Grow up, Sacramento!

Why California Needs Its Central Valley Cities to Step up to Civic Adulthood

Are you finally growing up, Sacramento?

I pose that question not to our state government but to the real Sacramento, by which I mean the Sacramento Capital Region. It’s a query that should be aimed at all of the Central Valley’s big urban areas. Are you ready for civic adulthood, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, and Modesto?

The maturity of these cities is more than a regional question. The Valley persistently lags California as a whole in employment, access to health care, and educational attainment. If California is going to make big gains in …

By Joe Mathews | February 9, 2017

What’s Behind California’s Sudden Urge to Help the Homeless?

It’s the Rich, Now Crowded Next to the Destitute in the Housing-Crunched State, Who Are Driving Politicians’ Newfound Attentiveness

By Joe Mathews | June 23, 2016

How did homelessness suddenly become such a hot issue across California? There are many reasons, and few of them have anything to do with people who are homeless.

Those reasons—economic anxiety, …

California’s New Homework Assignment Is a Waste of Time

New Local Plans Handed Down by the State Just Further Complicate Our Education System

By Joe Mathews | November 12, 2015

Don’t tell my kids I said this, but it really is OK for Californians to skip homework assignments—if they come from Sacramento.

If you’ve lived in California for the past two …

Professional Football Has a California Problem

Three Teams Want to Come to L.A., but I've Got Better Ideas

by Joe Mathews | September 10, 2015

Pro football has a “California problem.”

So say some of the most powerful people in the sport. And as a new National Football League season kicks off this weekend, they are …

Capturing Smiles Can Change Your Life

Teaching Kids How to Focus on Beauty Encourages Them to Improve Their Worlds

By Mhong Thao | August 18, 2015

I grew up viewing life as hopeless. At my high school in South Sacramento, you were a jock, a loner, a gang member, or an all-star. I didn’t seem to …

Has the Affordable Care Act Fulfilled Its Promises?

A Year Into the New Healthcare Landscape, People Have More Choices and More Access—for the Most Part

by Sarah Rothbard | November 13, 2014

A year ago, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was launched with an abundance of promises to Californians: People with preexisting conditions would no longer be denied coverage from health insurance …

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