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.
Yes, Our Economy is Recovering, but Job Growth is Pathetic
California’s economy is slowly recovering, good news especially for Californians along the coast and in the big metro areas. But job growth remains frustratingly slow, bogged down by structural, competitive and – yes – self-inflicted impediments.
I haven’t posted these charts for a while, but they show that California’s recovery is lagging about two-and-a-half years behind the next-worse recession, in the early 1990s. (more…)
The Latest in a Long Line of Bad Mayors
The amorous adventures of Mayor Bob Filner are the latest blot on the image of San Diego. How can such a sunny city have such dismal mayors?
Is it bad karma, an ancient curse, something in the water? Or more credible reasons? Race riots? Natural disasters? Economic crises? Not really. San Diego has had its problems but no more than other cities. Our wounds are self-inflicted.
As a newspaper and TV reporter and editor, I’ve watched 10 mayors come and go. Only Pete Wilson stood out. The others range from pretty good to really bad. (more…)
Bay Bridge Shows California’s Political Disarray
If California can’t even build a major public safety project on time and on budget when virtually everyone – Democrats, Republicans and independents alike – agrees it absolutely has to be done, what does it say about getting anything accomplished in the state these days?
That’s the question Steve Heminger, executive director of the Bay Area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission, asked Thursday after his oversight committee set the Tuesday after Labor Day for the opening of the new, seismically enhanced eastern section of the San Francisco Bay Bridge.
That’s nearly 24 years after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake made it clear to anyone watching pictures of the bridge’s upper deck crack open that the existing structure was a disaster waiting to happen.
Senator Feinstein Is Misguided In Her Attempt To Narrowly Define A Journalist
The United States Senate is currently considering the Federal Free Flow of Information Act. This would be a “shield law” that would protect the ability of journalists to keep their sources confidential. Right now 49 states and the District of Columbia have shield laws in place, but the federal government does not. This is a good idea, and I applaud the effort. Unfortunately the legislation has gotten hung because of one sticky issue — who is a journalist.
Our senior United States Senator, Dianne Feinstein, has introduced an amendment to this legislation (on behalf of both herself and Senator Durbin of Illinois) that would seek to narrowly define a journalist, with the rather obvious intent of trying to exclude independent and citizen journalists, such as bloggers.
Legal Question Hangs Over San Diego Recall
As signatures start being gathered this weekend to recall San Diego mayor Bob Filner, the big question is whether the recall process of the city is constitutional.
In San Diego, like in California law up until 2003 (first in the constitution and then in statute), a voter is required to vote either “yes” or “no” on whether an official should be recalled before they may vote on their preferred candidate for successor should the recall succeed. (San Diego Municipal Code sec. 27.2726).
Wake Me When Session Is Over
Both houses of the legislature are finally back! Big stuff is about to happen! The end of the session is nigh!
Wake me when it’s over. Sacramento and the rest of the state have different definitions of big.
In Sacramento, big means: there are lots of people with money on both sides of an issue.
That’s why fights over medical malpractice caps; CEQA, and prevailing wages in charter cities are being touted as “big fights.” There’s business money on one side of those, and labor and/or lawyer money on the other.