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.

California Needs More Than One Minimum Wage

California does not have one state economy. It is a collection of very different regional economies. So why should it have one minimum wage?

I’m not arguing with the concept of a minimum wage per se. Governments can and should set floors, even for labor markets. And I’m not sure the policy deserves all the attention it gets. The minimum wage’s promoters (it’s a tool against income inequality) and detractors (it costs people jobs) greatly exaggerate their claims. An appropriate minimum wage helps the people whose wages it raises, but doesn’t much alter economic reality.

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Who Decides How Much Unions May Charge Non-Members?

As Dan DiSalvo notes below, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Harris v. Quinn, in which several home health care workers in Illinois who have refused to join the Service Employees International Union object to being forced to pay a so-called “agency fee” to the union for representation. As Dan’s analysis and this one on Scotusblog make clear, the case raises some important constitutional issues.

But what also interests me and, I think, has political implications for the future of these arrangements, is a significant  issue not being argued as central in this case. Even when governments allow a union to collect fees from non-members for representation, who gets to decide just how much that fee should be? Unions often claim they are spending far more on core representation issues than some members and many non-members believe, and therefore unions often argue they are entitled to substantial fees.

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Poll is More Bad News for Reed’s Pension Measure

Next week San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed is expected to make a decision on whether to move forward with gathering signatures for his pension “reform” measure. But every passing day seems to come with more bad news for his efforts, including a new poll that shows the measure faces  an uphill battle for passage.

Reed, who lost a major lawsuit over his city’s pension initiative last month and is on the defensive after both CalSTRS and CalPERS boasted double-digit returns last week, is contemplating suing Attorney General Kamala Harris over her title and ballot summary. Reed is unsatisfied with the AG’s work, even though the same editorial boards that pressured Harris to deliver a spin-free effort seemed satisfied with the result. For example, the Los Angeles Times noted:

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City of Redondo Beach Fights Unions – Full-time Firefighters Make $220,990 Total Compensation

“If you say you can’t afford it, prove it. If you can’t prove it, pay up. We’re not being greedy here. It’s embarrassing how low we are paid compared to others. The average salary of a city employee in Redondo Beach is $47,000″ –  President, Redondo Beach Fire Association, January 15, 2014, Daily Breeze article “Negotiations become hostile between Redondo Beach and employee union.”

Notwithstanding that this statement, “If you say you can’t afford it, prove it. If you can’t prove it, pay up,” sounds like something a gangster would say in a mafia movie, it’s this line, “We’re not being greedy here,” that merits close examination. To start, that would require us to verify this, “The average salary of a city employee in Redondo Beach is $47,000.”

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Reading Between the Lines about “Subsidiarity”

Governor Brown’s State of the State address that centered on fiscal discipline and his call for a constitutional rainy day fund should be praised. (A tip of the hat to Sutter Brown for effectively driving home the point). But I focus here on the governor’s issue of “subsidiarity” and whether there was a hidden plan behind the word.

The governor used the Oxford English Dictionary to define the word. We’ll have to be satisfied with a link to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of subsidiarity. Basically, subsidiarity means the state should perform functions that cannot be done effectively by local governments but first leave the local government to do what they can.

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The False Issue of North versus South

As the 2014 Legislative Session picks up steam, two Southern California legislators have informally garnered enough votes to take the top leadership roles in Sacramento: Assemblymember Toni Atkins (San Diego) and State Senator Kevin de Leon (Los Angeles), are expected to take the positions of Assembly Speaker and Senate President, respectively.

Californians should be pleased with the support for the pair, as Atkins and de Leon have a history of balanced policy that provides a better quality of life for Californians without adding unnecessary regulations and red tape.

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