Episode 2: Marisa Lagos

Marisa Lagos is a politics correspondent with KQED, based in San Francisco.

We love direct democracy, and we love to bitch about direct democracy. It really is in our DNA here that we constantly have these ballots---whether it’s this recall or Schwarzenegger’s or the two dozen initiatives that we often see on big ballots. And everyone, every time, is like, “Why are we doing this? This is crazy.” But if you turn around and say, “So you don’t think we should have this?”, they’re like, “No, no, no! We want this power!” So I think it’s very much in keeping with the tone of the state. [...] Every time we get through an election, I sit back, and I actually have a lot of gratitude for how much folks do engage here.

Notes and references from this episode: 

Political Breakdown, KQED

My father had 91 years of joy, love and fighting for justice. It wasn’t enough (essay on Richard Abcarian), by Robin Abcarian, Los Angeles Times

Karen Tumulty on the Politics of Nancy Reagan, Political Breakdown

Kevin Faulconer on Governing San Diego and His Agenda on COVID and Crime, Political Breakdown

For Low-Income Parents, Most Child Support Goes to the State — Not the Kids, by Marisa Lagos, KQED

Judge Finds Attias Guilty of Murder, by Marisa Lagos, The Daily Nexus

San Bruno fire levels neighborhood - gas explosion, by Marisa Lagos, Kevin Fagan, Michael Cabanatuan, Justin Berton; SFGate

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