Joe Mathews: All Publications, Events and Press

The Perfect Lieutenant Governor: Me

Erin Drankoski — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:07:00 -0500

Dear Gov. Schwarzenegger,

I hear you're searching for a new lieutenant governor. If I may be so bold, I can think of one Californian who is the right fit for the job.

Me.

Now that Lt. Gov. John Garamendi is vacating the office to take a seat in Congress, I know you're considering smart politicians of both parties. But selecting a proven leader would be a terrible mistake. Someone with real experience in government would be frustrated by the utter powerlessness and insignificance of the lieutenant governor's office.

'Change Has Come' ... or Has It?

Erin Drankoski — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:07:00 -0500

"We thought we were getting a man of action. Instead, we got someone who'll spend six hours chasing a white ball around a park," Joe Mathews, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, said, with tongue planted only partly in cheek. "If voters had known about the golf, they would have been less surprised by his lack of urgency on many issues." ... Original Article

Newsom's Departure Is All About Brown | San Francisco Business Times

Erin Drankoski — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:55:00 -0500

Forget the issues with cash and the polls, says New America Foundation senior fellow Joe Mathews, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s decision to leave the Democratic race for governor boils down to one thing. ... Original Article

Election Week | New York Times

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:22:00 -0500

“This fact should have been disclosed during the campaign,” wrote Joe Mathews, a senior fellow at the New American Foundation. “We thought we were getting a ...

Why Newsom Dropped Out

Erin Drankoski — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:56:00 -0400

Don't mess with Moonbeam.

The most striking thing about San Francisco Gavin Newsom's decision to withdraw from the race for California governor is that no one else is in the race. Newsom's only opponent-Jerry Brown, the former governor and attorney general-may be the frontrunner in the polls, but he isn't a declared candidate. Brown only recently set up an exploratory committee.

CA's System of Initiative and Referendum | KOGO

Erin Drankoski — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:01:00 -0400

Direct Democracy | The Oregonian

Erin Drankoski — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:04:00 -0400

Yet there are some interesting reform ideas now floating around California. In an oped in Monday's Los Angeles Times, Joe Mathews, a senior fellow at the New American Foundation, offers several possible changes in California's system. Here are three of Mathews' proposal. ... Original Article

Amending California's Direct Democracy

Erin Drankoski — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:32:00 -0400

In a recent speech to the Academy of Arts and Sciences, California Chief Justice Ronald M. George became the latest sharp critic of the state's system of direct democracy. "Frequent amendments -- coupled with the implicit threat of more in the future -- have rendered our state government dysfunctional," he said.

The chief justice isn't the first state leader to take aim at the way ballot measures are enacted in California, and he won't be the last.

The Polanski Tax

Erin Drankoski — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:03:00 -0400

Want to understand why California is such a political and budgetary mess? Consider the case of Roman Polanski.

In a strange way, the attempt by Los Angeles County prosecutors to arrest, extradite, and presumably send the French-Polish film director to prison for a 30-year-old crime-having sex with an unwilling 13 year old-offers a clear example of this state's governing myopia.

2010 CA Governor's Race | KOGO

Erin Drankoski — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:07:00 -0400

See Jerry Run. Again.

Erin Drankoski — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:46:00 -0400

The first rule of Jerry Brown's campaign for governor is that he doesn't talk about his campaign for governor.

Don't Do It, Ladies

Erin Drankoski — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:54:00 -0400

To: Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina
From: Joe Mathews
Re: CEO Candidates Running for High Office in California

I would advise each of you to run for the hills. But the hills are on fire.

The national media have been full of stories about how California Republicans are "pinning their hopes" on the two of you--former CEOs who are running next year for governor (Meg) and U.S. Senate (Carly is exploring a challenge to Barbara Boxer).

The Bradley Effect Was about Guns, Not Racism

Erin Drankoski — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:40:00 -0400

Nelson Rising, chairman of Tom Bradley’s 1982 campaign for California governor, still remembers the phone call. Bradley called him shortly after 4 a.m. on a long election night, when it was clear Bradley had lost to Republican attorney general George Deukmejian.
“You were right,” Bradley told Rising a bit wearily.

The Printer's Son

Erin Drankoski — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:32:00 -0400

Hamilton Chan was the smartest person I knew at Harvard. He was maddening. When I stayed up all night because a paper was due the next day, I worked on the paper. Too often I got a B. When Hamilton pulled an all-nighter, he played computer games, chatted with girls in the dorm, beat all comers at foosball, and napped. At dawn he began to write, and inevitably he got an A.

Arnold's Debt to Eunice

Erin Drankoski — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:29:00 -0400

Eunice Kennedy Shriver is likely to be most remembered for her blood relations, especially her politician brothers John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, and Teddy Kennedy.

In California, she has a lesser-known but crucial role: as the state's most important mother-in-law.

Eunice's son-in-law, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has described her as his mentor and strongest political supporter. He's not exaggerating. Without her, there never would have been an Arnold governorship.

Cedillo Hosts Post-Budget Analysis | OBSNews.com

Erin Drankoski — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:14:00 -0400

Joe Mathews moderated a panel discussion in which the policy leaders were asked to address the topics of fiscal or governance reform, "silver bullet" solutions, and the impact severe cuts and revenue shifts would have on local government, health and education. ... Original Article

'Throw the Bums Out' Is National Mood | Los Angeles Times

Erin Drankoski — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:11:00 -0400

With the recession continuing to hurt city budgets, "these early recalls could be the beginning of a deluge of local political battles," said Joe Mathews, a senior fellow at New America Foundation and former Los Angeles Times reporter.

Local-Level Politicians Are Swept up in a Surge of Recalls | Los Angeles Times

Cecille Isidro — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:20:00 -0400

With the recession continuing to hurt city budgets, "these early recalls could be the beginning of a deluge of local political battles," said Joe Mathews, ...

Arnold's Next Role

Erin Drankoski — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:58:00 -0400

Is Arnold Schwarzenegger's career in electoral politics coming to an end?

California's Reefer Madness

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:44:00 -0400

California, broke and dysfunctional, desperately needs a white-hot public debate over how to fix its budget, its economy, and its state constitution.

What the state may get instead is a white-hot public debate over marijuana.