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.
Obamacare 2014 – More Losers Than Winners
Covered California’ the state’s Obamacare exchange, has racked up one accomplishment. Thanks to its policies, there are more uninsured Californians in January 2014 then there were one year ago.
According to media reports, some 430,000 people signed up for health insurance through Covered California during the three month sign up period to be covered January 1. But over the past year, 1,087,169 Californians in the individual market had their plans canceled due to Obamacare’s new rules.
Historic Prison Reform Raises Fundamental Questions
California’s historic experiment in prison reform remains a work in progress, raising new questions about the exact combination of law enforcement, prison time and rehabilitation that will achieve the lowest crime rates.
It’s an explosive issue, because any change of the magnitude California is attempting is likely to impose short-term costs, and those costs might even involve the loss of life. That seems unthinkable. But what if those short-term costs can produce long-term savings, not just in dollars but in lives as well? Then the problem gets trickier.
An Immigration Breakthrough?
The latest Pew Hispanic poll is an eye opener. According to Pew Hispanic, 55% of Latino immigrants will settle for a green card that allows them to work but not vote. As a group, Latino immigrants aren’t particularly interested in US citizenship.
In fact, Mexican LPRs (legal permanent residents) have the lowest rate of citizenship applications of any immigrant group, half the average. Mexican immigrants have not opted for citizenship. This important fact creates a potential political breakthrough.
The Surplus Will Be Spent
Let’s stop kidding ourselves. Any budget surplus will be spent. Period.
The question is how. Republicans are calling for tax rebates, which – I can hear your screams, Mr. Fleischman – are a form of spending. The real debate is among Democrats, who are divided between those who want to put the money in reserve or to spend it now.
That debate needs to expand beyond the somewhat false current media frame, which is profligate liberals who want to spend now vs hyper-cautious Brown-ists who want to save. The truth is that the savers will spend – only later. The better question is what’s the best use of the money, and when.
Small Business Study Ranks California Last
An item we missed while on break is yet another report claiming that California is not business friendly. The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council ranked California 50th in an extensive index measuring state policy measures on small business.
The report noted it ranked “the 50 states according to 47 different policy measures, including a wide array of tax, regulatory and government spending measurements.”
R.I.P. Susan Rasky
Susan Rasky, an award winning journalist and journalism professor at UC Berkeley, who wrote about politics in her native California after beginning her career in Washington, D.C. passed away. Susan interviewed me a number of times and I remember a few lively conversations, one memorable time breaking bread with Susan and Peter Schrag after I spoke at a UC Berkeley journalism class.
She was always fair with me in her journalistic endeavors and I know she relished the back-and-forth discussions on California politics.