Monthly Archives: April 2010

One more reason why you should have filled out your Census form

Posted on April 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the Texas Legislative Council’s 2010 Redistricting report, on page 9: Although the total state populations for the [Census Bureau] 2009 estimate (24,782,302) and the [State Data Center] 2010 projection (24,330,612) are close, and the ideal house district populations for … Continue reading →

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One last time for the Dome and the Dynamo

Posted on April 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose now that the Dynamo have finally gotten an official commitment from all relevant parties to go forward with their downtown stadium idea that it was inevitable the question of why didn’t they just use the Astrodome came up … Continue reading →

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Firing Frank

Posted on April 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Annise Parker has said she wants the new Metro board to fire Frank Wilson, the agency’s CEO. So why hasn’t that happened yet? There are a couple of complicating factors. Among them are uncertainty about the outcome of two … Continue reading →

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We’ve done well, but we can still do better

Posted on April 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The defeat of wingnut candidate Brian Russell, who was backed by departing SBOE member Cynthia Dunbar to succeed her, in the GOP runoff this week is unquestionably good news that will help de-loonify that dysfunctional body. I’m as glad as … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Give blood

Posted on April 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I gave blood this week, and every time I do, I think of this song: That’s David Gilmour of Pink Floyd he’s introducing at the beginning. Townshend and Gilmour – bet that was a nice ticket to have. If you’re … Continue reading →

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Metro and the FTA

Posted on April 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t see this KHOU story, in which a regular Metro critic claims that the agency deliberately gave outdated sales tax revenue information to the Federal Transit Administration in order to get $900 million in federal money for the North … Continue reading →

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Historians want SBOE to hold it right there

Posted on April 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A group of historians have called on the SBOE to review and rethink its recent changes to the social studies curriculum. Historians are decrying the social studies curriculum standards crafted by the State Board of Education that they say misrepresent … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

No anti-health care special session

Posted on April 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Thank God for small favors. Gov. Rick Perry tamped out rumors today that he would call a special legislative session to consider whether Texas should seek to exempt itself from federal health care law. Harris County Republican Chairman Jared Woodfill … Continue reading →

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Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrar Training

Posted on April 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Want to help register people to vote? Attend the next Houston Area Table meeting and get deputized: Please join Houston Area Table and Marti Morrison from Harris County Voter Registrar’s office for a volunteer deputy voter registrar training and Q … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Under cover

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We’re getting close to the end of the alphabet, and along with it we’re getting into some letters that don’t work well with this format I’ve been using. I had to fudge a bit to come up with ten songs … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Meet The Statewides and The Other 49%

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The TDP is running a ten-week campaign between now and June 14 to promote the statewide slate. It includes a bio with 60-second video for each candidate, a discussion of the candidate’s race and the issues in it, and an … Continue reading →

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Renaming UH-Downtown, take 2

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, UH-Downtown has been trying to rename itself for over a year and a half now. Its first attempt at picking a new moniker, which would have been Houston Metropolitan University, didn’t go well as nobody really liked … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Some of my best friends are white people

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been trying to figure out this new group for Caucasian Sheriff’s deputies. I’ve had the good fortune to have worked for an organization that takes diversity and inclusiveness seriously. They had a number of employee-created networking groups that were … Continue reading →

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Who will administer Texas’ health insurance exchange?

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, one of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act is the creation of health insurance exchanges for those who are currently uninsured and need assistance in getting it. The states are supposed to operate these exchanges, and … Continue reading →

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Stiffed by State Farm

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Those good hands we’re supposed to be in? They’re squeezing the heck out of us. To leading lawmakers and even some insurance industry experts, State Farm hasn’t exactly been like a good neighbor in recent dealings with state regulators. The … Continue reading →

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More on the red light camera poll

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Last week I wrote about a poll commissioned by a group called the Keep Houston Safe PAC about attitudes towards red light cameras. The result was quite favorable for the cameras, but at the time I didn’t have full information … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 24 Comments

Houston, Have Your Say on education

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve had a lot to say about public education and related issues lately, from school finance to HISD and so forth. This coming Tuesday, Houston PBS station KUHT will have another episode of Houston Have Your Say to discuss the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Happy birthday, Discovery Green!

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Two years old now. Two years after it opened, downtown’s Discovery Green park has drawn 55 percent more visitors than projected and has emerged as a key asset to Houston’s convention business, officials say. The 12-acre, $122 million park has … Continue reading →

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The legal bills keep piling up in Farmers Branch

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Ka-ching! The Bickel & Brewer Storefront law firm submitted a bill for $850,000 this week in federal court for its share of costs in the successful challenge to the constitutionality of the ordinance. A second legal team is expected to … Continue reading →

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Stimulus fight

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, HISD is reducing its workforce, including teachers, due to budget shortfalls. The Houston Federation of Teachers says that this is happening while there are a lot of unspent stimulus funds. Houston Federation of Teachers leader Gayle Fallon … Continue reading →

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Runoff wrapup

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the Republican and Democratic runoff results from yesterday. With the exception of Marc Brown, who came from behind to defeat Danny Dexter in the GOP runoff for the 180th Criminal District Court, everyone who led in early voting … Continue reading →

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Ashby developers refile lawsuit

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Originally filed in county court, the lawsuit by the Ashby Highrise developers has been re-filed in state district court. [The suit] will focus more heavily on claims the project was denied permits for its original design because it was subjected … Continue reading →

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The pitch from the gambling industry

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We know that the gambling industry, which never sleeps, has been busy preparing for the next legislative session. The Trib gives us an overview of their pitch, about which I’m sure you’ll be hearing plenty more in the coming months. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Next Keller hearing June 18

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct set a June 18 hearing in the continuing case of Presiding Judge Sharon Keller of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Keller was accused of bringing “public discredit” to the judiciary … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Once again mulling the fate of the Astrodome

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Am I the only one who noticed the omission in this story about the current state of the Astrodome? Debt and interest payments will amount to more than $2.4 million this year, according to a payment schedule for the higher … Continue reading →

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Runoff results

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Going by early vote totals, it seems likely that the remaining Democratic nominees will be Tanner Garth, Bob Thomas, Bruce Kessler, and Deborah Wright. On the Republican side, Danny Dexter and James Lombardino look to be in good shape for … Continue reading →

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Runoff Day is today

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM today. There aren’t many voting locations, so check where you need to vote before you head out. The Republican Party will open 72 polling locations and the Democratic Party 77. The … Continue reading →

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The Texas Partnership for Children in Nature

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The National Wildlife Federation was in town this weekend for a summit to advance a national policy agenda to connect children with the outdoors. Basically, kids spend a lot less time outside these days, and there are measurable effects of … Continue reading →

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Fixing overtime

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Sunday Chron had a cover story about overtime expenses in the Sheriff’s department. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office spent $32.6 million on overtime in Sheriff Adrian Garcia’s first year as the county’s top lawman, $22.6 million of it at … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Spieler on commuter rail

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the Offcite blog: Wednesday, Mayor Annise Parker gave Christof Spieler, Chair of the Cite editorial committee, a big hug after swearing him in as a Metro board member. A picture of their embrace landed on page B3 of Thursday’s … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of April 12

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the weekly highlights from the Texas Progressive Alliance.

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Feel the fees

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib reviews the bidding from the 2003 legislative session as a preview for what’s to come next year. The 2003 session most closely mirrors the current scenario — a national recession, a previous budget balanced with the use of … Continue reading →

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Straight ticket voting trends

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

One last look at partisan voting trends this decade, with a peek at how straight ticket voting has changed over time. This one is a bit trickier to determine, since it’s not tracked by the Secretary of State. You have … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006, Election 2008 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Forensic Science Commission to finally get back to Willingham case

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It’s sure taken them long enough. After months of delay and internal upheaval, the revamped Texas Forensic Science Commission is poised to reopen discussion of the Cameron Todd Willingham case when it meets April 23 in Irving. Tarrant County Medical … Continue reading →

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