First hour: Journalist Maurice Chammah on capital punishment policies in the U.S.
Second hour: Debating tax breaks for developers in the City of RochesterWe talk with Maurice Chammah, a journalist with the Marshall Project. His book, "Let the Lord Sort Them," examines the history of the death penalty in the U.S. He'll be a guest of the University of Rochester Tuesday evening, but first, we talk with him on Connections about his research and about capital punishment policies. Our guest:
- Maurice Chammah, staff writer for the Marshall Project, and author of "Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty"
Then in our second hour, Rochester City Council will vote Tuesday on whether to reauthorize a tax break that critics say has over-inflated luxury apartments downtown. It's not a sexy name: it's called 485-a, and it's designed to spur new development. Mayor-elect Malik Evans said on Connections last week that he had problems with the legislation in the past, but it has been amended and improved. Other members of council question just how much it has improved, and critics continue to allege that this law offers a way for luxury developers to leave taxpayers covering their bills. Our guests debate it:
- Ritti Singh, communications coordinator with the Citywide Tenant Union of Rochester
- Matt Drouin, partner at OakGrove Development
- Joe Hanna, owner of Hanna Properties and president of the Southeast Landlord Coalition