Joe Mathews

Last Week’s Gubernatorial Debate Should Have Been the Last

I Tried Hard to Care. I Failed.

Did we just watch the last California gubernatorial debate–ever?

Trick question. It appears very few of us bothered to watch last week’s debate between Governor Jerry Brown and challenger Neel Kashkari. If this proves to be the last such debate–a real possibility since there was almost no debate this year–most Californians wouldn’t notice the event’s demise.

We shouldn’t be proud of this state of affairs. Yes, it is perfectly fine for Californians not to follow state politics closely; the world is full of more important things, and there hasn’t been …

by Joe Mathews |

Read More

Can the State’s New Hollywood Tax Credit Make Us All Media Moguls?

Californians Are Investing Over $1.5 Billion in Film and TV Production. We Deserve the Red-Carpet Treatment.

by Joe Mathews |

We’re making major motion pictures, baby!

And TV shows, too! That’s right, my fellow California taxpayers. You and I are now major investors in film and television productions. Our agent—or I …

My First Week of Kindergarten

I Thought I Was Prepared for My Son’s Education to Begin. It Turned Out I Wasn’t Quite Ready, and Neither Are California’s Public Schools.

by Joe Mathews |

“Wait, Daddy,” you say.

You are 5, and you have your priorities. You are reassembling the wooden train tracks into a new configuration. You are building an airplane hangar out of …

Why Are Californians Obsessed With Where Their Politicians Live?

In a State of Thousands of Overlapping Government Jurisdictions, It Doesn’t Make Sense to Punish Elected Officials Who Live in One District and Represent Another

by Joe Mathews |

Admit it: You’re not exactly sure where you live, are you?

Don’t be embarrassed to acknowledge that, beyond knowing your street address, you’re a little uncertain. California has so many thousands …

If California Cows Could Talk

Much Like Their Human Counterparts, Cows Around the State Are Being Asked to Do More With Less

by Joe Mathews |

I am a California dairy cow. Mmmm—oo.

Surprised to hear from me? In normal times, I wouldn’t be inclined to cooperate with the anthropomorphic scheme of a writer desperate for a …

What’s Good for Putin Is Good for California

From Aerospace to Hollywood Bad Guys, a New Cold War Offers Myriad Opportunities for the State to Prosper

by Joe Mathews |

Here are two words Californians should say to Vladimir Putin:

Thank you.

California, with its historic reliance on defense-related industries, never quite recovered from the end of the Cold War. Today, Los …


By continuing to use our website, you agree to our privacy and cookie policy.

✕

Get More Zócalo

No paywall. No ads. No partisan hacks. Ideas journalism with a head and a heart.

You may opt out or contact us anytime.

×