Email emilier@patch.com
Phone 510-459-8325
Hometown McLean, VA
Birthday April 8
Bio Emilie Raguso is the local editor for Albany Patch. (See a quick guide to the site here.) She has lived primarily in the East Bay since 2004. Her stories have been featured on the New York Times website, Salon and NPR, and in the East Bay Express. Emilie was a crime reporter for The Modesto Bee after getting her master's in journalism from UC Berkeley. See more of her work at http://raguso.us.

Your Beliefs
I believe everyone should be treated with kindness and respect; that everyone has a right to his or her opinion; and that it's possible to write about complex issues and represent both sides accurately, regardless of one's personal opinions.

Politics
I am registered with the democratic party and would definitely label myself "liberal." At the same time, I have a lot of close friends who are quite conservative and have family in the military, and have spent a lot of time speaking with them about their views. I have gained a lot of appreciation for certain parts of many conservative standpoints, though I still believe in the importance of a social safety net, social and economic justice and the idea that our circumstances are due at least as much to luck and privilege as they are to hard work.

Religion
I was raised Jewish but am not practicing. There's a lot about Judaism I value in terms of its rich history and culture and its emphasis on charitable giving. Generally I say I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual, and believe in living as compassionately as possible.

Local Hot-Button Issues
For Albany, my sense is that the schools are the heart of the community. I don't have any personal stake in this issue, as I have no children. I do believe that education is the building block to future success and that, as such, it needs to be well-funded to give children every advantage possible. I believe teachers as a whole are treated with more respect in other countries and that we would be well served to listen to them a bit harder about what they say is needed for success.

The other major issue seems to be the future of the waterfront. I have to say I like the Bulb the way it is, and generally prefer open space and nature to development. I appreciate, however, that sometimes development is necessary to support a local economy. Albany Patch will keep a close eye on these issues and look forward to hearing and reporting all the views in the community.