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.
Why Tim Draper’s “Six Californias” Measure is Like a Bad Breakup
How many times in the past few decades have politicians and pundits declared that California is ungovernable in its current state?
In the late 1980s, Republican political consultant Stu Spencer offered an identical perspective to then-Sen. Pete Wilson, who was contemplating a run for governor. Spencer’s warning didn’t discourage Wilson, who went on to serve two terms in Sacramento.
By the time Wilson turned over the office to his successor in early 1999, there was a budget surplus, a strong economy and record-high approval ratings.
Irrational Attack on Hydraulic Fracturing by LA City Council Members
Irrational and completely unfounded opposition to hydraulic fracturing reached a new and disturbing low yesterday when members of the Los Angeles City Council attempted to link an earthquake in the Los Angeles area to hydraulic fracturing.
It does not surprise us that the handful of extremist environmental organizations that are attempting to shut down all oil and gas production in Southern California and beyond would attempt to make an entirely unfounded connection between hydraulic fracturing and the earthquake. These groups have a history of making false and inflammatory statements about oil and natural gas production.
But when three members of the Los Angeles City Council make similar statements, despite an overwhelming amount of scientific and other evidence that contradicts their assertions, it is time for responsible leaders to say, “Enough.” At a minimum, the City Council should be required to demonstrate the scientific basis for recommending policies that will have profound impacts on the region’s economy.
How to Steal Spring Training
As Major League Baseball teams practice for the opening of a new season, some fans dream of home runs from an up-and-coming star. Others pine for strikeouts by their team’s top pitcher. But I, as a baseball fan and a Californian, am rooting for a steal—of spring training itself.
You could call my plan Stealing Arizona. Today, not one of California’s five major league teams—the San Francisco Giants, Oakland A’s, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim—holds spring training in its home state. If California fans want to see their teams conduct spring workouts and play exhibition games, they have to travel to greater Phoenix, where all five clubs train and play.
Where’s Waldo . . . I mean, Malaysian Flight 370?!?
We’re well into the second week of a growing 24/7 Media obsession, indulged in compulsively around the world – you can’t escape it. Where is Malaysian Air Flight 370 already?!?
CNN has been devoting hours upon hours of programming. Holding for “Breaking News,” happens right in time for each commercial break. Panels of Talking Heads aviation experts opine endlessly, repeatedly, tackling the Twitter feed from viewers, who are busy sending in questions at rates exceeding 60, and more, per second, the other night as I watched. Everywhere you go during your day, there is visible somewhere a TV screen with those two red arcs, one drawn going North into Central Asia and, one South, into the vast and two-mile-deep Indian Ocean – the red arcs being the result of GPS needing the confluence of three satellites to pinpoint the exact location of a 3-D object on the surface of our 3-D earth, but so far, only having one satellite which has reliably transmitted data.
Steal Tim Draper’s Initiative
In recent years, I’ve advised Californians not to vote in state elections – democratic farces in which we elect politicians who have little power and allow tiny minorities of Californians to make nearly permanent changes in the law and constitution.
And if Californians must vote, I’ve suggested they should vote no on any ballot initiative they are not 100 percent sure of. California ballot initiatives are so hard to change that those measures that pass are likely to remain in the law or constitution until well after today’s voters are dead and gone.
But Tim Draper’s initiative to split California into 6 states is an exception to this rule. Draper has put forward an idea that can’t possibly happen, since it would require Congress to go along. And the other 49 states are never going to give California 10 new senators. And the Democratic party is never going to allow California and its giant haul of electoral college votes to be split.
Let’s Tell the Whole Story about Taxes and Reforms
As reported in yesterday’s Los Angeles Times, Governor Jerry Brown speaking to a labor group in Sacramento “reached back in time to criticize GOP lawmakers for blocking his proposal to extend a temporary sales tax in 2011 to help mend the state’s ailing finances.” Ironic that he should choose the labor forum to make that assertion since it was labor who stood in the way of a possible compromise that would have allowed taxes on the ballot.
The governor was negotiating with Republicans to get the necessary votes needed to extend the tax increase. A number of Republicans were interested in going along if reform measures were included in the package. Five GOP senators talking to the governor sought spending, pension and business reforms to accompany the tax continuance measure.