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.

Imagine There’s No (Republican) Party…

With the latest entrant into California’s Secretary of State campaign comes this irony: I’m not the best-known Republican in the race, but I am the only Republican.

When I asked Dan Schnur’s advice about my run for Secretary of State last April, he asked me why I was running. My answer was simple: with my background in encouraging civic engagement through technology and better processes at the local level I could promote the “civic health” of California. Dan, looking amused, replied (and I’m paraphrasing here), “that’s nice, but you need to tie your campaign to a larger issue because most folks don’t know about the office.”

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Jerry Brown: Earl Warren Redux?

The gubernatorial candidate many Republicans might think is the safest bet in the November election just may be Jerry Brown.

Wait a minute, I hear you cry. Brown is a Democrat. Understood, however, consider the reality of California’s current political scene.

Brown’s philosophy expressed in the newly released budget seems to get a greater nod of approval from the Republicans than it does from legislative Democrats and their closely aligned advocacy groups.

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My Secret, Diabolical, Perfectly Legal Plan to Block the 2014 Initiative Fest

California seems heady for a big, long, messy November ballot full of statewide initiatives and other ballot measures. Among the possible ballot occupiers are an Indian gaming referendum and measures on cigarette tax hikes, oil severance taxes, vehicle license fee hikes, a 12,000-person legislature, a water bond, pension reform, teacher tenure, marijuana, abortion, and the minimum wage. And then two health care initiatives (because everybody knows that there’s certainly nothing about the confusing, complicated, new Obamacare reality that couldn’t be improved with a couple of California ballot initiatives).

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A Good Start for 2014

I often find that when I set pen to paper to write these weekly communications, it’s to scold one level of government or another for creating another new regulation that makes it harder or more expensive for businesses to create jobs and grow the economy. Imagine my joy when my first The Business Perspective of 2014 is to call attention to a positive action by a powerful yet not highly visible part of our state government. Today, I write in praise of the California Board of Equalization.

For years, California has required any business wanting to take out a sellers permit to provide a security deposit equaling half a year’s worth of taxes to the Board of Equalization. The deposits ranged from $2,000-$50,000 per company and currently the state holds $300 million of these deposits from more than 15,000 companies. This regulation has been unique to California and an unnecessary obstacle to entrepreneurs who want to start a small business in California.

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Voters’ Fiscal Worries Are Good News for Brown

California’s economy is on the mend, but most voters still don’t believe it. That’s happy news for Gov. Jerry Brown.

Brown released his 2014-15 budget Thursday and he was his usual downbeat self. Things may look good, he said at his Sacramento news conference, but they really aren’t all that rosy.

The budget “represents prudence … and prudence is never easy,” he said. “When the money’s in, people want to go for it.”

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Budget Breakdown: This is What Recovery Looks Like

More than a spending plan, Governor Brown’s proposed 2014-15 budget seeks to advance and refine critical reforms to how California is governed. The budget would improve fiscal management, bolster the delivery of community services and invest in critical infrastructure.

For better or worse — and CA Fwd thinks better – the Governor’s plan is doubling down on shifts in authority to local governments and prioritizing fiscal stability and long-term investments.  It could prove to be an historic budget at an extraordinary point in time.

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