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 Turning Away From Oil? Sounds Good To Latinos
If you want to learn about the health impacts of smoking, you don’t rely on a tobacco industry web site. And if you want to learn about the oil industry’s impact on California, you don’t rely on a web site sponsored by an oil company.
But that’s what Fox and Hounds Daily seems to have done in a recent editorial. “Imagining California Without Oil – Two different Perspectives” quotes heavily from a web site produced by the California Resources Corporation, a spin-off of Occidental Petroleum. Nearly all of the information on the supposedly independently researched “Powering California” web site comes from a study funded by the oil industry’s lobbyist, Western States Petroleum Association. That’s not a source that most people trust for unbiased information.
The editorial suggests that moving away from dependence on petroleum and toward cleaner forms of energy might be bad for our state’s economy and for the Latino community. But the truth is that weaning ourselves off of dirty sources of energy means a stronger economy and healthier families. And that’s why Latinos consistently support California’s pioneering climate and clean energy policies. (more…)
“Temporary” Taxes Forever
Nothing is so permanent as a temporary tax. In California, the state’s most powerful public-employee lobbies are preparing two initiatives for the November 2016 ballot that would either extend or simply make permanent an income-tax increase on the state’s highest earners that was scheduled to expire at the end of 2018. Legislators and their union patrons can hardly contain themselves.
Anyone with eyes to see could have predicted this turn of events. In 2012, the Golden State faced a $16 billion budget deficit caused almost entirely by unchecked entitlements, poor revenue estimates, and years of bad legislative choices. Governor Jerry Brown went to voters and said, in effect, he wouldn’t raise their taxes; he wanted them to raise taxes on themselves. But he promised that the pain would only be temporary. And if voters didn’t go along, well, the governor couldn’t guarantee what might happen next to public schools, health care for the poor, and other beloved programs. No pressure or anything—just vote for Proposition 30 and nobody else would get hurt. Brown tramped up and down the state in the weeks before the election, quoting scripture as he often does to make his case. When the ballots were all counted, 55.4 percent of voters went along. (more…)
Happy Thanksgiving
We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday.
Fox and Hounds Daily will resume publishing on Monday, November 30th.
A Sleeper Senate Race in California
The race to succeed Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) of California could very well produce the upset of 2016.
The prohibitive favorite would seem to be Kamala Harris. As the state’s two-term attorney general, she has good name recognition and an established political network. As a woman with both African and Asian heritage, she has a unique appeal to the state’s diverse electorate. She has achieved national prominence, albeit in a slightly awkward way. At a San Francisco fundraising event a couple of years ago, President Obama praised her brilliance and toughness, then added: “She also happens to be, by far, the best-looking attorney general in the country.” After getting widespread criticism for the sexist character of this remark, the president apologized. Ms. Harris accepted with good grace. (more…)
What Are Taxpayers Thankful for in 2015?
With the recent terror attacks against France, America’s oldest ally, most Americans are rightfully concerned for the welfare of our friends abroad as well as our own safety.
With the French, we share a common heritage of a dedication to liberty. The Statue of Liberty that stands proudly in the harbor of New York is a gift from the people of France.
Acknowledging the contributions of French officer the Marquis de Lafayette to the success of our revolution, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Stanton a commander of the American Expeditionary Force in WW I, told Parisians on arrival, “Lafayette, we are here!” (more…)
Holiday Season Sends Health Food Into Hiding
It happens every autumn. No sooner has the last goblin rappelled down the wall of Halloween candy in the supermarket than the fruits and vegetables go into the witness protection program and refuse to be seen unless covered from tip to stem in cream cheese and pecans.
Other popular disguises include vanilla custard and cream of mushroom soup.
It’s challenging, but not impossible, to maintain healthy eating habits during the holiday season. And before anyone objects to the use of the term “holiday season,” let’s call it by its rightful name: the weight-gain season. (more…)