Joe Mathews: All Publications, Events and Press

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Ron Tang — Sun, 11 May 2008 05:52:00 -0400

Amid all the national debate over immigration, at least one firm consensus has emerged: Newcomers to the United States should learn English because it remains the lingua franca of our civic life. All three remaining presidential contenders say that the ability to speak English should be a requirement of U.S. citizenship. And last year, the immigrant governor of California told a convention of Latino journalists that immigrants should watch only English-language TV so they can understand the language and news of their home state. "You've got to turn off the Spanish television set," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger advised the… more

Schwarzenegger-Shriver: Protecting the Brand

Ron Tang — Sun, 04 May 2008 02:18:00 -0400

One afternoon early in his second year as governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger flew home from Sacramento to Los Angeles with a vexing political problem. He needed to cut $2 billion from the budget he was putting together, and any of his best options for doing it could get him into trouble.

If he raised taxes, he'd anger his fellow Republicans. Break a promise to increase education funding and he'd alienate the top Democratic interest group, the California Teachers Assn. Option 3: Cut health and human services, the next biggest category in the budget. He didn't like the idea, but some of his… more

Joe Mathews on KPBS Radio in San Diego | Political Writer Considers the Body Politic

Communications — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:36:00 -0400

New America in the News:

KPBS Radio in San Diego | Political Writer Joe Mathews Considers the Body Politic

What's this hand basket we're in and where is it going? That's what people are asking in America today as the war in Iraq wears on and the economy goes down the tubes. But where's that audacity of hope?

I guess we an always be a little bit hopeful in an election year, provided voters actually vote and politicians take some chances. Joe Mathews covered politics for many years for the Los Angeles Times. Most recently he's covered the presidential race, and he just got back from Pennsylvania, where Barack and Hillary are trying to win over rust-belt Democrats.

Joe has covered presidential politics and California state politics. He wrote a book about Arnold Schwarzenegger called "The People's Machine." He is an Irvine Senior Fellow with the New America Foundation.

Arnold vs. Arnold

Ron Tang — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:00:00 -0400

Education cuts and reform campaigns can be the drinking and driving of California politics. Each carries certain risks when pursued separately. Combined, they can be deadly.

This is a truth that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has found hard to accept. Three years ago, just as he launched his breakneck drive to win voter approval of budget and political reforms, he decided to withhold part of a mandated increase in education funding from his 2005-06 budget proposal. The delay in Proposition 98 funding soon consumed the public attention that Schwarzenegger wanted directed toward his reform proposals. His favorability rating dropped more than 20… more