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.
Eric Garcetti’s Rocky Road
The political road can suddenly turn from smooth to rocky and Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti has lately hit a lot of bumps. That may keep him from an opportunity to move into the new Democratic administration in Washington.
Perception is an important ingredient in measuring politicians and when those around the politician are charged with wrongdoings the talk often throws a shadow on the leader—that is happening to Garcetti with the one-two punch of accusations made against former aides in the mayor’s office. These new troubles for the mayor come on top of criticism in other areas from across the political spectrum.
This week, former deputy mayor Raymond Chan was charged with conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges and lying to the FBI in a widespread corruption investigation over development projects and bribery in the City of Los Angeles. Garcetti’s office distanced the mayor from the charges saying the mayor was not aware of the transgressions and expressing disgust over the activity. (more…)
California Has an Outmigration Problem
Recent Census Bureau data tell a story that surprises no one who keeps up with current events in California: The state is losing residents like few others. According to economist Mark J. Perry, only four other states – New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Louisiana – had a greater net outflow in 2019.
Using Census numbers, Perry ranked the top 10 inbound and outbound states, and then looked at how each “compared on a variety of measures of business climate, individual and corporate tax burdens, state fiscal health, electricity and housing costs, economic performance, and labor market dynamism.” What he found will, again, surprise no one. The top 10 outbound states have higher taxes, poor business climates, more expensive housing and energy costs, and lower economic and job growth. And they are, with the exception of Louisiana, blue states. (more…)
California Public Advocates Office enters a “common interest agreement” with the Sierra Club to help the CPUC ban the use of natural gas
The residents of California are struggling as the impacts of the global pandemic have impacted their working conditions, hours and in many instances, their household incomes and financial stability. Despite having the highest poverty rate in the country, the California Public Advocates Office (CalPA) and the Sierra Club have joined forces, to continue pushing energy policies that benefit costal elites and drive up costs for low-income families.
California, with 0.5 percent of the world’s population (40 million vs 8 billion) professes to be the leader of everything and through its dysfunctional energy policies imports more electricity than any other state– currently at 32 percent from the Northwest and Southwest and dysfunctionally HOPES that other states will be able to generate enough power to meet the demands of the state, from the shuttering of nine (9) in-state power plants in a decade, that have been providing continuous uninterruptible electricity. (more…)
California Must Join Europe As The World’s Leading Amazon Enforcers
California lawmakers have staked their claim as national leaders when it comes to regulating the tech industry in recent years, often demonstrating more in common with their European peers than they do those back home in reining in the power of these tech giants. Now, with the announcement of new allegations against Amazon coming from Europe, California lawmakers once again have an opportunity to send an unmistakable message and join alongside these regulators to address the unyielding power that Amazon has amassed.
E.U. Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager launched an investigation in July 2019 into whether Amazon misuses — or worse, abuses — data from its third-party marketplace sellers. What resulted was a harrowing report that Amazon takes critical data from the 800,000 sellers on its French and Germany websites, such as sales figures, page views, and shipping information, to inform decisions about what products it should sell itself. (more…)
Is Gavin Newsom Vulnerable?
November was not a good mouth for Gov. Gavin Newsom. He was ridiculed for his $350 dinner at Napa’s French Laundry while he was shutting down restaurants for the rest of us. His children attend private school while public schools are shut down. His employment department is sending federal bailout checks to convicted murderers.
But the worst political news for Newsom may be hidden away in the November election results for various ballot measures his allies placed on the ballot. Almost all lost, despite in some cases Newsom’s strong support for them.
Take Proposition 15. This measure would have imposed a property tax “split roll”, revising Proposition 13 to raise taxes on corporations and business entities. This has been a dream of California labor and progressive activists for decades, and 2020 seemed the perfect year to pass it. There would be massive voter turnout, mostly Democrats rushing to the polls to vote against President Trump. Split roll would just ride to victory on the anti-Trump coattails. (more…)
The Way To Reform Initiative and Referenda Is to Let More People Into the Process
Joel Fox was right in this space when he predicted that legislative Democrats may offer proposals to curb the power of the initiative and referendum process.
He was right to say that Democrats may use phony reforms to attack a process that saw voters go against them on property taxes, ending cash bail, and regulating the gig economy.
And he was right to suggest that’s bad news—since more recent Democratic moves on the initiative process (like raising filing fees and restricting initiatives to November ballots) have limited access to the process, thus making it even more dominated by the richest people, corporations, and unions.
But the Democrats’ advancing initiative reforms isn’t just bad news. It’s a huge opportunity—to open up the conversation about direct democracy. (more…)