Monthly Archives: April 2008

Harrisburg rail resolution progressing

Posted on April 25, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

A few weeks back, Metro ran into a roadblock with its East End light rail lines, in that it was denied permission by Union Pacific to cross freight rail tracks at grade on Harrisburg, thus cutting it off from its … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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When all else fails, create a task force

Posted on April 25, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

It’s that time of the year, isn’t it? House Speaker tom Craddick today announced the Select Committee on Property Tax Relief and Appraisal Reform, headed by the inimitable Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton. Otto’s been around long enough to know that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 2 Comments

At the TV studio

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I’m at the KUHT studio for Houston Have Your Say along with Ree-C Murphy and Mizanur Rahman from the Chron. We will not actually be on camera – we’re off on the side at the “bloggers table”, which suits us … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | 1 Comment

So much for the “virtual fence”

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Why am I not surprised by this? In a sign of the challenges facing the federal government’s ambitious effort to police the country’s border with Mexico, the Department of Homeland Security has ordered adjustments to a “virtual fence” project near … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

No creationism degree

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This is good news. Saying that a belief in creationism — the theory that God created the Earth in six literal days, as recounted in the Bible — falls outside the realm of science, the state’s commissioner for higher education … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 2 Comments

Attitudes on immigration worsen

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Six months ago, the Houston Area Survey noted more negativity in local attitudes towards immigrants. That negativity is more pronounced now. The survey found 63 percent agreed that new immigration should be limited, up from 48 percent in 2004. Meanwhile, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 5 Comments

The Lege and immigration

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t say you weren’t warned about this. Conservative Texas legislators made it clear Monday that they’ll again push for strict state laws to crack down on illegal immigration when lawmakers convene in January. A chief area they’re likely to concentrate … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Tommy John surgery

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This does not strike me as being a good thing. While rates on UCL surgery are not tracked nationally, some of the area’s and country’s top surgeons said they’ve seen a significant increase in the number of high-school-aged players having … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment

Get ready to get Lost again

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, my favorite show is back on the schedule for five more glorious weeks. For those of you who like me need a little something to hold them off till then, here’s an interview with the producers which among other … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Comments Off on Get ready to get Lost again

You’d think quiet in school would be a good thing

Posted on April 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Would someone please explain to me what’s wrong with a silent protest? In Clear Creek, staff members have been fielding calls and e-mails from parents concerned about students taking a silent vow in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 2 Comments

Ibarras must settle for their settlement

Posted on April 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, the Ibarra brothers sought a hearing to withdraw their settlement agreement with Harris County and take their case to trial, on the grounds that the county violated that agreement by paying the legal fees for two attorneys who … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on Ibarras must settle for their settlement

Still looking for a few volunteers

Posted on April 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

In her report of the first week of business for Green Market, Tiffany wrote: The biggest challenge for Central City going forward will be extending our volunteer base to cover the new market. One of the reasons we can bring … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Still looking for a few volunteers

More me on your TV

Posted on April 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, my initial foray on KUHT wasn’t enough to scare them off, so I’ll be back on Channel 8 this Thursday at 7 PM as part of a live broadcast called Houston Have Your Say: The first show will take … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Comments Off on More me on your TV

BOR turns five

Posted on April 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Those of you in or near Austin, who therefore won’t be able to see me on the teevee that night, here’s something you can do with your evening: Help BOR celebrate its fifth birthday: April 24th Progressive hang out Scholz … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 1 Comment

Twelve-month re-ups the hard way

Posted on April 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Last year, the Lege passed HB109, which restored some of the families that had been cut from CHIP back to the program. Despite some fierce resistance from various Republicans, it reinstated a 12-month period for enrollment; the 6-month period that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Twelve-month re-ups the hard way

Strip clubs speak about the fee

Posted on April 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I received the following press release concerning the letter sent by the Comptroller to Texas strip clubs that they had to pay the $5-per-person fee despite the injunction that was entered against it. The Texas Entertainment Association (TEA) announced this … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

When reality needs a little help

Posted on April 23, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Discovery’s show Deadliest Catch is Tiffany’s favorite thing on TV, so I hope she doesn’t take this news too hard. Tuesday’s fourth-season premiere of Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” opens during a raging nighttime storm in the Bering Sea. Mammoth waves … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | 1 Comment

SafeClear wins in court

Posted on April 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t think I realized that the matter was still being litigated. In a summary judgment issued last week, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes called Safe Clear “a rational safety program” that does not over-regulate the towing business, or restrict … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on SafeClear wins in court

More on Metro costs revisited

Posted on April 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Tory has responded to my previous post on the costs of light rail and LRT versus BRT. I appreciate the discussion, and want to add a few extra points to the mix. – I’m not claiming that transit, rail or … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

The polygamist PR campaign

Posted on April 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

I have not been following the story of the raid on the FLDS compound very closely – read Grits if you don’t already for some excellent coverage on the topic. I did read this story about their ad hoc PR … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 4 Comments

Waiting for KBH: The next generation

Posted on April 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

And so the mind games begin anew. Evan Smith receives an email from a “Republican insider well-entrenched at the Capitol but not particularly close to Rick Perry” who insists Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will not run for Governor in 2010; … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of April 21

Posted on April 22, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Is your fondest hope for this year’s NBA playoffs that you don’t have to face the prospect of a Celtics-Lakers final again? I can’t really help you there, but I can point out that this week’s Texas Progressive Alliance roundup … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Green Market: The first week!!!

Posted on April 21, 2008 by admin

So I promised I’d be back to give updates on our efforts at Green Market, the Central City Co-op project at Discovery Green. We had our first market day on Thursday the 17th. I am just recovered enough to sit … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 1 Comment

A Noriega update

Posted on April 21, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Garnder Selby considers the state of the Senate race in Texas. Jennifer Duffy, senior editor of The Cook Political Report, says: “Given how poor the national political climate is for Republicans, it’s hard to completely write off any Democrat.” Still, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

A cozy little family in juvenile court

Posted on April 21, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This article about how the same attorneys rack up most of the court appointments and accompanying fees for defending indigent clients in juvenile court is fascinating. Nearly half of all juvenile delinquency appointments have gone to about two dozen of … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 2 Comments

The state prison guard shortage

Posted on April 21, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. The Texas prison system is short more than 4,300 guards, with 17 percent of its full-time security positions unfilled. Nearly one in five of the state’s 106 prisons operates with fewer than … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on The state prison guard shortage

The New Joys of Jell-O

Posted on April 21, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This may be the most frightening thing I’ve seen in awhile, and I consider myself a connoisseur of cheesy 70s culture, not to mention an acquired respect for the concept of Jell-O salads. I’ll never look at gazpacho in quite … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Comments Off on The New Joys of Jell-O

Technology Growth: Are We Preparing Today’s Students?

Posted on April 20, 2008 by admin

There is a fascinating op-ed in today’s Chron. It’s about the exponential growth of technology and how that will impact future energy options (the example given is solar which is very encouraging), medicine, life expectancy and prosperity. The life expectancy … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on Technology Growth: Are We Preparing Today’s Students?

Maybe the z-word isn’t so dirty after all

Posted on April 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

You can always count on the Houston Area Survey for some provocative data. Most Harris County residents would support zoning or other land-use planning tools to guide growth, protect neighborhoods and curb suburban sprawl, the 2008 Houston Area Survey shows. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

More K-Mart suits dismissed

Posted on April 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

This story needs a wee bit more detail. Several civil rights lawsuits from a 2002 botched street racing raid were dismissed Friday in Houston federal court. The resolution comes days after the more than 100 plaintiffs in the remaining 10 … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in K-Mart Kiddie Roundup | 2 Comments

More on the Ibarras’ request to withdraw settlement agreement

Posted on April 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

When the news broke about the Ibarra brothers wanting to cancel the settlement agreement in their lawsuit against the Sheriff’s office, I wondered if it was because the county was paying for the appeal two lawyers who had been barred … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Comments Off on More on the Ibarras’ request to withdraw settlement agreement

Your moment of Zen for the weekend

Posted on April 20, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Why Sesame Street was so much better in the 70s than it is now, in one three-minute video clip: For those of you who were born after, oh, 1980 or so, that strange-looking black object the aliens are trying to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | Comments Off on Your moment of Zen for the weekend

Strip clubs must still pay fees

Posted on April 19, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

Despite winning an injunction against HB1751, which assessed a $5-per-customer fee on strip clubs to pay for a sexual assault fund and other things, the fee must still be paid while the matter is still being litigated. The state comptroller … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Comments Off on Strip clubs must still pay fees

That’s a lot of carbon

Posted on April 19, 2008 by Charles Kuffner

As SciGuy put it, we’re number one in carbon emissions here in Harris County. The first-ever analysis of county-by-county carbon dioxide emissions in the United States found that Harris County, which emits 18.6 million tons of CO2 per year, narrowly … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 2 Comments