Author Archives: Greg Wythe

More big bucks for Bill White

Posted on February 7, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Bill White has set a brisk early pace for his Senate fundraising so far. He shows no signs of slowing down as yet. Houston Mayor Bill White’s consultant says White has raised $1.4 million since he declared plans to run … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | 2 Comments

Rep. Thibaut

Posted on February 7, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Nice article in the Observer about freshman State Rep. Kristi Thibaut, whom the paper has tagged as a “woman to watch” for this session. I had the pleasure of meeting Rep. Thibaut back before she first ran for office, and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010, That's our Lege | Comments Off on Rep. Thibaut

Handmade Toy Alliance wins a stay

Posted on February 7, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Some good news from last week for the Handmade Toy Alliance – they got a one year reprieve on enforcement of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Federal regulators on Friday postponed some testing requirements that would have forced many … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Handmade Toy Alliance wins a stay

Pete Sessions and the Taliban

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Rep. Pete Sessions in CD32 is the chair of the NRCC this cycle. He’s also…well, see for yourself. Frustrated by a lack of bipartisan outreach from House Democratic leaders, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010, Show Business for Ugly People | Comments Off on Pete Sessions and the Taliban

Friday random ten: Flight of the Genius

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Greg Wythe

As promised (threatened?) last week, it’s time to pay another visit to Genius-land, in which we use the Genius feature of iTunes to create some playlists from which we draw the weekly Friday Random Ten lists. Needless to say, the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Comments Off on Friday random ten: Flight of the Genius

Wilshire Village Apartments

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Normally, another story about another old and rundown apartment complex in Houston being set for demolition isn’t that noteworthy, at least for me, but this Swamplot post about the Wilshire Village Apartments struck a chord with me because I used … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 4 Comments

Craddick’s cleanup

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Greg Wythe

I’m amused by this. Before the House voted Speaker Tom Craddick out of his powerful job, state officials wiped his computers clean and deleted scores of electronic files, raising concerns that important public records may have been destroyed. Files on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 3 Comments

A piece of the stimulus pie for Metro

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Greg Wythe

This would be nice. Houston Metro is due to receive as much as $180 million over the next 12 months from a huge economic stimulus bill to help jump-start construction of two light rail lines, a House committee chairman said … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

And the answer is…more cameras (maybe)

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Well, there is some logic to it. The Houston Police Department is considering changes — possibly even expansion — to its red-light camera program after a city-commissioned study showed that crashes went up at intersections where the devices have been … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

Parker polls, King drops out

Posted on February 5, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Annise Parker hits the ground running by releasing a favorable poll on her candidacy for Mayor. “City Controller Annise Parker is the clear front runner and a strong favorite to make the runoff. Parker is better known than any declared … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | 4 Comments

First impressions

Posted on February 5, 2009 by Greg Wythe

I’ve said that I intend to keep an open mind about the Mayoral race, because I just don’t know enough about all of the potential contenders at this point. But as the old saying goes, it won’t be so open … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | 1 Comment

That Gallup poll of partisan preferences

Posted on February 5, 2009 by Greg Wythe

I’m sure by now you’ve seen that Gallup poll, which measured party affiliation in all 50 states and showed Democrats to have a slight edge, by a 43-41 margin, over Republicans in Texas. For a discussion of the methodology, you … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 1 Comment

Is KBH overstating her support?

Posted on February 5, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Evan Smith says not everyone whom Kay Bailey Hutchison says is supporting her for Governor is actually supporting her for Governor. Ever since Kay Bailey Hutchison semi-kicked-off her race for governor in Austin a couple of Saturdays ago, I’ve been … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | 3 Comments

The next US Attorney in Houston

Posted on February 5, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Now that we finally have an Attorney General, we also have a lot of people who would like to work for him. The U.S. attorney wannabes who confirmed for the Houston Chronicle that they are interested are Harris County District … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | 1 Comment

Hurricane relief spending

Posted on February 5, 2009 by Greg Wythe

So as noted, hurricane relief has been designated as emergency items by Governor Perry for the Legislature. They will have their work cut out for them. Ike and two other hurricanes — Dolly and Gustav — struck Texas last year … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Comments Off on Hurricane relief spending

Ed Gonzalez kickoff event

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Ed Gonzalez will have a campaign kickoff event for District H next Wednesday, February 11, at Irma’s Restaurant downtown from 5:30 to 7 PM. You can get all the details here (PDF). We’re rapidly approaching the filing deadline for the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | 1 Comment

Saavedra to step down

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Greg Wythe

In 2010. Houston ISD Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra plans to step down from his post by spring of 2010, he announced this morning. “I have recently informed the school board of my intention to retire within the next year. I want … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on Saavedra to step down

A list of who has actually filed treasurer’s reports so far

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Noel Freeman did us all the public service of trooping over to the City Secretary’s office and compiling a list of people who had filed treasurer’s reports as of Monday for election to a municipal office in 2009. As I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | 3 Comments

Reliant roof repaired

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Greg Wythe

And just in time for rodeo season. Reliant Stadium’s retractable roof has lost its gap-tooth look and should be as good as new in plenty of time for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which runs March 3-22. The five … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Other sports | Comments Off on Reliant roof repaired

Memorial Park bridge

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Very cool. Friday was a beautiful place to be in Memorial Park. But the mayor was there for a different reason: the start of construction on a new bridge, funded by the Memorial Park Conservancy, that will be open later … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Exonerating the deceased

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Greg Wythe

One of the things Eric Berger focused on in his story about the relevance and importance of Charles Darwin some 200 years after his birth was the rise of DNA and its application to criminology. Today, DNA evidence is as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on Exonerating the deceased

Heights crime prevention townhall report

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Here’s the Chron story on that crime prevention townhall meeting in the Heights that I mentioned the other day. In response to several recent home invasions and a rash of burglaries in and around Houston Heights, city officials have given … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 2 Comments

Two challengers for Dunbar

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Cynthia Dunbar, one of the loonier members of the State Board of Education, has at least two Austin-based Democrats considering challenges against her in 2010. In the past two days, party activist Susan Shelton confirmed to me that she definitely … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | 4 Comments

Report: Most elected officials refuse to contribute to their own prosecution

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Greg Wythe

That’s what the headline to this story should read. Public records examined by the Austin American-Statesman show that most elected officials who have been stopped on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in recent years have declined to consent to a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on Report: Most elected officials refuse to contribute to their own prosecution

More on lowering the drinking age

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Greg Wythe

I’ve blogged before about the Amethyst Initiative, and the arguments for and against their efforts to lower the minimum legal drinking age from 21 to 18 to combat what they call “a culture of dangerous binge drinking” on college campuses. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 5 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of February 2

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Remember when most Super Bowls were duds, and the real excitement came in the earlier playoff games? That doesn’t have anything to do with this week’s Texas Progressive Alliance blog roundup, but I thought I’d say it anyway. Click on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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

Parker to announce for Mayor today

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Greg Wythe

City Controller Annise Parker will formally announce has candidacy for Mayor today. “Houstonians want a mayor who can lead the city through tough economic times, and a mayor who can continue our forward progress with jobs and neighborhoods,” she said … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | 5 Comments

White gets to a big fundraising start

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Greg Wythe

I was pretty sure Bill White would be able to raise a ton of money for whatever office he wanted to run for next. So far, that’s true. Houston Mayor Bill White raised more than $640,000 in his first 15 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | 1 Comment

Evolution in action

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Greg Wythe

A common refrain I hear from scientists when another political controversy over the teaching of evolution arises is that they need to do a better job of explaining what they do and why it matters. Well, when the scientists get … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 1 Comment

Time for a Saint Arnold update

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Things are going well on the new brewery construction front. Saint Arnold Brewing Co. is leaving its 30,000-square-foot, leased facility at 2522 Fairway Park Drive in the Heights and moving to a three-story, 90,000-square-foot brick building at 2000 Lyons Ave., … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Time for a Saint Arnold update

Weekend link dump for February 1

Posted on February 1, 2009 by Greg Wythe

You’re probably watching the Super Bowl instead of reading this, but what the hell… Tough times for MAD magazine. “It’s pronounced PENNIS-ton”. Yeah, that’ll help. Via The Bloggess. Make your own Obamicon. The more that Tom DeLay is frightened by … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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

Locke files his treasurer’s report

Posted on February 1, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Former City Attorney Gene Locke has filed his treasurer’s report for the Mayor’s race. I’ve got his press release beneath the fold. He was joined in doing so by City Controller Annise Parker and (be still my heart!) Roy Morales, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | 2 Comments

Crime prevention townhall meeting

Posted on February 1, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Another public service announcement: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee will be holding a townhall meeting on crime prevention in the Heights tomorrow evening, from 5 to 6:30 PM at the Heights library, 1302 Heights Boulevard. HPD Chief Harold Hurtt and Harris … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on Crime prevention townhall meeting

Big (gun)man on campus

Posted on February 1, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Did you ever wish you could pack heat on a college campus? Maybe someday soon, you’ll be able to. Michael Guzman, a 25-year-old Texas State University senior and Marine veteran, takes his Kimber Ultra Carry II handgun just about everywhere … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 3 Comments