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.

Ronald Reagan Would Be Smiling

Because Ronald Reagan left office almost 25 years ago we shouldn’t be surprised that most young adults do not remember him. But the real question is whether his views about America and its place in history retain any relevance at all to today’s Millennial generation.

When Reagan, after his presidency, spoke to a meeting of members of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association in 1992, he stressed the importance of passing on our hard earned freedoms to future generations and the willingness to fight to preserve them. He contrasted our constitution with those of other nations, saying almost all the world’s constitutions are documents that tell the people what their privileges are, while with ours, “we the people” tell government what it is allowed to do. Speaking of the importance of limiting overreaching government, he said, “This belief has been the underlying basis for everything I have tried to do.”

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Does Emerge Digital Offer a New Hiring Model for California?

The Emerge Digital Group (“EDG”) is one of the fastest growing advertising and marketing firms in the United States—in August it was ranked by Inc. Magazine as the #2 fastest growing private company nationwide in the advertising and marketing industry. While its growth holds lessons about digital marketing, of particular relevance to California’s workforce community is its unconventional hiring model.

The company was co-founded in 2009 by Chase Norlin and Alex Rowland. It was a bootstrapped operation, with financing coming from the founders and their families. In the first years, it had no major outside capital investment. (more…)

Sacramento Spotlight: Comprehensive Good Governance Reform Part 3 – Structural Consolidation

California has eight statewide elected officials, which is almost 1 ½ times the national average. The Golden State’s FY 2014 budget allots over $2.7 billion to cover the costs of those offices, plus the two state tax boards.

However, not all statewide positions are created equal.  Nor is there much evidence that Californians get more value, relative to other states, for having such an expansive executive system. While the State Controller has budget authority to spend $191 million and employ almost 1,400 positions, the Lt. Governor’s office has just $1 million to spend and a mere six staffers.

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Green and Rich

California’s policy to shift to green energy is built on a program of incentives that too often are gobbled up by the rich while the middle-class and poor often struggle with energy costs.

Energy cost is often charged on a tier basis – the more you use the more you pay. Not too many air conditioners are needed in the coastal areas. But that is where California’s wealthiest tend to live. In the inland areas, people are usually paying more for their energy. Given the climate, solar would serve the inland areas well, but the cost can be hard to handle for middle-class and poorer residents.

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EDD Computers Must Be Fixed By Dec. 31

This is Part 2 of a series on the EDD. Part 1, an interview with Spokesman Dan Stephens, is here.

Just after the Labor Day weekend, the California Employment Development Department released a $100 million computer upgrade. It crashed.

Without warning, 150,000 jobless Californians were cut from unemployment benefits. The EDD blamed a computer glitch and said it would take weeks to fix.

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Economic Recovery Means a Top-Heavy Income Tax

As California’s economy continues to improve, it’s getting more crowded at the top. The share of taxes being paid on ever higher income tax collections is concentrating even more the share of taxes on upper income taxpayers. This is even before 2012’s Proposition 30 tax increase.

According to recently-released, but still dated, statistics from Franchise Tax Board, state income tax filers with more than $200,000 adjusted gross income increased their share of overall tax payments in 2011 to 62%, up from 59% in 2010.

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