On the radio
At this moment, Larry Mantle is doing the Rose Parade controversy story on Airtalk. Bogaard is up next!
UPDATE: I don't think Larry Mantle read the Monday story about the mayor's role in bringing the float to the parade.
Apparently Shizhong Chen did of the Conscience Foundation did (I think that was him speaking) because when Larry gave him 10 seconds to wrap up at the end as the music kicked in.
These issues are not as Mayor Bogaard said [its not a city issue.] It was actually initiated by himself ... he himself sent twice a letter to Beijing requesting the float ... I was hoping he would come clean.
I've put some quotes from the show if you read the full entry. In short: Mayor Bogaard concedes human rights have "importance" but he doesn't think council action is "a course of conduct for us to pursue."
Post-broadcast Airtalk is archived (somewhat) at KPCC's web site.
Bogaard: One area about which there is no controversy is the importance of human rights. For me, the council and this community, we stand for human rights. I think the question is how best to pursue that goal from the vantage point of pasadena.
The Human Relations Commission was "asked to think hard on this" he said. It's report was "thoughtful and comprehensive and deserves a careful reading."
"I dont want to ignore a fundamentally imp issue that is being raised by a lot of people" and he's "working hard on this report."
TofR is "a festival organization" not engaged in international politics.
"Iin regard to the role of Pasadena, we find ourselves to be called upon to think carefully ... I don't think it's a course of conduct for us to pursue and we do look to our federal government ..."
"It's 99% olympic games 2008. the name beijing is apparently scheduled to be on the float. No other insignia will be on the float. The funding for the float comes from local chinese businesspersons and avery dennison. This was not in the first instance an idea of the chinese gov't.
Larry: Are you being lobbied or are your colleagues being lobbied?
BB: "I think the lobbying taking place – and it's not extensive – is to approach this cautiously ... "human rights issues in China and other foreign countries and in the U.S. should be a thoughtful concern."
Tseten Phanucharas, L.A. Friends of Tibet: "In Pasadena the Dalai Lama has appeared many times, but in Tibet, a person can not own a picture of the Dalai Lama without going to jail."