Monthly Archives: May 2006

From the “How can we miss you if you won’t go away?” files

Posted on May 15, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Rhymes with Right is not happy with Tom DeLay’s June 9 resignation date. Why am I unhappy? Because the resignation will not take place before the Texas GOP convention on June 2-3 — when I had hoped to see the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

That Austin feeling in Houston

Posted on May 15, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

At the risk of making my Austin readers giggle, this article about Houston businesses that remind people of Austin is a good read. Mostly, I like it because it gives some love to our neighborhood hangout the Onion Creek bar … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 3 Comments

Another blame target for the jails

Posted on May 15, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

This Chron editorial from Sunday somewhat gently points a finger at the Harris County Commissioners’ Court for the jail overcrowding debacle. Recently, Harris County Commissioners Court approved $22 million for 160 guard positions and a 15 percent starting pay increase. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 2 Comments

Alvarado’s records subpoenaed

Posted on May 14, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County DA Chuck Rosenthal’s office is subpoenaing documents from two companies that hired former Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado as a political consultant. DA investigators have spent the past couple of days in San Antonio and the Austin area … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 6 Comments

Lot sizes in the Heights

Posted on May 14, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a story from earlier this week that I didn’t have a chance to get to: Residents of the Sunset Heights expressed their displeasure to Mayor White over the process to request minimum lot sizes. [I]t wasn’t until three concrete … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Skip the shows, watch the commercials

Posted on May 14, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Advertising on demand. It’s an idea whose time has come. Tivo today has announced today the release of Product Watch. This new capability will allow users to select favorite categories or brands and TiVo will deliver ads that match the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on Skip the shows, watch the commercials

SJR7: It’s still not over

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Just when you thought it was safe to blog about other stuff this weekend, the Senate Finance Committee managed to slip through a proposed constitutional amendment that would cap school property taxes at $1.15 per $100 valuation. The bill is … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 2 Comments

Congressional expansion

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Have you heard that there may soon be two additional members of Congress? That and a slightly more outrageous proposal over at Kuff’s World. UPDATE: In approving a comment at KW, I just discovered the first spammed comments there. They … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 2 Comments

Weekend session wrapup

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

According to QR and the Dallas Blog, the Senate has just about wrapped up all of the business in front of it, meaning that they and the State House will get the weekend off. At this point, there’s nothing else … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Weekend session wrapup

Running scared in HD32

Posted on May 13, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Gene Seaman, one of the Dems’ top targets this cycle thanks to the strong challenge he’s getting from Juan Garcia, is apparently fully aware of how much peril he’s in. The Red State shows hic concern. Check it … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Running scared in HD32

Still not over – HB5 kicked back to the Senate

Posted on May 12, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

And we’re still not finished yet: Late yesterday, Speaker Craddick promised to send HB5 back to the Senate for being insufficiently doctrinaire. Speaker Tom Craddick said the House will reject the Senate version of the tobacco bill because it dedicates … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Revisiting the Harris County Jail blame game

Posted on May 12, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Grits follows up on post blaming Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas for the Harris County Jail overcrowding woes, and explains the role of the judiciary in this mess. In 2003, Texas passed HB 2668 requiring judges to sentence defendants to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 3 Comments

Still no go on airport shuttles

Posted on May 12, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

City Council has put off the vote on airport shuttles after complaints from cab companies. The five-year contract has come under fire because it would go to only one vendor, a SuperShuttle franchise in partnership with Yellow Cab. That would … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

Perry expands the call

Posted on May 12, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Governor Perry is feeling confident about now, and I can’t say I blame him. Signaling the likely passage of tax cut legislation, Gov. Rick Perry today opened the special legislative session’s call to include new funding for the state’s college’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Perry expands the call

DeLay to officially resign on June 9

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

It’s official: Tom DeLay has an exit plan for himself. Rep. Tom DeLay, the once-powerful majority leader whose career was undermined by scandal, said today that he would resign from the House on June 9. “As you are aware,” the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 2 Comments

Kinky’s signatures

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Via Rawhide at PinkDome, it’s 169,000 signatures for Kinky Friedman. That should be more than enough to ensure his place on the ballot, and more than enough to nullify any crackpot theories about what kind of signature verification helps or … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

All bills passed out of Senate

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

In case you missed my late update yesterday, the Senate finally passed HBs 1 and 5. At this point, final passage by the House is expected shortly. House Speaker Tom Craddick said late Wednesday he would urge House members to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Ardmore, three years later

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Aaron Pena reminds us that today is the three-year anniversary of the Ardmore exodus. I expanded on his post over at Kuff’s World. Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | Comments Off on Ardmore, three years later

The state takes over again at HHSC

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

And the great boondoggle outsourcing of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC) to Accenture takes failure to another level. Effective immediately, state workers again will be responsible for processing applications for assistance programs such as food stamps and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on The state takes over again at HHSC

Stockman says he’s in

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Long as we’ve been talking about petition signatures, let’s check in with the other notorious independent campaign for this cycle, that of Steve Stockman in CD22. Stockman has collected more than the 500 signatures needed from registered voters to land … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

Houston premiere of “The Big Buy” next Friday

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Big Buy, now subtitled “Tom DeLay’s Stolen Congress”, is having its Houston premiere on Friday, May 19, at the Angelika Theater downtown. Here’s the press release that I got: An explosive new documentary about Rep. Tom DeLay’s scheme to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

Houston transportation survey

Posted on May 11, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Via email from Robin Holzer: Houston area travelers are invited to participate in a 10-minute survey sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation, in cooperation with Texas A&M University and the University of Texas-Arlington. This survey assesses your current use … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 2 Comments

Strayhorn loses lawsuit

Posted on May 10, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise here. A federal judge Wednesday rejected Carole Keeton Strayhorn’s plea that the state should apply statistical sampling to count voter petitions for her independent gubernatorial candidacy. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel, acting nine days after hearing the challenge, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

Compromise on recapture?

Posted on May 10, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Aaron Pena quotes from a Quorum Report story that says a deal has apparently been brokered on equity and recapture in the Senate. This is was had Sen. Florence Shapiro’s hackles up. Sayeth The Rep: “The compromise plan has the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Compromise on recapture?

Astroworld land sold

Posted on May 10, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Seventy-seven million dollars for the land that the former Astroworld once sat on. Not a bad price for Six Flags, that’s for sure. The story says that Six Flags has not announced who the buyer is, so we don’t have … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Astroworld land sold

Strayhorn’s signatures

Posted on May 10, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Strayhorn campaign has turned in their petitions, and I think it’s safe to say that they can feel pretty confident about getting on the ballot. Independent candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn announced Tuesday she gave Texas election officials 223,000 signatures … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

Frontrunners?

Posted on May 10, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Fort Bend Now reports from the top secret, invitation only, you-don’t-need-to-know GOP candidates’ forum for the CD22 nomination from the weekend. Two organizers of Saturday’s Harris County GOP candidates’ forum say state representatives Robert Talton and Charlie Howard are emerging … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Frontrunners?

Equity good, the rest not so much

Posted on May 10, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Duncan-Staples amendment to HB1, which restores a measure of equity in funding for poorer school districts, was praised by school groups yesterday, though the bill that contains the amendment was not. The groups, including the Texas Association of School … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Equity good, the rest not so much

Hotel tax lawsuit

Posted on May 10, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The city of San Antonio is suing online travel brokers, claiming that they are insufficiently paying its hotel occupancy tax. Dallas-based Hotels.com and Travelweb and Southlake-based Travelocity.com, a subsidiary of Sabre Holdings Corp. (NYSE: TSG), were among 19 firms that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | 3 Comments

Bell gets AFL-CIO endorsement

Posted on May 10, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Chris Bell threw a few rhetorical punches at the AFL-COPE convention yesterday. Mr. Bell had previously focused his fire on Mr. Perry. But he spent much of this speech urging attendees of the AFL-CIO COPE Convention not to be swayed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Bell gets AFL-CIO endorsement

Who gets the blame for the county jail problems?

Posted on May 9, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been pointing my finger pretty steadily at Sheriff Tommy Thomas for the problem of our county jails being overcrowded, which has led the Texas Commission on Jail Standards to order the relocation of inmates at a cool $1 million … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 2 Comments

Are we finally ready for airport shuttles?

Posted on May 9, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been almost two years since the proposal first surfaced, but airport shuttles may finally become reality later this week. If city council gives its approval, shuttle buses will soon begin picking up passengers at the city’s airports and taking … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 3 Comments

One week to go in Austin

Posted on May 9, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Just a quick roundup of special session coverage, from the Chron, Statesman, Morning News, Express News, and Star Telegram. Key points, from the Star Telegram: On a 21-10 vote, the Texas Senate adopted House Bill 4, which will raise another … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Last day to name that fermenter

Posted on May 9, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The eBay auction to name the latest fermenter at the Saint Arnold Brewery ends today at 11:30 AM CDT. The high bid as I write this is just shy of $1900. Get yours in now while you still have time. Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Comments Off on Last day to name that fermenter