B i o g r a p h y

Life Long Educator/
Community Leader

        Peter Mathews has spent 30 years as a College and University Professor educating people. Born into a family of educators, his father was a university professor and clinical psychologist, and his mother, a teacher. At an early age, Mathews learned the value of human dignity and to cherish education. This has molded his beliefs about the role of government in the world today.
        Peter Mathews is a professor of Political Science at Cypress College, has taught at California State University, Fullerton, and has served as a political analyst on KNBC-TV, CNN radio, KPFK radio, and as a commentator on KNX News Radio and other venues. Having lived, traveled, taught and conducted research in countries such as Britain, France, Denmark, Germany, Canada and elsewhere, Mathews has first-hand knowledge of public policy such as healthcare in these and other societies.
        As an educator, Peter has seen, first hand, the effects that a lack of funding has had on the education of our children. In many cities that do not have basic necessities such as updated textbooks, computers, adequate number of classrooms, credentialed teachers, and after school arts academic and sports programs. These are tools that will ensure that our children receive the high quality education they deserve.
        In 1993, Peter founded Rescue Education California to lower college tuitions, restore cut class sections, reduce K-12 class sizes, and rehire teachers and professors that were laid off. Since then, Mathews has authored two major education initiatives. Withe Californians for Smaller Class Sizes, Mathews co-wrote an Initiative Constitutional Amendment to reduce California K-12 class sizes and enhance the quality of education. Mathews and statewide supporters of Rescue Education California have lead several successful attempts to temporarily stabilize skyroketing tuition fees from 1993 to the present.
        Beginning in the Fall of 2011 Professor Peter Mathews and Medical Doctor Paul Garver became the official proponents of Prop 1522, the Tax Oil to Fund Education Initiative, co-written by Mathews, Garver, Frank Dawoodjee, Brett Covey, Dr. Rodger Scott, Steve Zeltzer and others. As lead proponent of the initiative, Professor Peter Mathews has traveled throughout the State of California, rallying swupport for Prop 1522 on radio, network television and in front of live audiences in the community and on campuses.
        Peter Mathews moved to Los Angeles County in 1979 and has been a resident and homeowner in Long Beach for 21 years, where he lives with his wife Toya Baker-Mathews and daughter Page.

Professional Credentials

• Three term Chair of Department of Political Science at Cypress College; Professor of American Government and International Relations, Contemporary Political Issues, Comparative Government, Political Theory, and Urban Politics.
• Television and Radio Political Analyst on subjects of Local, State, National, and International Issues for KNBC-TV, CNN Radio, KNX Radio, KPFK Radio and various other television and radio stations. He has analyzed issues such as, "The California State Budget Crisis", "President Bush's State of the Union Address", "The High Cost of War in Iraq", "The North Korea Crisis", and "The Impact of Congress' policies on California".
• Member of the California Teachers Association, Screen Actors Guild, and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Chair of the Department of Political Science at Cypress College.
• Member of the American Political Science Association
• Bachelors Degree in Political Science and Bachelors Degree in Psychology.
• Masters Degree in Political Science from the University of North Texas.
• Doctoral Studies at the University of Southern California

Awards Received

• Recipient of Cypress College Faculty Development Award 2003
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for "...Continued Efforts as a Media Personality Bringing Peace, Justice, and Unity to Our Community", presented by So.California Region Ministerial Alliance, January 11, 2004
• The Faculty Development Award of Cypress College for Community Development Work Beyond the Classroom, Spring 2005
• Semester Abroad Professor of Cypress College at Cambridge, England, Spring 1990

Rallies Organized

• 2009 Town Hall Meetings on Healthcare reform
• "End the War in Iraq" rallies, Long Beach, California: June 2007 and March 2008
• Rescue Education Rally to Successfully Block College Tuition increases to $30 per unit, Sacramento, California: 1993 and 2002
• Rescue Education rallies to Block Tuition increases, Cypress College: 1996 and 1998

Speeches Given / Town Halls Held (partial list)

• "End the Unjust War in Iraq" speeches: California State University, Long Beach, Fall 2007.
• "Policies and Effects of Supply Side Economics (Reaganomics) and the Reagan years" - Lakewood area Seniors Adult Education lecture, c.2002.
• "Peace and Justice Rally" sponsored by some members of the First Congregational Church of Long Beach, Spring 2008.
• "The Need for Universal Healthcare and Tuition Free Education" speeches: Long Beach City College, Orange Coast College, California State University of Long Beach, Los Angeles Harbor College, and California State University of Dominguez Hills.
• August 29, 2009 Mathews hosted the now famous "Town Hall Meeting on Healthcare Reform" at Sipology Coffee Shop in Long Beach California. Peter felt it was incumbent upon him as a Congressional Candidate to hold this meeting himself since the present Congressperson had repeatedly ignored pleas from her constituents to hold one herself. The meeting received national attention, held just days after Senator Ted Kennedy's death. Senator Kennedy shared Peter's enthusiasm for an honest healthcare reform for the American people.
• September 12, 2009 Mathews held a follow-up meeting on Healthcare at Sipology Coffee Shop in Long Beach to hear more citizens' concerns and relay them to Washington.
• "Creating Jobs by building a Green Economy", 2010

Elections

• 1978 North Fair Oaks Advisory Council Election - 3,200 votes (80%-20%)
• 1990 State Assembly Democratic Primary - 15,000 votes (60%-40%)
• 1990 State Assembly General Election - 40,000 votes
• 1996 Congressional Democratic Primary - 19,000 votes (49%-51%)
• 1998 General Election - 56,000 votes (45%-52%)