This is Public Speak,
a podcast about local government by two women who are in it.
Felicia has been on City Council in Easthampton, MA for over a year and knows her way around a public comment period. Rachel just joined the neighborhood planning committee in North Park, San Diego, CA and is still figuring out the ropes, but she’s taking notes, and she’s bringing you along for every single thing she learns.
Most of us know that local government is the level of government that most directly affects your daily life. It’s not necessarily the stuff that’s showing up in your algorithms and social media feeds (although if you’re on Facebook, that’s another story!) but it’s where decisions get made that you’ll really feel firsthand. Local government impacts your sidewalks, potholes, parks, schools, and that developer’s plan to build a five-story mixed-use development where the unofficial dog park used to be.
Most people have absolutely no idea how any of it works! That’s not because they don’t care. The reality is it can be a bit complicated. And, probably no-one ever explained it to them in a way that didn’t make them want to fall asleep or run screaming from a community center meeting room.
Plus, if we’re really being honest, it’s not nearly as sexy as the drama we see taking place in our feeds… though it can certainly still be entertaining!
We’ll prove it. ☺️
Public Speak is a long-form civics podcast for people who want to understand the machinery of their communities without a law degree, a poli sci minor, or an inexplicable love of parliamentary procedure. Each month we do a deep dive into how local government actually works: public comments, planning committees, municipal budgets, how to run for office, what all those departments actually do, and why any of it matters to your actual life.
We also bring in guests. We’ll speak with people who are doing the work, making the decisions, and maybe getting yelled at in public meetings. They’re normal people, just like you and me, and we’ll show you that anyone can participate. That’s the point, after all!
Who is this for? People who want to be civically engaged but genuinely don’t know where to start. Neighbors who showed up to one city council meeting and left more confused than when they arrived. Anyone who has ever thought I should probably understand how this works and then didn’t look it up, because where would you even start?
Start here!
Full episodes live here on Substack. Free subscribers get access to part of each episode. Paid subscribers get the full thing, plus articles, notes, and everything else we publish here. We’ll still occasionally publish full episodes, but the meat will be here.
We think democracy is worth showing up for, now more than ever. We’re going to make it a lot easier to do!
Public Speak is independently produced and listener-supported. NO ADS EVER!
Feedback Policy
If we say something that doesn’t sound right, or want to offer feedback, please email us at hi@publicspeakpodcast.com with the episode title and the information you’d like to share. We’ll publish any relevant feedback in the show notes.
