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.
An Election Official’s Perspective: The Line Starts Here!
Do you know why we vote on Tuesdays? The answer dates back to our history as an agrarian society and the time needed to travel by horse and buggy to and from the County Seat to vote on a day that didn’t conflict with crop yielding and selling goods at the market. While interesting trivia, this historical reference underscores a fundamental issue with our current elections process; it’s losing touch with how voters live today.
The Presidential Commission on Election Administration released its report in response to President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union call to “fix” the long voting lines of 2012 on January 23, 2014. In California, we may have been quick to pat ourselves on the back because we didn’t have long lines but, the real message of the report is: elections have to change – and that is as true in California as it is anywhere.
Politics Trumps Reality in State Water Wars
Well, the water bill by Hanford GOP Rep. David Valadao that just passed the House may not ease the drought, but it did wonders to warm up the state’s political climate.
“Congressman Garamendi Opposes California Water Theft Legislation,” screamed the press release by, well, Congressman Garamendi.
Sen. Barbara Boxer called it “another divisive and discredited proposal,” while Gov Jerry Brown asked Congress to knock it off, saying the bill was “an unwelcome and divisive intrusion” into California’s none-too-successful efforts to deal with its long-running water problems.
The water bill “has nothing to do with public policy,” said Napa Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson. “It has everything to do with politics.”
Here’s a news flash for those Democrats who are shocked, shocked that Republicans would use a drought to score points in their Central Valley districts: In California, water is always about politics. (more…)
Wright Is Victim of a Stupid Law
Those who are on their high horse about Senator Roderick Wright after his conviction on charges relating to his voting residency should dismount. Wright’s transgression, if there was one, was being a professional politician trying to navigate a useless and unfathomable law.
The whole idea that you have to be a resident of a district to effectively represent its citizens is nonsense. Should you be saddled with selecting only doctors and lawyers who live in your neighborhood? There is no district residency requirement for Congress and that is probably the only thing associated with Congress that isn’t working badly. (more…)
Marijuana Will Soon Be Legal ~ Stand By For the End of Prohibition in California
“Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere!”
― George Washington
“Some of my finest hours have been spent on my back veranda, smoking hemp and observing as far as my eye can see.”
― Thomas Jefferson
“The amount of money and of legal energy being given to prosecute hundreds of thousands of Americans who are caught with a few ounces of marijuana in their jeans simply makes no sense – the kindest way to put it. A sterner way to put it is that it is an outrage, an imposition on basic civil liberties and on the reasonable expenditure of social energy.”
― William F. Buckley Jr.
On these very pages of Fox & Hounds Daily (pages in cyberspace, that is) on November 9, 2009, in an article entitled: “Legalize It: Taxing Legal Marijuana Would Add $1 Billion Per Year to California’s Budget,” I ended by saying: “we live now in the 21st Century, medical breakthroughs have proven the medicinal uses of marijuana better than I can here – let’s end the nonsense, legalize this weed already, and do something intelligent to help California’s economy.” This year, it will happen.
In this, still early, Mid-Term election year of 2014, this Fall’s ballot will include Initiatives to fully legalize Marijuana, at long last. Polls show that many important demographics now favor legalization of what is likely California’s largest cash crop – $13 Billion, some estimate.
Most importantly for the future, “Fully 65% of Millennials –born since 1980 and now between 18 and 32 – favor legalizing the use of marijuana, up from just 36% in 2008. Yet there also has been a striking change in long-term attitudes among older generations, particularly Baby Boomers. . . . Half (50%) of Boomers now favor legalizing marijuana, among the highest percentages ever. Since 1994, . . . the percentage of Boomers favoring marijuana legalization has doubled, from 24% to 50%.” (more…)
The Lead Paint Lawsuit That Will Not Go Away
Back in August of 2013, I wrote about the infamous 13 year old lead paint lawsuit in which Santa Clara County, along with ten other county governments, sued five paint manufacturers. The lawsuit alleged the manufacturers knew of the dangers of lead paint as early as the late 1890s and still sold it to consumers without warning. Lead paint was banned by the federal government in 1978 for residential use – 22 years before this case was filed.
It is interesting to note that cities and counties are suing private companies and have hired contingency fee lawyers to handle the case. These lawyers will receive a 17% fee, plus expenses but the growing trend of the public sector hiring contingency fee lawyers is a topic for another post.
Goodnight to “Tonight” as California’s Star Shines Less Bright
This evening, the legendary Tonight Show with Jay Leno will have its last hurrah in “Beautiful Downtown Burbank” before packing for New York. Another entertainment show that is leaving Southern California and taking with it about 160 jobs.
As Deadline.com reported, when Leno replacement Jimmy Fallon as a guest on the show recently “naively joked to the house band, “Hey, what are you guys up to in two weeks?” “Oh, they’ll be looking for work,” Leno assured Fallon, jumping on Fallon’s throw-away question/blunder. “They’re actually washing cars in my garage.””