Monthly Archives: June 2007

Keeping an eye on the River Oaks Shopping Center

Posted on June 15, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Miya Shay has been doing a nice job keeping track of what’s going on with the River Oaks Shopping Center and the imminent demolition of its north half. She speculated about the effect of the recently-approved tax abatements for historic … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

Meet the new SOS

Posted on June 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

We have a new Secretary of State on the way to replace the outgoing one, Roger Williams. Republican Gov. Rick Perry is expected to promote a top aide to succeed Roger Williams as Texas secretary of state. Phil Wilson, Perry’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Comments Off on Meet the new SOS

The final HPD lab report

Posted on June 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The final report on the problems with the HPD Crime Lab and what needs to be done about it has been released. Independent investigator Michael Bromwich outlined a series of steps he said officials should take to determine what role … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on The final HPD lab report

The 2007 Best and Worst Legislators

Posted on June 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the link, for the usual Limited Time Only, and here are the lists: THE BEST Rafael Anchia, Democrat, Dallas Sen. John Carona, Republican, Dallas Byron Cook, Republican, Corsicana Sen. Bob Deuell, Republican, Mesquite Scott Hochberg, Democrat, Houston Lois Kolkhorst, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 2 Comments

Meeting on H-GAC transportation plan tonight

Posted on June 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Previously, I noted that the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) will be hosting some public meetings in June regarding the $92 billion in sponsored transportation and related clean air planning and projects identified in its draft 2035 Regional Transportation Plan. The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on Meeting on H-GAC transportation plan tonight

Accenture may be gone, but privatization lingers

Posted on June 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the state of Texas terminated its contract with Accenture to operate call centers to determine benefits eligibility back in December. While the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is trying to bring back former employees to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

More on Roger Williams

Posted on June 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The Observer blog has a great rundown on our soon-to-be-former Secretary of State, Roger Williams, and his future political ambitions. Maybe the leap from public steward to Republican candidate isn’t surprising, since Williams never missed an opportunity to use his … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 2 Comments

How much would you pay for all that Comcasticness?

Posted on June 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I see that Comcast is set to roll out a bunch of new channels when it assimilates Time-Warner next week. I’m not particularly interested in any of them, but I am interested in this: Comcast will introduce a new tiering … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 1 Comment

Perry signs cancer research bill

Posted on June 14, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever else you may think of this just-expired session, this will count as a win for Governor Perry. Texas will create a cancer research institute under a bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Rick Perry, who now needs voters to approve … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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From the “Why Every Vote Counts” Department

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Some runoffs are stranger than others. Travis Quinn, the incumbent for Clute’s Ward D, and challenger Michael Binnion are hoping that more than two dozen voters cast ballots in the runoff Saturday. Theirs is one of many Houston-area elections Saturday. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | 3 Comments

On the new red light camera (not quite yet) law

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I might have waited till Governor Perry actually signed SB1119 before I ran this article about what its passage will mean, since after all nobody really knows when Perry will break out his mighty veto pen, but given that it’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on On the new red light camera (not quite yet) law

A moment of Audrey

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Well, I’m not running this picture, so I figure I ought to run a picture. And here it is: Audrey is sitting in a Bumbo, and as you can see she is holding herself fully upright. She is now four … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in See, I do have a life! | 4 Comments

Innocence matters

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Via Grits, here’s a Q&A with Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Barbara Hervey that touches on some hot button issues. Q. If you could improve on one area of law education, what would it be? A. We are working … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on Innocence matters

Kotkin v. Falkenberg

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I mentioned before the talk Joel Kotkin gave to the Greater Houston Partnership recently, and wondered when we’d hear more about it from Tory Gattis. That answer came in Sunday’s op-ed pages, where Tory wrote one of the longer submitted … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Kotkin v. Falkenberg

Mammoth extinction: Not our fault

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m relieved to hear this. Paleontologists long have assumed that massive hunting by humans led to the extinction of the woolly mammoths about 12,000 years ago. New genetic analysis indicates, however, that inbreeding … Continue reading →

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Offshore wind farms are a no go

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

That’s too bad. Plans to build what would have been the nation’s largest offshore wind farm in South Texas have been called off because the multibillion-dollar project didn’t make economic sense, the developer said Monday. John Calaway, chief development officer … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 2 Comments

Susan Criss for Supreme Court

Posted on June 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Via Texas Lawyer and BOR comes the formal announcement of Galveston Judge Susan Criss‘ candidacy for the State Supreme Court. I knew this was coming – I signed her petition a couple of weeks ago, at the Fort Bend Demcrats’ … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

Still spoiling

Posted on June 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Well, at least it wasn’t a front page headline, but the headline to this story one page one of the Chron’s lifestyle section was yet another Sopranos spoiler. Maybe there’s no one left who hasn’t seen either the episode or … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on Still spoiling

How many more signs of the Apocalypse do we need?

Posted on June 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Who said this? “When Paris Hilton was going to jail last week, more people knew about that than knew that we were sending people into space that day. It has replaced what is real news. There was always a place … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on How many more signs of the Apocalypse do we need?

Early voting: Last chance

Posted on June 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the last day you’ll see this picture: Well, okay, that’s not fully true. I’ll run it again on Saturday to remind those of you who haven’t voted early to vote on Runoff Day. And assuming no catastrophes strike, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | 2 Comments

Happy Loving Day

Posted on June 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

It was forty years ago today that the laws against interracial marriage were thrown out by the US Supreme Court in its landmark Loving v. Virginia decision. While the rest of the Jim Crow South struggled to divide the races … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Comments Off on Happy Loving Day

The Hermann Park Train

Posted on June 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

This is cool. Under a proposal from the Hermann Park Conservancy and the Houston City Council’s quality-of-life committee, the little train could be getting a $4 million upgrade, with new tracks and trains, a new train station and three new … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on The Hermann Park Train

Roger Williams steps down as SOS

Posted on June 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Secretary of State Roger Williams is resigning his position as of July 1. The car dealer from North Texas who gained notice as a Republican fundraiser was appointed to the mostly ceremonial office by Gov. Rick Perry in 2004. Although … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Sklar will not run again in 2008

Posted on June 12, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Shane Sklar, who ran a strong race against Presidential wannabe Ron Paul in CD14 last year, has announced he will not run again next year, but will in the future. Here’s his press release: Hoping that another Democrat will step … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

MLB celebrates the Army’s birthday

Posted on June 11, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

From my Inbox: The U.S. Army celebrates its 232nd birthday in the coming week (June 14) with commemorative activities at 20 sporting events across the country. Minute Maid Park will house the birthday festivities in Houston as the Astros play … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Pension still pending

Posted on June 11, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Still waiting on a pension deal to be finalized. The city’s current funding arrangement with the Houston Municipal Employees Pension Fund, which must approve any benefit changes, expires July 1. Without a new agreement, the city could be forced to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on Pension still pending

So much for staying spoiler-free

Posted on June 11, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, if you decided to TiVo the Sopranos finale and watch something else last night, I hope you didn’t look at the front page, above the fold headline in today’s Chron before you queued it up. Because if you did, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 1 Comment

Early voting: I’ll let John handle it

Posted on June 11, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

For this penultimate edition of Early Voting for the runoff, I’m just going to say “What John said.” Go see for yourself. Which just leaves this: Early voting ends tomorrow. Today and tomorrow you can vote from 7 AM to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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What was finally done about the TYC?

Posted on June 11, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

After all was said and done about the Texas Youth Commission, more was said than was done. Scott Henson takes a look at the main legislative action on the TYC (SB103) as well as some changes to the Administrative Code, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on What was finally done about the TYC?

Causation, correlation, and car burglaries

Posted on June 11, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Three things about this Chron story regarding car break-ins and enhanced sentencing for repeat offenders. One is that old chestnut about causation and correlation. After Texas lawmakers downgraded car burglary to a misdemeanor more than a decade ago, vehicle break-ins … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

The Lottery: Still not a game for the rich

Posted on June 11, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is that rich folks do seem to be buying those new fifty-dollar scratch-off Lottery tickets, as the Texas Lottery Commission thought they would. The bad news is that they’re not buying any of the other pricey scratch-off … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Jackpot! | Comments Off on The Lottery: Still not a game for the rich

Wi-tricity?

Posted on June 10, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Wireless phones. Wireless networking. Wireless electricity. Had to happen sooner or later, right? Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers announced last week they had made a 60-watt light bulb glow by sending it energy wirelessly, potentially previewing a future in which … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 2 Comments

Early voting: A quick look at San Antonio

Posted on June 10, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve spent the past week flogging the runoff race here in Houston, but there are runoffs going on in other Texas cities as well. One of the more hotly contested races is for the District 8 City Council seat in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | Comments Off on Early voting: A quick look at San Antonio

San Antonio gets on the municipal WiFi bandwagon

Posted on June 10, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Sweet. The City Council unanimously approved a test project Thursday that lets AT&T Inc., the nation’s biggest phone company, set up a municipal wireless network that will serve much of downtown, including city offices and a stretch of the River … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on San Antonio gets on the municipal WiFi bandwagon