Meet The New Boss. Same As The Old Boss.
Until 1910, the dominant political force in California was the Southern Pacific Railroad. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, SP “manipulated much of California’s political life, buying city supervisors, mayors, judges, the state legislature and even members of the California delegation to the U.S. Congress.” Eventually California enacted a railroad commission and other reforms to […]
Aerojet And Toyota: A Look At Two Exits From Golden State
Sacramento’s longtime golden goose Aerojet Rocketdyne was a feted fowl. But in April, the bird became the payload as the rocket-maker’s executives, after taking a gander at the state’s business environment, fitted the bird with one of its RS-25 engines and began the countdown to jettison her jobs out of state. The tale of a […]
Fake News: California voting rolls are riddled with ineligible voters
Travis Allen, a Republican assemblyman from Orange County and self-anointed candidate for governor, dropped this Twitter bomb the other day: “11 counties in California have more total registered voters than citizens over the age of 18. How is this possible?” As a matter of fact, it isn’t possible. Allen’s tweet just parrots a subtle falsehood […]
Panel: Two-party system in trouble
In a Zocalo Public Square session in Los Angeles that was supposed to examine the strength and weaknesses of the Republican Party it was the two party system that got an examination. And the diagnosis was not hopeful. Republican consultant Mike Madrid of Grassroots Lab said a transformation was coming to America’s political system and […]
Has The Economy Peaked? Confidence Of L.A. Consumers Continues Downward Spiral
(Editor’s Note: Billie Greer has been reporting quarterly on the Consumer Sentiment Index. This is her third update for Fox and Hounds.) The confidence of Los Angeles County consumers continues its downward spiral which is bad news, given that consumption accounts for, on average, 70 % of all U.S. economic activity. According to the Consumer […]
The Apocalypse in San Juan Bautista
If the apocalypse comes to California, I’ll be ready. After all, I’ve been to San Juan Bautista, which has centuries of experience with the ending of worlds. I visited the San Benito County town again this summer, when Armageddon seems closer than ever. North Korean missiles may now be able to reach California. The president […]
Defuzzifying Dangerous Silicon Valley Company Cultures
Google’s recent events have called into question its company culture, and the cultures of others in Silicon Valley. The questions swirling around the company culture will continue long after the current situation is resolved. With that news and other high-profile company cultures in the spotlight, it’s strange that no one is talking about the roots […]
Is a Blacklist Back?
Is a blacklist back in fashion in the town that made term “blacklist” famous? One gets that feeling when the Los Angeles City Council voted this week to draft a law that will ask contractors to disclose if they have been hired to work on the wall between the U.S. and Mexico. What could be […]
For California: A New Political Party Seeks to Upend the Status Quo in the Golden State
Love it or hate it, identity politics is playing a greater role in what motivates voters. Thanks to increased access to information in our modern times, like-minded individuals can easily communicate and come together to work towards mutual goals. To prioritize these newly defined goals, people should reconsider, reorient and refocus their long-standing affiliations. Given this shift […]