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.
California Biz Hurt by NSA Story
California and its businesses have a problem. It’s called the National Security Agency.
That may sound provincial. The debate over the massive NSA surveillance programs disclosed by Edward Snowden is a national and global matter, not just a California concern.
But the disclosures—and the U.S. government’s reaction to them—hit at the heart of California’s economic life. Whether you believe the massive collection of phone and electronic records is a scary invasion of privacy or a necessary defense against terrorism, you should worry about our state’s exposure to the fallout. (more…)
Gov. Signs Bills to Help Manufacturing
By signing SB 90 and AB 93, Gov. Brown put California back in the mix for the country’s next round of long-term manufacturing investments. The Governor has been looking for ways to make California a manufacturing leader once again. This is a big move toward that goal.
This legislation will grow high wage jobs in California. We thank the Governor for making this policy part of his economic development strategy. Our middle class working families are the big winners today. (more…)
ISO Chair Bob Foster on California’s Energy Future without San Onofre
Southern California Edison recently decided to shut down the San Onofre nuclear power plant after trouble with faulty generators. This month, The Planning Report consulted Long Beach Mayor, ISO Chair, and former SCE president Bob Foster on the impact the closure will have on energy supply in the Southland, and how the state plans to counter the impending power loss. Foster also talks demand response, California’s energy future (he thinks: renewables), and the revolutionary role storage technology will play in fostering a green energy grid. While San Onofre presents a challenge, Foster notes California’s energy agencies are more capable than ever of meeting such challenges together.
As the Mayor of Long Beach, Chair of California’s ISO, and the former president of Southern California Edison, few in California have more expertise than you to speak to the significance of SCE’s decision to permanently close San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. What impact will decommissioning have on the state and region’s energy supply, and what provisions have been made by SCE and the State to meet demand heretofore reliant on nuclear power from San Onofre? (more…)
Playing the Bond Game, Taxpayers Lose
A recent front page story in the Los Angeles Times raised the curtain on a dirty little secret that local school officials don’t want the public to know. Many school boards throughout California have indulged in a process that can best be described as “bribery and money laundering” which grossly inflates the cost of bond debt — the result of which is higher taxes on homeowners.
Here is how it works. A school board determines it wants to pass a bond that will be paid for by property owners. Because government officials are prohibited from using taxpayer dollars to promote a ballot measure, they cut a deal with a bond underwriter to fund the effort and provide expert campaign assistance. In return, the underwriter is guaranteed the commission on the sale of the bonds. (more…)
Dem v Dem for Constitutional Offices in 2014?
With the top two primary in place and the rise in power of the state Democratic Party over the last election (or is it the loss in power for the Republican Party), is there a chance we will see two Democrats squaring off in November 2014 for some of the state’s constitutional offices?
I put the question to election guru, Allan Hoffenblum, editor of the Target Book that tracks California elections.
Hoffenblum thinks it could happen under certain circumstances. He said any Republican in the June primary would have to be a relative unknown. Further, he argues the two major Democrats contesting the seat would need to come from different wings of the party – a traditional liberal and a moderate.
California Cap-And-Trade Auction is An Illegal Tax
Earlier this week, NFIB filed a lawsuit against the California Air Resources Board (CARB) challenging CARB’s decision to promulgate regulations that are not authorized by the Global Warming Solutions Act (“AB 32”). The challenged “auction regulations” impose greater burdens on the regulated community and will ultimately impose higher costs on small businesses who must pay higher costs for essential goods and services.
The California Air Resources Board, consisting of appointed bureaucrats, decided to auction emission allowances as part of its cap-and-trade program (AB 32), legislation that set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions statewide to 1990 levels by 2020. However, as NFIB’s motion argued, CARB had no authority to auction off emission allowances because AB 32 says nothing about auctions. NFIB’s motion also stated that the act of auctioning off allowances and generating auction proceeds violates Proposition 13 of California’s constitution that requires two-thirds of the state legislature to approve all new taxes.