“Yoga Happy” – Tax Talk at the Budget Press Conference
Reading Governor Jerry Brown’s meaning on some issues, with or without a dictionary and history text, can be tricky. But it was worth looking for signals on tax issues at the governor’s Friday press conference introducing the record $113 billion general fund budget. When Brown was asked about extending the Proposition 30 tax increases or […]
Plenty of Dem & Rep Names for Boxer Seat; What About an Independent?
The floodgates of conjecture opened wide with the announcement by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer that she would not seek re-election in 2016. Potential senatorial candidates from the Democratic and Republican Parties made it into news reports. But with California now working under the top two primary system an independent candidate could also challenge to get […]
Bullet Train: Show Us the Money
Funding for the high-speed rail is still the big issue even though groundbreaking for the project occurred. California taxpayers are paying a share thanks to a bond passed six years ago and a decision by the legislature to funnel a portion of the cap-and-trade money to the rail project. But where’s the rest of the […]
Brown the Juggler
Jerry Brown, the adroit political juggler, was on full display during his Inaugural Address/State of the State Speech yesterday keeping in the air at the same time the notion of more spending while also tossing about the importance of fiscal responsibility. Brown acknowledged the uncertainty and potential expenses the state faces with the some of […]
The “Lawmakers” are Back
Here’s a New Year’s resolution for legislators returning to Sacramento from the holiday break: make fewer laws and get rid of some of the old ones. Eager legislators have plenty of ideas how to “fix” problems. Therefore, many pieces of legislation are introduced. A great number will become law. California saw about 950 new laws […]
2014 Black Bart Award Winner: The Non-Voter
There are 10,289,851 Californians who share this year’s Fox and Hounds Daily’s Black Bart Award — because they didn’t vote. They are the registered voters who did not bother to vote in the November Election. This is not a good thing, but since the Black Bart end of the year award recognizes the individuals or […]
Stu Spencer: Primaries Important in Presidential Runs
The New York Times ran an article that said big time Republican Party donors were trying to clear the presidential field of like-minded establishment candidates so that the donors could put their resources behind one candidate. Stu Spencer, who was Ronald Reagan’s campaign manager, thinks that is a bad idea. “There is nothing wrong with […]
Black Bart Award Nominee – On the Dark Side
In our introduction of the Black Bart Award we note that it could go to someone or something that performed a heroic act OR performed a dastardly deed. My suggested nominees fall to the Dark Side of California’s political world this year. In light of the negative publicity generated by three state senators being accused […]
Stu Spencer: Independent Expenditure Committees are Destroying the Political Process
Stu Spencer knows a thing or two about political campaigns. His firm, Spencer-Roberts, managed 400 campaigns over the years and he successfully managed Ronald Reagan’s quest for governor of California and president of the United States. Spencer believes that, “Independent committees are destroying the process.” Since Independent Expenditure committees can’t communicate with the candidate the […]
F&H Daily’s Sixth Annual Black Bart Award Week
For the past five years frequent contributors to this page Joe Mathews, John Wildermuth and I have nominated candidates for Californian of the Year in the world of politics. We name the final selection the winner of the Black Bart Award. There are no specific criteria to follow in making the selection. Each author will […]