Monthly Archives: April 2009

Oh by the way, the unemployment trust fund is going broke

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Floor Pass has the bad news. The Texas Workforce Commission released its latest projection for the unemployment insurance trust fund balance, and the news is even worse than last month’s. TWC estimates the fund’s balance will have plummeted to just … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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House panel passes its budget

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The House Appropriations Committee takes care of business. House budget writers today backed a $178.4 billion, two-year state budget that would give a $1,000 bonus to state government employees [who make less than $100,000 a year], retired teachers and retired … Continue reading →

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House panel passes its budget

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The House Appropriations Committee takes care of business. House budget writers today backed a $178.4 billion, two-year state budget that would give a $1,000 bonus to state government employees [who make less than $100,000 a year], retired teachers and retired … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Precinct data: The City Council districts revised

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, I presented data on the 2008 election results by City Council district and by city of Houston/not City of Houston. I said at the time that the measurement was a bit rough because precinct boundaries do not conform … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Precinct analysis: The City Council districts revised

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, I presented data on the 2008 election results by City Council district and by city of Houston/not City of Houston. I said at the time that the measurement was a bit rough because precinct boundaries do not conform … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

More on Day One of the House hearings on voter ID

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

House Elections Committee Chair Todd Smith is full of ennui at how things have gone so far. Throughout today’s proceedings, Chairman Todd Smith, R-Bedford, has repeatedly insisted that he is “unimpressed,” and even on one occasion, “fabulously unimpressed,” with both … Continue reading →

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More on Day One of the House hearings on voter ID

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

House Elections Committee Chair Todd Smith is full of ennui at how things have gone so far. Throughout today’s proceedings, Chairman Todd Smith, R-Bedford, has repeatedly insisted that he is “unimpressed,” and even on one occasion, “fabulously unimpressed,” with both … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | 1 Comment

Rodney Ellis

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Nice profile of State Sen. Rodney Ellis, which talks about his propensity for introducing long-shot bills, and his persistence in getting some of them passed over the course of multiple sessions. This bit summarizes it well: “Occasionally, Senator Ellis will … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Rodney Ellis

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Nice profile of State Sen. Rodney Ellis, which talks about his propensity for introducing long-shot bills, and his persistence in getting some of them passed over the course of multiple sessions. This bit summarizes it well: “Occasionally, Senator Ellis will … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of April 6

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of the start of a new baseball season, the Texas Progressive Alliance suggests you read this week’s blog roundup with a beer and a bag of peanuts. Play ball! Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of April 6

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of the start of a new baseball season, the Texas Progressive Alliance suggests you read this week’s blog roundup with a beer and a bag of peanuts. Play ball!

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Blaming the nuns

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So as we know, today is expert testimony day for the voter ID hearings in the House. It’s still going on as I type this, and is expected to last till about midnight. Vince is liveblogging, Rep. Pena has a … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Blaming the nuns

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So as we know, today is expert testimony day for the voter ID hearings in the House. It’s still going on as I type this, and is expected to last till about midnight. Vince is liveblogging, Rep. Pena has a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Comments Off on Blaming the nuns

There’s always an excuse to not do it

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, but this sounds like carping to me. Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has nearly tripled the number of investigators assigned to an expanded Office of Inspector General to handle what he described as a “tremendous” backlog of unresolved complaints … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | 1 Comment

There’s always an excuse to not do it

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, but this sounds like carping to me. Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has nearly tripled the number of investigators assigned to an expanded Office of Inspector General to handle what he described as a “tremendous” backlog of unresolved complaints … Continue reading →

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Candidate interview: Ed Gonzalez

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

And with the announcement of early voting locations and times, and the realization that early voting is three weeks away, I bring you the last of my interviews with candidates in the District H special election. Today’s subject is Ed … Continue reading →

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Voter ID begins in the House today

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Two days’ worth of hearings on the single most important issue facing Texas today. Here’s the schedule for today – unclear when it will start, probably sometime after lunch. Invited testimony only today, meaning all the usual charlatans and hoaxsters … Continue reading →

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Litt announces for At Large #1

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Former HCC Trustee Herman Litt has been a potential candidate for City Council this year for some time. Last night, in an email to Carl Whitmarsh’s list, he made his official announcement: I am announcing my decision to run for … Continue reading →

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It’s the end of the world as Louie Gohmert knows it

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose it was to be expected that the recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling that struck down the state’s law banning gay marriage would drive certain people to even greater heights of absurdity. I still confess to being taken aback … Continue reading →

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ITL and OTL

Posted on April 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t suppose it really matters what part of town Mayors and Mayor wannabees live in. What does matter is how they want to approach questions of what different parts of town want and need. Candidate and Councilman Peter Brown, … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Once more to the well

Posted on April 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I have one more batch of Genius-gathered songs, also taken from recently ripped CDs, to go with the earlier group. This one is based on Pete Townshend’s “Save It For Later”, from his awesome “Deep End Live!” CD. As presented … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for April 5

Posted on April 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Play ball! I do not have, nor do I ever intend to have, a man cave. Yet I somehow remain confident in my own masculinity. If you’re going to make a plea for sympathy, it helps to actually be a … Continue reading →

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Early voting schedule and locations for District H

Posted on April 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting for the District H special election begins three weeks from tomorrow, on Monday, April 27. The Harris County Clerk has posted the early voting schedule and locations (PDF) for this election. Briefly summarized, it is as follows: For … Continue reading →

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City scores another SOB victory

Posted on April 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

That makes two, and counting. Houston won a major victory Thursday in its efforts to stamp out sex-related businesses that operate near neighborhoods or turn a blind eye to criminal activity in their facilities. The city won a unanimous verdict … Continue reading →

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Eri Yoshida

Posted on April 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the first woman to play professional baseball in Japan. Eri Yoshida, a 17-year-old who throws a sidearm knuckleball, took the mound in the ninth inning of Kobe 9 Cruise’s 5-0 win over the Osaka Gold Villicanes in the newly-formed … Continue reading →

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Banning trans fats

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I haven’t really followed the anti-trans fat bill very closely, but if it’s worth a front page headline, it’s worth a mention here. Lawmakers in coming weeks will consider bills by Houston state Rep. Carol Alvarado and state Sen. Eliot … Continue reading →

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Two immigration stories

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Governor Perry writes a letter to the Department of Homeland Security. Perry asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano this week to take a series of steps to improve information-sharing between federal, state and local law enforcement. The Homeland Security-related issues … Continue reading →

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HISD to broadcast some meetings

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This is a good first step. Saying they want to be more transparent, Houston Independent School District trustees agreed Thursday to broadcast their once-monthly general meetings on the district’s cable access station, which runs 24 hours a day. Trustees, though, … Continue reading →

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DCCC targeting CD10

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good to hear. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will begin running radio ads next week in the districts of six Republicans, all of whom voted against the economic recovery package. One of the six targeted districts, though, sticks out from … Continue reading →

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More on the alternate strip club tax

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

After publishing about the alternate strip club tax that passed the House yesterday, HB982, I had some correspondence with the offices of Rep. Ellen Cohen and Rep. Senfronia Thompson about the revenue estimates, which I noted seemed quite divergent. Rep. … Continue reading →

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Let the gloves come off

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, there is a big election coming up this year in Houston. More than one of them, actually. And yes, some of these elections involve people who are currently elected members of city government. Which means that a certain amount … Continue reading →

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Alternate strip club fee bill passes House

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t realize there was another bill dealing with the strip club fee out there, but there is, and it passed in the House. Sexually oriented businesses, including adult video stores and nude dancing clubs, would pay a 10 percent … Continue reading →

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Danno says his vote on redistricting commission was a mistake

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. Jeff Wentworth’s SB315, which passed on second reading last week in the Senate, may not make it to third reading because Wentworth no longer has enough votes to suspend the rules and bring it back to the floor. The … Continue reading →

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RIP, Andy Hallett

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Andy Hallett, who played Lorne the singing demon on Angel, has passed away at the far too young age of 33. The actor passed away at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles after a five-year battle with heart disease, with his … Continue reading →

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