Monthly Archives: September 2006

Interview with Rep. Hubert Vo

Posted on September 7, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I’m in high gear with the State House interviews these days. Next up is another incumbent, State Rep. Hubert Vo, who won one of the more memorable and hotly contested elections in recent memory in 2004, knocking off longtime representative … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Interview with Rep. Hubert Vo

Red light revenue

Posted on September 7, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Now that the red light cameras are operational, how much revenue will they generate for the city? Probably more than was budgeted for. Police estimate about a quarter of violators who are issued tickets will pay the $75 civil fine. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 3 Comments

“Hey, kids! Don’t be like me!”

Posted on September 7, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I have to ask: Do you think those geniuses at the Secretary of State’s office knew about this beforehand, or do you think they found out about it at the same time as the press did? University of Texas baseball … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 1 Comment

Just how much is going to be spent in CD22?

Posted on September 7, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

This fairly routine AP story about the CD22 race has a quote in it that’s bothering me. National Democratic and Republican party officials refused to say how much money they might spend. One Democrat who spoke on condition of anonymity … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

Dancing with the ex-Congressmen

Posted on September 7, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

You know how Dave Barry used to emphasize that the following silly thing he was writing about was something he was not making up? My dear reader, I assure you, I am not making this up. I’ve got a copy … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 3 Comments

Early voting locations questioned

Posted on September 7, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Stace is already on this, but I’d like to echo the following press release from Dot Nelson-Turnier, the Democratic candidate in HD150. Early voting locations determined by the Harris County Elections’ Administrator, Beverly Kaufman and the Harris County Commissioners should … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Time again for the TexRoots

Posted on September 6, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

To quote BOR, “First there was the grassroots. Then there was the netroots. Now we have the TexRoots- Texas activists who have taken to the streets as well as the Internet in support of Democratic candidates that deserve your support.” … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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All in the family

Posted on September 6, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Justice Department is investigating Christine DeLay as part of the Abramoff investigation. In the last few weeks, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have interviewed several people at the Alexander Strategy Group lobbying firm to determine if Christine DeLay was … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 3 Comments

Fort Bend Democrats’ TV ad

Posted on September 6, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The video above is an ad produced on behalf of the Fort Bend County Democrats. Richard Morrison tells about it here and here. if you like this and want to see it on the air in Fort Bend, you can … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 8 Comments

Bell endorsed by League of Conservation Voters

Posted on September 6, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I kept meaning to get to this last week, and I kept missing: Chris Bell got a nice endorsement from the Texas League of Conservation Voters. “Chris Bell has demonstrated a real commitment to fixing our air quality problems, making … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Bell endorsed by League of Conservation Voters

Polling in CD22?

Posted on September 6, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Towards the end of this Fort Bend Now story on the weekend campaign activities in Fort Bend, we get this tantalizing tidbit from Shelley Sekula-Gibbs: Sekula-Gibbs said she will reveal “very good polling numbers” next week in comparison with Lampson. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

More on the Southeast Corridor rail route

Posted on September 6, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Catching up from the weekend, this story is a longer version of a ThisWeek piece I blogged about before. It notes that despite an argument over where the Southeast Corridor rail line should go, there’s been relatively little rancor during … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

Interview with Kristi Thibaut

Posted on September 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing with my interview tour of the State House, today I bring you a talk with Kristi Thibaut, who is running for the open seat in HD133. This is considered a prime pickup opportunity for the Democrats, along with HD134 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Interview with Kristi Thibaut

Harris reponds to Star Telegram story

Posted on September 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

David Harris has a response on Texas Kaos to the earlier story about charges levelled against him by Jennifer Vaughan. On March 1, 2006, I received an email on my personal account from the soldier quoted in your story. She … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Comments Off on Harris reponds to Star Telegram story

King in 2009?

Posted on September 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

You know how I’ve said that I’m not wasting too much brainpower on any potential 2008 election matchup because I want to get through this season first? That goes double for any stories about 2009 elections. Meet Bill King. If … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged | 2 Comments

Martha Wong versus the “soccer moms”

Posted on September 5, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall that the Texas Parent PAC gave its first endorsement of the general election season to Ellen Cohen. You may not be aware of how the Wong campaign reacted to this news. Founder Carolyn Boyle of Austin said … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 1 Comment

The Top 100 Best Worst Movies

Posted on September 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

This could be one of the best, or at least one of the best worst, series of blog posts for 2006. As Dave Barry didn’t quite say, movie badness is an issue Americans care deeply about. Pete Von Der Haar, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 3 Comments

Fun times in Fort Bend

Posted on September 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Olivia and I made the trek out to Sugar Land last night, where we joined about 200 or so good Democrats at the Sugar Land Community Center (in the shadow of the Imperial Sugar building) for a night of barbecue … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 1 Comment

RIP, Steve Irwin

Posted on September 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Steve Irwin, the famed Crocodile Hunter, died with his boots on over the weekend. Irwin died doing what he loved best, getting too close to one of the dangerous animals he dedicated his life to protecting with an irrepressible, effervescent … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Around the world | 2 Comments

RIP, Breens Braeswood Florist shop

Posted on September 4, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

I happened to drive by the site of the Breens Braeswood Florist shop on Holcombe at Greenbriar on Tuesday morning, the day after it was torn down, so the picture in this West U Examiner blurb was quite familiar to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Senate Education Committee hearing on vouchers scheduled for Houston

Posted on September 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Sherrie Matula sent me the following from a Texas Freedom Network email. The Senate Committee on Education will be holding a hearing in Houston on September 6 (PDF agenda here) at the University of Houston Hilton. The topic is “school … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 2 Comments

A year ago this weekend

Posted on September 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

The Huffington Post prints excerpts from interviews done with people involved with the evacuation of Hurricane Katrina victims to the George R. Brown convention center in Houston. The first subject is Lt. Col. and State Rep. Rick Noriega, who was … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Comments Off on A year ago this weekend

North rail, southeast rail

Posted on September 3, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Now that Metro has selected Fulton Street for its North Corridor route, the merchants along that street are acclimating to the idea of construction in their future. After learning Metro had chosen the Fulton street alignment for the Metro Solutions … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on North rail, southeast rail

News coverage of the Very Special Election

Posted on September 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

You already know the big news from the Very Special Election filing deadline, so I won’t recapitulate that here. I’ll just note the following from the Chron story. Sekula-Gibbs jabbed Lampson for skipping the race. “It’s surprising a person clamoring … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 2 Comments

City to sue to recover improper bonuses

Posted on September 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise here. Making good on a months-old threat, city lawyers went to court today seeking restitution from four employees fired after allegations that they took $143,000 in improper bonuses while working in the Office of Mayor Pro Tem. The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 1 Comment

Food in the Heights

Posted on September 2, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a little non-political story for you: My neck of the woods is becoming a hot place to eat. [A]bout three years ago, the pace of development in the Heights and on Washington Avenue picked up. Affluent buyers snapped up … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | 1 Comment

Smither and Stockman

Posted on September 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Well, I was wrong in my interpretation of the Libertarian Party press release, for as Chris Elam reports (and I’ve heard this independently, too), Bob Smither has filed for the CD22 special election. He joins Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, Don Richardson, a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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John Carter, meet Clayton Williams

Posted on September 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Comparisons like this are never good. Democrat Mary Beth Harrell would seem to face an uphill battle to unseat Republican John Carter in the conservative Congressional District 31, which stretches from Williamson Co. north to Erath Co., but one has … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Hochberg proposes plan to cut college textbook costs

Posted on September 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s something that ought to make my college-age colleagues happy: a plan by State Rep. Scott Hochberg to help keep the cost of textbooks down. I’ve printed the full press release beneath the fold, but I’ll quote the main piece … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 3 Comments

David Harris under investigation

Posted on September 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

It pains me to report that David Harris is in some serious trouble with the military. Harris, an Iraqi war veteran challenging 11-term Republican Rep. Joe Barton of Arlington, is accused of “conduct unbecoming an officer” for maintaining a “close … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

Weingarten speaks

Posted on September 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Well, I asked for Weingarten to think about ways to deal with the River Oaks and Alabama properties that don’t involve a wrecking ball, so I’m glad to see that they are doing so, if only in a preliminary manner. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 3 Comments

Pro-River Oaks Theater demonstration

Posted on September 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I drafted this last night – after the little power glitch in my neighborhood – and woke up this morning to see a new story that obviates some of what I’ve written here. That will be in my next … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Pro-River Oaks Theater demonstration

Chad Khan on KPFT

Posted on September 1, 2006 by Charles Kuffner

Chad Khan was on the air at KPFT the other day, talking about his campaign and the new business tax, which affects him directly. I’ve got an MP3 of his interview here if you didn’t get a chance to hear … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | Comments Off on Chad Khan on KPFT