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.
A Third Party In 2016?
Pollster Scott Rasmussen let the cat out of the bag with his presidential preference poll in late December: the American public believes Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will be the Democratic and Republican nominees, but they don’t really want to elect either of them.
Rasmussen asked for preferences for president but gave voters an option of “other” along with Clinton and Trump. Clinton led by a point at 37 percent with Trump at 36 percent, but a whopping 22 percent said they would prefer another candidate. Clinton holds her own party getting 75 percent of Democratic voters, but Trump gets only 63 percent of Republicans.
GOP presidential candidates regularly get 90 percent of Republican voters, but in poll after poll a third of Republicans have said they will never vote for Trump. Among all voters under the age of 40 Trump is getting only 27 percent; his best showing is among the elderly and white voters. And even among white voters, Trump is only running at 41 percent to 31 percent for Clinton. Clinton, as expected, carries virtually all the non-white vote. (more…)
Why the Lies of “Trumbo” Matter
(This is a slightly expanded version of an essay of mine that appeared the past Sunday in the San Francisco Chronicle “Insight” section. I asked our publisher Mr. Fox to include today, and he agreed. This mid-twentieth century period in California politics, though relatively little-known by recent generations, continues to have great relevance for our politics today.)
The movie “Trumbo”, currently in Bay Area theatres makes a hero of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and others of the Hollywood Ten, and villainizes their political opponents in Hollywood, including actors John Wayne and Robert Taylor and columnist Hedda Hopper. (more…)
More Blows for Reed and DeMaio as Pension Efforts Ring in the New Year
A holiday blizzard of bad news has hit former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and former San Diego City Council member Carl DeMaio, undermining their efforts on two state ballot measures to reduce retirement security for public workers.
In early December, the long-running battle between the City of San Jose and the city’s police department came to an end. Both sides tentatively agreed on a benefits deal which effectively kills what Reed proposed in the city. Reed’s measure had already lost in court; the deal is expected to save the city millions in litigation and, more importantly, bring back police officers to the city. Adding insult to injury, San Jose’s new mayor Sam Liccardo, suggested on KQED Forum, that Reed’s tactics were harmful to the city, and that negotiating in good faith would have been a better option. (more…)
Homeless Funding Must Protect Local Government Options
Any proposal to alter or redirect the use of Mental Health Services Act (MHSA-Prop 63) funds should enhance the County’s existing efforts to address the homeless problem.
Funding must follow treatment needs. Greater flexibility means supporting effective local programs including hospitalization and family participation in recovery as well as extending supportive housing services to those leaving restrictive environments, such as jails and hospitals, and ensuring their successful reentry into the community.
State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon announced today a proposal which may alter the way MHSA funding is directed to local government. (more…)
2016: The Year of the Initiative
The legislature is back in town this week but in the major policy issues department the legislature is likely to be a sideshow in what can be labeled the Year of the Initiative.
With a rush to place measures on the ballot because of low signature requirements to qualify a measure, cheaper costs to file an initiative (a minor factor), and, especially, the lure of higher turnouts during a presidential election with all initiatives now legally bound for the November election rather than the June primary, the initiative process has become catnip for policy entrepreneurs and special interests.
Consider what the voters could be facing in November via the initiative process. (more…)
California Office Pool 2016
This marks the seventh annual version of the California Office Pool. It was inspired by the late, great New York Times columnist William Safire, who made a habit of writing an annual column he called Office Pool. In it, Safire offered, multiple-choice style, a series of possible news events that could take place in the new year. At the column’s end, he let you know which ones he thought would occur.
Safire’s focus was Washington; ours is California. My picks are at the end.
Last year, my record was mixed at best. I was right about best picture, Amy Pascal’s departure at Sony, high-speed rail’s progress, budget surpluses, Loretta Sanchez’s candidacy and gas prices – and wrong about just about everything else. (more…)