Monthly Archives: May 2006

Iraq Internet cafe

Posted on May 9, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

However you feel about the current situation in Iraq, I believe this proposal by Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is something we can all support. This May we are returning to Iraq with the intention of dedicating a twenty-four station “Internet … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | Comments Off on Iraq Internet cafe

Abramoff claims another victim

Posted on May 9, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Darn those devious former chiefs of staff anyway. A Washington lobbyist who formerly served as chief of staff to Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) pleaded guilty today to a federal conspiracy charge in a continuing corruption probe surrounding disgraced former … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

HB4 goes to Perry

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Lege accomplished one task today, passing HB4, the so-called Liar’s Affidavit, thus sending it to Governor Perry for a signature. The House has approved a conference committee version of the “liar’s affidavit” bill. That bill would require buyers of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 3 Comments

Houston 2016

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Has it really been almost four years since Houston’s Olympic-hosting hopes were last dashed? Time does fly. Well fear not, it’s time to try and impress the USOC again. USOC chairman Peter Ueberroth will lead a four-member group today … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 6 Comments

Petition pedantry

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

You know, I’ll be glad when May 11 is in the rearview mirror, because then we won’t see any more stories about petition signature gathering, which for the most part about as interesting as they sound. This one covers all … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

Westchase

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting article from Sunday about a part of town I don’t get out to all that often. Westchase began developing in the early 1970s on land still grazed by cattle. Today, 25,000 people live in the district, and more than … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

The fifty-state strategy

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

My musings on the fifty-state strategy are over at Kuff’s World. Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on The fifty-state strategy

Know your Texas bloggers

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Vince Leibowitz takes you on a tour of the Texas political blogosphere in a guest post at Dallas Blog. I can just about guarantee that there are some blogs there that you haven’t heard of but will be glad you … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 1 Comment

“Lost”: Still rocking my world

Posted on May 8, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I finally watched this week’s Lost on the TiVo over the weekend. Holy smokes! Click the More link to see the spoilerrific stuff. Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 2 Comments

Candidate selection is hard work

Posted on May 7, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Harris County GOP precinct chairs within CD22 had a little meeting yesterday to get to know the potential Chosen Ones a bit better. I think this pretty much sums up the whole process: In closed-door sessions, potential nominees handed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 4 Comments

Sunday tax stuff

Posted on May 7, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron does a “who wins and who loses” story on the new business tax plan. This is of course useful information, for reasons political and not, but I’m always wary of stuff like this: Lenin Juarez and Terri King … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 3 Comments

In email veritas

Posted on May 7, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Didn’t manage to get to this yesterday, but (surprise!) email evidence has turned up that links Tom DeLay more tightly to his buddy, Jack Abramoff. Prosecutors have e-mails showing Rep. Tom DeLay’s office knew lobbyist Jack Abramoff had arranged the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 2 Comments

Bills pass amid Senate walkout

Posted on May 6, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been busy around the house today so I’m a little short on time, but there was some excitement in the State Senate yesterday around HB1. Here’s the Chron story: Tempers flared and several senators walked out in a dispute … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Sheriff Thomas appeals order

Posted on May 6, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas has appealed the order by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards to relocate 500 prisoners in order to bring Harris County’s jails into compliance on prisoner-to-guard ratios and other issues. By appealing the order, which … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

HHSC now giving retention bonuses

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

You couldn’t come up with a better illustration of the abject failure that privatization of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC) has been than this story. State welfare workers who were destined for pink slips to make way … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 4 Comments

More on the support staff shafting

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Why is there such an uproar over the Senate proposal to eliminate the $500 health insurance supplement for school support staff? Via PinkDome, here’s one reason: Everyone with health insurance is used to seeing their premiums increase every year, but … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Four years of science

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

There’s now a proposal within HB1, still under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee, to require a fourth year of science and math in Texas high schools. [I]f state lawmakers approve a proposal that’s part of the school finance package … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Things I haven’t blogged about

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Stuff that I haven’t had the time or energy to write about lately but figured I should at least mention: – The upcoming end of the Enron trials. For reasons that I still can’t adequately explain, I’ve not been terribly … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 4 Comments

“Must be able to grimace musically”

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I heard the KACC disc jockey talk about this, and I had to see it for myself: VH1 is holding an air guitar contest. You make a one-minute video of yourself jumping and flailing to one of four classic rock … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 2 Comments

This was only a test

Posted on May 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The statewide hurricane evacuation drill is going on this week, and so far we’ve learned that there’s only so much you can do to keep the highways flowing. Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, appointed as the incident commander for a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | 2 Comments

Harris County jails: Three-time loser

Posted on May 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County jails: Still in violation of state standards. For the third consecutive year, the Harris County Jail system has failed to meet state standards because of prisoner crowding, an issue expected to be discussed today by the Texas Commission … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 3 Comments

Name another fermenter!

Posted on May 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Once again, as has been done twice in the recent past, it’s time to help the Saint Arnold Brewery name that fermenter. Oh, the excitement! Yes, our two newest (and last – for a while anyway) fermenters have arrived, been … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | 1 Comment

Three against one?

Posted on May 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Bob Dunn does a little sleuthing to divine who might be in a strong position to become the Chosen One to replace Tom DeLay as the Republican nominee in CD22 by the Gang of Four precinct chair committee. Naturally, he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

KBH versus the social sciences

Posted on May 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I was sent this Inside Higher Ed article about our own Senator Hutchison chairing a meeting of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Science and Space. It’s amusing in the way that a person trying to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 2 Comments

Teachers or Textbooks?

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Phillip Martin writes a letter to State Sen. Florence Shapiro: It has come to my understanding that you recently added a provision to the committee substitute to House Bill 1 that stops the Texas Education Association from ordering new elementary … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Bike racks and the I-45 Design Workshop

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Couple of transportation-related notes to pass along here. First a note on the issue of bike racks on Metro buses. Robin Holzer has been flogging this – see here for background – and it’s a low-costidea that makes a lot … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 4 Comments

Rep. Martinez-Fischer responds to Gas Tax Cut feedback

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I sent a note to Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer regarding the feedback to this post on HB120, the proposed gas tax cut. Here’s his response to the comments that post has received. I want to thank Charles Kuffner for allowing me … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 2 Comments

Good news for Sklar in CD14 poll

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday, I received information about an encouraging poll done in CD14 by the Shane Sklar campaign. I’ve written about it and posted the memo they sent me over at Kuff’s World. Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Good news for Sklar in CD14 poll

Cutting the gas tax

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Like several other bloggers, I had the opportunity to speak to Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer about his HB120, which is a proposal to suspend collection of the state gas tax for 90 days. There’s a website up that explains the particulars … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 9 Comments

Harris on Net Neutrality

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

David Harris writes about Net Neutrality and the role that his opponent, Smokey Joe Barton, is playing in trying to kill it. Check it out. Elsewhere in the good reading department, MyDD reminds us that there’s still action to be … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Harris on Net Neutrality

Breakfast for Chad Khan, barbecue for Mark McDavid

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Chad Khan, the Democrat running for the open HD126 seat now held by Republican Peggy Hamric, is hosting a breakfast fundraiser on Saturday, May 20, at 8 AM. The location is 4503 El Salvador, which is near 1960 and Veterans’ … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Breakfast for Chad Khan, barbecue for Mark McDavid

Adopt the Astros

Posted on May 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Want to let everyone know how you feel about your favorite sports team but don’t want to start a(nother) blog? Check out Armchair GM, which is looking for fans to adopt their favorite team and be a part of that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Comments Off on Adopt the Astros

Strayhorn’s day in court

Posted on May 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn had her day in court yesterday, arguing that Secretary of State Roger Williams needs to get cracking on petition signature verification. [Attorney Buck] Wood told U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel that Strayhorn has not turned the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Strayhorn’s day in court

HB3 hits a Senate speed bump

Posted on May 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

This is what people mean when they say “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch”. HB3, Gov. Perry’s proposed business tax expansion, was derailed, at least temporarily, today when Sen. Mike Jackson, R-Pasadena, voted against the procedural two-thirds “rule” on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 2 Comments