George Lopez brings heat and spice to late night chat, the interview

TBS announced a new late-night talk show hosted by George Lopez that will premiere November 2009. This show will air on the network Monday through Thursday at 11:00 pm.

Lopez promises a "blended" late-night TV show that will hit needed pockets of the country starved for non-white comedic entertainment perspective.

Lopez spoke to assembled journalists on a conference call last week and joked with one from Miami, ''We're gonna have a Castro death-watch clock in the corner of the screen!''

The TBS talk show promised to be pure Lopez- said with jest and goodwill - to an audience who wants a more ethnic slice of celebrity life.

Lopez is a Mexican-American of humble origins married to a Cuban American, his wife Ann the donor of his life-saving kidney a few years back.

Now Lopez's 11 p.m. show, which will debut in November, will have more "sabor" and heat than his paler counterparts, Jay, Dave, Conan and Jimmy.

''For whatever reason, I have the ability to connect with people regardless of color or age,'' says Lopez of his comedic gifts, who took his stand-up comedy act and created a sitcom that ran on ABC from 2002-2007.

Lopez spoke to Monsters and Critics and some other online journalists the day of the announcement last week and shared his thoughts, and answered our questions.

What unique things do you see yourself bringing to late night chat?

George Lopez: Well, first of all, I’m not a white male. So I’m of color already. You put me and Craig Ferguson right next to each other and you’ll see a huge difference already.

I’m going to bring a more eclectic group of actors, a more eclectic music from Mana to Santana to Slash to Garth Brooks and all of them it’s –I know some pretty high profile people in Hollywood and in music and in comedy and actors and actresses. And they all seem to be pretty supportive of the idea.

And there’s just an audience that is beyond The Hills and Gossip Girl and I feel like I can pull those people to TBS and they can watch a show that is –I’m trying to be completely inclusive to bridge a gap that I think exists that – I watch TV and I’m a fan of TV. I’ve been watching it my whole life.

I think it’s still very much black and white. And what I do is I throw myself and my hat into the ring. And there’s the largest growing demographic of people in the United States are Latinos. And unfortunately a lot of the news regarding Latinos is all very negative.

Well, this today is a good story.

Is TV chat ready for you, will you be much different than what we have already?

George Lopez: Here’s the beauty of that. All of those shows have been on ABC, NBC, or CBS. Now, I don’t know if you are going to regret saying this to me because I am a little bit out there when it comes to standup.

But the head of TBS said, “Listen, George, we’re cable so take some liberties with the language.” I think they may come back to bite him in the ass.

So there’s certain – I think what Bill Maher – you look at Bill Maher on HBO. Incredibly funny and it does have some bite to it because of language. And you know you don’t have that option on NBC. I have the option on TBS and I’d rather have that bullet in my gun than not have it.

I’m sure a motherf*cker will slip out now and then.

Are you watching Jimmy Fallon on late night?

George Lopez: I’ve been aware –I know Jimmy. I know Jimmy pretty good from Saturday Night Live and I’ve talked to him a few times over the years. And I invited him to the Bob Hope golf tournament that I hosted last year and he was amazing. I mean, really, I mean, a talented cat.

I, unfortunately, am sleeping at that time, and I haven’t TiVo’d it because I didn’t want to be influenced by what he was doing or I didn’t want to say anything because I’d rather not know and only speak of him as trying to get his feet on a show taking over for somebody, which can’t be easy. You know what I mean?

Like I know he’s working hard. I know it’s a difficult job to do and I didn’t want to either have an opinion or give an opinion either way because I know it’s difficult to step into somebody, especially Conan O’Brien’s shoes.

Was that a good answer?

Also I’ll say to my benefit, I’ve never been happier not to be a white male than I am today.

You were the first guy to say, “Gentlemen, start your engines,” at a NASCAR race in Spanish.…

George Lopez: Actually, I didn’t say, “Gentlemen, start your engines.” I said, “Is there anybody out there who has an extra (churro),” but it just – nobody understood what I was saying at a NASCAR race.

They didn’t notice.

Do you feel like, with this show, that you will be perceived as a trailblazer in another way?

George Lopez: Well, I feel that Arsenio was the original trailblazer. I was fortunate enough to be on his show from June of 1989 to May of 1994. I think I made 16 appearances.

He and I became very friendly during that time. And in that time, I did The Tonight Show in 1991 on November 21, one of the last comedians to do The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

And Johnny Carson was very nice to me not only during the show but after the show. And I’ve been on The Tonight Show a couple of times with Jay Leno. And you know I’ve been on nine times on Ellen and I think ten times on Jimmy Kimmel’s show. And it’s all been great.

You know I’ve watched The Tonight Show and Letterman and you know Mike Douglas, like everybody, man. You hear everybody talk about Mike Douglas and Dinah Shore and Dick Cavett, fantastic.

And those shows – because I was a child of TV. I was an only child and I wanted to be a comedian...this year’s my 30-year anniversary of being a comedian.

Now what I feel with this talk show is that there’s an audience, obviously even just by looking at the people that I’m going to talk to in the next 40 minutes, that’s incredibly diverse and ethnically enhanced now that wasn’t there 30 years ago, 20 years ago, even 10 years ago.

So, we’re in a position now where it was tough to have a Latino guy who would cross over and appeal to everyone. With the success of George Lopez on Nickelodeon and for the 6 years it was on ABC, I have that luxury of – it’s almost become like one word, George Lopez, it’s never just George. I mean, I’m actually thinking about having the space removed and have it just be GeorgeLopez, one word.

I’m not afraid of a challenge. I’m not intimidated by having a camera on me. And over the last 10 years of being in Hollywood, I’ve made some pretty good high profile friends. You know Samuel L. Jackson was in my production pilot because I called him and so was Eva Longoria and Dane Cook and I used Shakira’s band.

So I’ve already been endorsed by some pretty high profile celebrities as wanting to be on this show. So I think those are all pluses in my favor.

Who would be your top five must-have guests on your show? And why?

George Lopez: Well, I’d love to have Michael Jackson on because he’s black and white. So he would appeal to a universal demographic.

Now he’s doing shows again. I was thinking about actually going to London to see one of his shows. I testified in his trial because I knew the accuser because I was his coach at a comedy camp at the Laugh Factory. And if Michael Jackson is performing it becomes a huge musical act.

But also, I’m a huge fan of Mana, they’re like U2, that politically relevant and that socially relevant. And I can’t remember the last time I saw Mana on English speaking TV. Now they have an opportunity to do that. I mean, they’re one of the biggest bands that’s ever performed and an incredibly successful, popular group for all fans.

But why not Latinos? Why shouldn’t Latinos have a show where they can see Denzel Washington and Mana on the same show?
I became friendly with Barack Obama because I was out there campaigning with him. And I went from Texas to Michigan to Virginia to Miami the day before the election.

So he helped me with a little piece that we did for the production pilot. So you know I’d love to have Barack Obama on.

But also, I’d love Michelle. You know Jay Leno had Barack but I’d love to have Barack and Michelle at the same time, baby. Why should only 60 Minutes get that? I’d love to have his mother on (too).

So yes obviously from Juanes to Santana to will.i.am to Garth Brooks, they’re all – everybody’s in play, except maybe Erik Estrada.

Why not?

George Lopez: Not a fan.

Will you delegate the monologue writing or do it all yourself?

George Lopez: What’s beautiful – even though it doesn’t work in basketball, I think it works in comedy. Player coaches never work in basketball. Like when Michael Jordan, I think, tried to be a player coach it didn’t work because you’re not going to take yourself out of the game or be objective.

I actually love collaborating because I have my own path now, and I’m not going to say something that would be something that I wouldn’t say. I mean, that’s to be organic to me and the edgier the better. And I’m not afraid to take on somebody or say something that somebody will find offensive because unfortunately in comedy, you can’t say anything really good without offending somebody.

How did this all come together at TBS? Do you prefer it to sitcoms?

George Lopez: I’m out of the sitcom business. I love the fact that I never thought I would get a sitcom nor did I ever think I would be in syndication nor did I ever think the show would be more successful in syndication than it was in production.

But that’s been kind of the way my career’s been where it’s all been unexpected. You know George Lopez can’t do this and I get nominated for two Grammys. I haven’t won, but I still got nominated for two Grammys, completely unexpected. I was number 9 on the top 10 Harris Poll and been on the Forbes list. I grew up dirt poor so I’ve exceeded my own expectations.
I’m not afraid of this challenge nor am I afraid to try to be a little – a little edgier nor am I afraid to take something and just make it my own. I’m not sure if you can reinvent the talk show format, but I think you can paint with different colors. And already we’re going to use more, obviously, brown and taupe and mauve and more colors than I think are being used right now in late-night.

When I was doing the show, I got a push by Jim Paratore who worked on Rosie O’Donnell and who’s working on Ellen. And this was – I probably was in my episode - in the 30s, and I met him and he said, “Would you consider doing a talk show?” And I said, “Look, I’ve got a show.” And he said, “Well, it’s not going to run forever, but when it’s over, at least please keep it in the back of your mind.”

So over the last 5 years that I would see that guy he would always mention it to me. And I’ve been out for 2 years. One of the reasons I find this challenge so interesting is because I believe that there’s an audience out there that’s not – that’s not being serviced. And it’s diverse.

It’s really what got Barack Obama elected. Barack Obama didn’t get elected solely on the white vote. And he got people to the polls who normally wouldn’t have voted and they voted and they stood in line for hours.

So seeing that inspires you to know that those people all have TVs. And especially being Latino I know that sometimes there are three TVs on in our house and two of them might be in Spanish and one of them’s in English, or two of them might be in English and one of them’s in Spanish. And that’s fine. And that all counts.

But I don’t think that’s represented by particularly the numbers that come out in Nielsen. I think we’re under-looked. And if you look at the newscast, I think that Spanish news and novellas beat the hell out of ‘How I Met Your Mother.’

TBS states there will be a “street party atmosphere”, elaborate please.

George Lopez: Well, when I shot my pilot in August, I shot it outside. And I used the entrance to ER, that whole ambulance entrance with the L train and we lit those pillars and we made – it had a depth and we used a (jumbo mart) from ER and we shot it out in the street.

And we didn’t use chairs. We used kind of an amphitheater feel and we had people pretty much almost not 360 but pretty – 240 around me.

And since I’m a standup, I’m not put out by people being right on top of me. And they were excited to see me because they know me already. And you know I used (Sam) Jackson. I called (Sam Jackson). He was on my show.

I called Eva Longoria. She was there. And I know Dane Cook, he was on. And I called Kaley Cuoco. I’ve known Kaley Cuoco since she was 16. And I used Shakira’s band.

So in that presentation outside, it already looked different. And then I didn’t use a desk. And I really don’t want to use cards. I don’t want to have to read what’s going to happen next. I mean, in 7 minutes I don’t think – I mean, if you do your work, I don’t think you need cards.

Where do you shoot the show?

George Lopez: I will be in L.A.. I’ll be at Warner Brothers.

It’s fantastic because it’s 3 minutes from my house, not that I’m opposed to drive but you know the closer to the house, the better.

How does the audience interact with you and the guests?

George Lopez: You know what I did is when I interviewed Eva for the pilot, I’d have the audience ask like three questions.
I don’t know if the people do that. And what I did is we didn’t screen the questions. So that’ll be different, you give a mic to somebody. I think you have to pay somebody every time they talk, but TBS has got some bank. They’ll be all right with that.
I’ll be funny and joking around and then slip in if they’ve ever been convicted of a felony. Now you know at that hour, after long days, I’d like to just have it be funny. I’d like to bring out the best in them and for me to have a good time with them. You know what I mean? I don’t want it to be heavy because that’s what Anderson Cooper’s for or Lou Dobbs.

What I want to do is sometimes do interviews in the middle of the people or put them 360 sometimes. I don’t think that there has to be like this kind of imaginary wall. I mean, look, I’m a Latino so I’m not four walls.

I don’t think there needs to be this kind of disconnect. I feel like it can all work and all work kind of together. You know we’re kind of together. I mean, I had a standing room only section on the pilot, and I intend to recreate that on the show in November.

So inclusive, closer, they can ask questions, I don’t want them to heckle but I don’t want them to feel like they’re not part of it just by coming and just watching and like they’re watching a movie. It’s not going to have a movie feel. It’ll have like you’re really there, like we’re going to be present.

I don’t know if we’ll use applause signs but if we do, they’ll be bilingual. I think that would be the first time you’ll have English and Spanish applause signs.

So I just, at that hour, 11 o’clock, just have it be a little – have some shit happen that is not on a card, that’s more spontaneous or an answer that you didn’t expect to get or a follow-up question that – I can’t say most of those guys would be afraid to ask – but a follow-up question that comes from my mind which thinks differently.

So, unique to my own sensibility and my own humor but ultimately they’ll understand that there’ll be a certain aspect of it that’ll be off the cuff. I think that is different already.

Will you cut your touring for this show?

George Lopez: I was on the road last week and then I was at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta and the marketing people and advertising, some of the – all of the marketing people and the head of TBS came to the show. And they’re very excited, as is Telepictures, as is Warner Brothers and you know as I am.

So I don’t intend it to cut into my tour schedule. As a matter of fact, in August on the – August 8 I’m doing a live HBO special from the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

And the weekend after that, I think I’m doing Radio City Music Hall in New York and then I’m going to take a little bit of a break and concentrate on getting the show ready in November.

So I intend to go full bore not only with the talk show but with the schedule and creating the next HBO special.
Does your audience at the standup gigs expect a “clean” TV George Lopez?

George Lopez: Well I didn’t like when kids came because they thought they were going to see the ‘Nick at Nite’ George Lopez. It’s almost like having two brothers and one is the bad brother when you come over you have to hide like your valuables and then one is the good brother that drives the Beamer and doesn’t tint his windows because it’s illegal.

So I managed to gradually and – although I think there’s been some people who have walked out, unfortunately. But they brought kids. And now it is posted everywhere, “For Mature Audiences and Over 18 Only.”

But I love my young fans. What I’ve done sometimes, too, is if there’s a couple of kids, like maybe seven kids, I’ll pull the kids out of the audience, give them their money back and then give them sweatshirts and t-shirts and meet them after the show. And they’re happy with that.

What do you think is the secret to any great late-night talk show?

George Lopez: Well, I’ve been on a lot of those shows, but I think what I – what appeals to me more – I mean, I love the energy of Ellen’s audience from the time they get in.

And I was telling Ellen the last time I was on – which was like a month ago – that I had a meeting and they had her show on and the sound was off and through the sound being off, those people looked like they were having a great time.

You know what’s going on in this country and what’s going on in the world and what’s going on economically and what’s going on with people financially is something that hasn’t happened in our lifetime. And there’s enough heavy shit out there.
So these people looked like they were happy. And I would like to continue that. And I was around Arsenio from ’89 for the 5 years he was on, and I don’t think I’ve ever stood on the side of a stage in the beginning of a show where there was more excitement than before Arsenio came out. And that was 20 years ago, so that audience went to him in droves.

And I believe that there’s an audience but kids of that audience and that’s bigger and more ethnically diverse which makes me want to be more inclusive and really makes me want to show TV that all of that is viable, that those dollars that people – that those people spend, that the money that African-American people have, and the Latinos have and that Asian people have and that everyone is branded.

Nothing is black and white anymore. You know Barack Obama has a white mother and his father’s Kenyan.

So it isn’t black and white anymore, man. It’s just – you know if anybody should know blended, it’s people now because every drink we have is blended. Everything’s blended

Read more: "George Lopez brings heat and spice to late night chat, the interview" - http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/features/article_1467578.php#ixzz0BMsIwLNz

Crean Archivo Digital de Antiguas Canciones Mexicanas

[Click headline to go to UCLA The Strachwitz Frontera Collection of Mexican and Mexican American Recordings]

Por E.J. TÁMARA © 2009 The Associated Press

El primer mariachi grabado, las canciones de un supergrupo pionero de lo que ahora se conoce como música norteña y las interpretaciones de la primera "Reina de la música tejana" son parte del archivo más grande de su tipo, 41.000 antiguos temas mexicanos que ahora están disponibles al público en formato digital.

Las joyas musicales del Cuarteto Coculense, Lydia Mendoza y el dúo precursor de música norteña Los Alegres De Terán son algunas de las piezas digitalizadas a partir de discos de 78 rpm grabados entre principios de 1900 y la década de los 50, bajo varios sellos discográficos.

"Este legado musical que nos dejan con esta colección no se compra con dinero", afirmó el jueves Hernán Hernández, integrante de Los Tigres del Norte, banda de música norteña que en el 2000 donó medio millón de dólares a UCLA para el estudio, investigación, adquisición, mantenimiento y diseminación de música tradicional y folclórica latina.

Pero debido a restricciones de derecho de autoría, la Colección Strachwitz Frontera de Discos de Música Mexicana y Mexicoamericana, disponible en la Universidad de California en Los Angeles (UCLA), cada una de las canciones sólo puede ser escuchada en su totalidad en computadoras del centro superior. Desde fuera de la UCLA sólo se puede escucharse los primeros 50 segundos de cada canción por internet.

Los discos originales de la colección, incluyendo los de 45 y 33 rpm que están por digitalizarse, pertenecen al alemán Chris Strachwitz, presidente de la Fundación Arhoolie, quien dijo que se enamoró de la música regional mexicana por la pasión que dejan traslucir las voces e instrumentos.

"Tiene el mismo tipo de soul y fuerza y agallas que vi en lo mejor de jazz, blues y country ... puede ser muy bonito. Es fuerte pero bonito. No sé como decirlo pero me sobrecoge", indicó Strachwitz, quien coleccionó música durante unos 60 años.
El Cuarteto Coculense es identificado como la primera banda urbana de mariachi. Conocida también como "La Alondra de la Frontera", Lydia Mendoza grabó más de 200 canciones en más de 50 álbumes durante su carrera de 60 años que comenzó en 1928. Los temas de Los Alegres De Terán, formado por Eugenio Abrego y Tomás Ortíz, fueron transmitidos por radio en Nuevo León alrededor de 1947, pero sólo acapararon audiencias grandes luego de comenzar a grabar en McAllen, Texas, de acuerdo con http://www.arhoolie.com

"La Colección Frontera será un recurso invaluable para estudiantes, investigadores y el público en general que quiera aprender más sobre la herencia musical en español de Estados Unidos", dijo Chon Noriega, director del Centro de Investigaciones de Estudios Chicanos.

Otros artistas incluidos en el archivo son: el Marichi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Los Hermanos Chavarría, de San Antonio, y los dúos femeninos Dueto Río Bravo, Las Hermanas Mendoza y Las Norteñitas.

En internet:

Colección Frontera en UCLA: http://frontera.library.ucla.edu
Fundación Arhoolie: http://www.arhoolie.org
Fundación Los Tigres del Norte: http://www.lostigresdelnortefoundation.org
Centro de Investigaciones de Estudios Chicanos: http://www.chicano.ucla.edu

-30-

UCR Class to Investigate Documentary Photography

[Photo: John's Furniture, Globe, AZ Series, Click image to make larger. Copyright 2009 Jesús Manuel Mena Garza.]

California photographer Jesús Manuel Mena Garza will illuminate his and other documentary photographers work in a class offered at the University of California, Riverside, Extension. The course is titled, Documentary Photography and is scheduled for May 5 through June 2, 2009.

Garza explained, “The new class will give students an opportunity to explore how photography interprets our society. As a photographer, I feel it is important to capture a vanishing America before it inevitably disappears. The beauty of our communities and people should be immortalized on photographic paper.”

The photographers adds, “Students in the course will learn the art of visual storytelling — whether for a single editorial image, for feature stories or books or for creating a personal record of things observed. Students will explore ways to execute photos through a range of styles and subjects and create a story line from concept to final print.”

The class will inform students on diverse photographic processes. Students will learn to take better images with strong, sensitive and effective visual qualities by producing several themed projects. These same projects can work as a portfolio.

-30-

Language, Culture & Global Studies in Education

The College of Education and Integrative Studies (CEIS) at Cal Poly Pomona invites applications to a tenure-tract position as an assistant professor in “Language, Culture & Global Studies in Education.

DEPARTMENT

The Department of Education seeks an Assistant Professor in Language, Culture and Global Studies in Education

POSITION TITLE AND DESCRIPTION

The Department of Education seeks a scholar/practitioner in supporting the education of English learners in the teacher credential and masters programs and invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position to begin fall, 2009.

The position presents an outstanding opportunity to develop and coordinate the department’s Bilingual Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development (BCLAD) certification program and contribute to a dynamic masters program. The successful candidate will be responsible for coordination, development and accreditation of the BCLAD program and will take the lead in monitoring the embedded Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) component of the single (secondary education) and multiple-subject (elementary education) credential programs. Opportunities exist to contribute to the Masters Program in Language Culture & Global Studies, in planning and curriculum development; course implementation; advisement and recruitment of candidates; chairing MA project/thesis committees and assisting in building collaborative partnerships with local school districts. The successful candidate must demonstrate commitment to serving students in the department as well as campus-wide initiatives such as student-centered instruction, service learning, and obtaining external funding. . The successful candidate will be expected to supervise preservice teachers in the credential programs. The successful candidate will also have opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in the Ethnic & Women’s Studies Department and will be expected to maintain connections with emerging Asian BCLAD needs for the region. Applicants whose work incorporates a global perspective and a demonstrated commitment to diversity in higher education are particularly encouraged to apply.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Earned doctorate in multicultural or multilingual education or closely related field in language, culture and global studies in education prior to September 1, 2009.
• Expertise in English language development among K-12 students, second language acquisition and literacy, and language policy.
• Demonstrated fluency in speaking and writing in academic Spanish.
• Knowledge of current research and best practices to raise the achievement of English Language Learners in K-12 schools.
• Evidence of emerging professional and scholarly productivity that aligns with the college’s commitment to social justice.
• A minimum of 3 years successful teaching experience or equivalent in diverse K-12 schools with English language learners.

PREFERRED/DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in university teaching, supervising preservice candidates and advising of graduate students.
• Active participation in professional associations or networks related to area of expertise.
• Engaged scholarship agenda and professional practice (e.g., critical race theory, Freirean pedagogy, popular education, etc.).

APPLICATION DATE and HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for the position, applicants are required to submit a letter that includes a statement of their teaching philosophy within a multicultural environment (please give examples), a completed application form, curriculum vitae, a transcript showing highest degree earned from an accredited educational institution (unofficial copy allowed for initial screening), and the names and contact information of five references. Official copy of transcript and three recommendation letters will be required of finalists. Completed packages submitted by April 6, 2009 will receive first consideration. The position will remain open until it is filled. Materials submitted by the candidate will be available for examination by all tenured and probationary faculty of the department. Applications may be downloaded from our website at:
http://academic.csupomona.edu/faculty/docs/application.pdf

Electronic submission of application materials is encouraged

Please submit applications to

Language, Culture and Global Studies Search Committee
c/o Ms. Lisa Lee
College of Education and Integrative Studies 
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona 
3801 West Temple Avenue 
Pomona, CA 91768-4016
Telephone: (909) 869-2318 Fax: (909) 869-4963
E-mail: lklee@csupomona.edu

The Department of Education is one of four departments within the College of Education and Integrative Studies. The Department is organized into two divisions: Educational Leadership and Teacher Education, and Graduate/Pedagogical Studies. Additional information is available at the University’s website, http://www.ceis.csupomona.edu.


THE UNIVERSITY: Cal Poly Pomona is a public university and one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The campus is located approximately 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles and is part of one of the most dynamic economic and cultural regions in the country. The university is noted for its scenic and historic 1,400-acre campus, once the winter ranch of cereal magnate W. K. Kellogg, located within an hour’s drive of beaches, mountains and the desert. Within a 20-mile radius of the university is a multi-ethnic population of nearly 3.8 million people. Cal Poly Pomona has a rapidly growing student population currently at 19,000 (approximately 68% ethnic minorities). Students are enrolled in 62 baccalaureate and 18 master’s degree programs with approximately 1200 full-time and part-time faculty. The University is committed to diversifying its faculty and staff to better serve its multicultural student body, and has made educational equity one of its highest priorities.

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer. The University seeks to recruit and regain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives and ways of knowing and learning. Cal Poly Pomona subscribes to all state and federal regulations and prohibits discrimination based on gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, marital status, age, religion, or veteran status. The University hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States. As required by the Clery Disclosure Act, the university’s annual security report is available at http://dsa.csupomona.edu/police/securityreport.asp.

http://academic.csupomona.edu/faculty/position.aspx?p_id=18

Desperate homeowners easy prey for scammers

Carolyn Said, SF Chronicle Staff Writer

Exiled Nigerian princes are old hat. The hottest come-on these days, clogging e-mail in-boxes, voice mail and radio airwaves, goes something like this: "Are you struggling with your mortgage? President Obama approved the new federal loan modification program. We can help lower your mortgage payment."

It's the foreclosure-rescue scheme, given up-to-the-minute credence by the fact that the president has in fact endorsed loan modifications, the reworking of home loans to make them more affordable.

Scores of individuals and companies have sprung into action, marketing their services to help homeowners stave off foreclosure. They charge thousands of dollars and promise to deliver huge monthly savings on mortgage payments.

With a record 5.4 million U.S. homeowners behind on mortgage payments, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the pool of people desperate for help is huge.

But the services these "loan negotiators" provide generally are steps homeowners could take themselves, with little or no help. Those steps include contacting their lender, assembling their financial documents and writing a letter demonstrating hardship.

For those who want assistance, free help is available from counseling agencies supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or the industry-backed HOPE hot line. And no one other than a lender can guarantee that a homeowner will qualify for reduced payments.

"People are in such a desperate place that it's low-hanging fruit," said Lisa Sitkin, an attorney with Housing and Economic Rights Advocates in Oakland. "We get calls (all the time) from people who paid someone to modify their loan" and never got the assistance.

Last week, Attorney General Jerry Brown warned homeowners to avoid mortgage scams masquerading as foreclosure assistance.

"Californians should be deeply skeptical of anyone who demands money up front and makes extravagant promises that they can save their home," he said in a statement.

Legitimate operators

Some loan modification consultants legitimately do try to negotiate lower payments. Many are former real estate agents, mortgage brokers or title agents. Craigslist last week had 61 help-wanted ads for loan mod reps throughout the Bay Area. Many ads pitched it as a patriotic way for people to help consumers, the country and themselves.

Aaron Ralls, a former corrections officer, works as an account executive for RJV Modifications, a Roseville (Placer County) company that charges $3,885 for a loan modification. The 17 account executives who handle loan modifications are paid on commission. He declined to state the amount.

Ralls said his company returns clients' money if it cannot secure them a lower mortgage payment, and turns away clients who seem unlikely to qualify for a modification because they don't have enough income.

"Whenever clients ask if they can do it themselves, I tell them, 'You absolutely can, but it's very hard because you get the runaround,' " he said. "You're calling the phone centers, getting the runaround, chasing fax machines. We do it all for the client."

Nasim Pakmanesh, production manager at Help-U-Mod in Walnut Creek, said his company's business model is to provide "forensic loan audits" for $1,500, then to refer clients to affiliated attorneys who charge about $1,000 to pursue a loan modification. He said the audit looks through the original loan documents to discover errors made when the loan was originated.

With the audit, "the attorney has more ammo to work with to negotiate for their clients," he said. "Instead of going in and saying, 'My clients can't afford the home and have a hardship,' they're saying, 'You guys approved a loan you shouldn't have - so what can you do for my clients?' Our audit will definitely increase the chances" of getting a loan modification.

'A feeding frenzy'

But Sitkin of Housing and Economic Rights Advocates said she doesn't think forensic loan audits accomplish anything beside sounding impressive.

"People are really proud when they tell me that they got it, but it's a false hope that it will stop foreclosure," she said.

Norma Garcia, senior attorney at the West Coast office of Consumers Union, said she is troubled that the loan-mod services are basically unregulated.

"Often it's not illegal to do what they're doing, but our concern is that some of the people who caused the mortgage meltdown are now profiting from it," she said. "It's a feeding frenzy in a loop. They're taking advantage of uninformed consumers to get money out of their ignorance."

Some loan-mod agents are out-and-out scammers.

"A lot of sham companies and con artists promise these vulnerable homeowners that if you just give us some money, we can do a loan modification, you can stay in your house and get your payment reduced," said Tom Pool, a spokesman for the California Department of Real Estate. "It is troubling that they're preying on those who don't have money to begin with. In many cases, the consumers use their credit card to pay the fees."

2 sent to prison

Last week, two loan-modification operators in Southern California were sent to prison for up to six years for grand theft.

"Ring members promised victims they would renegotiate their mortgages and reduce monthly payments," the attorney general's office said in a statement. After collecting up-front fees of $1,500 to $5,000, they "pocketed the money and did nothing to help victims."

Up-front fees, in fact, are one clear sign of a potential fraud, Pool said. California law strictly regulates how real estate professionals can collect advance fees, including a requirement that they have a contract approved by the Department of Real Estate. Homeowners can check the department's Web site (www.dre.ca.gov/mlb_adv_fees.html) to see whether that is the case.

"What we find is the rogue operators have flimsy contracts that don't meet the standard of current law," Pool said.

Gary Kishner, a spokesman for mortgage giant Chase, said he couldn't comment directly on loan modification services but added: "We encourage our customers to contact us directly."

Beware of loan modification offers

• There is no fee to talk to your lender or a HUD-approved housing counselor about a loan modification. A list of counseling agencies is at links.sfgate.com/ZMW. You can also call the HOPE hot line at (888) 995-4673 or online at www.995hope.org

• Beware of paying for housing counseling or loan modification assistance. The California Department of Real Estate offers advice on loan mod companies at www.dre.ca.gov/mlb_adv _fees.html. Check out attorneys at the State Bar of California's Web site, www.calbar.ca.gov

• Beware of anyone who offers to save your home if you sign or transfer over the deed to your house. Do not sign over the deed to your property unless you are working directly with your mortgage company to forgive your debt.

• Never make your mortgage payments to anyone other than your loan servicer without its approval.

• Read full details on the administration housing plan at www.financialstability.gov

Sources: Financialstability.gov, California attorney general

E-mail Carolyn Said at csaid@sfchronicle.com.

-30-

Just Another Repeater Radio Station

[Photo: Opie Taylor of the Andy Griffith TV Show... not radio]

Radio For the Rest Of Us?

I’ll keep this article brief. Most NPR stations are just repeater stations. They focus on programming that I consider East Coast highbrow. They rarely offer any local programming.

Here is how the NPR monolith works. Most NPR programming is produced at their flagship station, WGBH Boston. Before we get news and information, it is filtered (they have to make sure it isn't too progressive or contaminated by minorities) through a "sophisticated" Boston and New York filter. That is why NPR affiliates often blast the same material over the airwaves and dominate the left side of the radio dial. It gets awfully redundant.

Again, this bleached material has a definite East Coast bias. After listening to this corporate yammering (programming) you learn that East Coasters wouldn’t know a Chicano from a hole in the ground. This is not good news for us West Coast Chicanos. Changing NPR’s focus from YUPPIE news and features to more diverse fare is practically impossible. This is where the dinero (money) is and they are sticking to their network guns. But there is hope. The corporations don't own the future because Internet radio is on the rise.

Why is Internet radio so great? Apparently, production costs are relatively low, corporate donors aren't quite as important and you don’t have to own a big-fat production facility. In the interim, local repeater stations present vacuous programming like Boston Pops and A Prairie Home Companion. My wife loves this show.

Acculturated and somewhat assimilated, I also occasionally enjoy what the repeater stations offer, but I am not yet a clone of the famoso (famous) Opie Taylor - see photo above. I still like Tejano (American) music and an occasional story about people of color. The confluence of Chicanos and Internet radio will take place. Maybe the new paradigm shift has already taken place. It just isn't as obvious and as easy to access as the NPR stuff on the left side of the dial.

-30-