Monthly Archives: October 2009

Weekend link dump for October 11

Posted on October 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Windows 7 for the economic recovery. Apparently, it’s not possible for some people to be so egregiously wrong about something that they get disqualified from being consulted as experts about the thing they were so egregiously wrong about. Case in … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: The Chron goes Green

Posted on October 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In their first endorsement for an elected office on the ballot this November, the Chronicle endorsed Council Member Ronald Green for Controller. A practicing attorney with a master’s in business administration from the University of Houston, Green chaired the Council … Continue reading →

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Koozie!

Posted on October 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Well, the Pam Holm campaign may not have received the Chron’s endorsement, but they did make my weekend by delivering this fine piece of campaign swag to me: As you can see, it’s primed and ready to go for today’s … Continue reading →

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Perry fills out rest of Forensic Science commission

Posted on October 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Sam Bassett, the now-former Chair of the Texas Forensic Science Commission whom Rick Perry abruptly replaced with Williamson County DA John Bradley, wasn’t the only member of the Commission that got the ax, but his was the only slot that … Continue reading →

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Kay’s dominoes

Posted on October 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Jason Embry notes that if Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison waits until January to officially resign, there could be a profound effect on the Republican ballot. If she announces a resignation date during the filing period (Dec. 3 – Jan. 4), … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed to force TCEQ to regulate greenhouse gases

Posted on October 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, if you want the TCEQ to do its job, you need to file a lawsuit against them to make them do it. Which is what Public Citizen did on Tuesday, with a request to stop the permitting of coal-fired … Continue reading →

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Someone must be doing it, part deux

Posted on October 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t get it. I just don’t get it. Pharmaceutical spam can generate more than $4,000 per day in sales, confirming that spam continues to thrive because of those gullible few who click through and ruin it for the rest … Continue reading →

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Ethics complaint filed against Bradford

Posted on October 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve received word via email that an ethics complaint has been filed against At Large #4 candidate C.O. Bradford, alleging violations in his October campaign finance report. The sender included a PDF of the complaint, but I’m not posting it … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Happy Diwali!

Posted on October 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We’re going to a Diwali celebration this evening. What is Diwali? you ask. Well, you can read the Wikipedia entry, or you can watch this short animated origin story: Happy Diwali, y’all.

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Whitmire pushes Bradley

Posted on October 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Sen. John Whitmire, who has previously indicated that he will hold a hearing to inquire about the current status of the Texas Forensic Science Commission, has reiterated that intent for the near future. “I’m concerned about the process,” said … Continue reading →

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Three cheers for Montrose

Posted on October 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Always nice to get recognition. Montrose, the central Houston community known for its diverse lifestyles, vibrant street life and stately historic homes, is being honored by the American Planning Association today as one of the country’s 10 great neighborhoods. Houston’s … Continue reading →

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Where conservative governance gets incubated

Posted on October 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This story about area school board elections is both a revealing look at the state of the modern conservative philosophy of how to govern, as well as a stark reminder of why these obscure little elections really do matter. In … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Going, going, gone

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I feel like going somewhere this Friday. How about you? 1. Goin’ Cali – Bruce Springsteen 2. Goin’ Up – Great Big Sea 3. Going Down To The River – Saffire-The Uppity Blues Woman 4. Going For The One – … Continue reading →

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County Clerk Kaufman to retire

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman will not run for another term in 2010. Kaufman, a Republican in her fourth four-year term, said in a news release that she informed County Judge Ed Emmett and county commissioners this morning of her … Continue reading →

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Grand Parkway will not get stimulus funds

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As the Chron story headline says, it wasn’t so shovel-ready after all. Harris County officials will request that $181 million in federal stimulus funding for portions of the county’s controversial Grand Parkway tollroad project be shifted to other projects, citing … Continue reading →

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34 > 20, and other campaign finance news

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve added two more candidate reports to my campaign finance report spreadsheet, Robert Kane and KA Khan, both in District F. Each of them had filed paper reports instead of electronic reports. You can see a list of such reports … Continue reading →

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Change in course on 287 (g)

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron notes a change in course on how the city wants to deal with undocumented immigrants. Mayor Bill White is distancing himself from a controversial federal program that trains local law enforcement to identify suspected illegal immigrants, saying this … Continue reading →

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One more for the arson-that-wasn’t files

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Alfredo Guardiola, currently serving a 40-year sentence for arson-related murders that were almost certainly deaths that resulted from an accidental fire. His case has another chestnut in it, the coerced confession. It’s story number three in a series by … Continue reading →

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So what do you think will happen?

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Dr. Murray offers some thoughts on turnout in the November election. Public interest may finally be picking up a bit, but I still think turnout will lag well behind 2003, when 304,907 ballots were cast in the city. Two reasons … Continue reading →

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KTRK Mayoral forum

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Anyone catch the KTRK Mayoral forum? The four major candidates vying to be Houston’s next mayor took some of the first steps toward engaging each other directly in a live televised debate on KTRK Wednesday evening. With just four weeks … Continue reading →

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Spending on voter outreach: The Controller candidates

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We know that this has been, relatively speaking, a low-dollar, low-profile election. I’ve been curious as to what the candidates’ strategies for doing voter outreach have been. We’ll probably know more when we see the eight-days-out reports, but for now, … Continue reading →

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The HISD Trustee candidates speak

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

These are short videos – I think Art Rascon’s intros of the candidates take as much time as they get to speak for themselves – but if you’ve not met the HISD Trustee candidates or listened to any of my … Continue reading →

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Some criminal justice quick hits

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Some short commentary on a few articles that have appeared lately and were worth mentioning. Murray Newman disputes the need for a public defender’s office in Harris County. I’m perfectly willing to accept the idea that there’s a better way … Continue reading →

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Don’t let politics get in the way of commuter rail

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

For once, we have a broad consensus about the need to build rail lines. Let’s please not let turf war pissing matches be an even bigger obstacle to getting them built than old-fashioned opposition ever was. Three agencies are actively … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of October 5

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Political Alliance hopes that everyone reading this today has ensured they are registered to vote in the November election, as the deadline for doing so was yesterday. Whether you have or you haven’t, you can still click on … Continue reading →

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Bradley dithers on Forensic Commission

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This is an incredibly frustrating article about John Bradley, the handpicked new chair of the Texas Forensic Science Commission. Bradley told The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday that he doesn’t know when the board will take up its investigations again. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Council Member Pam Holm

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Wrapping up my interviews with candidates for Houston City Controller is Council Member Pam Holm, the incumbent in District G. Holm is a native Houstonian and a longtime citizen activist who serves fulltime as Council Member. She is Chair of … Continue reading →

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Feds to Texas: Fix food stamps!

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another (bad) way in which our state has distinguished itself. Federal officials say Texas should appoint a food stamp czar to take charge of fixing the application backlogs and high error rates plaguing the program. “All states are feeling … Continue reading →

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From the “I hate you! Now give me some money!” files

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Republicans think the stimulus package was bad public policy and an ineffective waste of money, except for the money that comes to their districts, in which case it’s all good. Texas’ top lawmakers in Congress want President Barack Obama to … Continue reading →

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Upgrading Market Square

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Market Square, the historic but largely overlooked park on the north end of downtown, is set to get a facelift. With the opening of Discovery Green and the Houston Pavilions, the south part of downtown Houston has been the center … Continue reading →

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E. Coli conservatism

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

If you haven’t read this Times story yet, you really need to. Stephanie Smith, a children’s dance instructor, thought she had a stomach virus. The aches and cramping were tolerable that first day, and she finished her classes. Then her … Continue reading →

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Holm goes on the air

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Via Mary Benton, we have the first non-Mayoral TV ad of the season, from Pam Holm: My thoughts: – Basically an intro ad, though a fairly substantive one. Holm’s pitch – she’s a strong financial manager who’ll keep a sharp … Continue reading →

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Corrections, clarifications, and conundrums

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This is a followup to my post from this morning about the 30 days out reports. I’m sure there will be more of this stuff to come, from plenty of folks, but this is what I’ve got as of now. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Council Member MJ Khan

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Next among the candidates for Houston City Controller is Council Member MJ Khan, the incumbent in District F. Khan, a native of Pakistan, is a professional engineer who also has an MBA from Rice University and owns a real estate … Continue reading →

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