Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Texas blog roundup for the week of October 28

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is here to ask you again if you have voted as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of October 28

“Scandal of epic proportions” in the bankruptcy courts

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This story is bonkers. Usually confident to the point of coming across self-righteous, Houston Bankruptcy Judge David Jones’ voice quivered as he stated repeatedly, “I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know what is going to happen next. I … Continue reading →

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

Once more, with feeling: There was no fraud in the 2022 election

Posted on October 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron provides a coda to that accursed election and all of the bullshit that followed. When Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced in August that she had found no evidence of election rigging during the 2022 midterm elections, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Once more, with feeling: There was no fraud in the 2022 election

Teacher certification cheating ring busted

Posted on October 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Yikes. Three Houston ISD employees are among the five people charged in connection with a scheme to help hundreds of people cheat on state teacher certification tests, Harris County prosecutors said Monday. Prosecutors said longtime Booker T. Washington High School … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

It’s crawl-out-from-under-a-rock season

Posted on October 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As predictable as the end of Daylight Saving Time around here. Three Houston-area Republicans have filed a lawsuit alleging that “tens of thousands” of people should be purged from the Harris County voter roll amid a national push to cast … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

November 2024 early voting Day Eight: Second Monday

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’re in the second and final week of early voting. There are now four days of EV remaining. Your early voting results through Monday, Day Eight: 2024 2020 2016 2008 and 2012 The numbers after eight days of early voting … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why are we subsidizing privatized HOA trash collection?

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Whitmire says he’s on the lookout for waste in the budget. May I suggest he look here? Houston has subsidized the private trash collection of some affluent neighborhoods for almost 40 years, a policy that could complicate the city’s … Continue reading →

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

New Sports Authority board chair

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Noting for the record. Harris County-Houston Sports Authority chairman J. Kent Friedman is stepping down, he confirmed to the Chronicle on Friday morning. Mayor John Whitmire requested Friedman be replaced by Juan C. Garcia as chair, according to city council agenda documents. Garcia’s confirmation … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Sports Authority board chair

November 2024 early voting Day Seven: The weekend

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Just going to get right into it here. Your early voting results through Sunday, Day Seven: 2024 2020 2016 2008 and 2012 The numbers after seven days of early voting are Mail = 44,805 In Person = 686,937 Total = … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cruz files FEC complaint over Allred ads

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m laughing. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s campaign manager filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission Thursday, accusing U.S. Rep. Colin Allred’s campaign of illegally coordinating on television ads with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Cruz’s campaign cited a series … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Cruz files FEC complaint over Allred ads

Abortion and the High Plains

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff. Morgan Kirkpatrick was exhausted. The longtime Lubbock resident and State Board of Education candidate spent most of her morning with other local Democratic candidates campaigning door-to-door ahead of early voting next week. From there, she went to Mahon … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for October 27

Posted on October 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Have you voted yet? Netflix is going all in on Stranger Things Season Five. “As the need has grown, so has Elevated Access. The organization has continued to enlist volunteer pilots and offer free flights to patients who need reproductive … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

Comparing early voting apples to apples

Posted on October 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s writeup of the first five days of early voting is an incomplete picture. Is turnout up or down in Texas in the 2024 election? It depends on how you look at it. Since early voting began Monday, more … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Comparing early voting apples to apples

UTSA poll for October: A little weird

Posted on October 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not really sure how to explain this other than to say polls be weird sometimes. A new survey from UTSA’s Center for Public Opinion Research indicated that in bright blue San Antonio, support has been growing for Democrat Colin Allred in his uphill … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on UTSA poll for October: A little weird

Cruise partners with the Houston Food Bank

Posted on October 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. The Houston Food Bank and autonomous vehicle company Cruise launched a program to deliver produce and non-perishable items to expecting mothers in the city. The deliveries are a part of the Houston Food Bank’s Food Rx program, through … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

November 2024 early voting Day Five: The average so far

Posted on October 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’re at the end of the first week of early voting – I was able to wait for the Day Five report before writing this, so I’m caught up for now. It was a very busy week. Let’s take a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on November 2024 early voting Day Five: The average so far

Ken Paxton also doesn’t care if we execute an innocent man

Posted on October 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Shocking, I know, from such a moral paragon. A week after death row inmate Robert Roberson was set to die, the extraordinary quest to save his life has morphed into a deepening political battle between Texas House lawmakers and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Uplift Harris 2.0 upheld in district court

Posted on October 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is the opening act. The main event comes later. A judge on Thursday sided with Harris County’s latest iteration of a guaranteed income program, denying Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office’s application for a temporary restraining order aimed at stopping … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uplift Harris 2.0 upheld in district court

November 2024 early voting Day Three: Let’s not overanalyze this

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Lone Star Left caught my eye on Wednesday as they looked at the statewide early voting data so far. All day, I waited for a full update from the Secretary of State (SoS) regarding the Day 1 early voter turnout. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Multiple settlements of AstroWorld injury lawsuits

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. The start of a trial over injuries suffered during the 2021 Astroworld concert has been delayed until February, after more than 300 of the plaintiffs reached settlements with LiveNation and concert headliner Travis Scott, one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Multiple settlements of AstroWorld injury lawsuits

Dispatches from Dallas, October 25 edition

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth we have a lot of election news. No, more than that. Also: the Tarrant County jail; school … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

November 2024 early voting Day Two: On average

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Reading this story gave me an idea for how to talk about early voting so far compared to 2020. The first day of early voting for El Paso County’s general election drew 31% fewer voters than the record-setting 2020 race. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hollins requests expansion of Whitmire’s investigation

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, it sure sounds reasonable. Controller Chris Hollins penned a letter Tuesday to the Office of the Inspector General and City Council Ethics Committee calling on Mayor John Whitmire’s State of the City address to be included in “pay to play” … Continue reading →

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

Not so fast on Whitmire’s Montrose Boulevard revisions

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Probably fleeting, but still nice. After months of delays, the controversial redesign of Montrose Boulevard was still in limbo Monday night when a split vote at a contentious public meeting stalled the project yet again. The Whitmire administration favors a design that would … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of October 21

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is going to be bugging you about whether you’ve voted yet for the next two weeks as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of October 21

November 2024 early voting Day One: Where are the mail ballots?

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As I said yesterday, the Day One early voting report came in a little too late on Monday night for me to queue this up for Tuesday. It’s also the case that comparing this year to 2020 is not going … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Where is Ann Harris Bennett?

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not at the office. The elected official in charge of Harris County’s voter registration and tax collection appears to have been absent from her office for years, last swiping her ID to enter the county building in late 2020, county … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Sugar Land partners with Swyft Cities

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We may get some local gondola action in the near future. Look up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s a gondola? Or it will be if the city of Sugar Land can get a federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sugar Land partners with Swyft Cities

Make that 18.6 million registered voters

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a lot. Texas added nearly 200,000 voters to its rolls in the two weeks before the deadline to register, according to state data, giving the state a record-breaking 18.6 million voters going into this year’s election. Since 2016, when … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Greg Abbott cares more about his own power than about human life

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

What else can one say about this? Gov. Greg Abbott’s office condemned the actions of a bipartisan group of Texas legislators Monday, effectively breaking his silence in the pending execution of Robert Roberson. In an amicus brief filed by James … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fundraising for the HISD bond

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been waiting for a story about the pro-bond campaign, and here one is. For Roland Garcia, voting in favor of Houston ISD’s proposed $4.4 billion bond is a no-brainer. Garcia, a grandparent of two students at Houston ISD’s Harvard … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Interview with Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up Fall 2024 Interview Season with the best known person of the series, two-term Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. You know his story – 18-year HPD veteran who eventually served as a homicide investigator, three-term Houston City Council … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Interview with Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez

Judicial Q&A: Judge Elaine Palmer

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am continuing the series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested November elections. I am running these responses in the order that I receive them from the candidates. Much more information … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Judicial Q&A: Judge Elaine Palmer

Paxton sues doctor for providing gender affirming care to teens

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing good will come of this. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against a Dallas pediatrician, accusing her of violating state law by providing gender-transitioning treatments to at least 21 teenage patients. Thursday’s filing is Paxton’s first … Continue reading →

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