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.

LA Election Results: the Establishment Wins

In an era when populist uprisings have brought surprising election results nationally and internationally, the opposite was true in the Los Angeles elections yesterday. The establishment held its ground as most incumbents, led by Mayor Eric Garcetti’s overwhelming victory, retained their seats and the powers-that-be held sway on high profile city and county ballot measures.

Garcetti brushed aside 10 challengers by capturing over 80% of the vote, a one-sided result that sets him up for a possible run for higher office. Compare Garcetti’s finish to that of his predecessor, Antonio Villaraigosa, who faced nine little known challenges in his 2009 re-election bid and managed to avoid a run-off election by scoring 55% of the vote.

The former L.A. mayor is a candidate for governor of California, a seat Garcetti is rumored to covet. Should Garcetti use his landslide win to vault into the governor’s race that could complicate matters for Villaraigosa. However, having both the current and most recent mayors of California’s biggest city in the same contest could undermine both men when the field will offer a contingent of well-known candidates. (more…)

Could the Housing Shortage Produce Another Supermajority?

Housing affordability in California is worse than it’s ever been, according to statistics and state officials.

And the housing crisis is making other things worse.

In an example of how bad housing policy begets bad, consider new legislation proposed by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, a Democrat from L.A.

Santiago is rightfully frustrated with how cities and counties have passed measures to slow or freeze development in their communities. Such development restrictions can pass locally on a simple majority. And they add to the cost and difficulty of building housing – and buying and renting housing. California now has a median housing price more than 2 ½ times the national average.

But Santiago’s legislation would cure the California housing disease with the California governing disease. (more…)

Californians Favor State Action on Climate, Immigration

kordus_majorities across regionsThe Trump administration has set a new course on two issues that have deep roots in California politics and policy: climate change and immigration. As state policymakers consider responses to the federal government on these issues, our most recent PPIC Statewide Survey finds that Californians are broadly supportive of the state taking its own action.

In PPIC surveys dating back to 2005, strong majorities of Californians have said that global warming is a threat to the state’s future economy and quality of life. Over the same period, majorities have said that they favor the state government making its own policies to address the issue of global warming: 63% said so in the January survey. When it comes to specific action the state has taken on climate change at least two-thirds have said since 2006 that they favor AB 32, the state’s landmark law limiting greenhouse gas emissions. (more…)

Los Angeles Traffic: Likely To Worsen with Higher Densities

A few recent days driving the Los Angeles freeways impressed me with how different they are from in most other places in the country. The intensity of the traffic is astounding. Even on the weekend, travel over Sepulveda Pass on the San Diego Freeway (I-405) was highly congested. Traffic really never stopped, but frustratingly inched along for parts of the way and approached 60 miles per hour on other parts. A Saturday trip I feared might take an hour and a half was completed from Simi Valley in less than 60 minutes. Caltrans and the local officials do an admirable job of keeping the traffic moving, which was obvious from the only slight delay near Sherman Way caused by an incident that required a fire truck.

Traffic Per Lane Mile

The latest Federal Highway Administration data indicates that nearly 23,000 cars are handled by each freeway lane on the average day. Among the larger urban areas, only San Jose and close-by Riverside-San Bernardino have a volume of more than 20,000 daily. (more…)

SCA 1: A Warranty on Government Promises

California legislators can prove they believe their own promises if they pass Senate Constitutional Amendment 1 guaranteeing taxpayers would not be liable if the Secure Choice retirement plan for private workers has financial troubles.

During debate over the Secure Choice plan legislators in support of the idea insisted that neither taxpayers nor businesses would be liable if the retirement plan could not meet its financial obligations. Business opposed the plan until amendments were made to the law providing protection from liability.

Now it is time for taxpayers to get similar liability protections by having the legislature put Sen. John Moorlach’s SCA 1 on the ballot for voters’ approval. Moorlach wrote the proposed constitutional amendment to give long-term assurance to taxpayers. “While some language safeguarding taxpayer funds was included in the original bill, there is nothing prohibiting a future legislature from changing the law – and increasing taxpayer liabilities for private sector retirement systems – by a simple majority vote,” Moorlach wrote. (more…)

More Government Won’t Help Sacramento’s Homeless Get Back On Their Feet

Sacramento’s mayor thinks he’s hit on an answer to the city’s homeless problem. He wants to provide them with housing vouchers. Of course, he’s likely to find the result will be the exact opposite of the one he’s looking for.

In downtown Sacramento alone, there are reported to be more than 60 regular homeless living on the streets. Across Sacramento County, there are nearly 5,000. Peter Tateishi, president and CEO of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, said that the homeless problem is consistently the “no. 1 concern” among members. The homeless camp in front of merchants’ doorways, use their stoops as latrines, and chase away shoppers with aggressive panhandling.

While the business community is finding it difficult to conduct commerce under these grim conditions, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg wants to prioritize federal housing vouchers for the city’s homeless. Advocates for the homeless believe it’s a kindhearted and effective solution. But it’s no humanitarian response. It will create dependency among the homeless and near-homeless, and rob them of their human dignity. (more…)