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.

Not Your Father & Mother’s GOP A.G. Candidate

The challenger to Attorney General Kamala Harris is Republican Ron Gold, http://rongold.org/ a former California deputy attorney general whose positions don’t always line up with the stances often associated with Republican candidates.

Read his press releases. Gold supports legalizing marijuana and backs the U.S. Senate immigration plan and a path to citizenship.

Gold calls for swift, compassionate judgment for the wave of immigrants crossing the border. An immigrant himself from Canada, Gold says he wants to grant protections for those immigrants who are truly refugees from crimes and hardships while swiftly deporting gang members and criminals. (more…)

Where Would the 6 Capitals Be?

Yes, yes, it won’t happen. But Six Californias is so much fun that it’s become the summer story of 2014.

Proponent Tim Draper foolishly won’t let states name themselves but his initiative is silent on a crucial question: the location of capitals of the new state. The Internet abhors a vacuum, so let’s fill it with some possible capitals for the six states.

JEFFERSON

Favorite as capital: Redding, right in the middle.

Dark horse: Eureka, cool on the coast and permitting Jefferson to take California’s motto with them.

Best choice: Medford, Oregon, since Jefferson would quickly become a poor client state of Oregon, where southern counties have agitated for a split as well. (more…)

Teacher Seniority Might Well Survive the Vergara Decision

Last month’s decision by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to strike down California’s teacher tenure, seniority, and dismissal statutes may be a great victory for children, though much depends on the outcome of any appeal. This week, Attorney General Kamala Harris filed a 22-page request with Judge Rolf M. Treu asking for further clarification of his decision in Vergara v. California. Harris’s filing, coming on the heels of a similar request from the California Teachers Association, could be the prelude to an appeal. But assuming such appeals fail, the question is what would replace the laws that Vergara voided. A roadmap may already be in place to preserve teacher seniority, based on another pending legal settlement in Los Angeles. (more…)

Yes, the Private Sector Will Invest in California High-Speed Rail

While I am loathe to get into another round of back-and-forth, Chris Reed’s latest anti-high speed rail screed cries out for a response, not only because it is so completely off-the-wall, but also to clear up broader misconceptions about private investment in the system. There will be private sector investment in California’s high-speed rail program. We know because private investment entities have told us.

I sympathize with Mr. Reed’s suffering on this issue. He’s running out of arguments and one can sense the panic setting in. After I demolished each element of his seven-point critique of James Fallows’ articles on the high-speed rail program and after the San Jose Mercury News published a story about renewed interest of the private sector, Mr. Reed penned a wild essay stating that it’s all a big fraud. Never mind that neither the Mercury News nor the Wall Street Journal and Associated Press (who also wrote on this topic) recognized this perceived fraud. (more…)

Higher Energy Costs Matter More for Some

The state’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint by producing a greater share of its energy from renewable sources and imposing a cap-and-trade market for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has and will drive up the state’s energy prices. The California Independent System Operator, for example, estimated that the retail price of electricity rose 15 percent in the first six months of AB 32’s cap-and-trade market. Estimates for next year point to an increase of 16 to 76 cents per gallon of gasoline as vehicle fuels are folded into the AB32 marketplace. (more…)

Why Making Policy from Polls Can Be Troublesome

It is a constant criticism of politicians; they poll test or focus group everything before making a decision. If you are one to follow politics, you’ll know that new polls on everything from election horse-races to how the public feels about minute details of policy ideas come out daily. But policy-makers should be wary of using public polling to determine policy directions. The recently released PPIC Californians & the Environment Statewide Survey illustrates why. (more…)