Los Angeles Times - Opinion

In the struggle against racism, we haven't overcome yet

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Some conservatives say the U.S. has won the fight against racism, but the battle still has many fronts.

If a visitor from the first half of the 20th century were plunked down in America today, he'd find, among other things, that drinking fountains in the South are no longer segregated, black women in the workforce are no longer overwhelmingly maids and baby-sitters, and interracial marriage is no longer against the law as it was in 30 states in 1950. When he figured out how to use a remote control and managed to get his TV tuned to CNN and saw the ubiquitous image of the country's new president, he'd no doubt collapse in shock.

Orange County Museum of Art deal is too sketchy

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

OCMA officials may have had good motives, but the sale price and the secretiveness raise questions.

Aquestionable deal is a lot like art. No one can define it, but people know it when they see it. What everybody knows is that at least a couple of the paintings recently sold by the Orange County Museum of Art were stellar examples of California Impressionism. Yet no one except the museum's director and a few others know why they were sold so secretly, for such an apparently low price, or to whom.

What is it about Sarah Palin?

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The departing Alaska governor doesn't just line people up on different sides of an issue; she turns them against each other.

When Sarah Palin announced her resignation as Alaska governor, I did what any self-respecting "liberal media" smirker would do. I gleefully noted all the mean, clever things I could write about her.

Proposition 13 isn't the problem

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

When times get tough, the property tax measure comes under attack, but it's no boogeyman.

The "Blame 13" chorus is at it again. You can always count on it to sing "It's all Proposition 13's fault" during difficult economic times. The story has gone national, with columns in Time magazine and the New York Times taking shots at Proposition 13. The attacks are probably best summed up by an editorial cartoon picturing Proposition 13 as the beginning of the end for California civilization.

Learning to quit smoking

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

My first puffs at 16 were all about smooth moves, fashion statements and rebellion. The hard part came later.

"I constantly struggle with it [smoking]. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes."

What makes the arts 'essential'? Let me draw you a picture

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Experiencing art is a crucial to producing young people who can understand the world's complexity. That's something philanthropic leaders should remember.

Irecently sent an article to a local philanthropic leader about the importance of helping arts organizations during the recession. I thought he might draw inspiration from it, but that was too optimistic.

Who's the next GOP star?

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Glenn Reynolds says Sarah Palin can still make a comeback. Katherine Mangu-Ward says Republicans should stick to their guns to have a chance against Obama in 2012.

Thursday's topic: Does the GOP have a potential star? Does it really need one to be an effective opposition to Democrats?

Here comes the new GM

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The struggling automaker will likely emerge from bankruptcy this week. Can it return to profitability?

Having won the blessing of a federal judge , a new version of General Motors is expected to emerge from bankruptcy this week with fewer brands, dealerships and debts. Those cost-cutting measures will certainly help the reorganized company; in fact, without them, GM may have been unsalvageable. But they don't guarantee success either. And unless the company makes even more fundamental changes in the way it does business than it has already, it may not be able to halt its debilitating slide in sales.

A warning sign from Mexico's elections

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

A comeback by the once-dominant PRI may signal a longing for a return to a one-party state. If President Felipe Calderon hopes to salvage his PAN party, he needs to fix the economy and public safety.

It's the economy, estupido . And the drug violence, lack of security and failure to end impunity for well-connected lawbreakers. It's a legacy of corruption. For all those reasons, Mexico's ruling National Action Party took a hammering in this week's midterm elections from frustrated voters, many of whom turned back to the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which ruled for almost 70 years before being discredited and ousted nearly a decade ago.

The Maxine Waters $1-million funding flap

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Having Rep. Waters' name on a Watts job program is costing it an appropriation. The answer is simple: Change the name.

Even Shakespeare got it wrong occasionally. There is is something in a name. In this case, the name is the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center, and federal funding for the Watts job program would smell a lot sweeter if it had a different moniker.