Fox and Hounds Daily Says Goodbye
With this article, we end publication of Fox and Hounds Daily. It has been a satisfying 12½ year run. When we opened in May 2008, our site was designed to offer an opportunity to those who wished to engage in public debate on many issues, especially in politics and business, but found it difficult to get placed in newspaper op-ed pages.
Co-publishers Tom Ross, Bryan Merica and I have kept F&H going over this time investing our own time, funding, and staff help. Last year at this time we considered closing the site, however with an election on the horizon we decided to keep F&H going through the election year. With the election come and gone, and with no sense of additional resources, we have decided to close the site down.
Fox and Hounds will live on, at least, with my articles collected in the California State Library.
On a personal note, I have spent over 40 years in California policy and politics. There have been some incredible high moments and some difficult low points. It pains me that politics too often is a blood sport, frequently demonizing the motives of opponents and using the legal system as a weapon in public discourse. At Fox & Hounds, we tried to adhere to the practice of giving all a voice in the debate, yet keep the commentaries civil and avoided personal attacks.
F&H offered the opportunity to publish different perspectives (even ones that criticized my writings!). We had success as indicated by the Washington Post twice citing Fox and Hounds Daily one of the best California political websites and many other positive affirmations and comments received over the years.
Tom, Bryan and I want to thank our many readers and writers for being part of our journey. The publishers of Fox and Hounds Daily believe that we added value to California and its people. We hope you agree.
Small Business Wish List 2015
Christmas may be over, but it appears that the Grinch is alive and well in Sacramento and throughout the State of California – and he brings with him a bagful of regulations and mandates for small business owners.
I hear consistent reports from the small business community, both in San Diego and around the state, that the regulatory climate here is a major deterrent to growth and success. And yet the legislative bodies and the numerous agencies continue to promulgate new layers of regulations and fees. There seems to be no interest in improving the state’s business climate, and we see almost daily the departure of businesses of all sizes.
For several years now I’ve set out a wish list of legislative changes that would benefit not only the small-business community, but the entire population of California. These are by no means the only ideas, but they are the ideas that keep coming to mind when I am asked what I would hope to see happening in Sacramento. (more…)
Oil Tech From Russia to End Fracking Debate?
On Jan. 1 California’s fracking law drilled in – just as the price of oil has dropped to its lowest levels of recent years. And just as something new from Russia, Plasma Pulse Technology, may make fracking superfluous.
Senate Bill 4 was sponsored by state Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Los Angeles. After the bill was modified to allow more fracking, it was signed into law on Sept. 20, 2013 by Gov. Jerry Brown.
The bill is being implemented by the California Division of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources. According to SB4, the bill requires “DOGGR, by January 1, 2015, to adopt rules and regulations specific to fracking that would include full disclosure of the composition and disposition of fracking fluids.” (more…)
Happy Holidays from Fox and Hounds Daily – See you in 2015
With Friday’s announcement of the 2014 Black Bart Award winner, Fox and Hounds Daily will take some time off. We will begin publishing again on January 5, 2015.
The publishers, editors, writers, and staff of Fox and Hounds Daily wish our readers only good things for 2015. We thank you for your continued interest and support for Fox and Hounds. We wouldn’t be here without you.
Happy Holidays.
2014 Black Bart Award Winner: The Non-Voter
There are 10,289,851 Californians who share this year’s Fox and Hounds Daily’s Black Bart Award — because they didn’t vote. They are the registered voters who did not bother to vote in the November Election. This is not a good thing, but since the Black Bart end of the year award recognizes the individuals or groups or even actions that greatly affects California policy or politics during the year there is no ignoring the impact of non-voters on our governing process.
The 42.2-percent turnout was a record low for a November General Election. As stated in the nomination of the Non-Voter, the low turnout is a sign of lack of interest in public affairs, not good in a democratic society that requires the people to make decisions. When so many refuse to partake that affects the policy decisions in the state and the direction in which the state moves.
It is a concern that when voters ignore public affairs the democracy can wheel out of control. One can be cynical about voting, as Mark Twain remarked, “If voting made any difference they wouldn’t let us do it.” But in truth, the lack of voting signifies lack of interest; lack of watching those who run the government. Voters’ non-participation while seemingly following along aimlessly as government does its business might lead to danger. Journalist Edward R. Murrow said, “A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.” (more…)
Boehner and McCarthy Take Charge
The vote to pass the “cromnibus” spending bill in Congress confirms the one of the biggest political stories of 2014: Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy are fully in charge in the House and will no longer allow Tea Party types to push them around.
Anti-Boehner Republicans tried to stop the bill because it did not defund Obamacare or cut off funding for Mr. Obama’s executive action on immigration. Roughly one quarter of House Republicans opposed the spending bill over these issues, but Boehner was able to narrowly pass the bill because 57 Democrats voted for it despite the opposition of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
This sets up a new power structure in the House; Pelosi is Democratic leader in name only, the real Democratic power will be Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who made the deal with Boehner to provide enough Democrats to pass the spending bill. In 2015, Boehner will negotiate with him on must-pass legislation. (more…)
Black Bart Award Nominee — Legislature is California’s Comeback Story
Pigs are taking wing. There are snowdrifts outside the devil’s door. The Chicago Cubs will win the World Series. And the California Legislature is my pick for the Black Bart award.
Yeah, that’s pretty much the same Legislature that in 2009 defined dysfunction by forcing the state to issue IOUs because lawmakers couldn’t agree on the best way – or any way, actually – to bridge the state’s budget gap. And just to prove that wasn’t an accident, in 2010 legislators didn’t pass the budget until October, more than three months late.
But regardless of what Neel Kashkari kept trying to tell voters this fall, California is in a comeback and the Legislature gets a big piece of the credit.
Just look at the November ballot. Both Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion water bond, and Proposition 2, the state’s new Rainy Day Fund, were put on the ballot by the Legislature after long and often heated three-way negotiations between legislators of both parties and Gov. Jerry Brown. (more…)