Monthly Archives: March 2008

Senate convention information

Posted on March 25, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Easter Lemming has a boatload of information about all of the State Senate district conventions in Harris County, which I recommend you review if you plan on attending yours. If you’re going to the SD6 convention, please note that there’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Recount in HD73

Posted on March 25, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

One of the closest primary elections this year, and one of the few in which a Tom Craddick ally was knocked off by a challenger, is not over yet. A recount of the nearly 30,000 votes cast earlier this month … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Recount in HD73

The Observer on the RRC runoff

Posted on March 25, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve publicly wondered about the bizarre result of the Railroad Commissioner primary election, as I still can’t think of a plausible reason Mark Thompson came away with a near-majority of the vote. To help me try to understand this a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 3 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of March 24

Posted on March 25, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Is your bracket irretrievably busted? Do you find yourself cursing schools you hadn’t heard of a week before? Well, I can’t do anything about that, but I can point you towards this week’s Texas Progressive Alliance blog roundup, which might … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The Sweet Sixteen comes to town

Posted on March 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This article about the NCAA South Regional finals coming to Reliant Stadium this week is mostly about the work involved in changing the venue from rodeo to basketball. It’s interesting enough, but what caught my eye was this: At Reliant, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 2 Comments

Last chance to vote for Noriega in the Progressive Patriots poll

Posted on March 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the last day to vote for Rick Noriega in the Progressive Patriots PAC poll. As of last report, Noriega was leading the vote, so let’s bring this one home. It just takes a minute, and it’s worth $5000 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Last chance to vote for Noriega in the Progressive Patriots poll

Primary turnout by State Rep district

Posted on March 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

After I published the report on primary voting by State Rep district for Harris County, I got a note from Diane Trautman asking me if I could do the same thing for turnout. At first I said no, as the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Comments Off on Primary turnout by State Rep district

A pause for the vehicle voucher program

Posted on March 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Ever get caught driving behind an old clunker that was spewing enough exhaust it made you cough even with all your windows rolled up? Ever wonder why something couldn’t be done about such an obvious detriment to the environment? Well, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 2 Comments

The cancer research panel

Posted on March 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this over the weekend: The passage of Prop 15 last year meant the creation of an advisory board to determine how $3 billion in funds for cancer research will be spent. That board is being put together now and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on The cancer research panel

Adickes sells his studio

Posted on March 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Swamplot brings the news: A reader who doesn’t sound too happy about the situation sends word that David Adickes has sold his artist-studio building at 2500 Summer St.: Artists who lease space there have been told they need to leave … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Adickes sells his studio

Do not mail?

Posted on March 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

We’re all familiar with the national Do Not Call registry, right? Well, now some people want there to be a similar thing for snail mail. Vermont legislator Chris Pearson had a sense that the people were with him when he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 2 Comments

The next peeing Calvin

Posted on March 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

You know those little white-on-black car window stickers that say “W The President”? They were a great achievement in iconography – elegant, eye-catching, and for awhile at least, ubiquitous – whose success is marked by the many imitations (Kinky Friedman’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Noriega to deliver Democratic radio address

Posted on March 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Rick Noriega, the Texas Democrats’ nominee to take on Sen. John Cornyn this fall, gets to deliver the party’s weekly radio address on Saturday — the rebuttal, as it were, to President Bush’s weekly address. Noriega is a state … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 1 Comment

Some border wall lawsuits dropped

Posted on March 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I hope this is a good sign. The U.S. government dismissed its border fence condemnation lawsuit against the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College on Wednesday and agreed to explore alternatives to a fence with school officials. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Now that’s a high-rise

Posted on March 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Philadelphia shows what it looks like. There is a proposal afoot to build what would be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the second-tallest building in the world when stacked against existing buildings, at 18th and Arch streets, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Our broken math curriculum

Posted on March 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing like an advisory panel report to brighten up the weekend. A presidential panel Thursday said America’s math education system is “broken” and called on schools to focus lessons to ensure children from preschool to middle school master key skills. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 1 Comment

HOPE ratifies its contract with the city

Posted on March 21, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The new contract that the city agreed on with HOPE has now been ratified by the union and will be taken up by the city next. The Houston City Council plans to consider the measure during its meeting next week. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on HOPE ratifies its contract with the city

Magidson makes his mark

Posted on March 21, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Our new DA is settling into the job. Comparing the Harris County District Attorney’s office to a ship at sea in need of a course correction, the newly sworn in DA said he will make small changes during his expected … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on Magidson makes his mark

Jonestown and the NCAA tournament

Posted on March 21, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

What a great story. In the boisterous aftermath of helping his San Diego Toreros clinch an NCAA tournament berth, Rob Jones slapped one of his prominent tattoos, the one with the cross and the name Jones, and pointed to his … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 1 Comment

More on the Supreme Slacker Court

Posted on March 21, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Back in January, there was an article about how the State Supreme Court was extremely backlogged, and how that has gotten worse in recent years. How bad is it? Take a look at this report from Texas Watch (PDF) and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Archstone Memorial Heights gets ready for the wrecker

Posted on March 21, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The On the Spot Blog gives the second and third entries in its three-part series of what’s going on with the Archstone Memorial Heights apartments that are scheduled to meet their doom shortly, to be replaced by something swankier. (Part … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Archstone Memorial Heights gets ready for the wrecker

GOP files complaint against Rep. Vo over fundraiser

Posted on March 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This feels like a reach to me, but I suppose you never know. The Republican Party of Texas is calling for an investigation into a December fundraiser for Rep. Hubert Vo hosted by a supporter who may be more used … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 3 Comments

Let’s review those deals

Posted on March 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Earlier this week, Commissioners Court voted to review all the real estate deals they made with a couple of guys who are now caught up in a federal bribery investigation. The Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to review all of Harris … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 1 Comment

What’s another hundred grand?

Posted on March 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Ka-ching! The lawyer who asked a federal judge to pay his legal team $4.4 million this week for representing two brothers in a civil rights case settled this month wants $132,000 more for past and potential legal work on the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 3 Comments

Injunction sought to stop wind farm construction

Posted on March 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Another skirmish in the battle over wind farms on the Kenedy Ranch. The legal battle over two large and controversial wind energy projects on the South Texas coast escalated Tuesday when the Coastal Habitat Alliance asked a federal judge in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 1 Comment

Craddick’s lawyer changes story regarding PAC donations

Posted on March 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. A lawyer for Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick reversed himself Tuesday, saying the Midland Republican specified that he wanted his $250,000 donation to a political committee to go to several House Democrats who supported him. When Travis County prosecutors … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

Get better, OJ!

Posted on March 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

No, not that OJ. This is about former Rice linebacker OJ Brigance, who had an outstanding career in the Canadian Football League before coming to the NFL and winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, and who was recently … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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El Paso puts up a roadblock to the border fence

Posted on March 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The city of El Paso joins the resistance to the border fence. The country’s largest border city has decided to block efforts by federal authorities to use an access road that cuts across city property to work on existing border … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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A long way up, a short way down

Posted on March 19, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

You know what I think is the most amazing thing about the Rockets’ just-stopped 22-game winning streak? After all that, and after they moved up to the number one seed in the West, they’re still only six games ahead of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Comments Off on A long way up, a short way down

Kelly to county: Payment time

Posted on March 19, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Woof! Lloyd Kelley, the Houston lawyer who won a $1.7 million civil rights settlement for two brothers who took photos of a 2002 drug raid, has asked a federal judge for $4.4 million in attorney’s fees. Harris County leaders voted … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 5 Comments

You have the right to an attorney, just not right now

Posted on March 19, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Grits reminds me about this wire story from a couple of days ago regarding a case now before the Supreme Court about when the right to an attorney first applies. Three weeks after Walter Rothgery arrived from Arizona to manage … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

A look at the GOP County Judge race

Posted on March 19, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Dr. Murray takes a look at the GOP primary results in Harris County, beginning with County Judge Ed Emmett’s successful defense against Charles Bacarisse. The first point to note is that while the 170,000 voter turnout in Harris County’s Republican … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 4 Comments

Minimum lot size ordinance upheld

Posted on March 19, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This totally flew under the radar last week – I only heard about the Planning Commission’s vote the day it happened when this story appeared in the This Week section of the Chron – but the decision to deny a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Minimum lot size ordinance upheld

Another SOB setback

Posted on March 18, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

The last appeal (in federal court, anyway) by the local sexually oriented businesses over the city’s ability to enforce the 1997 anti-SOB ordinance has come to an end for the clubs. The city’s long fight to regulate sexually oriented businesses … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | 1 Comment