Grotto," which grew out of a small group of freelance writers and now owns a building with workspaces for more than 30 authors, filmmakers and other "narrative artists." Their theme: that community is conducive to productivity. The artists share contacts, ideas and even jobs with one another.
While much of his book is spent defining and promoting urban tribes, some of the best parts are when he talks about how tough it can be to be single in American society, and when he blows away the myths surrounding why people are marrying later and later in our culture. For instance, it's not that women are "too picky," and even if they are selective, perhaps that's a good thing. Statistics show that later marriages have a better chance of surviving. As a single person in my 40s, that sounds like good news to me.
And Watters also has a personal stake in the numbers: he wrote the epilogue to Urban Tribes on his honeymoon!
December 8, 2008: (Marcia): Like millions around the world, I was about to enjoy Thanksgiving with family when I heard about the bombings in Mumbai, India. For days, I was riveted to the coverage (mostly on my computer, which is still amazing to me.)
Besides the human emotions I had at the tragedy, I was also thinking about this week's program. It is a pre-taped interview with Shashi Tharoor, a longtime Indian diplomat at the United Nations who in 2006 ran to succeed Kofi Annan as the head of that agency, losing to the current Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon.
I had spoken with Tharoor, who is also the author of numerous books about his native India, at the Sun Valley Writers' Conference. Since 1995, the conference has brought together writers from all over the world to give talks about their work and current social issues. I first attended the conference as a volunteer for several years, and then in 2005, 2006 and 2008 have been fortunate enough to interview some of its participants (the conference took a hiatus in 2007 while the beautiful Sun Valley Pavilion was being constructed.)
In my interview with him, Tharoor talks about his fears about the instability of Pakistan, and the "double game" that he feels that country has played by taking money from the U.S. to fight terrorism while at the same time harboring and even encouraging the same terrorists. The words seem eerily prescient.
I had already recorded my introduction and close to the program, but with the Mumbai situation, I felt compelled to re-record those elements with a reference to the situation. I tried to contact Mr. Tharoor, but was unable to reach him, so I in my final comments I quote from an article he wrote in the Times of India.
I hope you enjoy the conversation and learn more about this fascinating country, as I did.
December 2, 2008: (Marcia): On our next edition of Dialogue, I interview John Hockenberry. The longtime journalist talks to me about adaptation, both in the media and in his own life. Hockenberry, who has won numerous Peabody and Emmy awards for his work in both commercial and public broadcasting, was paralyzed in an auto accident when he was 19. His memoir of his personal and work travails and successes is Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs, and Declarations of Independence. It's a great read — both serious and absolutely hilarious at times.
Hockenberry and I discuss how traditional media entities such as the nightly news will have to continue to modify their delivery systems to reach viewers who are now getting much of their content off the internet and expect a more interactive experience.
This interview is part of a series I taped at the Sun Valley Writers' Conference this past summer. The first in that series, an interview with journalist George Packer, aired October 5th.
Hockenberry is the new program director for the conference (www.svwc.com), and hopes to find ways to attract a younger and more diverse audience to the event, which began in 1995 and has become a major literary gathering.
Next week is another in that series, an interview with Indian author and former U.N. diplomat Shashi Tharoor. Although the conversation was taped last summer, some of Tharoor's comments unfortunately presage the violence we have seen recently, as he talks about the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and India.
November 25, 2008: (Joan) Happy Thanksgiving! This week, we are airing an interview I did last month with the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church Katherine Jefferts Schori. We picked this date to air the interview for lots of reasons. She is a fascinating woman facing challenging times. I was especially interested to learn how she lives with paradox. The Episcopal Church is facing a battle between those who support the ordination of women priests and gay clergy and those who refute one or both of those ideals. Jefferts Schori's challenge is to keep both groups together within one church. Now we all struggle with holding conflicting views or values at times, but our struggles are usually intensely personal. She deals with paradox head-on every day and in a very public way.
We also wanted to air the interview on this day because faith is part of our American Thanksgiving tradition. We don't get many chances to really talk about faith and its role in our lives. It seemed appropriate to use our show this day to take that opportunity. We also picked this day with a slight sense of irony. As Father David Wettstein of St. Stephens Episcopal Church likes to jokingly point out, the Pilgrims of Thanksgiving lore came to America to get away from the Anglicans. Watch the interview and let me know what you think.
Jefferts Schori was in Idaho for the ordination of Idaho's newest bishop, Brian Thom. If you would like to learn more about him, listen to an NPR News 91 interview of him.
With this week's interview, we begin a series of taped conversations. Marcia will no doubt tell you more about them in her next blog entry, but it does mean we won't have a live call-in show for a while. Don't despair. Send us an email if you have a question or comment. Enjoy some good Dialogues and have an extra helping of pie! Happy holidays!
November 14, 2008 (Marcia): As we mark Veteran's Day this week, I talk with a reporter who has seen many future veterans in action. Martha Raddatz is the current chief White House correspondent for ABC News, but she's been to Iraq more than 15 times. She explains why she has made that a priority, and talks about the motivation for her book, The Long Road Home, which chronicles a battle in Sadr City that marked a turning point in the war.
Raddatz has worked for ABC since 1999, first at the State Department, and then at the Pentagon, where she had also reported for National Public Radio. Idaho Public Television viewers see her regularly on "This Week with Gwen Ifill." Her work has garnered numerous awards, including a Peabody and several Emmys.
Raddatz, who was born in Idaho, jokes with me about a failed job interview with a TV station here. She can't remember which station it was, but if that news director remembers his or her decision, they may regret it! That's because Raddatz is a news director's dream: both adventurous and low-key, interested both in statistics and in people. In particular, she's concerned that Americans are too disconnected from this war, a war which is costing lives and trillions of taxpayer dollars.
It is tradition that the White House correspondent relinquishes their post to whoever has covered the incoming president on the campaign trail. So Raddatz will soon move on. But it will allow her to concentrate even more on her first love, international affairs. We talk about her trips to Pakistan, a country to which she hopes to return, and in a special web-only exclusive, we discuss her recent trip to Iran, a country I also have visited.
Next week, we discuss some of the people from war-torn countries who now make Idaho their home, as we look at the refugee population in our state.
November 7, 2008 (Marcia): 14 years ago this week, Idaho Public Television launched a new program, Dialogue. The idea was to unify the state by not only presenting issues that affect all our citizens, but to allow them to weigh in by calling in to speak with our guests.
More than 600 programs later, Dialogue is still going strong and celebrates its 15th season the way it began — with a conversation between the leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties about the recent election, and phone calls from viewers.
Keith Roark and Norm Semanko are both attorneys, and both passionate about their political persuasions. Roark sees hope for the Democrats in the election of Rep. Walt Minnick, and Semanko points to the fact that President-elect Obama couldn't even win Ada County as an example of Republican clout.
We hear from voters who are worried about Obama, but also several others who are excited and who urge bi-partisanship, which is certainly the tone that both Obama and Senator-elect Risch have sounded. It remains to be seen if that goal can be attained.
The program, as many do, went too quickly, but was a vibrant discussion. You can also watch our inaugural 1994 program, with Mike Reynoldson, executive director of the Republican Party at the time, and Bill Mauk, the chair of the Democratic Party. They discuss the "Republican Revolution," which 14 years later has reversed course, at least nationally.
And you can see a much younger me, with no gray hair, a funny outfit, and a very bad haircut! Thanks to everyone who has worked on Dialogue as we enter our 15th season, and to the viewers who call with their support, program ideas, and yes — even helpful criticism at times. We welcome it all.
Next week we bring you a discussion with Martha Raddatz, the chief White House correspondent for ABC News, who talks about her many trips to Iraq.
October 15, 2008 (Joan): We continue our look at American politics with this week's show. I interviewed two of the nation's leading political writers: conservative columnist Jonah Goldberg and progressive columnist Peter Beinart. These two men are touring college campuses with their Red vs. Blue debate. They are old friends and they truly disagree with each other's political views. Together, they discuss the issues of the day, argue for their points of view and yet remain friends. I think it is an amazing lesson for today's politicians. The loss of civility in politics is perhaps one the biggest problems facing America. Politicians paint each other with mud and then cannot or will not govern together. Nothing gets done. Our problems are too serious in this country to just do nothing. To disagree without being disagreeable, to fight for what you believe in without framing your opponent as just an enemy, that is what these two men do and that is what we should expect of the men and women who lead our nation. Consider that when you vote in November.
You'll have a chance to consider civility. Dialogue will be pre-empted on October 23rd for the last of The Idaho Debates. Now, I have nothing to do with the debates this year, but I know how hard everyone else has worked on these candidate forums. I encourage you to watch and to vote. I'll be back on October 30th to lead a discussion on mining in Idaho. Tune in!
October 9, 2008 (Marcia): This week's Dialogue provided me with an opportunity to tie into a national production, "The Choice," as I talked with Michael Kirk, that program's producer.
Kirk, an Idaho native who cut his public television teeth at KUID in Moscow, went on to found Frontline, the longest-running documentary series on public television. I've interviewed him before about that professional journey, but this time I wanted to focus on his upcoming and recent work.
We talked about the process of producing "The Choice," which for 20 years has given viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the presidential candidates. The program airs on October 14th at 9 PM, and will be re-aired several times before the election.
One interesting production element: the documentary is made without ever talking to the candidates on camera. Also, there's so much interest in this election that the program has already been sold all over the world, including the Middle East.
We also discussed some of Kirk's 10 films on the "war on terror," including "Cheney's Law," "The Torture Question" and "Bush's War." And he told me what he'd like to tackle next.
Michael Kirk's probing, insightful and thorough work sets a high bar for all television producers. Certainly, as a former employee of Idaho Public Television, he is also a personal role model for me. Boy, would I like a peek at his Rolodex (or BlackBerry, as the case may be!)
Typical of many in our business, Kirk works insanely long hours, sets high expectations for himself and those around him, and worries. He wrote me recently and said:
"The Choice" has been hard to make. In some ways almost every part of it is known . . . and yet, in so many ways, it seems viewers/voters don't really know about the candidates. We've tried to tell some familiar stories in a fresh way and to tell a few stories that are new . . . and mostly, we've really tried to make clear what the differences are between these two men. I sincerely hope you and your viewers find the program useful."
I have no doubt the program will be more than useful, will, in fact, become a must-see of political biographies. I'm looking forward to watching it.
In keeping with the election theme, tune in to Dialogue next week as Joan Cartan Hansen interviews two national magazine editors on opposite sides of the political spectrum. Then the following week, on October 23rd, I will host a statewide debate for the U.S. Senate position.
September 30, 2008 (Marcia): This week's program deals with one of those topics that make you feel as if you're drinking from a fire hose. Or, not having done that, whatever that's supposed to feel like! So much information was coming so quickly. We originally had another program planned, but when the news broke on Monday, September 15th, that America's financial system was in crisis, I decided to change the program to that subject.
Fortunately we had some great guests step up to the plate to help explain this very complex issue. And in the week before the show, I had the opportunity to read some excellent articles on how we got into this mess. The financial reporters were able to explain complex derivatives in a way that even I, who is not adept at numbers, was able to understand. They are proving that this type of news should be more mainstream, i.e., on front pages of newspapers and websites. We all need to know more about our financial system. I only wish that more attention had been paid prior to this maelstrom. I hope to do more economic programs in the future.
Before the program, we received some poignant emails from viewers about their concerns. Several were from state employees wondering about their PERSI retirement, which we discussed on the program. We also received emails like this one from Joe:
Taxpayers' money and savings should not be used to bail out financial institutes. This is WRONG. People work hard for their money and save what they can to survive, not to lose it for nothing. People are so money hungry now, especially the rich, the middle guy can't make it anymore even on two incomes and poor are even poorer. The U.S. needs to start helping the U.S. for once and even it out for everyone not just the rich. Whatever happened to doing what is right?
Or Kathy:
Where is the responsibility in these companies? As long as the higher positions in the companies get their outrageous amount of income and benefits why should they care about the rest of the people? When is this going to stop for the taxpayer of middle class income? This has been going on too long and has been out of control. What can the middle income class do to stop this?
Clearly opinions like those of Joe and Kathy reached the halls of Congress, which, as I write this, has not approved a rescue plan. I encourage you to send emails before future Dialogue programs; we are often able to get to them more quickly than phone calls.
If you missed the program, you can watch it online.September 18, 2008 (Joan): September is back-to-school month, and we like to schedule a program to discuss key issues facing educators as they start the new school year. The past few years, we have been talking about No Child Left Behind. But this year, we took on a different topic. In January, legislators created a task force to look at teacher performance evaluations. A committee has been working over the summer and today came up with a specific plan to present to the public.
This topic doesn't have the heat that No Child Left Behind does, but finding and keeping good teachers will do more for students than standardized tests.
The task force is about to have meetings statewide to gather public comments on the plan. If you are interested, contact the Department of Education for the time and place of the meeting closest to you. By the way, we produced a Web Extra on the topic: Supt. Luna and Pres. Woods stayed on after the 30 minute show to answer more questions from viewers.
Next week, Marcia is producing a program looking at Wall Street's woes. It is a very timely show and an important topic. Be sure to tune in.
September 8, 2008 (Marcia): September 7 was national Grandparent's Day, but for millions of children all over the country, it's Grandparent's Day every day. The last census found that 2.4 million grandparents are the primary caregivers for their grandchildren, an increase of nearly 20% since the 1990 census. The West has the highest number of these parenting situations.
As the number of "grandparents as parents" has grown, so have their concerns. Many feel they are caught in a maze of regulations that prevent them from providing the best care possible for their grandchildren, and from accessing public funding. An increasing lobby has worked to change laws to give grandparent care providers more rights.
"Generations United" is one group involved in those issues, and this week I talk with its executive director, Donna Butts, about its role. The group, which was formed more than 20 years ago by the National Council on the Aging and the Child Welfare League of America, now provides an umbrella for more than 100 local, state and national groups. Their mission: advocating for intergenerational programs such as community centers and housing projects that serve both young and old.
Some of their positions, though, seem more directed towards youth, such as supporting increased funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program. That's because the group believes that the health of older Americans depends on the viability of the younger generation. I talk with Ms. Butts about that link.
I encourage you to visit the website for "A Parent Again," a special Dialogue program we produced in 2004 to help illustrate the issues of these caregivers, and provide resources for where to go for help.
July 24, 2008 (Joan): This week, we repeat the interview I conducted with Forrest Church. Church is one of our nation's best theological historians as well as the son of Idaho's late Senator Frank Church. The topic at hand was his book, So Help Me God, a fascinating look at how our forefather's viewed religion and why they established a separation between church and state. I am also pleased to present this interview because it honors Church. He announced earlier this June that his cancer had returned and he was unsure how many more months he would have left. Church has just released his newest book, Love and Death: My Journey through the Valley of the Shadow. He gave a stirring speech (.pdf) about life and death when he recently accepted the UUA Distinguished Service Award. I encourage you to read it.
We would all be blessed to come to grips with life and death as Church has done. So enjoy this week's interview. I am hoping to speak with Church again about his newest writings. If I can arrange the interview, I will let you know.
July 11, 2008 (Joan): "Sustainable Development." "Going Green." These phrases are certainly popular these days, but not everybody walks the walk. This week's guest, however, not only does "green," he practically invented the idea.
It was a great honor to speak with architect and designer William McDonough. His work is internationally recognized for its sustainability. I recommend his book, Cradle to Cradle. By the way, even the book itself is constructed and printed in such a way as to fit that cradle-to-cradle philosophy. The pages are made of a recyclable plastic and the ink is environmentally friendly. I can also recommend the documentary, The Next Industrial Revolution. It explains McDonough's work. You can view the show and learn more about McDonough from the links on the show's site.
We are hearing from lots of interesting folks this July. Last week, we re-aired the interview I did with Michael Beschloss, and July 24th, we'll air the latest interview I conducted with Forrest Church. Both of these men wrote about the courage and strength of our founding fathers and the best actions of U.S. Presidents. I did these interviews fairly closely together, and it was fun to compare these two men's work. Both books are good reads, though totally different in style and approach.
Marcia and I are working on some future shows. Our new season starts in the fall. I'll start off with a discussion about Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna's plan to change teacher evaluations. I'm also trying to book the new conductor of the Boise Philharmonic, Robert Franz. He was recently honored nationally for his music education efforts. If you have an idea for a show, send me a note. I'd love to hear from you.
June 30, 2008 (Marcia): There are quite a few lawyers in my family, and I've always admired not only their intellectual skills, but also their work. In many cases they've taken on cases that didn't bring them much in the way of money, but which helped other people a great deal.
So I've always wondered why folks are so quick to make jokes about attorneys. Sure, there are the ambulance chasers and the oily types, who take your money and run. But every field has those, and it seems to me that a lot of the over-litigation in our country isn't caused by lawyers, but by people who are quicker to sue than to mediate.
I mentioned the phenomenon of lawyer jokes in my introduction to my Dialogue program with Don Burnett, the dean of the University of Idaho's College of Law. But it wasn't until right before the show that I thought to ask him what he thought about all the ribbing. I scribbled the question on my script.
You might be interested to hear his response. It's at the beginning of the half-hour program, the bulk of which is Dean Burnett defending his plan to expand the law school from Moscow to Boise. It's an idea that's been about studied to death. Indeed, Burnett was on the blue-ribbon panel in 1999 that looked at it, when he was dean of the University of Louisville's School of Law.
But now it's on the cusp of being approved by the State Board of Education and forwarded on to the legislature for appropriation. Your tax dollars (an estimated $6 million), increased tuition (at least $4,000 a year) and private donations would pay for the new classes. The money would be used for an additional 15 teachers and an expanded law library for 200 more students. Even more funding would be needed for a building, which university officials hope to share with the Supreme Court.
Both the Moscow and Boise campuses would have introductory courses, and each location would specialize in upper-level courses. Moscow would continue to concentrate on natural resource and tribal law, and Boise would have sections on business and administrative law.
Burnett says that Boise is the only state capital in the country without a law school nearby. Concordia University out of Portland has picked up on that gap, and is considering locating a law school here. But Burnett says that a public law school is imperative so that students can graduate with less debt, and then be more able to go into lower-paying governmental or non-profit law.
Why? Those areas of the law are high priority to him. In his commencement address to graduating University of Idaho students in 2006, Dean Don Burnett exhorted them to pick a date every year to ask themselves, "Am I truly happy?" Not, he said, "Am I successful?" But, "Do I know the abiding happiness that comes from service to something larger than myself?"
"We want you to do well," he told them. "We also want you to do good."
For Burnett, 62, "doing good" for lawyers means being involved in your community as well as providing pro bono, or free assistance. After taking over as dean of the University of Idaho's College of Law in 2002, he instituted the only mandatory pro bono program at a law school. In order to graduate, all students are required to perform 40 hours of uncompensated law-related service.
When he required a similar course in Louisville, he said one of his students objected, calling it "slavery" that he had to do work without pay. A few months later, after completing the course, he was back in Dean Burnett's office with the same fervor. This time, though, it was to urge the dean to start free law clinics around the state for people who needed help with basic legal needs.
The student went on to set up those clinics, says the dean. Then shortly after Burnett moved to Idaho, he received a phone call from a man. The voice was raspy but Burnett recognized it as his former student. "I did good, didn't I?" said the man. "Yes, you certainly did," said the dean.
A few days later, the former student died. He had called the dean from his hospice.
To this day, Dean Burnett is moved telling that story. To him, the study of law is one piece of becoming an informed and involved citizen. It remains to be seen whether his case prevails with those who actually pass the laws in Idaho, 90% of whom are not attorneys.
June 19, 2008 (Marcia): One of my simple pleasures each month (when I can make it) is going to my book club. We’re known as "The Ladies of the Club," and at 46, I think I'm the youngest member. Never mind that these women can read me into the ground!
We spend about an hour talking about the book that we've all (ahem) read, and then we spend another 45 minutes talking about the world, our state, and our lives. We rejoiced when one of our members was saved from a near-drowning, and we grieved when the adult son of another member died suddenly. All of the women had, or have vibrant, successful careers and continue to contribute to our community in a myriad ways. I always learn from them.
But isn't that what makes book clubs so special? Sure, it's ostensibly about the books, and believe me, we have a lively tussle about our selections every year. But it's just as much about the camaraderie, the intellectual discourse and the support.
I've always been an avid reader, and early on in my career at Idaho Public Television, I had an idea for a regular "book club of the air." Unfortunately I wasn't able to interest our underwriting folks in the concept. But a few years later Oprah proved that such a program would have legs. Indeed, an Oprah "pick" virtually guarantees an author success, even if they do sometimes fudge the facts as author James Frey did.
When Dialogue began in 1994, I decided to try out the book club concept, with authors talking about their works, recommending some of their favorite books, and taking phone calls from viewers. My first guests were author and professor Mary Clearman Blew and suspense writer Ridley Pearson, who flew in on his private plane for the show!
This will be our 12th "Good Reading" show, and they're always a blast. I particularly enjoy hearing from viewers during the live program, and notice that women call in more on these shows than the others.
My pick for a "good summer read?" It's not even close. Buy or borrow All Over but the Shoutin', by Rick Bragg. A former New York Times reporter, Bragg grew up poorer than dirt poor in Alabama, and rose to win a Pulitzer Prize. His memoir is dedicated to his mother, who pulled cotton, took in laundry, did without food and medical care, and battled horrific abuse to try and give her children a better life. Bragg's descriptions, dialogue and in particular his metaphors stunned me with their jagged beauty. It's a tale you won't want to end, and I'm looking forward to reading the two additional books Bragg has written about his family.
Happy summer, and happy readin'!
June 5, 2008 (Marcia): As with so many dire situations, statistics just can't do justice to the individual pain involved. As our country sinks deeper into a recession, the stories are heart-wrenching, with people desperate to at least keep a roof over their heads. Whether it's due to a medical crisis, a job loss, poor financial decisions, or the rising cost of just about everything, the economic downturn is now affecting Americans who previously weren't as worried about their finances.
The increasing number of people in financial distress in our country will provide journalists with material for stories for years to come. And it's a story increasingly hitting close to home. I have four friends who are near bankruptcy themselves, who are only surviving due to the grace of their parents.
It's far too complex a problem to discuss in its entirety on a 30-minute program, but this week's Dialogue offers some ideas for keeping afloat during these hard times. It's advice that holds water in better times as well.
This is one program where the additional web materials are as important as the broadcast. Check out the show's webpage for links to information on a variety of financial topics, including advice on foreclosure and bankruptcy, and where to find an attorney to review your financial situation for a reduced fee.
May 8, 2008 (Joan): Can Idaho be powered by nature? That was the topic of tonight's show, and of the newest episode of Outdoor Idaho. Idaho is rich with opportunities to develop renewable energy, but it still supplies only a fraction of our electrical needs. Why? This show's two fine guests, Bill Rogers from the Idaho National Laboratory and John Gardner from BSU, are frustrated by the lack of a national energy policy that supports research and development of renewable energy sources. They are doing their part to change things and I encourage you to read more about it. There are lots of links available on this show's site or on the Outdoor Idaho Powered by Nature Web site. You can also check out a Web site we did a few years ago as part of our FocusWest series: The Price of Power.
I did receive one email asking a question about hydrogen use for transportation. This show concentrated on electricity so I did not have the opportunity to ask it, but I will hold on to the question. Energy policy as it relates to transportation is certainly an important enough topic for us to do another show on just that issue. If you have some other facets of energy policy you would like us to discuss, send me an email.
Dialogue will be preempted for the next couple of weeks. The Idaho Debates will air in our time slot. Be sure to watch the debates and check out the Web site. We'll be back on May 29th with a new show discussing the results of the May primary and how its results set the stage for November. Be sure to vote on May 27th and then call in with your questions on the 29th.
April 21, 2008 (Marcia): Reporters aim for objectivity. But the subjective nature of journalism is revealed in the very stories reporters choose to cover, and the questions they ask. Those differences were highlighted recently in three different interviews with Tim Egan, who is my Dialogue guest this week.
Marc Johnson, a former Idaho Public Television host, interviewed Egan as a guest host on Boise State University President Bob Kustra's public radio show. Johnson focused on how Egan's view of the Northwest, particularly its environment, had changed over the past 15 years since he wrote The Good Rain, a collection of essays about the region.
In his interview with Egan, Shea Anderson of the Boise Weekly emphasized his take on Northwest politics.
I, in turn, was fascinated by Egan's book, The Worst Hard Time, which chronicled the struggles of several Dust Bowl survivors. As a child, I pored over the Depression-era photos of hard-luck Americans and dreamed up stories about them. Those photos were, in fact, part of the motivation for my becoming a documentary maker.
Like many people, my vision of "Okies" was from those 1930s photos, as well as from the characters in The Grapes of Wrath. But, as Egan shows, the vast majority of people in the High Plains stayed during the decade-long disaster that ruined the land and lives. His book, which won a National Book Award, brings that era to light (or dark, as it were) as he describes the horrifying black clouds of dust that traveled as far as the East Coast and choked people to death.
Just as the other reporters, I also talked with Egan about Northwest politics. One would be remiss not to do so, as that is the emphasis of his New York Times column! But I was drawn first to his historical work. I found it intriguing how three different journalists emphasized different aspects of Egan's work. It is the measure of his multifaceted career that we can each pick and choose what we'd like to discuss with him. I hope you enjoy the interview, and check out the web extra, too!
April 14, 2008 (Marcia): As frustrating as it is to try and cover the issue of Idaho's uninsured in just 30 minutes, I'm sure it's nothing compared to the frustration that doctors who help these patients feel every day. In fact, I decided to produce a Dialogue edition on this topic after having lunch with a physician friend. She said she had recently spent a panicked weekend trying to get help for a patient that she felt would die if he didn't either get admitted to the hospital or get specific medication immediately. But he was in between jobs and hadn't started new insurance yet, so she couldn't get him help.
Fortunately, the patient lived. But my friend, who doesn't normally get involved in politics, was so shaken by the experience, as well as some other cases, that she testified before the Governor's Select Committee on Health Care. That committee has been traveling the state hearing from Idaho residents about the state of health care here, and will draw up recommendations for Governor Otter.
A typical Dialogue program on this type of issue might include guests from competing points of view, or different sectors of the health field, such as insurance companies and hospitals. But after talking with my friend, I decided I wanted to try something different and just invite three primary care physicians who work directly with the uninsured to be on the program. In this way, we could spend the full half hour looking at the issue through their eyes. Even then, we had to take an additional 15 minutes after the program to answer all the calls. You can view that segment in our Dialogue web extra.
Coincidentally, Frontline aired an episode the same week about health care coverage in other developed countries. I encourage you to watch the program.
In the future, I intend to host programs on the subject from other perspectives, including the patients themselves. It is just impossible to do justice to this topic in one program.
April 7, 2008 (Marcia): Toni Hardesty is an example of two overused, but nevertheless illustrative clichés — working your way up the ladder and breaking glass ceilings. She started her environmental career in the 1980s as an intern at what was then the Division of Environmental Quality. Now she's in charge of the DEQ, which became a cabinet-level department in 2000 and has a budget of $63 million. She's also the first woman to run the agency.
Hardesty, married to an EPA employee and the mother of two school-aged children, could be making a lot more than her current $105,000 salary if she worked in private industry, which she has in the past. But, as the Kimberly, ID native says in her Dialogue interview with me, "You go there because you believe that it needs to be done. And so everyday, even though it is challenging, you walk away thinking you're doing the right thing."
Hardesty, a personable, down-to-earth individual who meets with reporters directly instead of employing a press secretary, was appointed in 2004 by then-Governor Kempthorne. She was re-appointed by both Governors Risch and Otter. It's a rare feat, with Labor Director Roger Madsen and Finance Director Gavin Gee being the only other agency heads I can think of in that category.
Clearly, one of the reasons Hardesty's managed to navigate those political waters (sorry, another cliché) is that she's able to answer political questions in a non-confrontational way that doesn't antagonize either side. She showed that skill in our interview, politely circumnavigating, as it were, some questions until pressed. She did, however, indicate that she wishes that counties had been given more options to raise taxes for public transportation during this session. And she said she thought nuclear energy should be part of our utility mix.
There's hardly an issue that touches our lives that the DEQ doesn't have some role in regulating, from our air, to our water and our land. I encourage you to watch the streaming of the program. We had some great questions from viewers. In addition, Director Hardesty stayed after the program as part of a "Web Extra" to answer some more calls holding on the line. You can also stream that segment. Check it out!
March 24, 2008 (Marcia): There are microbrews, microloans, and microhistory. That's history from the inside out, showing how small events and items affect large trends.
For author Mark Kurlansky, my guest on this week's Dialogue, it means taking something as seemingly mundane as salt, or codfish, and aligning those commodities' histories with human culture. Salt, for instance, was once so precious that whole kingdoms rose and fell on its taxation. The root of the word "salary" comes from the Latin word "salarium," money given to Roman soldiers to buy salt. Similarly, fortunes were made on cod, whose decline Kurlansky mourns in his book Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World.
Kurlansky has also turned his sights to the year 1968 as a pivotal one in both only American and world history. He's looked at the concept of non-violence through the ages, and has been honored by the Basques for the books he has written about their important culture.
And yet in my interview with him, interestingly, he cannot put his finger on why he's always been interested in starting small and working out to the great moments and trends of history. Of course, most theses are exactly that, looking at slices of history or science, for instance, and positing their relative importance in a larger schema. Malcolm Gladwell has looked at how seemingly small trends get adopted in his classic book The Tipping Point. Many journalists, (Kurlansky having been one himself) have the same fascination with small stories.
Kurlansky, as you will see if you watch the program, is anything but diminutive. A large man with Hemingway-like features who, like Hemingway, is addicted to the sea, Kurlansky's next book will look at the life of the famous fishing town of Gloucester, MA. He can't talk about his next book after that, but let on that it may be a children's book drawing on his previous book on non-violence. I think you will learn something from hearing him talk about his various works. I know I did from reading them.
March 20, 2008 (Joan): This week's show harkens back to my first assignments for Idaho Public Television. I was hired to be a reporter for Idaho Reports, which was a daily show back then. I had been covering the Idaho Legislature for five years before joining the Idaho Reports staff, so covering politics and the Idaho Legislature is familiar ground. Yet each year, I am fascinated by all the comings and goings at the Statehouse. While I may shake my head at what some legislators say or do, I always respect the men and women who commit their lives to this public service.
This week, we had a chance to comment on breaking news. Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter had just vetoed funding for the Office of Drug Policy and for substance abuse treatment. It was the first time President Pro Tem Robert Geddes and House Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet could make a public comment. Sen. Geddes suggested that the issue might have more to do with internal disputes than the desire to not fund substance abuse treatment. Yet, if things stand as they are, the funding will be cut.
That news prompted one viewer to call in. While fighting back his tears, this viewer told how drug courts had saved his daughter's life. He asked legislators to act. Geddes and Jaquet both said they expect the Legislature to act to restore funding, though at what amount is still unknown. Many people don't think what happens at the Legislature makes much of a difference. This show and this viewer's call remind all of us that there is a personal side, perhaps even a personal cost, to much of what goes on at the Capitol. We should all pay attention.
February 29, 2008 (Joan): To steal a phrase from our commercial colleagues, "Are you ready for some football?" It isn't our typical Dialogue topic, but when you have the chance to talk with BSU Head coach Chris Petersen, you have to, ahem, tackle it. Petersen graciously came on the show last year after the big Fiesta Bowl win and was so well received that I decided to invite him back. He is a warm, genuine person, dedicated to what he is doing, and very open to sharing.
Coach Petersen doesn't think switching from the current bowl game series to a play-off system would benefit any of Idaho's teams. If you want to learn why, click here to watch the interview. After the show, one viewer complained that I didn't say the abbreviation of the bowl game series correctly. Just for the record, it is the BCS (Bowl Championship Series); my apologies. On the flip side, I also received a nice compliment about the interview: "It was a fun to see the coach asked something other than the usual questions, and to see it done in a thoughtful manner." If you have a compliment or a complaint, send us an email.
Because of Festival, we are preempted on March 6th. But Marcia will be back on March 13th with a fascinating program on the ecological effects of climate change. I will be back on March 20th with an interview with Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter.
February 18, 2008 (Marcia): OK, I have to admit to being a bit of a TV "Luddite." Despite the fact I've worked in the television industry for the past 24 years, I've always had a television set from the Dark Ages. For a long time, it was a teeny black and white set. Then a kind Idaho friend, appalled that I was watching my own programs on such a thing, took pity on me. A small color television set appeared on my doorstep, gratis of him. I still have that set, which makes a loud whine once it warms up.
My main television set is my grandmother's, which I got upon her passing. It's too bulky for me to move without help, and there are lines going through some of the stations. I've never had satellite, or anything but the most basic cable. So I've never seen HBO or Cinemax anywhere but in a hotel. I was never good at programming the VCR, so it's sitting in the garage, and I got my simple DVD player from a pawn shop.
And you know, I've never really seen a good television picture of myself except in our studios. Then again, maybe I don't want to, since the new high-definition cameras and sets magnify every little flaw!
Very soon, though, I'm going to have to get with the 21st century and buy a new television set. That's because in one year, most television broadcasters will be sending their signals exclusively in a digital format. And while I would still be able to see the programs because I have cable, they're not going to look very good on Grandma's set. So this seems as good a time as any to upgrade.
There are millions more like me who don't have cable or satellite, though, and who won't be able to see digital television without a converter box. And those converter boxes are having problems of their own.
So how did this whole "digital transition" come to be? And if you're like me, what's the best way to muddle through with the least amount of cost and effort?
To learn more, tune in to this week's Dialogue. In addition to our very knowledgeable General Manager Peter Morrill, I'll be speaking with representatives from the FCC and the NTIA about the issue. All three will take your phone calls live on the Thursday night broadcast (and yes, Idaho Public Television is already broadcasting digitally, even if you can't tell!), or you can email your question ahead of time to dialogue@idahotpv.org.
February 15, 2008 (Joan): Since we started producing Dialogue in 1994, the show has fallen on Valentine's Day only once before. The last time I did a show on a Fish and Game initiative. This year, I decided to produce a show about relationships. We would have just finished a series of shows talking with the heads of various state agencies, and I thought it would be nice to do something less political. Associate Producer Jody Lee did the basic research and came up with some great guests, Dr. Roger Olson and Dr. Carla Jensen. We also decided to add some relationship quizes. If you haven't taken them, you should: Dr. Carla Jensen's quiz | Dr. Roger Olson's quiz. My thanks to Rick Penticoff for his help getting the quizes on the website.
Now, a few folks around here thought a show about relationships was too "namby-pamby." So, if you want something tougher, tune in on February 28th for an interview with BSU Head Football Coach Chris Peterson.
I did receive an email I wanted to pass on about my interview with Richard Armstrong, the head of the Department of Health and Welfare. The following came from Stormy Stanek of Emmett:
I noticed that you did a show with the Department of Health and Welfare. Bringing the public's attention to this matter is vital to its survival. However, a matter is in an urgent state.
The foster care program provides care for children that are victims of abuse and neglect. These are children that need a loving home while the birth parents receive help with their personal issues. The problem is there are not enough homes to provide the care that these innocent children need.
I am a foster parent and know first hand how wonderful these special children are. These are not just children of their birth parents; they are Idaho's children and future. These children need and want to be cared for in a safe and loving environment.
We need to get the message out to the caring people of Idaho that being a foster parent is not only a responsibility, but also the most rewarding job they could ever have.
Could you please find the time to help these abused and neglected children find the caring homes that they so desperately need?
This is indeed an important topic and is on our list for a future show. Thank you for the email, Stormy.
February 5, 2008 (Marcia): Last Friday, I listened to the budget presentation of Cal Groen, the director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. As he breezed through his PowerPoint presentation of the issues facing the agency, he momentarily paused on a picture of wolves. "It's time," he said. "It's time for state management of wolves."
At the end of this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will issue its final rule governing the Rocky Mountain wolf population, taking them off the endangered species list and allowing the states involved to manage them. That means, among other things, there will be a controlled hunting season for wolves in Idaho.
After Groen's presentation, there was only one question for him about the wolf program. Lawmakers seemed more interested in whether the gun range in Lewiston would be closed.
What a far cry (or howl, as the case may be) from just a few years ago. Wolves were first re-introduced by the federal government to central Idaho in 1995. I was covering the legislature on a daily basis, and if there could have been a collective voice from the lawmakers, it would have screamed, "Over my dead body!" Lawmakers were so set against even acknowledging the presence of wolves that the federal government paid the Nez Perce tribe to manage the program. It was the first time a tribe had been asked to manage an endangered species.
The legislature turned its back on the wolf program for nearly a decade, passing resolutions railing against the feds, and even allowing testimony from citizens who said they were poisoning wolves illegally and wouldn't mind taking a few shots at Fish and Wildlife folks either.
But resolutions didn't get rid of the wolves, and they multiplied handily. Finally, statesmen like former Sen. Laird Noh convinced their fellow lawmakers that Idaho really couldn't keep turning a blind eye to the issue and that it would have more control if it took over management of the animals. The state came up with a management plan, which was approved by the federal government. Although it will go into effect at the end of March, the department anticipates the plan will be stalled by lawsuits.
We'll talk about the wolf plan this week on Dialogue with Director Groen. But don't be surprised if he "tags" another issue as even more pressing on the agency's docket. According to Groen, it's taking up to 20% of his time. Can you guess what it is? Tune in and find out!
February 4, 2008 (Marcia): On January 17, Idaho Department of Commerce Director Jim Ellick was scheduled to be on Dialogue. A few hours before the program, he cancelled, and was replaced by Don Dietrich of the same agency. The press secretary for the department gave no specific reason for Ellick's cancellation. Monday, February 4th, Governor Otter's office announced that Ellick had taken a leave of absence for "personal reasons." Mr. Dietrich has taken his place as acting director. You can read more about the story at: http://www.newwest.net/city/article/controversial_idaho_commerce_director_goes_on_leave/C108/L108/
January 31, 2008 (Joan): The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has a budget of more than a billion dollars. It is easy to see that every Idahoan uses the services provided by this agency at some point in his or her life. This week, I talked with Richard Armstrong, H&W director. Check out the program here on the website.
Mr. Armstrong is obviously a man carrying a big burden. It must be a tough job managing programs as diverse as food inspections, health care for thousands of Idahoans, disease prevention, and birth certificates. Of everything he said, two things stood out for me.
Meth now tops alcohol as the biggest substance abuse problem. And, requests for food stamps in December were among the highest ever. Neither fact bodes well for our state's health or its economy.
Next week we finish up this series of interviews with state agency heads. Marcia will be interviewing the head of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. After that, we'll take a break from government issues for something a bit more personnel. The show falls on Valentine's Day, so I thought it might be a good opportunity to talk about relationships. More on that as it develops, but if you have a question, send me an email.
January 24, 2008 (Marcia): In his State of the State address [Read text | View video 
], Governor Otter made a pitch for better roads and bridges in Idaho. "We must leave no stone unturned," he said, in efforts to make those assets safer and less crowded.
Yet a few moments later, he vowed that one major boulder would remain in place, saying he would not support a gas tax increase. That's an easy sell, because virtually no one — not lawmakers, and certainly not the average driver paying more than $3.00 at the pump — wants to pay even more.
Yet almost half of the state's contribution to the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) budget comes from the state gas tax. That tax, which has not been raised since 1996, is set at 25 cents a gallon. (Drivers pay another 19 cents a gallon in federal gas taxes, with Idaho a sizable beneficiary of those taxes, getting back a higher percentage than its citizens pay at the pump.)
Even with all the newcomers to the state, though, the Highway Distribution Account has only grown 22% over the past decade, compared to more than 120% for state sales tax revenues. In part, says the ITD, this is due to more fuel-efficient cars.
Otter is more willing to support an increase in registration fees. But at an Idaho Press Club event Wednesday, Senate Pro Tem Robert Geddes and House Speaker Lawerence Denney sounded lukewarm on the idea, focusing more on the fact that the ITD still has tens of millions of unspent GARVEE dollars in the bank. Those are the bonds that the state sold for road construction, which will be paid back with future federal gas tax receipts.
ITD says the process has been slowed down by environmental planning, right-of-way acquisition, and changes to the original project list.
So, with no increased fuel tax, and the possibility of static registration fees, where does that leave the agency? The Idaho Transportation Board says ITD needs an additional $200 million a year to just keep up with employee costs and road maintenance. The agency isn't requesting any of that money, perhaps figuring they'll do well to get an additional $134 in GARVEE bonding authority, which the Governor supports.
On a special hour-long edition of Dialogue, we'll talk with ITD Director Pamela Lowe and Idaho Transportation Board Chairman Darrell Manning about potential solutions "down the road." Other states are experimenting with toll roads, for instance. The Governor indicated he'd support a bill to allow local option taxation for roads. And of course, many other states are further along with alternate transit options, such as trains.
What are your thoughts? Be sure to tune in at 8:00/7:00 p.m. Thursday and let us know. Or, before the show, email me at dialogue@idahoptv.org or use our web email form.
January 14, 2008 (Marcia): Anyone who has lived in Idaho for even a few years has experienced this state's growth. No longer can you be assured you'll see familiar people when you're waiting at the airport luggage claim, or that you'll pass a fragrant mint field on your favorite bike route. That field is more likely now to be a subdivision with an artificial waterfall gracing its entrance.
For the past decade, Idaho has consistently been one of the fastest-growing states in the country. But according to Idaho Department of Commerce Director Jim Ellick, marketing and selling the Gem State "has been in the freezer."
Ellick, 64, who took over the 57-person agency last July, was wooed by Governor Otter after he met Otter's son at a party. A veteran not only of the Vietnam War, but the entrepreneurial world of the Silicon Valley, Ellick doesn't mince words when he says we need to not to just accept, but "embrace change," and "stop thinking that we can live in the 1950s."
He is asking for more then $5 million to enhance the agency's marketing and business recruiting budgets. And still, that's only a drop in the bucket for what he says Idaho needs to compete with surrounding states like Utah and Washington.
Ellick will be my guest on Dialogue this week. He'll talk about why he traded in his consulting gig for an $85,000 job in a state where he'd never lived. We'll also discuss his goals for promoting the state to both businesses and tourists, and his thoughts on the downturn in the fortunes of Micron, one of the state's largest economic drivers.
Do you have thoughts on where and how the state should develop? Send me an email, or call in the night of the live program on Thursday, January 17 at 1-800-973-9800.
January 7, 2008 (Joan): This week we continue our look at the ins and outs of Idaho's state government with a conversation with the head of Idaho's Correction department, Brent Reinke. This agency faces a big problem — too many prisons and not enough space. Many states are trying alternatives to building big new prisons. What will Idaho do? Be sure to send your email questions before the show or call in live on Thursday.
The State Legislature starts this week. Be sure to check out Legislative Live and Idaho Reports for all the happenings at the Statehouse annex. It should be interesting to see how everyone deals with the reduced space. Save yourself some trouble. Watch the legislature on Idahoptv.org!
December 31, 2007 (Joan): We decided to use our airtime this month to kick off a public discussion about some of the big policy, and hence big-ticket items, that the Legislature will face. So why, you may ask, are we starting a look at how government agencies that spend your tax dollars with an interview with the relatively new head of the Idaho Historical Society? That's a fair question, and one Marcia asked me as we discussed using all the shows in January to focus on state agencies. Why look at such a small entity when there are enough bigger state agencies to take up every show in 2008?
Well, according to A. Whitney Brown, the past actually happened, but history is only what someone wrote down. I think it is worthy to spend a little time finding out what the folks who are "in charge" of Idaho's history are doing. Their work preserving our past is in jeopardy because of a lack of funding. So what are this agency's priorities? What will be saved and what will be lost? It is your money and your history. Send me your questions and tune in!
December 24, 2007 (Joan): In a time so holy for so many people, it seems right to have a discussion about religion on this week's show. We are wrapping up our series of author interviews with a discussion with religious historian Forrest Church.
Church is the author of a number of books on religion, but his newest, So Help Me God, is especially interesting. He writes about the relationship our first Presidents had with religion and religious leaders and about the issue of separation of church and state in our nation's founding. Church is an amazing man as well as a gifted writer. Before our interview started, he was telling me about what was new in his life. Earlier this year, he was diagnosed with cancer. His doctors told him he had a few weeks to live. A deeply spiritual man, Church said facing such a pronouncement forced him to look at his beliefs in a whole new light. He did what he could medically and also what he could do spiritually, and today he is still alive and doing well.
Months after he should have died, Church is writing and looking forward to the future. Enjoy the interview and check out the links on this show's web site to learn more about Forrest Church and his writings.
May we all find the peace Church has found. Happy holidays to everyone!
December 10, 2007 (Joan): This week, I have a chance to discuss the life of a man I admire, Idaho Senator Jim McClure. As a native Idahoan, I followed his career, and he was among the first politicians I interviewed as a new reporter. McClure and his biographer, William Smallwood, will be in the studio for a live show Thursday. McClure's biography, McClure of Idaho, was published earlier this year and is an interesting read. McClure, for those of you who don't know, was a Congressman and then Senator from Idaho, serving from 1966 until 1991. He was part of many of American history's greatest and worst events of the last 50 years. It should be a good show, so tune in! If you have a question for Senator McClure or William Smallwood, send me an email before the show, or call in live at 1-800-973-9800.
Next week, Marcia takes the host's seat with an interview with author Richard Paul Evans. We wrap up our series of author interviews on December 27th with my conversation with Forrest Church, one the nation's leading religious historians.
December 5, 2007 (Joan): This month, Marcia and I are focusing on some big topics via a series of conversations with leading authors. This week: What is Presidential courage? With about a month to go before the Iowa caucuses and the official kick-off to the 2008 presidential campaign, it becomes all the more important to understand what qualities make a great President. Author and historian Michael Beschloss names those chief executives who acted in the best interests of our nation, despite the personal costs, in his newest book: Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989.
Beschloss is an engaging speaker. Doing this interview was lots of fun. He was in Idaho to speak to the Idaho Humanities Council and I appreciated the Council's generosity in arranging the interview. Because this show was taped, we won't be taking any phone questions, but if you have a comment, send me an email. I'd love to know what qualities you think a President should have.
Next week (December 13th), tune in for an interview with Sen. Jim McClure and his biographer William Smallwood. This show will be live, and we will take email questions before the show and phone calls during the program.
November 28, 2007 (Marcia): Dialogue covers both breaking news and historical subjects of interest to our state. This week's program falls into the latter category. Most of us have no realization of how many items we use every day are mined. Idaho, which had some of the richest silver mines in the world, also had one of the worst mining disasters. This edition of Dialogue explores that event.
In May, 1972, 91 silver miners lost their lives in a fire in the Sunshine Mine near Wallace, ID. This program revisits that disaster with an author who has written about it, and two people intimately involved. I feel fortunate that we are able to bring these kinds of stories to light, especially for newcomers to the state, and I think you'll be particularly moved by the comments of guest Peggy Delange-White, who lost her father, uncle and brother-in-law in the tragedy.
The area is rebounding from its own economic disaster after the mines closed — locals can't believe the prices of houses now — but the scars from the accident are still very real for many who live there, and there are still many miners around the world who work in extremely dangerous situations to bring us the products that we enjoy every day.
November 26, 2007 (Joan): We received the following email about our recent program "Open Idaho," a program that looked at Idaho's Public Records and Open Meeting law:
I noticed on your website you have the video heading as "THE LAW HAS TEETH" . . . are you kidding me?? If it had teeth there would be more incentive for those not to ignore the law. The ONLY remedy, as the AG READ . . . is for private citizens to take publicly funded entities to COURT . . . and wow, if the average citizen does . . . the fine is ridiculous!! The AG is the legal representation for many of these entites . . . all he has to do is advise his client to FOLLOW IDAHO'S law . . . the excuse he gave was ridiculous. As long as we have weak ethic laws for elected officials . . . and WEAK LAWS regarding open meetings and public records . . . the citizens will not be served. Just because one says it . . . does not make it so. If the AG was truly wanting openness . . . he could ask legislators to pass legislation that would truly PUT "Teeth in the LAW." I would have never expected to see such rubbish on your site. If the Law has Teeth . . . they must be teeth made out of a jello mold!
Sheesh . . .
Laurie
Laurie: I feel your pain. I too am frustrated that it can be difficult to hold public officials accountable for violating the state's Open Meeting and Public Record laws. If citizens don't like it, they need to contact their legislators and work to change it. Groups like Idahoans for Openness in Government (IDOG) and The Idaho Press Club will be working to strengthen the penalties for the Open Meeting law this next legislative session. In the meantime, education about the laws and why it is important to keep our government open and accessible is still very important. That's why we produced the "Open Idaho" DVD, its Web site and the Dialogue program.
November 13, 2007 (Joan): Our Thursday program is pre-empted this week due to the airing of Assassination: Idaho's Trial of the Century. I encourage everyone to watch this program produced by Bruce Reichert. It had its premiere on Wednesday, November 7th at the Egyptian Theater and was well received. It even has its own amazing website. Check it out.
On Sunday, Marcia talks with PBS President Paula Kerger about public broadcasting and its place in a rapidly changing media environment.
In the meantime, I have been getting some feedback from our "Open Idaho" Program.
Sandy from Boise writes:
The short acts shown on your recent Open Records show, showing different situations for public records, had a mistake. The County clerk does not give information on property tax; that would be the Count Assessor.
While Sandy is quite right that the County Assessor would have all the information about property taxes, not every county in Idaho has separate staffs for the County Clerk's office and County Assessor's office. Also, the Referee character points out that the clerk in question is new to the job and has little training on public records. So, while I think we could have made that clearer in the video piece, I think the piece is still okay. Watch it and let me know what you think.
November 8, 2007 (Joan): "Let the people know the facts, and the country will be safe," President Abraham Lincoln wrote in 1861. An open and honest government is fundamental to a free society. But that is only possible when citizens, public officials, the media and government employees are all aware of their rights and responsibilities. It has been my experience that public meetings are closed and public documents are withheld all too often. Usually, it happens because someone doesn't understand what Idaho's Open Meeting and Public Records laws require.
Idahoans for Openness in Government, a non-profit citizens group, decided to do something about this education gap. IDOG, in association with Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and his office, presents seminars across the state teaching citizens, media, elected officials and government employees about the Open Meeting and Public Records laws. The seminars are in such demand that, last spring, Betsy Russell, IDOG President, approached Idaho Public Television about producing a DVD version of the event. That's how the Open Idaho project got started.
With a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation through the National Freedom of Information Coalition, we produced the DVD, added a companion website, and presented the most recent Dialogue program — all to teach everyone about these important statutes. The Fool Squad, Joe Golden and Tom Willmorth, adapted the skits first developed by IDOG and the Attorney General's office. Joe and Tom, along with fellow actors Christina Lang and Danny Peterson, brought the characters to life with the help of the outstanding crew here at Idaho Public Television.
Once the DVD is duplicated, Betsy and IDOG will be distributing them or you can check out the website to see all the content. Either way, residents now have an important "new users' guide" to Idaho's Open Meeting and Public Records laws.
October 30, 2007 (Joan): What is artificial intelligence? Stanford computer scientist John McCarthy defines it this way: Artificial intelligence (AI) is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines. Most of us view AI through the lens of Hollywood science fiction movies and TV shows. We picture the robot that answers all our demands or tries to take over the world. But AI in the real world is found on the Internet, in appliances, even your kid's toy box. This realm of science fascinates me. The men and women who are innovating in the field will decide a lot about what our future will look like.
Boise resident Caleb Chung is one of those creative inventors who finds new ways to apply AI. He is already famous for inventing Furby, the first widely released robot. His new creation, Pleo, may well find its way into your home soon. His inventing skills are impressive. John Sosoka, Chief Technology Officer for UGOBE, the developer of Life Forms robotic technology, will join him. Both men are excited about talking about their passion, AI. And it is nice to take a break from politics!
This should be an eye-opening conversation about the future of technology and humanity. Be sure to email before the show or call in live on Thursday.
October 30, 2007 (Marcia): I received about 30 email questions for Tom Luna before and after our program last week. Most were about his merit pay plan for teachers. I was able to read some of them on the air, but not all of them, so here they are. I think they give an interesting preview of some of the questions that will arise in the legislature as Supt. Luna advocates for his plan, called iSTARS.
I also received a few emails criticizing me for asking Supt. Luna about his brother, who had just been indicted by a grand jury on a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child. I had asked Supt. Luna what he would say if he could reach his brother, who at the time had still not been located by law enforcement and was potentially armed. Luna said he had no comment.
Todd in Sandpoint was "appalled" that I had asked the question. "Why on earth, in a half-hour program supposedly focusing on important Idaho education issues did she feel it necessary to bring that up, and just how did she expect Mr. Luna to respond?" he wrote. "Shame on you, Ms. Franklin," he continued, "for . . . sinking to the level of Jerry Springer in the first thirty seconds of the program!"
Irene in Boise wrote that I was "totally unprofessional" in asking Luna the question. She said it was "a cheap shot which served no other purpose than to try to embarrass and humiliate your guest. Shame on you . . . "
I did not ask the question to embarrass Supt. Luna. He was aware that he would be asked about his brother. Earlier in the day, reporters in North Idaho had also asked him about the situation.
I can't speak for the other journalists, but I asked the question because his brother was still on the run and considered potentially dangerous. I wanted to know if he had anything to say to encourage him to return. Even if his brother had not been watching our program, the quote might have been picked up by other media entities and heard by him. I also asked because Supt. Luna is an elected official paid by the taxpayers, in charge of the safety of more than 250,000 students. The question was brief, and then we moved on. I spoke with Supt. Luna afterwards and he said that he felt the interchange had been respectful.
Of course, Luna is not the only public official to have a sibling in trouble. Many viewers probably remember the exploits of both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton's brothers, both of whom were alcoholics. The brother of William Bulger, the former president of the Massachusetts State Senate, was indicted on multiple charges, including murder. He is still on the run. The brother of Providence, RI Mayor David Cicilline was indicted earlier this year on extortion charges.
Reporters asked all of those public officials about their siblings. Do the officials say much? Usually not. As longtime Boston Globe reporter Martin Nolan said about Bulger's silence, "Family is the oldest political association that we know of. It's the deepest root." But that doesn't mean the questions shouldn't be asked.
When Bulger, who became the president of the University of Massachusetts, finally broke his silence about his brother in 2003, he admitted to having talked to him over the phone shortly after he had disappeared. Pressure from then-governor Mitt Romney prompted Bulger's resignation. Earlier this year, federal prosecutors decided not to charge Bulger with obstruction of justice.
As I do with other questions like this, I had talked with several of my colleagues about the situation before the program. All agreed I should ask Supt. Luna about it. It is never easy or fun to ask these types of questions. But I believe that it is valid to ask an elected public official about a family member charged with a serious crime. Are elected officials held to a higher standard? Yes. We choose our leaders in part for their character, and how they deal with these types of situations can reflect that.
Early Monday morning, Supt. Luna's brother turned himself in to authorities. At this time, Supt. Luna does not have any formal comment on the situation.
October 23, 2007 (Marcia): Exactly one year ago, on October 25, 2006, Tom Luna and his opponent, Jana Jones, met in our studios for a debate for the position of State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Tom Luna would win that election. It seems only fitting that after a year we would have Supt. Luna on Dialogue to talk about his first (nearly) year in office.
Sometimes there's a push to be "the first" to interview a new official, but that doesn't always work out for the viewer. The person may simply not have enough experience to be able to answer the questions cogently. Recently, I talked to Paul Kjellander, the incoming "Energy Czar" (I dislike that title, but that's for another blog) about being on Dialogue. He said that honestly he wasn't ready yet to discuss his plans for the office, because it was so new. I think that's fair, and we'll ask him again to be on the program.
In the meantime, Luna certainly has enough months in office to be able to field questions. So what will he and I discuss? We will surely touch on his proposed budget, which includes a potentially controversial plan to pay some teachers more, but also have them, according to the Idaho Education Association, give up some of their job security in exchange. We'll talk about testing, the re-authorization of No Child Left Behind, and about his math initiative.
But this is also the chance for you to submit your questions for Supt. Luna, either by email, or by calling us the night of the live show (Thursday, October 25th) at 1-800-973-9800. You are the ones who know your local school district best - so let us know what you think!
October 18, 2007 (Joan): This week's show came about because of the determination of one man to save tigers, elephants and all the creatures currently listed as threatened or endangered. Steve Burns, the Zoo Boise director, came to me almost a year ago saying he wanted us to help publicize the Zoo's conservation efforts. Last year, he pushed the idea of increasing the zoo's admission by a quarter to start a conservation fund. Now, he says, every time someone goes to the zoo, they are helping to save an animal. Over time that conservation fund has grown to about $60,000 and six applicants are vying for funding. Now it is your chance to do one small thing to help save a species. Check out the grant applicants and vote for your favorite three. The vote isn't limited to Boise area folks. Anyone can participate. The winners of this very public vote will receive the money. The change in admission, the conservation fund, the vote — these are all efforts to get people talking about conservation and to realize that they can make a difference. And it is not just for adults. Endangered species and conservation were the focus of the latest D4K program. Have your kids check out D4K Endangered Species website and show. Get them into the discussion.
Steve Burns is passionate about the idea that each of us can make a difference, that the problem is not so large that there is no solution. He invites everyone to vote for their favorite conservation effort, to think of it as one easy step in a long journey to save the world's endangered species. I think the next step on that journey is to talk about the problem and learn what else you can do. That's why we are focusing on this topic this week.
UPDATE: On October 4th, I did a show about the federal SCHIP program. The U.S. House of Representatives today failed to override the President's veto of this program, which provides health insurance for four million children across the country. If you want to learn more, check out the links on that show's page.
COMMENTS
Thursday, October 18, 2007 8:41 PM | Charles (Boise)I love the outdoors, and admire all creatures of the world. Some are offensive to humans, while some are adorable. Extinction is a process the world takes to weed out the weak, or those that cannot cope with change. Who was around when the dinosaurs died out? Who will be around when the human race dies out? I feel it is all in the progress of the changing world, and no one really has any control over what happens.
October 9, 2007 (Marcia): I'm sure the question will arise, "Why have another program about Senator Craig?" (see our September 6th show, "Senator Larry Craig's Scandal"). And it's a fair question, as I'm sure many people have tired of the story.
I, too, juggled with that issue as I tried to decide whether to do this week's Dialogue program on the Senator's decision to stay in office, despite a judge's ruling that he cannot rescind his guilty plea to disorderly conduct in a men's restroom. I talked with several of my colleagues in the newsroom here about it, weighing whether there was enough new information for us to discuss since our first program on the subject on September 6th.
Ultimately I decided that there was enough "new news" to proceed. For instance, how will an ethics committee investigation play out-out in the open or behind closed doors? Could it vindicate Senator Craig or hurt him more? How is this situation affecting the Republican Party, particularly in Idaho? Do the Democrats in Washington actually want Sen. Craig to stay? Also, he says he's not resigning because he can still be effective for Idaho; is that the case? How does his continued employment change the amount of his pension?
And frankly, fatigue with the story is also part of the story. Have voters tired enough of it and have they heard enough jokes about it that they are anesthetized against having any particular feelings? Have they "forgiven" Craig and just want to move on, or are they still angered enough to try and recall him?
There are many stories that exhaust people, including me. For instance, it is difficult to read or hear about the continual strife in certain parts of the world. But that does not make those stories less important. I do not believe the media is keeping this story alive to "sell papers." It's alive because Senator Craig has kept it alive, and because it involves an elected official paid by the taxpayers who is taking on a cause against his own party. It's also an issue many other people would hide from, so there's a fascinating psychological component to it, in my view.
I look forward to talking with my guests, all accomplished reporters covering this story, and from viewers, about where they think the Larry Craig situation is, or is not, taking us.
COMMENTS
Thursday, October 11, 2007 - 6:28 PM | Jesse (St. Maries)This entire Larry Craig affair is a disgrace and an embarrassment. Not only has his conduct been unacceptable since its beginning, but the reaction of the "Good Old Boy" club of Idaho has made it even worse. It's little wonder that the masses of us have lost confidence in our political system and our government . . . I think it's past time for him to go and I think he should realize that and act on his own, rather than force the rest of us to tolerate his disgrace until we can find other ways to get rid of him…. This, as all things, should be about what's good for Idaho - and none of us should be held above that. Not even Larry Craig.
Thursday, October 11, 2007 - 10:44 PM | Karen (North Fork)
If Senator Craig was a sick-minded pervert, why have we not heard from his sexual partners? He has been in office a long time and has a good record. The State of Idaho is too small to hide that kind of perversion for very long. It all comes up. I believe he is innocent, but when he was in Minnesota it was just "Okay, you say I committed disorderly conduct. I have a life and am too busy to get a lawyer, go to court, etc." He only made the mistake of not telling someone when he came home. I guess he was embarrassed and hope it wouldn't surface. He needs to stay on the job. Our country has too many problems. Let's not waste any more time with this issue.
October 4, 2007 (Joan): Welcome to Dialogue's new blog. Each week, Marcia Franklin and I will take turns adding our thoughts, your comments, and tidbits of information about the show. We hope this will be another chance to have an open Dialogue. So break a bottle of virtual champagne (or sparkling apple cider) and launch this blog!
October 4, 2007 show: SCHIP Update: Idahoans have had a love-hate relationship with this particular federal program for a long time. I sat through the legislative hearing when Idaho first adopted the Children's Health Insurance Program. It was just "CHIP" back then. Awhile later, I covered the JFAC decision to continue the CHIP program, but not fund any publicity about it. Legislators hoped that if no one knew about, no one would sign up. It didn't work. More than 20 thousand Idaho kids get their health insurance through CHIP.
This past summer, I attended a training session for Statehouse reporters sponsored by Capitolbeat. The seminar about SCHIP, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, was one of the most heavily attended. It is a big story everywhere. I learned a lot, including that fact that Idaho's SCHIP is very well thought of by experts across the nation. But all health care costs are escalating, include SCHIP's, and that's not good news. In the Congressional reauthorization, CHIP became SCHIP and the price tag went up.
Congress wants to expand SCHIP. The President doesn't. The kids are caught in-between. It is up to citizens to get informed. Watch the show on-line, check out the links, and let your voice be heard. Let me know what you think too. Send me an email and get the Dialogue going.
Next week, Marcia will lead a discussion about the future of Idaho's Senior Senator Larry Craig and the impact of his decision to stay on the job. Email your questions in before the show.