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.
Splitting Up California Into Six: Bad for Business Too
There’s a story in the Old Testament of the Bible known as the Judgment of Solomon.
However, it’s not clear that Tim Draper has read it.
Draper is a venture capitalist who has devised a plan to split California into six different states. It reminds me of the biblical story, in which two women dispute who is the true mother — and who is best able to raise — a newborn baby. They come before the ancient king of Israel asking for his judgment. After listening to their cases, Solomon declares that the only fair solution is to cut the child in half — two pieces so each woman can have a share and do with it as she wishes.
The Low Carbon Fuel Standard is Good for California
The oil industry continues to try to beat back California’s pioneering clean energy policies. But we at Consumers Union believe their efforts will ultimately fail. That’s because California’s families and businesses are better served by having more energy choices, a level playing field for alternative energy producers, and a focus on efficiency and clean energy innovation. Take the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), which is part of California’s groundbreaking AB 32 clean energy and climate law. The LCFS—which requires carbon pollution from transportation fuels to be cut by 10 percent by 2020—is a frequent target of oil industry criticism. That’s not surprising, since the LCFS is designed to open up fuel markets to cleaner alternatives to petroleum, which means competition for oil companies. But oil interests go too far when they claim this will wreak havoc on the state’s economy, and insist that the gasoline-centric status quo must be preserved if the economy is to continue to grow. A new study by ICF International, commissioned by a coalition of business groups, looks at the clean fuel standard’s impacts on the economy, including employment rates, personal income, and gross state product, and finds any potential adverse impact will be negligible and far outweighed by all the positive impacts in most cases. California’s economy should continue to grow just fine.
Attacks on CA Biz Climate Off-Base
Ever since I moved to California in 1989, there has been a steady drumbeat about how California is anti-business and that the demise of the Golden State is upon us.
We’ve all heard the refrain. Taxes are exorbitant. Mindless regulations stifle innovation and strangle small business. Organized labor has too much power.
As a result, the story goes, jobs, companies and people are making an exodus to Texas and other states that understand what it takes to start and run a company.
The latest anxiety revolves around Toyota Motor Corp’s. decision to pull out of Torrance in Southern California and move to a Dallas-area business park with up to 4,000 jobs.
LA Commission: Insiders Acknowledge Lack of Transparency
Between the lines of the Los Angeles 2020 Commission Report, “A Time for Action” one can read this less than startling revelation: City politicians are dishonest and untruthful with the public.
Consider the recommendations and words used in the report meant to offer solutions to the city’s woes. The first recommendation the commission offered was to create an Office of Transparency and Accountability at City Hall. The reason — the report says trust is lost when citizens are given little information and things don’t turn out as the politicians promised.
That’s not all.
Can the Long Term Unemployed Find Jobs in California Today?
During the Great Recession the number of long term unemployed in California—defined as those unemployed at least 27 weeks—increased at a significantly more rapid pace than the unemployed overall. In March 2007, prior to the Great Recession, 145,000 Californians were unemployed at least 27 weeks, constituting 16.8% of the unemployed. By March 2010, the long term unemployed had climbed to 843,000 Californians, and they constituted over 39% of the total unemployed.
The number of long term unemployed Californians has dropped in the past few years in line with the general drop in the unemployed. However, according to the most recent data compiled by Mr. Brandon Hooker of EDD’s Labor Market Information Division (chart below), in February of this year the long term unemployed, totaling 643,700 Californians, continued to constitute 39% of the total unemployed—well above pre-Great Recession levels. (more…)
How Is Litigation Affecting Your Child’s Education?
Back in January, the Sacramento Bee ran an article detailing how students in the Twin Rivers Unified School District had to wear “snuggies” and use portable heaters because it was so cold and many of their classrooms lacked a functional heating system. They attributed the problem to aging facilities with units badly in need of repair and replacement. The school district said they were doing their best to keep up with repairs despite a lack of facilities money.
Later in January the Sacramento Bee reported that as students shivered in cold classrooms, there were 140 brand new HVAC units worth $3 million sitting idle, and had been sitting there for years. Finally, on April 2nd, the school district offered up a five month plan to install 71 new HVAC units by the time school starts this coming August.