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.

CEQA Fixes Piece by Piece Doesn’t Cut It

It seems the battle over CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) reform to reduce wait time for development and discourage lawsuits is finding some success — that is if you have friends in high places with projects to champion.

Say you want a downtown basketball arena in Sacramento and the president pro tem of the senate sees this as a valuable project. He can help push legislation to speed up environmental reviews and undercut lawsuits.

Or say that you’re the governor of the state and your legacy project is a high-speed rail that could be stalled by CEQA rules. Support changes to lower those barriers.

How about billionaire businessmen who want to build football stadiums in or around Los Angeles to help lure a National Football League team. Both in 2009 and 2011 such plans found a friendly legislature willing to pass rules to prevent CEQA from becoming an obstacle to the building. (more…)

Proposed Labor Bill could Backfire on Safety, Costs and Jobs

California’s manufacturers place a high premium on a skilled workforce that produces world-class products while protecting their safety and the safety of their neighbors in the surrounding community.  So we are understandably alarmed by legislation that would not only put that safety at risk, but create an unprecedented mandate that would fundamentally alter the ability of private businesses to make critical hiring and compensation choices.

SB 54 (Senator Loni Hancock) is just such a bill.  It purports to be about safety but in fact could increase risks, displace highly skilled workers with excellent safety records, and remove the flexibility of employers to hire the best available workers.  SB 54 would establish arbitrary training requirements that would force refinery and chemical facilities to choose a large percentage of their workers from the membership of a single union, and to pay those workers government mandated wages. (more…)

Follow the Money: Idealogical Hype Hides True Fiscal Impact of Gun Control Bills

Amid the rush to gun control in the months following last year’s tragedy at Sandy Hook, legislatures across America returned to session this year intent on pushing stringent gun control bills.  This we know just by opening the newspaper each day.  What you may not know, however, is that amongst all the idealogical hype surrounding such gun bills, is a dire fiscal impact to everyday taxpayers.

Take for example Assemblyman Anthony Rendon’s AB711 which bans lead ammunition.  Peel away the ideological veneer and you will find a core revenue and funding bill.   The concern taxpayers and government bureaucrats alike share is that when a bucket of revenue is taken away, there will be a push to find new money to replace it.  (more…)

Tribal Water Rights Lawsuits Lead to Costly Courtroom Battles

On summer weekends, the Truckee River is a favorite spot for vacationers, rafters, bike riders and patient anglers chasing the elusive trout plying its fresh, clear water.

Most are unaware that this 120-mile river in Northern California and Western Nevada has been ground zero in a long-running and costly fight over tribal water rights.

The U.S. government filed the first lawsuit seeking surface water rights for the Pyramid Lake Paiute Indians in 1913. Since then, several generations of lawyers have waged legal battles over the Truckee River water rights, and the matter’s still not resolved. The latest resolution awaits congressional action. (more…)

AB 917 Would Send Charter Schools to the Back of the Class

The popularity and success of California’s 900 charter schools aren’t making everyone happy. Union leaders have tried to organize the non-union schools, but unsuccessfully.

New tactic: Hamper the charters’ spread. AB 917, which just passed both houses of the Legislature, might accomplish that. If it becomes law, it also could be the first volley in a move to severely limit the reform.

Currently, according to the California Department of Education, “A charter school is usually created or organized by a group of teachers, parents and community leaders or a community-based organization, and it is usually sponsored by an existing local public school board or county board of education.” Half of the teachers must approve the charter. (more…)

Gov. Brown Signs Four New Transparency Bills into Law

This week Gov. Jerry Brown signed several bills into law that bolstered the state government’s transparency and accountability to its constituents.

Two came from Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova), one from Assembly Speaker Perez (D-Los Angeles), and one from Assemblyman Adam Grey (D-Merced).

“These bills taken together represent a small but meaningful step toward a more accountable government. Collectively, they provide more tools to the state as far as the roles of the State Auditor and the State Controller and they increase transparency by requiring state agencies to place their reports online,” said Lenny Mendonca, senior partner at McKinsey & Company and co-chair of the California Forward leadership council. (more…)