How Matt Mahan Thinks He Can Save California

In this episode, Matt Mahan, who recently ran for Governor of California, discusses his frustrations with the state's governance, arguing that California is spending more money while achieving fewer positive outcomes. Mahan, who grew up in Watsonville and previously worked in civic tech with platforms like Causes and Brigade, emphasizes a lack of accountability in state government. He points out that state spending has increased by 75%—an additional $150 billion in six years—with many key outcomes remaining flat or worsening.

Mahan highlights specific examples of this inefficiency, such as the $14 billion high-speed rail project that, after 20 years, has yet to deliver a product. He explains that this money is largely absorbed by consultants, lawyers, environmental reviews, litigation, and bureaucracy, rather than outright theft. While acknowledging documented fraud, such as over $30 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims during the pandemic, Mahan asserts that waste and inefficiency due to a system focused on process over outcomes are far greater problems. He contrasts this with his experience as Mayor of San Jose, where he claims to have reduced crime, decreased unsheltered homelessness by a third, and unblocked housing production without raising taxes, by changing existing processes, reducing fees, and defunding ineffective programs.

The conversation also delves into the role of organized interests in Sacramento. Mahan contends that public sector unions, trial lawyers, and other well-resourced groups defend the status quo, influencing legislation that often adds cost and process. He argues that "spineless politicians" who cater to these demands, rather than the unions themselves, are the root cause of the problem. Mahan criticizes the California legislature for passing numerous bills that often add more rules without improving outcomes, and stresses the need for public goals, performance measurement, and accountability, warning that failure to deliver results could lead to a "MAGA-like movement" in California. He attributes California's worsening crises in poverty, unemployment, and homelessness to an unwillingness to adapt policies, citing the state's lax approach to addiction and mental illness, and its broken housing market.