Monthly Archives: December 2020

Do we still have to worry about the Elections Administrator’s office?

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m a little hesitant to bring this up, but… This year, Harris County began the process of consolidating the two offices that have historically handled elections — the county clerk and the tax assessor-collector’s office — under one roof. Isabel … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

No consensus on partisan judicial elections

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Even the Texas Commission on Judicial Selection can’t agree. There’s always been room for disagreement on the question of how to select judges in Texas. That won’t change in recommendations by the Lone Star State’s latest commission looking at the … Continue reading →

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Please shut up, CM Travis

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

And delete your Facebook account while you’re at it. The mayor, city activists and some of District G Councilmember Greg Travis’ colleagues are denouncing offensive comments he made online about former first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of December 28

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance says good-bye and good riddance to 2020 as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Precinct analysis: Other cities

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 Judicial averages I mentioned in an earlier post that I might look at election results … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A new high in hospitalizations

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This is fine. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Monday a pandemic high 11,351 hospitalizations from COVID-19. This surpasses the previous all-time high of 10,893, which occurred on July 22. The record comes in the midst of a … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

HD68 special election set

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome to your first election of 2021. Gov. Greg Abbott has selected Jan. 23 as the date of the special election to fill the seat of state Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, who recently won a promotion to the Texas Senate. … Continue reading →

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Okay, so *this* is the last pointless gesture

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

You can always count on Louie Gohmert to find the stupidest thing possible to do. Vice President Pence was sued Sunday by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and several other Republicans in a far-fetched bid that appeared aimed at overturning President-elect … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters, The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Abbott appoints another statewide judge

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From before the holidays: Jesse McClure, a trial judge on a criminal court in Houston, will join the state’s highest court for criminal matters in the new year. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed McClure, a Republican, to the Court of Criminal … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hunting hogs from hot air balloons

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Not as popular as hoped. Turns out, hunting feral hogs from a hot air balloon is not all that popular in Texas. Three years after state lawmakers approved the high-flying hunts, no balloon company has gotten a permit, according to … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Precinct analysis: The judicial averages

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Appellate courts, Part 2 As you know, I use the average totals and percentages from local judicial races as … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

One last (?) pointless gesture

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Because true desperation never dies, I guess. Rep. Lance Gooden of Terrell is one of the latest members of Congress to say he is going to object to the Electoral College certification on Jan. 6. Now, he says he just … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Too much virus, not enough treatment

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Still a bad combination. Three weeks after Gov. Greg Abbott visited Lubbock to celebrate new antibody treatments amid a surge of infections, the city remains in crisis. Its two main hospitals had nearly two dozen patients waiting for beds Friday, … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for December 27

Posted on December 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

“When Usually Solitary Octopuses Get Together, Odd Things Happen”. “Atlantic City Is Offering Bidders The Chance To Blow Up A Former Trump Casino”. “What If There’s a COVID-22? How Should We Handle It?” You’re not helping, guys. Not helping at … Continue reading →

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The proper level of seriousness

Posted on December 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Meet John Fetterman (if you haven’t already), Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania and America’s foremost Dan Patrick troll. All John Fetterman wants for Christmas is the $3 million he says Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick owes him. The Democratic lieutenant governor … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

PAC to boot Paxton formed

Posted on December 27, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

No time like the present to start the fight against America’s worst AG. Thursday, the Boot Texas Republicans Political Action Committee launched a campaign that is dead set on kicking Paxton out of office. Treasurer Zack Malitz said the PAC … Continue reading →

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The Harris County Election Security Task Force

Posted on December 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I hadn’t realized that this was a thing, but it was and I’m glad it was. A task force formed to ensure the security of the November election in Texas’ biggest county has found no evidence of wrongdoing after finishing … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Next in line for the vaccine

Posted on December 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Attention will shift to more vulnerable populations. Texans who are 65 years old and older, and those who are at least 16 with certain chronic medical conditions will be next in line for the COVID-19 vaccine, the Texas Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Say goodbye to 2020, Mel Torme

Posted on December 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

You know the story by now, my favorite Christmas story ever. If you know it, treat yourself and read it again. If you don’t know it, if you’re new here and you have no idea what I’m talking about, go … Continue reading →

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Christmas Eve video break: Time for tradition

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

And that can only mean my favorite rendition of “A Visit From Saint Nicholas”: I’ve been posting this on Christmas Eve for over a decade now. I watch it every year, more than once, and I never get tired of … Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Ken Paxton’s attempted jihad against Harris County

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Attorney General Ken Paxton tried to get the Trump administration to revoke millions in federal COVID relief funding that Harris County budgeted for expanding mail-in voting earlier this year, newly revealed records show. Paxton wrote in a May 21 … Continue reading →

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Are you ready to attend a basketball game?

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not, at least not yet. Ask me again after I’ve been vaccinated. The Rockets on Thursday made official their plans to have limited numbers of fans in attendance at home games under a variety of health and safety protocols … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Precinct analysis: Appellate courts, part 2

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions Appellate courts, Part 1 Here’s the more traditional look at the Court of Appeals races. Unlike the Supreme Court and CCA, all of … Continue reading →

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More on the TDP 2020 audit

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m very much looking forward to seeing the final report, but I don’t have a clear idea of the objectives from this story. [Unsuccessful State House candidate Brandy Chambers’] election night confusion mirrors the second-guessing going on within the Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

You’d think with all that voter fraud out there, they could actually find some

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

So much effort, so little to show for it. The Texas Attorney General’s office this year almost doubled the amount of time it spent looking into and working on voter fraud cases in 2018 — more than 22,000 staff hours … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Trump commutes Stockman sentence

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Crooks of a feather. President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday commuted the remaining prison sentence of former Republican Texas congressman Steve Stockman, who was sentenced to 10 years in 2018 after he was convicted of nearly two-dozen felonies, including fraud. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of December 21

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes all who celebrate a very Merry Christmas as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Precinct analysis: Appellate courts, part 1

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial Other jurisdictions My next two posts in this series will focus on the 1st and 14th Courts of Appeals. These courts are a little strange … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A closer look at the Aguirre/Hotze debacle

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This WaPo story was pointed out in the comments here, and it’s worth your time to read. I should note that while the Houston Chronicle has not (at least so far) identified the air conditioning repairman that Aguirre attacked, this … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

SCOTUS mostly punts on Census apportionment shenanigans

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

They seem to be hoping that the problem will solve itself, while applying a partisan litmus test to when it is appropriate for them to step in. The Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to Donald Trump’s final sabotage of the … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Other jurisdictions

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Introduction Congressional districts State Rep districts Commissioners Court/JP precincts Comparing 2012 and 2016 Statewide judicial You may be wondering “Hey, how come you haven’t reported on data from SBOE and State Senate districts?” Well, I’ll tell you, since the SBOE … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

TDP asks SCOTUS to review age discrimination claim in mail voting

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, the Texas Democratic Party and voters filed their final brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking its review of the case filed last Spring which challenged the constitutionality of Texas’s law that limits voting by mail, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Aguirre’s arraignment

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The latest update on the Aguirre/Hotze fever-dream “vote fraud” case. An ex-Houston police officer on Friday swore he is “done” with private investigations after being arrested and charged with assaulting an air conditioning repairman he claimed was involved in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Weekend link dump for December 20

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Face shields aren’t quite enough to fully protect you from COVID. Two words: COVID penis. Make sure you get that vaccine when it’s available for you, OK? “I get it. It’s a pandemic. If ever there was a time to … Continue reading →

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