Don’t Dismiss Stockton
Here’s a new maxim for Californians to live by, courtesy of this election: Don’t dismiss apocalyptic warnings from Stockton. If you’re a Californian with a
Joe Mathews
November 3, 2016
Author: Joe Mathews
Connecting California Columnist and Editor, Zócalo Public Square, Fellow at the Center for Social Cohesion at Arizona State University and co-author of California Crackup: How Reform Broke the Golden State and How We Can Fix It (UC Press, 2010)
The Single-Subject Rule Is Dead
It may surprise you to know that ballot initiatives in California are supposed to be governed by a single-subject rule. Put simply, they only deal
Joe Mathews
November 1, 2016
Are the San Francisco and San Diego Elections Rigged?
Maybe Donald Trump would be right in a different context. How can anyone accept the results of this November’s elections in San Francisco and San
Joe Mathews
October 31, 2016
The Cannabis Cartel California Needs
If California is going to transition successfully to full legalization of cannabis, our state is going to need its own cartel. For the record (and
Joe Mathews
October 27, 2016
In California, Taxes Are Almost Always Temporary
It’s the talking point that won’t die: that California’s temporary taxes aren’t really temporary. It’s an argument usually offered by the anti-tax crowd when they’re
Joe Mathews
October 26, 2016
Anne Gust Brown for Attorney General
Gov. Jerry Brown’s best choice for attorney general – an appointment he must make after Kamala Harris’ election to the U.S. Senate — is obvious:
Joe Mathews
October 25, 2016
Oracle’s Marriott
Checking in on my grandmother early one morning last week in San Mateo, I picked up the local paper to read the news: Oracle had
Joe Mathews
October 24, 2016
Prop 67 Should Be Prop 51
The long statewide ballot, with 17 different measures, demonstrates many things wrong with California-style direct democracy. Here’s another one: we put referenda last, when they
Joe Mathews
October 21, 2016
Californians Want Much More From Our Neighborhoods
California is a state of large things: A 1,100-mile coastline and giant mountain ranges and big roads, bigger cities, and the biggest vistas. In such
Joe Mathews
October 20, 2016