Monthly Archives: March 2005

Next up: Gambling

Posted on March 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Gird your loins, ’cause here it comes. Gambling interests have raised their ante in the Texas Capitol this session, spending millions of dollars on lobbyists who are trying to end Texas’ prohibition on casinos. Pro-gaming forces – advocates for bingo, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

How they voted on HB3

Posted on March 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The Quorum Report (PDF) documents the vote on the second reading/”passage to engrossment” of HB3 (there will be one more vote, as I understand it; the minutiae of House operations bogs me down sometimes). Most went along party lines. Those … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on How they voted on HB3

HB3 passes out of the House

Posted on March 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The awful House Bill 3 underwent a few changes but ultimately passed by a 78-70 vote. Here are some of the highlights, such as they are: [T]he House voted to include insurance companies in the new business tax. Insurers traditionally … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 4 Comments

People who purchased space travel also bought…

Posted on March 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Jeff Bezos wants to send you into orbit, with the West Texas town of Van Horn as the launching point. Bezos flew into this West Texas town a few weeks ago to tell key leaders how he planned to use … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 2 Comments

Without DeLay

Posted on March 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

And the DeLay drums keep on beating. Click on over to the Daily DeLay and learn about the Public Campaign Action Fund’s Without DeLay project. Here’s their Top Ten list of reasons why Tom DeLay should take his leave from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 2 Comments

The Texas Legislature Observed

Posted on March 15, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is that the fine folks at the Texas Observer are doing something that they were born to do – they’ve set up a Legislature blog, which promises “incisive reporting on key issues of the 79th Legislature and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on The Texas Legislature Observed

How well do you know your spouse?

Posted on March 14, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Tiffany got a direct-mail piece from Judicial Watch today. You just never know sometimes. (I’m sure they just rented some magazine subscription list to get her name – she used to have a sub to a foreign-policy mag, and she … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 2 Comments

More officeholders who blog

Posted on March 14, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

From San Francisco City Supervisor Chris Daly (via Kos) to Rep. John Culberson (via Rob), more current elected officials are taking up blogging. Note their stated reasons, Daly first: As it becomes increasingly clear to me that San Franciscans are … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 2 Comments

Rick Ankiel

Posted on March 14, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, Cardinals pitcher Rick Ankiel announced that he was giving up pitching and would try to make it as an outfielder. While the sportswriter consensus appears to be happiness for Ankiel, who endured a terrible meltdown on the mound … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 5 Comments

And speaking of sunshine

Posted on March 14, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing brightens my week quite like a continued flow of news about bad behavior by Tom DeLay. DeLay Ethics Allegations Now Cause of GOP Concern “If death comes from a thousand cuts, Tom DeLay is into a couple hundred, and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 6 Comments

Sunshine Week, Day One

Posted on March 14, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

How can you tell it’s Sunshine Week? Just look at the pile of stories and editorials telling us about it. Here’s the Chron’s entry, which was the top result at the time of my search. Grits notes that Sens. John … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Sunshine Week, Day One

Welcome home, Rep. Rick Noriega

Posted on March 14, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome home, State Rep. Rick Noriega. Rep. Rick Noriega, D-Houston, who is serving in the Texas Army National Guard in Afghanistan, came to the House chamber Thursday while home on leave. Noriega’s wife, Melissa, is serving as acting state representative … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq attack | 1 Comment

How old is old enough?

Posted on March 14, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Atrios has a couple of questions: If you leave your child of age X alone for an afternoon and she manages to injure or kill herself, what is the minimum X such that you won’t be arrested for some sort … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 4 Comments

Happy National Sunshine Week

Posted on March 13, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the first ever National Sunshine Week this week. Opening a dialogue about the public’s right of access to government information is the focus of Sunshine Sunday and Sunshine Week: Your Right to Know, which kick off March 13, 2005 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Big donors are the big winners

Posted on March 13, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I know, I know, knock me over with a feather. A proposed $11 billion tax bill before the Texas House would create a new sales tax on bottled water, but the excise tax on beer, wine and liquor escapes any … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 3 Comments

Trans-Texas Corridor takes another step forward

Posted on March 13, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

TxDOT and Cintra have agreed to negotiate a master plan. The comprehensive development agreement signed Friday does not mention either sum, or give Cintra any exclusive rights to build or operate anything on the corridor, designated TTT-35. It also doesn’t … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on Trans-Texas Corridor takes another step forward

School bill not made in Texas

Posted on March 12, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

This says an awful lot about the state of our state government. Many of the proposals contained in the plan that could revamp the way Texas funds schools were penned more than a year ago by academics in California, not … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 8 Comments

Good blogging

Posted on March 12, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Kimberly Reeves often highlights other people’s posts with the title “Good Blogging”. It’s time I returned the favor and point you to this example of darned good blogging on her part concerning the hash that the Republicans have made so … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Good blogging

Morrison makes his pitch

Posted on March 12, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing with the gearup for 2006, Richard Morrison takes his pitch directly to the netroots community from which he got such a great boost last time out. I’m intrigued by this comment, which shares some post-election research and suggests how … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

Special election coming in Montgomery County?

Posted on March 12, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

There may be a special election in Montgomery County’s near future. Local attorney Brandon Creighton announced his intention Tuesday to file for the District 16 House of Representatives seat currently held by Ruben Hope, if Gov. Rick Perry appoints Hope … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2005 | Comments Off on Special election coming in Montgomery County?

Still following the Colorado privatization mess

Posted on March 12, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I haven’t checked in with Father John for a couple of days, but he’s keeping up with the Colorado privatization mess and the concurrent activities here in Texas in a big way. Here’s a roundup of his latest on the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Still following the Colorado privatization mess

Why they voted the way they did

Posted on March 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting article on how State Reps Mark Strama and Todd Baxter, both of whom were elected by miniscule margins in November, arrived at their votes on HB2. Baxter, the Republican representative for District 48 in northwestern Travis County, fresh from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Why they voted the way they did

“In Birmingham they love the Governor”

Posted on March 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Actually, it’s the Senate Finance Committee that’s showing the love. A Senate panel quietly approved a raise of more than 30 percent for the governor and other statewide elected officials Thursday, saying that those officials don’t make enough for the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Hey, guys, what say we reform the franchise tax?

Posted on March 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Turns out that the payroll tax floated in HB3 isn’t so popular. Who knew? Trying to build more support for a controversial $10.8 billion tax trade-off, House leaders worked Thursday to revise a business payroll levy to also give companies … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Hey, guys, what say we reform the franchise tax?

Don’t mess with large statues

Posted on March 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

That’s Houston sculptor David Adickes, he of Giant Presidential Heads fame, standing in front of his statue The Virtuoso, which is in the parking lot of the Lyric Center downtown. He’s wearing that Groucho getup to protest the deliberate painting … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Aguirre firing upheld

Posted on March 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

An arbitrator has ruled against former HPD Captain Mark Aguirre, who was fired by the city for his role in the K-Mart Kiddie Roundup. Thursday’s decision came six months after Aguirre testified that he was wrongfully fired in January 2003 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in K-Mart Kiddie Roundup | 2 Comments

Michael Williams blog

Posted on March 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Via Byron, I see that Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams blog. Well, sort of, as Byron says, since the index page is a set of links to individual entries rather than a set of the entries themselves. His links page does … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Michael Williams blog

The 1159 Words You Can’t Say On An Official NFL Replica Jersey

Posted on March 11, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Via Crooked Timber and Hit and Run comes the official list of banned words from the back of replica NFL jerseys (warning: NSFW). This list came to light after a customer was originally prohibited from getting the name “Gay” on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 3 Comments

USANext sued, TRO granted

Posted on March 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday, AmericaBlog reported that a $25 million lawsuit had been filed against USANext for their misappropriation of the image of Richard M. Raymen and Steven P. Hansen (see here for more). Today, the judge granted their request for a temporary … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Morrison 2006

Posted on March 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Having feasted on the smorgasbord of recent and new allegations regarding Tom DeLay, I figure it’s time I note that Richard Morrison is out there gearing up for a rematch in 2006. As Texas Nate notes, DeLay spent $4.62 for … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

Suspect in Lefkow murders commits suicide

Posted on March 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is that the police appear to have found the person responsible for the horrible murders of Michael Lefkow and Donna Humphrey, the husband and mother of Judge Joan Lefkow. Apparently, he was a lone nutter with a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 2 Comments

Feingold blogs about the FEC

Posted on March 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

How cool is this? Senator Russ Feingold addresses the concerns of the netroots community regarding the recent statements of FEC Commissioner Brad Smith and the effects of the McCain/Feingold law on political blogging. That makes him the second sitting Senator … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Feingold blogs about the FEC

HoustonDemocrats.com

Posted on March 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I’m pleased to announce the birth of HoustonDemocrats.com, the official blog of the Harris County Democratic Party. It’s a group effort, and having met most of the people who will be powering it, I expect it to be a rollicking … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 2 Comments

DeLay admits actual involvement with TRMPAC

Posted on March 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I believe they call this revising and extending one’s original remarks. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Wednesday he served as a creator, adviser and fund-raiser to a Texas-based political action committee now under state criminal investigation, but he was … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 2 Comments