KPBS Midday Edition

New Book By Encinitas Politicians Explains How To Work With The System To Enact Change

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Brooke Ruth / Senior Producer of Audio News

Published December 9, 2020 at 10:11 AM PST

This story was published more than 4 years ago.

This undated photo shows vehicles in Encinitas.

A new book by two former Encinitas city officials explains what you need to know to make change. The book is called "Potholes, Parks, and Politics: A guide to getting things done locally (without having to run for office yourself).”

The cover of “Potholes, Parks, and Politics: A guide to getting things done locally (without having to run for office yourself)” is pictured.

Lots of people complain about government, but don't do much to change things. Perhaps you’ve griped about potholes, or a new development in your neighborhood — even talked with the neighbors about the problem, maybe you even made a phone call to a legislator — but nothing seems to change. Maybe it's because you don't know enough about the ends and outs of how local government works.

A new book by two former Encinitas city officials offers tips for how to be successful in advocating for change within your local government. The book is called "Potholes, Parks, and Politics: A guide to getting things done locally (without having to run for office yourself).” It was written by educator and former Encinitas city council member Dr. Lisa Shaffer with help from former Encinitas mayor Teresa Barth.

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Shaffer and Barth joined KPBS Midday Edition on Wednesday to discuss the inspiration for the book and what it can teach readers.

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Maureen Cavanaugh

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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Brooke Ruth

Brooke Ruth is the senior producer of Audio News. She previously served as a producer for "KPBS Midday Edition" and a web producer. Before joining KPBS, Brooke was a web editor for four newspapers and a local television station. She began her career in news at the Imperial Valley Press. She has also been part of the web teams at the Napa Valley Register, North County Times, and U-T San Diego. While pursuing her undergraduate degree at UCLA in psychology, she worked on the student newspaper, the Daily Bruin.

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