The Quintana Show

We take the way back machine to one of the craziest episodes of California history, the 2003 recall of Governor Gray Davis. Jill Stewart joins us as an expert in all twists, turns, and personalities she documented as a syndicated columnist. The overused phrase “perfect storm” here accurately describes the confluence of the late 90s dot com bubble burst, low voter turnout, an unpopular tax by an unpopular governor, and an energy crisis that led to only the 2nd recall of a governor in US history. And that’s where the real craziness began… with a field of 158 candidates including stand-ups, actors, porn stars, and personalities culminating in the election of bodybuilder, actor and celebrity Arnold Schwarzenegger. Looking back Q and Jill have to decide: was it worth it?

This episode lives up to the title of the podcast. We welcome Assemblymember Kevin Mullin, who represented the southern part of the San Francisco Peninsula. He is the Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore, presiding over much of the floor debate in the California Assembly. He is a former mayor and city council, and a multimedia entrepreneur. And we have him on today to discuss… none of that. Instead we turn back to an earlier chapter in his life as a DJ and break down the 12 Definitive Rap Hits of the 90s. Not the best lyrics or the best flow but the songs that both take you back and still make you get up and high five the person next to you.

Part 2 of The Devil Landlord of F Street the Dorothea Puente Story is here! We’ve introduced you to the killer: her past crimes, how she operated and how she pretended to be an upstanding citizen. Now in Part 2 we take you through her downfall and eventual arrest. Learn how a dogged social services worker, looking for a missing homeless man placed in Dorethea’s care became suspicious, which led to a routine check by law enforcement, which led to Dect. Cabrera and a shovel. When an avocado tree root actually turns out to be a human foot, this small time crime gains national traction, especially when Dorethea disappears. Find out how she was caught, who possibly could have helped her and what interrogating her was like on this episode of Politicalish.

Joe Biden has won the presidential election, this is a clear fact. But President Trump has yet to concede. Does he have any way of challenging and changing the results? In this special episode, Q and returning guest Mike Gatto explore five desperate ways Trump could contest the results. While unlikely as an outcome, they are a fascinating look at how we elect an American presidents. Stick around for stories about John Tyler’s grandson, Teddy Roosevelt getting shot, and other political trivia on this episode of Politicalish.

In the first of an amazing two parter, we bring back returning champion retired Detective John Cabrera with another fabulous real-life crime story: The Devil Landlord of F Street the Dorothea Puente Story. Part One lays out the life of a stone cold grifter, not the sweet old lady some press later portrayed. We start with Q and the detective ruminating on the number of famous killers and cases in the Sacramento area between 1970 and 1990, to include the Manson family and the Unibomber. Then we dig into the background and early criminal history of Dorthy Gray, aka Dorthea Puente. From her early childhood woes to her first criminal convictions we trace her life as well as we can. She was a pathological liar who told many tales to many people, from small lies about her Spanish ethnicity to dangerous ones about being a trained nurse. This first episode details it all from the man who caught her: prostitution, fraud, her early murders and how she used her ill gotten gains to engratiate herself in Sacramento.

You might know him as the insurgent US senatorial candidate. You might know him as the President Pro Temp of the California Senate. You might know him as the newest Los Angeles City Councilman. But you haven’t heard these stories. Politicalish presents: The Rise of Kevin de León. Listen as Q and Kevin discuss his life story, from college dropout to political powerhouse, what shaped his vision for California, what he’s proud of from his time in the legislature, why he ran for Senate, and what is his vision for LA.

Welcome to the first episode of a “ lobbyist and a politician discuss” with former Assemblymember Mike Gatto. Today’ topic is how Hollywood gets politics and lobbying so very wrong. From the foolishness of grandiloquent speeches, to the lack of gurus with secret political knowhow, the complete lack of quid pro quos, and how one speech of a down ballot politician can change the world. Q and Mike tackle the best and worst that film and TV have to offer. Pay attention for a great story of how a bill on cosmetic testing on beagle ears got killed by drunken stupidity and another about Chuck Calderon’s impassioned speech and the results.

Today is all about the fight game. We welcome Josh Emmett, the 7th ranked UFC featherweight. We go deep on fighting while injured, mind coaches, why finger pokes are the worst, and the hardest he's ever been hit. Then we get deep in the financial aspect of mixed martial arts, why the regional circuit pays more than the UFC, and when he expects to fight again after his devastating knee injury.

Acid, mushrooms, LSD… today we trip the light fantastic and discuss the oneness of the universe… not exactly! Actually we have Ariel Clark of the law firm Clark Howell. She is one of the foremost experts on cannabis and hemp law, and at the forefront of the psychedelic legalization movement. Her firm specialize in cannabis, hemp, and psychedelic decriminalization and criminal justice reform. She and Q discuss what the different types and categories of the drugs are, the history of creation and criminalization in the United States, and how changes are being made especially for the treatment of opioid addiction and Alzheimers. The conversation dives deeply into the difference between legalization and decriminalization and how she thinks the next 3 to 5 years will change.

Politicalish today brings you a great conversation with California State Senator Melissa Melendez. She represents the 28th senate district in Riverside County, stretching from Temecula to the Arizona border. Q and she discuss the reputation in Sacramento, and on Twitter, her background growing up in Youngtown, Ohio, her time in the Navy and how she went from a small business owner to state senator. The conversation turns to a discussion of the unemployment SNAFUs at the California EDD, and what the heck happened on the final legislative session day in the California Senat