KCRW's Which Way, LA?

The new President of the University of California, Janet Napolitano, has said she doesn?t want a ?shoot out? with Governor Brown, but they do have ?different visions.?  Today, those visions were in stark conflict as a committee of UC regents voted to increase tuition over the next five years despite Brown?s opposition.

The Orange County Register has killed attempts to expand into Long Beach and Los Angeles, laid off staff and asked reporters to deliver the Sunday paper. The LA Times has canceled set vacations and sick days.

Years of drought are slowing California?s progress against air pollution. Increased heat creates more ozone and, without rain, particulates just hang in the air.  It?s reduced visibility in the Los Angeles Basin.  It?s bad news for people with asthma and cardiovascular disease, especially children. And was it ever a good idea to build housing near busy freeways?

Retailers and agricultural interests are warning about a possible West Coast shipping strike or a lockout that could cost the economy billions.  They?ve asked the President to step in.We hear from dockworkers and shippers about a slowdown that?s already under way.

This midterm, California voters made a strong statement by approving Proposition 47. The new law reforms sentences for non-violent and drug-related crimes, and means early release for thousands of convicts. But city and county agencies are concerned they don?t have the resources to deal with the change.

Governor Brown is pushing hard for Proposition 1 on Tuesday?s ballot ? $7.5 billion for water projects, including new dams and reservoirs. It won?t help with the current drought. What would it mean when things get back to normal ? if they ever do?

The City Council wants to shut down Santa Monica?s historic airport because increased jet traffic has increased noise, air pollution and fears of possible crashes. Private pilots and aviation interests want to keep it open. That?s led to competing propositions on next week?s ballot and emotions are running high.

  Few people deny the need for new parks in Los Angeles County or that existing parks need maintenance and improvement.  Proposition P would do all of that.  But its provision are controversial? and so is the way it was put on next week?s ballot by a divided Board of Supervisors. 

Twenty years after ?Three Strikes and You?re Out,? there?s evidence that California voters think too much is being spent on prisons that don?t reduce crime. We look at Prop 47 on next week's ballot.

Three days of insults from Rush Limbaugh made Sandra Fluke a household name two years ago. Now she?s running for the California State Senate. Both she and her opponent Ben Allen call themselves ?progressive? Democrats. We?ll hear where the money?s coming from.

A surprise for California voters: the hottest race in next month?s statewide election is for Superintendent of Public Instruction, a nonpartisan office with limited powers. Incumbent Tom Torlakson and challenger Marshall Tuck embody both sides of the national conflict over public education?which has made for a close race.

One of the powerful statewide elected officers many voters have never heard of is the State Controller?who pays the bills and has the authority to audit other state departments. Democrat John Chiang is termed out and we?ll hear from the candidates to replace him: Republican Ashley Swearengin, and Democrat Betty Yee.

John Deasy and the elected school board agree that academic achievement rose during his tenure as Superintendent of LA Unifed. So, did he really resign today? or was he pushed out of the second largest public school district in the United States?

It?s a rare moment when two seats open up on the 5-member Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and, this year, two members have been termed out. Either Sheila Kuehl or Bobby Shriver will replace Zev Yaroslavsky to represent almost 2 million people. Tonight, they?re here in our studio.

Jerry Brown wants to be the only 4-term Governor in California history, but you?d hardly know he?s campaigning for re-election next month. We?ll compare the pragmatist he is now with the reformer he was when he first was elected four decades ago.