2/5/03

LC030205

VAL ZAVALA>> TONIGHT ON LIFE AND TIMES --

JESS MARLOW>> A HIGH-TECH WAY OF RESPONDING TO BURGLAR ALARMS WITHOUT ALWAYS SENDING THE POLICE, BUT IS IT WORTH THE COST TO YOUR PRIVACY?

MICHAEL SELLERS>> IF WE SEE PEOPLE WITH HANDGUNS WALKING AROUND INSIDE OF A BANK OR A JEWELRY STORE, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A SENSE OF KNOWING WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE WHEN THEY’RE COMING OUT OF THE BUILDING. WE DON’T ALWAYS KNOW THAT.

VAL>> AND THEN LOS ANGELES VOWS TO CLEAN UP ITS ACT WITH WIND POWER, BUT WHAT TOOK SO LONG FOR THE CITY TO GO GREEN?

JESS>> PLUS, THE PATH TO FAME AND POWER USED TO START IN THE MAILROOM, BUT ARE THOSE DAYS LONG GONE?

VAL>> IT’S ALL STRAIGHT AHEAD ON TONIGHT’S LIFE AND TIMES.

LIFE AND TIMES IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT
THE STATE'S LARGEST HEALTH FOUNDATION SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIRECTLY IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF CALIFORNIA'S DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THE CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT, A PARTNER FOR HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.

VAL>> TONIGHT A LOOK AT ONE TOWN’S SOLUTION TO THE CONTROVERSY OVER BURGLAR ALARMS.

JESS>> BUT IS IT WORTH HAVING BIG BROTHER LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER? POLICE IN SEAL BEACH HAVE A UNIQUE WAY OF AVOIDING FALSE ALARMS, A PROBLEM THAT’S BEEN A CONTINUING NIGHTMARE FOR THE LAPD. BUT AS GAY YEE REPORTS, SEAL BEACH’S SOLUTION RELIES ON TECHNOLOGY THAT COULD MAKE SOME PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE.

GAY YEE>> WHEN A CALL GOES OUT, POLICE RESPOND. SOMETIMES IT’S A LIFE AND DEATH EMERGENCY. OTHER TIMES IT’S A MINOR OFFENSE. BUT THE LAPD SAYS IT’S BEEN PLAGUED BY A THIRD KIND OF CALL THAT’S AN ABSOLUTE WASTE OF TIME, BURGLAR ALARMS THAT GO OFF WHEN NO CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED. THAT’S WHY LOS ANGELES POLICE ARE FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT TO IGNORE ANY ALARM THAT HASN’T BEEN VERIFIED AS THE REAL DEAL AND THE LAPD ISN’T THE ONLY POLICE AGENCY THAT’S TIRED OF THE PROBLEM.

DEAN ZANONE>> OFTEN, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME, THE ALARMS ARE FALSE. A LOT OF PROBLEMS. NOT ONLY THE WASTE IN RESOURCES, BUT ULTIMATELY IF YOU GO TO ENOUGH FALSE ALARMS, IT BREEDS COMPLACENCY IN THE OFFICERS AND THEY GET AN IMPRESSION THAT ALL ALARMS ARE FALSE WHEN, IN REALITY, THEY’RE NOT.

GAY YEE>> DEAN ZANONE IS A SERGEANT WITH THE SEAL BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE NORTH ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY IS SMALL, ONLY 25,000 RESIDENTS, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THERE’S NO CRIME. AND NOW POLICE HERE HAVE SET UP A PILOT PROJECT TO GIVE THEM BETTER INFORMATION WHEN ALARMS COME IN TO THEIR DISPATCH CENTER.

DEAN ZANONE>> TRADITIONALLY, WE’D HAVE ALARM COMPANIES NOTIFY US AND THEY’D SIMPLY SAY THERE’S AN ALARM AT THIS LOCATION. THEY WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO GIVE US ANY INFORMATION AT ALL.

GAY YEE>> THIS WASHINGTON MUTUAL BRANCH WAS THE FIRST LOCATION TO BECOME A PART OF A PILOT PROGRAM FEATURING SOME EASILY AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY. NOW IF THERE’S AN ALARM FROM THIS BRANCH, SEAL BEACH DISPATCHERS CAN ACTIVATE A CAMERA AND LOOK AT REAL TIME PICTURES COMING FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. IF THE ALARM IS FALSE, OFFICERS WON’T HAVE TO WASTE TIME RESPONDING. AND IF THERE’S A REAL CRIME IN PROGRESS, OFFICERS CAN ARRIVE PREPARED.

MICHAEL SELLERS>> IF SOMETHING IS GOING ON, IT GIVES US A SENSE OF WHO WE’RE LOOKING AT. IF WE SEE PEOPLE WITH HANDGUNS WALKING AROUND THE INSIDE OF A BANK OR A JEWELRY STORE, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A SENSE OF KNOWING WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE WHEN THEY’RE COMING OUT OF THE BUILDING. WE DON’T ALWAYS KNOW THAT NOW.

GAY YEE>> A FEW YEARS BACK, THERE WAS A MAJOR BANK ROBBERY IN SEAL BEACH WHERE THE RESPONDING OFFICERS WERE OUT-MANNED BY THE ROBBERS.

DEAN ZANONE>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAUSED US TO DEVELOP THIS SYSTEM WAS THAT WE HAD A MAJOR BANK ROBBERY TAKEOVER WHERE WE HAD THREE OFFICERS RESPOND AND WE HAD FIVE SUSPECTS INSIDE THE BANK. THEY WERE HEAVILY ARMED. THEY HAD MORE THAN WE HAD IN THE WAY OF ARMAMENT. THANKFULLY, THAT ENDED PEACEFULLY, BUT YOU CAN CERTAINLY SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR IT NOT ENDING PEACEFULLY.

GAY YEE>> IT’S NOT JUST DISPATCHERS WHO CAN SEE THE REAL TIME PICTURES. OFFICERS IN THE FIELD HAVE COMPUTER SCREENS IN THEIR CARS. THE IMAGES COME OVER THE INTERNET. AND IF ON FOOT, THEY CAN CARRY TINY HANDHELD MONITORS. BUT IS THIS A CASE OF BIG BROTHER LOOKING OVER THE TOWN’S SHOULDER? THE POLICE SAY NO.

MICHAEL SELLERS>> PRIVACY IS A BIG DEAL IN MOST COMMUNITIES. THE REASON WE CHOSE THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM IS THAT IT IS AN ALARM-TRIGGERED INTERNET PROTOCOL. THAT MEANS WE DON’T GET THE VIDEO FEED UNTIL THE ALARM IS SENT AND THE INDIVIDUAL REQUESTING HELP OR HAS PUT AN ALARM IN PLACE DECIDES TO SEND US THAT INFORMATION.

GAY YEE>> HERE AT WASHINGTON MUTUAL, THERE ARE EIGHT CAMERAS SET UP TO FEED TO THE POLICE, BUT AUTHORITIES INSIST THE CAMERAS DO NOT SPY ON ACTUAL BANK TRANSACTIONS HERE.

DEAN ZANONE>> WE DON’T WANT TO SEE ANYTHING THAT PEOPLE COULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT, SO WHAT WE’VE DONE IS SPECIFICALLY SELECTED CAMERAS THAT ARE GENERAL VIEW CAMERAS SO THAT WE CAN SEE THE SITUATION AT THE BANK. THE DEFAULT CAMERA THAT MOST OFFICERS PICK RIGHT OFF THE TOP IS GOING TO BE A VIEW LIKE THAT. YOU CAN SEE THE TELLER LINES, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE TELLERS ARE AND CERTAINLY YOU’D BE ABLE TO TELL IF THERE WAS A MAJOR BANK ROBBERY TAKING PLACE. AT THE SAME TIME, IF YOU DO WANT A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, WE CAN SELECT THROUGH DIFFERENT CAMERAS THAT, OF COURSE, DO NOT SHOW TRANSACTIONS, JUST GENERAL AREAS OF THE BANK.

GAY YEE>> THE SEAL BEACH TARGET STORE IS THE TOWN’S SECOND LOCATION TO TRY OUT THE NEW ALARM SYSTEM AND PLANS ARE AFOOT TO INSTALL IT IN THIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

DEAN ZANONE>> WE LOOKED AT COLUMBINE, WE LOOKED AT THE OTHER INCIDENTS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN WEAPONS TO SCHOOLS AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO SCHOOL EMERGENCIES HAS BEEN HINDERED BY A LACK OF INFORMATION.

GAY YEE>> SERGEANT ZANONE SAYS THERE IS NO REASON WHY PEOPLE COULDN’T INSTALL SIMILAR SYSTEMS IN THEIR HOMES. THE TECHNOLOGY IS EASILY AVAILABLE. CURRENTLY, MOST HOME SYSTEMS CONNECT TO ALARM AND MONITORING COMPANIES AND ZANONE SAYS THAT IS UNLIKELY TO CHANGE.

DEAN ZANONE>> I THINK, REALISTICALLY, IT’S MORE LIKELY THAT THEY’RE GOING TO GO TO AN ALARM COMPANY AND THEN PERHAPS THAT ALARM COMPANY WILL HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PROVIDE US WITH A VIDEO FEED IF THE ALARM COMPANY FEELS THAT IT’S AN ACTUAL ACTIVATION.

GAY YEE>> UNLIKE LOS ANGELES, SEAL BEACH HAS NO PLANS TO STOP RESPONDING TO BURGLARY ALARMS EVEN THOUGH MANY OF THEM ARE FALSE. BUT LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, THE DEPARTMENT SEES ITSELF ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF A WHOLE NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS.

JESS>> NOW THAT WE’VE SEEN HOW SEAL BEACH IS DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM, WE’RE JOINED BY TWO PEOPLE WHO CAN BRING THE ISSUE HOME TO LOS ANGELES. SHERRY LOPEZ IS A MEMBER OF SAN PEDRO’S NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL. SHE IS OUTRAGED BY LAPD’S DESIRE TO IGNORE UNVERIFIED BURGLAR ALARMS. AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT ISSUE IS JOE SHEA, A NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVIST FROM HOLLYWOOD. AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS DECLINED TO OVERTURN THE POLICE COMMISSION’S DECISION TO GO THIS WAY, SO WITHIN TWO MONTHS IT BECOMES EFFECTIVE. THE LAPD WILL NOT RESPOND TO UNVERIFIED ALARMS?

JOE SHEA>> THAT’S CORRECT.

JESS>> WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE?

SHERRY LOPEZ>> I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE’S A TASKFORCE THAT’S GOING TO BE PUT TOGETHER WHERE THEY MAY GIVE SOME INPUT TO THE POLICE COMMISSION.

JESS>> THE POLICE COMMISSION IS OPEN TO PUBLIC INPUT, I UNDERSTAND.

SHERRY LOPEZ>> CORRECT, AND SO THEREFORE --

JOE SHEA>> -- AND THE TASKFORCE WAS CREATED.

SHERRY LOPEZ>> I BELIEVE THAT THAT WILL THEN, AFTER THE ISSUES COME TO THE TABLE, THERE’S A POSSIBILITY AND A PRAYER THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO EITHER FURTHER THE DELAY AND/OR EDUCATE THE PUBLIC. WHILE THE ALARM SYSTEMS ARE AN ISSUE ON THE COST TO THE CITY, IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE ALARMS DEPEND ON IT. THERE ARE MANY HOME-BASED BUSINESSES NOW WHERE PEOPLE HAVE PUT IN THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF EQUIPMENT THAT RELY ON THOSE ALARMS IN ORDER TO GET SECURITY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN GET INSURANCE. I MEAN, AS AN INSURANCE BROKER, I’M GOING TO TELL YOU THAT IF YOU TAKE AWAY THE ACTUAL RESPONSE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY GET INSURANCE ON THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. THERE ARE SITUATIONS THAT ARE CAUSED BY FALSE ALARMS, BUT ARE THEY REALLY FALSE ALARMS? IF SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY TRYING TO BREAK IN AND THE ALARM WAS THE DETERRENT AND THEY’RE GONE AND THE PERSON WHO WAS DOING THE THEFT ISN’T THERE, WAS IT A FALSE ALARM OR WAS IT A DETERRENT?

JESS>> IT WAS IF THE WINDOW WAS BROKEN (LAUGHTER). WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT ISSUE?

JOE SHEA>> YOU KNOW, 125,000 OF THEM WERE FALSE ALARMS. POLICE IN RESPONDING TO SOMETHING LIKE 136,000 ALARMS MADE PRECISELY ONE ARREST. IT’S A TERRIBLE LOSS OF POLICE MANPOWER, TWO MEN PER CAR RESPONDING. IT WILL TAKE HALF AN HOUR SOMETIMES TO ALL THESE CALLS. IT’S THE EQUIVALENT OF THE NUMBER OF MEN WE SENT TO THE PERSIAN GULF.

VAL>> WELL, HOW ABOUT THIS SYSTEM THAT WE JUST SAW IN SEAL BEACH? IS THAT THE ANSWER? IS IT PRACTICAL? IS IT TOO EXPENSIVE FOR LOS ANGELES?

JOE SHEA>> I PROPOSED THAT IN THE DAILY NEWS IN AN OP ED PIECE I DID A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND I THINK IT IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY.

JESS>> WILL PEOPLE PAY FOR IT?

JOE SHEA>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE WIRELESS CAMERAS ARE PRETTY CHEAP. SOME OF THEM ARE JUST $29. IF YOU CAN, FOR INSTANCE, HOOK UP A LOGITECH PRO 4000 TO YOUR COMPUTER, THEN YOU CAN HAVE A MOTION DETECTOR BECAUSE THAT HAS MOTION DETECTOR SOFTWARE.

VAL>> MS. LOPEZ, WOULD YOU BE HAPPY IF LOS ANGELES INSTITUTES SOMETHING LIKE SEAL BEACH?

SHERRY LOPEZ>> I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD START. IT WOULD DEPEND UPON THE COST AND THE ACTUAL WAY IT WORKS. I THINK THAT, ONCE THEY DO THAT, THE ALARM COMPANIES, THE STAKEHOLDERS, POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE PEOPLE COME TO THE TABLE AND TRY TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. I MEAN, THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME. LET’S NOT HYPE IT.

JESS>> ISN’T THE REAL PROBLEM THAT THE ALARM COMPANIES ARE UNWILLING TO RESPOND THEMSELVES?

JOE SHEA>> THAT’S RIGHT. THEY WANT TO SELL ALARMS, BUT THEY WANT TO PUT IT ON THE BACKS OF THE POLICE TO RESPOND. I KNOW OF NO OTHER BUSINESS THAT CAN SAY HERE’S AN ALARM, WE OBLIGATE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH THIS ALARM TO RESPOND TO YOU AD INFINITUM. A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE DON’T PAY THEIR ALARM FEES, SO THAT MONEY DOESN’T COME TO THE CITY, AND THE ALARMS WORK POORLY AND WE GET A LOT OF FALSE ALARMS.

VAL>> LAST WORD FROM SHERRY.

SHERRY LOPEZ>> I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SYSTEMS IN PLACE. I THINK THAT THE ALARM COMPANIES, I THINK STAKEHOLDERS, I THINK GOING THROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS, I THINK WHAT OUR CITY COUNCILWOMAN, JANICE HAHN, DID WAS RIGHT BY TRYING TO EDUCATE EVERYBODY AND REALLY LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND DECIDE WHAT IS CAUSING THE ISSUES, AND COME TO THE TABLE AND MAKE THINGS WORK RIGHT.

VAL>> I’M SO SORRY, WE HAVE TO --

JOE SHEA>> -- EXCUSE ME. NOT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL HAS VOTED IN SUPPORT OF JANICE HAHN’S POSITION OR AGAINST THE POLICE COMMISSION POLICY.

VAL>> VERY GOOD. WE’LL BE FOLLOWING THIS ONE BECAUSE IT’S NOT OVER YET. SHERRY LOPEZ AND JOE SHEA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US.

JOE SHEA>> THANK YOU.

SHERRY LOPEZ>> THANK YOU.

VAL>> TOMORROW ON LIFE AND TIMES, CAN ANYBODY RESCUE A ONE-OF-A-KIND REHAB HOSPITAL IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY? IT HAS A LONG HISTORY OF MENDING SHATTERED LIVES, BUT THE HOSPITAL’S OWN PROGNOSIS ISN’T GOOD.

>> I FELT LIKE MY LIFE WAS OVER. I WAS TERRIFIED. YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE A CRIPPLE. RANCHO GAVE ME THE SKILLS THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF, TO MAKE SOMETHING OF MYSELF.

JESS>> THIS WEEK, THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES TOOK A MAJOR STEP TOWARD A GREENER FUTURE AS A POWER GENERATOR. THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL BUILD A NEW WINDMILL FARM IN THE MOJAVE DESERT. A TOTAL OF EIGHTY WINDMILLS SUCH AS THESE WILL PRODUCE ENOUGH ELECTRICITY TO POWER MORE THAN 100,000 HOMES. THE PROJECT SHOULD BE COMPLETE BY THE SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR.

VAL>> THE QUESTION IS, WHAT TOOK SO LONG, ESPECIALLY SINCE AN INDEPENDENT STUDY RECENTLY LABELED THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES AS ONE OF THE DIRTIEST POWER PRODUCERS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT THIS SHIFT TOWARD GREEN POWER IS LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCILMAN, ERIC GARCETTI. HE’S BEEN PUSHING THE DWP TO DO MORE IN THIS AREA. ALSO HERE IS MATT PETERSEN. HE HEADS AN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP KNOWN AS GLOBAL GREEN. WELCOME, BOTH OF YOU, TO LIFE AND TIMES.

ERIC GARCETTI>> THANK YOU. PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

MATT PETERSEN>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

JESS>> AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP, DO YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THE NOTION THAT LOS ANGELES IS THE DIRTIEST POLLUTER WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI?

MATT PETERSEN>> WELL, IT’S THE DIRTIEST UTILITY WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S THE ACTUAL DIRTIEST POLLUTER, BUT DEFINITELY IT’S THE DIRTIEST UTILITY. THAT’S WHY WE’RE WORKING SO HARD ALONG WITH MANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS TO CHANGE THAT.

VAL>> IN OTHER WORDS, DIRTIEST MEANS THAT ONLY TWO PERCENT OF THE DWP POWER COMES FROM RENEWABLE GREEN SOURCES, CORRECT? THAT’S PRETTY LOW.

ERIC GARCETTI>> WELL, NOT JUST THAT. SOME OF THE PLANTS THAT WE HAVE ARE PARTICULARLY DIRTY. THE COAL-BURNING PLANTS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACES LIKE MOJAVE AND PLACES LIKE UTAH, WE NOT ONLY HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM HAVING THOSE DIRTY PLANTS. WE HAVE TO START OWNING SOME OF THE GREEN POWER GENERATION. WE’VE DONE A GREAT JOB WITH DISTRIBUTING GREEN POWER AND WE’VE BEEN GREAT SALES PEOPLE FOR DOING THAT AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP FOR GREEN POWER ARE INCREASING NATIONAL DEMAND, BUT WE HAVEN’T PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS HERE IN GENERATING GREEN POWER OURSELVES.

JESS>> NOW HYDROELECTRIC IS RENEWABLE, BUT NOT CONSIDERED GREEN POWER?

MATT PETERSEN>> THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY HAS TRIED TO ADVOCATE A POSITION WHERE SMALL HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS CAN BE CONSIDERED AMONGST RENEWABLE ENERGY, BUT LARGE POWER PLANTS DISTURB THE NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS AND DESTROY HABITATS, SO --

JESS>> -- BIG DAMS, THEN.

MATT PETERSEN>> EXACTLY, SO WE HAVEN’T BEEN SUPPORTING LARGE HYDROELECTRIC AS PART OF THE SOLUTION.

VAL>> NOW DWP HAS REALLY TAKEN A BEATING ON THIS BECAUSE IT WAS FOUR YEARS AGO THAT THEY LAUNCHED THIS BIG CAMPAIGN. SIGN UP FOR GREEN POWER. YOU KNOW, WE’RE GOING TO BE FORWARD THINKING. WIND POWER. SOLAR ENERGY. THEY EVEN GAVE HOMEOWNERS THE OPTION OF CONTRIBUTING, I THINK, THREE DOLLARS A MONTH TO GREEN POWER. VERY LITTLE, IF ANYTHING, HAS MATERIALIZED.

ERIC GARCETTI>> WELL, I THINK HALF OF THE BATTLE ACTUALLY HAS BEEN FOUGHT AND WON. I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT PLACES LIKE KCET WHICH INSTALLED ENERGY-EFFICIENT GREEN POWER RIGHT HERE --

VAL>> -- YES, WE DID, WE SHOULD SAY, WITH THE DWP’S HELP.

ERIC GARCETTI>> ABSOLUTELY, WITH THE HELP OF THE DWP. EDUCATING PEOPLE AND ALSO, AS I SAID, DISTRIBUTING GREEN POWER. THEY BOUGHT GREEN POWER ON THE OPEN MARKET WHICH INCREASES, YOU KNOW, MORE SOLAR PLANTS, MORE WIND PLANTS NATIONALLY, BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT WITH WHAT WE OWN RIGHT HERE TOO. SO THE PINE TREE WIND POWER PROJECT WILL ADD ABOUT DOUBLE OUR SUSTAINABLY OWNED POWER PRODUCTION HERE IN THE DWP’S AREA.

VAL>> THIS IS A PLAN FOR EIGHTY WINDMILLS IN THE MOJAVE DESERT RIGHT AT A COST --

ERIC GARCETTI>> -- AT A 100,000 HOMES.

VAL>> 100,000 HOMES AT A COST OF $162 MILLION. IS THAT EFFICIENT?

ERIC GARCETTI>> LONG-TERM, I THINK IT’S VERY EFFICIENT. IF YOU LOOK AT THE COSTS, OUR CANCER RATES, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE PRICE OF NOT GOING FORWARD AND DEVELOPING THESE TECHNOLOGIES BECAUSE THESE GENERATE JOBS HERE IN LOS ANGELES, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SOLAR MANUFACTURERS HERE, FOR INSTANCE, THAT JUST OPENED UP LAST YEAR, THAT’S THREE HUNDRED NEW JOBS HERE IN LOS ANGELES, IT’S WELL WORTH THE PRICE AND, LONG-TERM FOR OUR HEALTH, HOW CAN YOU PUT A PRICE ON THAT?

JESS>> WHILE WE’RE BEATING UP ON THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER, DURING THE ENERGY CRISIS, THEY KEPT THE LIGHTS ON, THE RATES WERE RELATIVELY LOW. THE DWP DID A SUPERB JOB.

MATT PETERSEN>> THEY DID IN THE SENSE OF THE ELECTRICITY CRISIS. THEY WERE SORT OF THE HERO OF CALIFORNIA. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT PART OF WHAT MADE THAT POSSIBLE IS THAT WE WERE TURNING THE DIRTIEST PEAKER PLANTS WE HAVE IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN ON, PAYING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FINES SO WE COULD CONTINUE TO SELL THAT POWER INTO THE ELECTRICITY GRID, POLLUTING THE LOS ANGELES BASIN. THANKS TO MAYOR HAHN AND PEOPLE LIKE COUNCILMAN GARCETTI, WE’RE NOW HELPING THE DWP TAKE THE NEXT COMMITMENT WITH THIS WIND PROJECT. WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN GARCETTI TO MAKE LOS ANGELES THE SOLAR CAPITAL OF THE GLOBE AS WELL AND BRING MORE JOBS, MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY, INTO THE COMMUNITY.

VAL>> YOU KNOW, RALPH NADER, WHO ORIGINALLY ENDORSED THIS GREEN POWER CAMPAIGN, IS VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE RESULTS. HE SAID THAT, I GUESS, PART OF THE AUDIT SHOWED THAT $22 MILLION DOLLARS WAS SPENT ON SOLAR PROJECTS WITH NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GREEN POWER RESULTING. I MEAN, ARE WE LOOKING AT MAYBE A WASTE OF TAXPAYERS’ MONEY OR INEFFICIENT USE? WHAT’S GOING ON?

ERIC GARCETTI>> WELL, I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP FOR GREEN POWER AND I’M GLAD I DID BECAUSE WE BOUGHT SOLAR POWER FROM OTHER PLACES. BUT RALPH’S RIGHT IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE START DOING THAT RIGHT HERE IN LOS ANGELES. EVERY ROOFTOP THAT WE CAN, EVERY PLACE THAT WE CAN PUT AN ARRAY OF SOLAR POWER, WE SHOULD DO THAT BECAUSE IT’S GOOD FOR OUR ECONOMY AS WELL AS GOOD FOR OUR AIR.

VAL>> CAN CONSUMERS REALLY INFLUENCE THE DWP’S POLICY?

ERIC GARCETTI>> THEY HAVE. THEY’VE SPOKEN SO STRONGLY BY HAVING ALL THESE PEOPLE SIGN UP. THAT’S WHY I THINK THE POLICYMAKERS GET IT AND THE DWP, UNDER DAVID WIGGS, FINALLY GETS IT.

JESS>> BUT THE THREE DOLLARS PER HOUSEHOLD, WAS IT PER MONTH? THREE DOLLARS EXTRA PER MONTH. YOU SIGNED UP FOR THAT. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DID SO. THE AMOUNT OF MONEY COLLECTED, MORE OF IT WAS SPENT FOR ADMINISTRATION AND PROMOTION THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

ERIC GARCETTI>> MORE WAS SPENT ON BUYING POWER ELSEWHERE, WHICH IS SUSTAINABLE POWER, THAN ON ADMINISTRATION. BUT YOU’RE RIGHT. MORE WAS SPENT ON ADMINISTRATION THAN ON ACTUALLY BUYING NEW PLANTS THAT PRODUCE OUR OWN POWER HERE LOCALLY.

VAL>> NEW SOURCES OF GREEN POWER, WHICH WAS WHAT --

ERIC GARCETTI>> -- ABSOLUTELY, AND THAT’S WHAT THIS DOES.

VAL>> I SEE. SO, HOPEFULLY, BOTTOM LINE IS, WE’RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION NOW.

ERIC GARCETTI>> THAT’S RIGHT. WE CAN SEE THE SUNSHINE (LAUGHTER).

JESS>> THERE HAS BEEN CONCERN ABOUT WINDMILL FARMS, PARTICULARLY IN THE PALM SPRINGS AREA. DO YOU EXPECT THE SAME THING IN MOJAVE?

MATT PETERSEN>> I WOULDN’T EXPECT THAT WE’RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF OPPOSITION IN MOJAVE TO THE WIND POWER PROJECTS. I MEAN, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DESERT COMMUNITIES TO HAVE SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THINGS THAT BRING JOBS AND OTHER ECONOMIC GENERATION TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. IT ALSO IS SOMETHING THAT IS CLEAN AND POWERFUL AND A SYMBOL OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY, SO THEY CAN BE PROUD OF WHAT’S GOING TO BE GOING ON IN THEIR BACK YARD.

VAL>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCILMAN, ERIC GARCETTI, AND MATT PETERSEN FROM GLOBAL GREEN. THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

MATT PETERSEN>> THANK YOU.

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JESS>> WHY WOULD A HARVARD MBA TURN DOWN A SIX-FIGURE SALARY TO TAKE A JOB IN A MAILROOM? BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE YOUR EYES SET ON BECOMING A POWERFUL HOLLYWOOD AGENT, THE MAILROOM CAN BE A GOOD PLACE TO START.

VAL>> MAILROOM TRAINEES MAY HAVE TO PUT UP WITH LOUSY PAY AND PERSONAL HUMILIATIONS, BUT IF THEY PLAY THEIR CARDS RIGHT, THEY ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO VALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES. NOT SO LONG AGO, WE SAW HOW THE HOLLYWOOD SYSTEM WORKS IN A MOVIE CALLED “SWIMMING WITH SHARKS”.

[FILM CLIP]

VAL>> NOW MOVING FROM THE MAILROOM TO MOGUL STATUS IS THE SUBJECT OF DAVID RENSIN’S NEW BOOK. IT IS CALLED “THE MAILROOM: HOLLYWOOD HISTORY FROM THE BOTTOM UP”. TONIGHT THE AUTHOR, DAVID RENSIN, JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT IT. WELCOME.

DAVID RENSIN>> THANK YOU.

JESS>> YOU’VE TAKEN THE WORDS OF THOSE WHO HAD GREAT SUCCESS. IN THEIR OWN WORDS, THEY TELL YOU HOW THEY MADE IT FROM THE MAILROOM. WHO’S THE MOST UNLIKELY SUCCESS?

DAVID RENSIN>> WELL, THAT’S A HARD QUESTION. YOU KNOW, ANYBODY WHO’S REALLY MADE IT IS SOMEONE WHO’S REALLY GOT THE STUFF. UNLIKELY? WHO KNOWS?

VAL>> IF THEY COULD ALL HAVE BEEN UNLIKELY --

DAVID RENSIN>> -- THEY ALL COULD HAVE BEEN UNLIKELY. I MEAN, THE FACT THAT THEY ENDED UP IN THE MAILROOM, YOU KNOW, SHOWS THAT THEY HAD SOME AMBITION OR AT LEAST NEEDED A JOB. YOU KNOW, AFTER THEY WENT TO COLLEGE, THEY MAYBE DID IT TO BUG THEIR DAD WHO PAID FOR COLLEGE AND WANTED TO BE A LAWYER AND, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY ENDED UP IN THE MAILROOM BECAUSE THEY HAD GLAMOUR ON THEIR MIND.

VAL>> SO LET’S NAME SOME NAMES HERE. THE FIRST ONE THAT YOU TALKED TO --

JESS>> -- DAVID GEFFEN, YEAH.

DAVID RENSIN>> DAVID GEFFEN IS THE CLASSIC MAILROOM STORY. I MEAN, HE IS AT THE PEAK OF SHOW BUSINESS. HE’S MANY THINGS. HIS STORY IS THAT HE GOT A JOB AS A RECEPTIONIST AT A TV SHOW IN NEW YORK. WHEN HE GOT FIRED, HE ASKED SOMEBODY THERE, A FRIEND OF HIS, WELL, WHAT CAN I DO NOW? SHE SAID, WELL, WHAT DO YOU KNOW? HE SAID I KNOW NOTHING. SHE SAID, WELL, YOU’D MAKE A GREAT AGENT (LAUGHTER). SO HE TYPED UP HIS RESUME, PUT DOWN THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE AND ABOUT HIS WORK EXPERIENCE --

VAL>> -- WHICH HE HAD NOT FINISHED COLLEGE.

DAVID RENSIN>> THAT’S RIGHT. HE WENT TO THE ASHLEY FAMOUS AGENCY AND DID AN INTERVIEW AND WAS TOLD, GEE, I’D NEVER HIRE ANYBODY LIKE YOU (LAUGHTER). DAVID TOLD ME THAT HE DIDN’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY. HE JUST WENT BACK HOME AND WROTE UP THE KIND OF RESUME THAT HE KNEW THEY WANTED TO SEE.

JESS>> A GRADUATE OF UCLA?

DAVID RENSIN>> A GRADUATE OF UCLA, YOU KNOW, SOME EXPERIENCE ON TV SHOWS. HE WAS TWO YEARS OLDER BECAUSE HE COULDN’T HAVE HAD THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE AT HIS YOUNG AGE. HE WENT TO WILLIAM MORRIS WHERE HE SAID THEY LOOKED AT HIS RESUME AND SAID ABSOLUTELY.

VAL>> SO THEY PUT HIM IN THE MAILROOM?

DAVID RENSIN>> THEY HIRED HIM AND THEY PUT HIM IN THE MAILROOM. AT THE TIME, YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE. BUT IF YOU SAID YOU DID, THEY WOULD CHECK. IT WASN’T LONG AFTER HE GOT IN THE MAILROOM THAT SOMEBODY WHO WAS IN THE MAILROOM WITH HIM GOT FIRED BECAUSE HE DIDN’T HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE AND THEY CHECKED. SO DAVID WAS BESIDE HIMSELF AND SO HE WENT OUT AND HE CAME IN EVERY MORNING REALLY EARLY TO INTERCEPT THE LETTER THAT THEY HAD SENT TO UCLA AND TO CBS. HE HAD STATIONERY PRINTED UP ABOUT -- YOU KNOW, UCLA STATIONERY AND CBS STATIONERY -- AND HE WROTE HIS OWN LETTER SAYING THAT HE HAD IN FACT GRADUATED AND WORKED THERE. WHEN THOSE LETTERS CAME, HE OPENED THEM UP, HE PUT HIS LETTER IN AND LET IT GO THROUGH.

JESS>> YOU MAKE IT SOUND LIKE ALL THOSE BAD STORIES WE’VE HEARD ABOUT AGENTS ARE TRUE (LAUGHTER).

DAVID RENSIN>> (LAUGHTER) WELL, YOU KNOW, IT STARTS SOMEWHERE. EVERYONE’S GOT TO START SOMEWHERE.

VAL>> SO THAT’S WHY THEY CALL HIM, I GUESS, “THE OPERATOR” WAS THE NAME OF A BIOGRAPHY ABOUT DAVID GEFFEN.

DAVID RENSIN>> YEAH. YOU KNOW, HE DID WHAT HE HAD TO BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE IN THE BUSINESS AND THAT’S REALLY GENERALLY WHAT HAPPENS.

JESS>> WHAT ABOUT MICHAEL OVITZ?

DAVID RENSIN>> YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T TALK TO MICHAEL OVITZ. MICHAEL OVITZ WAS HAVING SOME HARD TIMES, AS YOU KNOW. ALTHOUGH I TRIED TO CONVINCE HIM THAT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK AT HIS PAST AND THE EARLY DAYS WOULD BE GOOD FOR HIM, HE DIDN’T DO IT. BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT MIKE OVITZ AND HE STARTED IN THE WILLIAM MORRIS MAILROOM AND, YOU KNOW, WORKED REALLY HARD, GOT OUT, GOT ON AS AN ASSISTANT ON SOMEONE’S DESK. THAT’S THE THING YOU TRY TO DO --

VAL>> -- YOU MEAN AN ASSISTANT TO AN AGENT?

DAVID RENSIN>> RIGHT, ASSISTANT TO AN AGENT. TRY TO GET PLUCKED OUT OF THE MAILROOM AND DO THAT. THEN YOU WORK REALLY HARD THERE AND, IF YOU’RE LUCKY, YOU GET PROMOTED. BUT VERY FEW ACTUALLY MAKE IT OUT OF THE MAILROOM OR OFF AN ASSISTANT’S DESK.

VAL>> SO THESE ARE UNUSUAL CASES, PLEASE LIKE DAVID GEFFEN AND MICHAEL OVITZ. BERNIE BRILLSTEIN?

DAVID RENSIN>> BERNIE BRILLSTEIN. BERNIE IS A FRIEND OF MINE. I WROTE HIS BOOK IN 1999 CALLED “WHERE DID I GO RIGHT?” AND ACTUALLY I HAD THE IDEA FOR THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS WORKING WITH BERNIE BECAUSE HE TOLD ME THESE GREAT STORIES ABOUT GETTING INTO THE WILLIAM MORRIS MAILROOM IN 1955 AND THEN TRYING TO GET OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

JESS>> WELL, IN THE MAILROOM, I SUPPOSE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE THERE. DID YOU HAVE TO JUST BE OBSEQUIOUS? A SUCK-UP? WAS THAT HOW YOU MADE IT?

DAVID RENSIN>> YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HAD THEIR DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING IT, BUT YOU HAD TO REALLY SORT OF LOOK AT THE GAME AND FIGURE OUT WHO WAS IMPORTANT, WHO YOU HAD TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THINGS HAD TO BE DONE. SOME PEOPLE WERE VERY MOTIVATED AND WANTED TO BE THE BEST MAIL SORTER EVER. ANOTHER GUY WOULD GET IN EARLY AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THE BIG GUY HAD HIS MAIL PUT IN HIS HAND WHEN HE CAME INTO THE OFFICE AT SEVEN O’CLOCK.

VAL>> SO INSTEAD OF JUST HELLO, MR. SO AND SO, IT WAS HELLO, MR. SO AND SO, HERE’S YOUR MAIL.

DAVID RENSIN>> HERE’S YOUR MAIL, RIGHT.

JESS>> SO SUCK-UP IS RIGHT THEN?

DAVID RENSIN>> WELL, BERNIE SAID HE KISSED, YOU KNOW, A FEW BEHINDS, YES (LAUGHTER).

VAL>> (LAUGHTER) IS THERE SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY READING THIS BOOK COULD LEARN IN TERMS OF GETTING AHEAD OR IS IT UNIQUE TO THE HOLLYWOOD WORLD?

DAVID RENSIN>> I DON’T THINK IT’S UNIQUE TO HOLLYWOOD. IN FACT, I HAD A SIGN ON MY COMPUTER MONITOR THAT SAID “IT’S THE PEOPLE, STUPID”, YOU KNOW? IT’S REALLY ABOUT THE PEOPLE. IT’S ABOUT STARTING AT THE BOTTOM ANYWHERE. BUT WE ALL HAVE TWO BUSINESSES, SHOW BUSINESS AND OUR OWN BUSINESS, AND I THINK THAT THE HEIGHTENED CRAZY OUTRAGEOUS REALITY OF HOLLYWOOD, YOU KNOW, MAKES IT A REALLY ENTERTAINING READ.

JESS>> IN TELEVISION, IT USED TO BE PAGES. THEY MAY BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE NETWORK AND A FEW OF THEM DID.

VAL>> THAT’S RIGHT.

DAVID RENSIN>> THAT’S RIGHT, AND I --

JESS>> -- IS THAT STILL TRUE? MAILROOM PAGES STILL THE WAY TO GO?

DAVID RENSIN>> I THINK IT’S ONE OF THE WAYS TO GO, BUT IT’S THE MOST ROMANTIC WAY TO GO, THE MOST ROMANTICIZED WAY TO GO. IT’S THE CLASSIC WAY TO GO. IF YOU WANT TO GET ANYWHERE IN HOLLYWOOD, YOU KNOW, THE PATH TO POWER IS THROUGH THE MAILROOM. THE GREAT THING IS, IT’S THE MAILROOM AT THE TALENT AGENCIES BECAUSE THOSE ARE LIKE THE CIA. THEY KNOW EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS. IF YOU’RE AT A STUDIO, YOU JUST KNOW THEIR BUSINESS.

JESS>> THANK YOU, DAVID RENSIN. THE BOOK IS CALLED “THE MAILROOM: HOLLYWOOD HISTORY FROM THE BOTTOM UP”.

VAL>> REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS CHECK OUT THE LIFE AND TIMES WEBSITE, AND WE’D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE FASTEST-GROWING AUDIENCE OUR SHOW HAS EVER HAD.

JESS>> AND THAT’S TONIGHT’S PROGRAM. NOW FOR ALL OF US HERE AT LIFE AND TIMES, THANKS AND GOOD NIGHT.

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