Author Archives: Greg Wythe

Brennan’s to reopen

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Greg Wythe

The venerable Brennan’s of Houston restaurant, which burned down during Hurricane Ike, will reopen later this year. Alex Brennan-Martin said he wanted to put to rest the rumor that Brennan’s of Houston would never reopen. It will, in October, 13 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Comments Off on Brennan’s to reopen

Form-based codes come to Dallas

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Good for Dallas. If they can do this, unanimously, even, then there must be hope for Houston and its proponents here. We might get lucky and avoid an Ashby lawsuit, but it sure would be nice to be better prepared … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Derr misses filing deadline

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Yesterday was the filing deadline for the District H special election. Usually, that brings a last-minute surprise in the form of an unexpected candidate. This time, it brought a different kind of surprise. As one of the first people to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | 1 Comment

Dewhurst makes the case against voter ID

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Greg Wythe

That wasn’t his intent, of course, but it’s clear to see in his plea for a “compromise” on the measure that the more people like Lt. Gov. Dewhurst argue for voter ID legislation, the more obvious it is that they’re … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Comments Off on Dewhurst makes the case against voter ID

Is redistricting reform about to become a reality?

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Patricia Kilday Hart reports that Sen. Jeff Wentworth’s redistricting commission bill has a chance this session, thanks to the change in Speaker. Wentworth, who presented his bill to the Senate State Affairs Committee, tells me he has confirmed pledges from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 3 Comments

Let’s see those files

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Greg Wythe

This is a good thing. Working to make good on a campaign promise, recently elected Harris County District Attorney Patricia Lykos agreed on Monday to provide copies of police offense reports to criminal defense lawyers, changing the longstanding practice of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 2 Comments

Texas lawmakers on Twitter

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Elise Hu has compiled a list of elected officials in Austin who use Twitter, for those of you who are into such things. It’s a shorter list than I would have expected, but I’ll bet it grows before the legislative … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | 1 Comment

Metro to vote on rail contract

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Greg Wythe

The good news: Metro is set to vote on the contract to build the next light rail lines. The bad news is that they’re doing is amid headlines like Metro refuses to discuss rail contract details before vote. The Metropolitan … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on Metro to vote on rail contract

Here comes stimulus money

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Greg Wythe

The first batch of funds is arriving. The Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated more than $500 million to Texas cities and counties on Monday, part of a wave of stimulus money expected to flow into the state. Federal … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Bill filed to modify strip club fee

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Got the following from State Rep. Ellen Cohen’s office: State Representative Ellen Cohen filed House Bill 2070 today to reform the Adult Entertainment Fee she passed during the 80th Legislative Session in 2007. “We have been successful in raising the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 8 Comments

To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Greg Wythe

It’s not quite boldly going, but it’s still pretty darned cool. The universe may be filled with Earth-like planets — worlds where extraterrestrials might flourish. But these planets were once considered too small to spot, even with the latest in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of March 2

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Greg Wythe

It’s the last week of winter, which I define as “the time before Daylight Savings Time”, and it’s time again for the weekly roundup of the Texas Progressive Alliance. Click on for the highlights. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of March 2

Schieffer jumps in

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Greg Wythe

We have a candidate, one not named Kinky. Former U.S. Ambassador Tom Schieffer of Fort Worth has just announced he is taking his first formal step toward seeking the Democratic nomination for governor during a Texas Independence Day press conference … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Comments Off on Schieffer jumps in

Interview with State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Greg Wythe

As I mentioned on Friday, I had the opportunity to speak with State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte. She’s the chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus (I mistakenly said “House Democratic Caucus” in my intro, but got it right after … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Comments Off on Interview with State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte

Blow before you drive

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Greg Wythe

MADD wants to make it harder for people with a drunk driving conviction to get behind the wheel. Mothers Against Drunk Driving is again pushing Texas legislators to require ignition interlocks for people convicted of their first driving while intoxicated … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

The stimulus and the budget

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Greg Wythe

State Rep. Jim Dunnam, who is the chair of the ad hoc committee that is charged with disbursing federal stimulus funds, gave an update on their proceedings. Among other things, the federal money may free up some state revenues. Normally, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

The real Coke classic

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Greg Wythe

True aficionados know, if you really want the kind of Coca Cola they used to make before the “New Coke” fiasco, you have to get one that was bottled in Mexico. Coca-Cola Classic, as it has been known since then, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Comments Off on The real Coke classic

Weekend link dump for March 1

Posted on March 1, 2009 by Greg Wythe

In like a lion, out like a lamb… America’s top ten healthiest fast food restaurants. Which I guess is something like “America’s top ten most liberal Republicans”, but there you have it. Jay Lee with a pancake on his head. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Weekend link dump for March 1

Is there an Ashby highrise lawsuit coming?

Posted on March 1, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Houston Politics makes an observation. As noted previously, the flap over the proposed Ashby high-rise and all the land-use questions stirred up by that controversy have subsided recently as the recession and credit crunch slowed or stopped many high-profile development … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Reason #437 why I’m skeptical of the gambling industry

Posted on March 1, 2009 by Greg Wythe

The regulatory agency that oversees horse and dog tracks in Texas is begging for a handout to make it through the end of the fiscal year. Faced with a 14 percent, nearly $678,000 shortfall, the commission that oversees horse and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Reason #437 why I’m skeptical of the gambling industry

From the “As if you didn’t have enough things to worry about” department

Posted on March 1, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Your house may have once been a meth lab. Experts say meth contamination of apartments, hotel rooms, houses, storage sheds and even cars is more common than people may imagine. Meth-making or heavy use can leave chemicals in carpets, air … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on From the “As if you didn’t have enough things to worry about” department

They paid their taxes, too

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Greg Wythe

I really don’t understand the objection to using stimulus funds to expand unemployment insurance to help the larger number of people who are now out of work, and especially those who have the extra misfortune of not being eligible because … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 2 Comments

Downtown post office for sale

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Greg Wythe

We know that the Postal Service is looking to sell some of its properties around town. Now they have announced that the downtown location on Franklin Street is one of them. Real estate experts and downtown boosters envision the property … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 3 Comments

In the long run, we’re all dead

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Greg Wythe

There’s long-term planning, and then there’s long-term planning. Big Bend National Park is known for its jagged beauty, but sometimes the mountains are blotted from the horizon by a sky the color of mud. The air is so dirty on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on In the long run, we’re all dead

Friday random ten: The eighties strike back

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Greg Wythe

I’ve said that 70s music goes with everything, and I think that’s true. But I also think it’s true of 80s music, and really, if you have enough of each of these, what more do you need? To demonstrate that, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 2 Comments

Help celebrate 27 for 27

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Greg Wythe

The following is a message from the TexBlog PAC and my much younger colleague, Matt Glazer. Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Comments Off on Help celebrate 27 for 27

One more PPP poll

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Greg Wythe

PPP does the Governor’s race, general election-style. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rick Perry would both best Democrat Tom Schieffer in a potential gubernatorial face off next year, although the race has some potential to be competitive if the current Governor … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | 2 Comments

Another City Council lineup update

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Time for our periodic check on who’s running for what this fall. The Memorial Examiner gets us started. Five confirmed candidates are vying to replace Lawrence in District A. Jeff Downing, Amy Peck, Bob Schellkopf, Brenda Stardig and Alex Wathen … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | 2 Comments

Search openly

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Is there really a debate about whether or not we should conduct a search for a new HISD Superintendent in an open manner? Because I think the choice is clear. The Greater Houston Partnership, which represents the business community, is … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on Search openly

Grand Parkway Segment E gets a go-ahead

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Greg Wythe

As expected. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved an agreement to build and maintain a segment of the Grand Parkway connecting the Katy Freeway and U.S. 290, but questions over what would happen if the county ultimately decided the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on Grand Parkway Segment E gets a go-ahead

Will we or won’t we fix unemployment insurance?

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Greg Wythe

There’s a lot of money riding on the answer to that question. The lure of $555 million in federal stimulus money for additional unemployment insurance has Texas legislators mulling whether to expand unemployment benefits to more workers. To get that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Voter ID debate set for the Senate

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Greg Wythe

I did an interview with State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte this evening, and in the course of our conversation, which I’ll be publishing on Monday, she said that there was a hearing set for voter ID legislation – presumably … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

PPP on the Texas Senate race

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Public Policy Polling follows up its snapshot of the Republican GOP matchup for Governor with a poll of Senate possibilities. We tested Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, Attorney General Greg Abbott, and state Senator Florence Shapiro on the Republican side against … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | 2 Comments

The sad state of sex education in Texas

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Greg Wythe

We do a really lousy job of it. In sex education classes, 94 percent of Texas school districts teach that abstaining from sex is the only healthy option for unmarried couples, and, in many cases, students are given misleading and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha, That's our Lege | 3 Comments