Monthly Archives: January 2011

LBB recommendations

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still waiting on the Pitts “You’re gonna get it good and hard” budget, but until then the Legislative Budget Board has released a list of recommendations for savings, which you can see here, that’s worth reviewing. There’s some good … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

This is your government on dogma

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We won’t get Jim Pitts’ bare bones budget outline till late tonight, so as not to be a buzzkill on the Perry coronation inauguration. We did, however, get an opening bid from the ideological purists, and while it’s not worth … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The state of denial

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Well, what did you expect? How bad is the budget crisis in Texas? Ask the Republicans who run the state, and they’ll tell you it’s in the eye of the beholder. The way they see it, the $8 billion drop … Continue reading →

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

Too many tickets

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From Texas Appleseed, via Grits. Class C Ticketing, Arrest of Youth at School is Introducing Thousands to Justice System, Says New Appleseed Report Schools Should Follow Lead of Juvenile Justice Agencies: Restrict Pepper Spray, Taser Use Austin, TX. – A … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Unfinished business

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

One thing that stood out to me from the Chron’s Q&A with Noel Freeman, the newly-elected president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus: Q. What has changed about Houston’s GLBT community in past three decades? A. We have branched out. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

TCEQ a no-show at EPA hearing

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

They’d rather sue than engage. At the hearing in a hotel ballroom, Al Armendariz, the EPA’s regional administrator for Texas and five adjacent states, said the federal agency prefers to let the state issue the permits, as it does for … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

RRC Commish Williams to leave his post

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, a ten-year incumbent who has nonetheless managed to claim the mantel of “outsider/insurgent” in the race for the 2012 GOP Senate nomination, will reportedly resign his post so as to actually be an outsider of some … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Safety train

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’m passing along the following press release from Metro for those who might be interested: METRO TO UNVEIL WRAPPED RAIL CAR PROMOTING SAFETY WHAT: The NEW METRO will unveil a rail car wrapped in a bumper-to-bumper decal promoting safety along … Continue reading →

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From the “I told you so” department

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Ladies and gentlemen, our former Comptroller: Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn did not win friends five years ago when she warned Gov. Rick Perry and state lawmakers they were writing the “largest hot check in Texas history” during a tax overhaul … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More on the new city ethics code

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Not everyone likes the city’s new ethics regulations. “Instead of enforcing ethics standards, all of these things seem to license unethical behavior,” said Craig Holman, a lobbyist for government watchdog Public Citizen in Washington, D.C. The exceptions to the city’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

What school districts have to look forward to

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From San Antonio: The San Antonio Independent School District is bracing for $33 million to $55 million in cuts for the coming fiscal year, due mainly to the state budget shortfall. The trustees Tuesday night discussed options to reduce costs … Continue reading →

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Pollution prosecution

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Not really sure what to make of County Commissioner Steve Radack’s proposal to create a new pollution control department that will more aggressively pursue violators. “We have people out there violating the law and they’re polluting,” Radack said. “They’ve been … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for January 16

Posted on January 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Happy MLK Day tomorrow! The tax code is complicated because rich people want it that way. “When the connection between productivity and income is broken, the CEO might as well send a memo to every employer reading: “Please do not … Continue reading →

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If class size doesn’t matter…

Posted on January 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

…then why do private schools boast about their small classes and low student-teacher ratios? That’s the question former Lite Guv and State Sen. Bill Ratliff asks in the Chron. When confronted with public decision-making, many people find it instructive to … Continue reading →

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

Department of rail-related corrections

Posted on January 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Council Member Sue Lovell writes a letter disputing certain aspects of the recent story about Galveston commuter rail being off track. Barry Goodman blames lack of a regional transportation policy as a big obstacle. The eight-county transportation planning region represented … Continue reading →

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How many soccer leagues are there?

Posted on January 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I happened across this story about a new professional soccer team coming to San Antonio, and was struck by this bit: [Team owner Gordon] Hartman and Aaron Davidson, CEO of the NASL, said that efforts by Spurs Sports & Entertainment … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The state of school food

Posted on January 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Bettina has a feature story in Houston Family magazine about the current state of school food, which takes into account recently passed legislation by Congress and what’s going on in HISD. She also has a report from an HISD “Nutrition … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Joltin’ Joe

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday was my dad’s birthday. In his honor, here’s a classic clip of his favorite baseball player, Joe DiMaggio, appearing as the mystery guest on “What’s My Line” in 1955. All together now: Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, a … Continue reading →

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The pothole patrol

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Haven’t seen this yet, but I’m sure I will sooner or later. As the operators of the city’s Street Surface Assessment Vehicle — a van equipped with lasers that scan streets for rough patches, potholes and cracks — Bruno Rodriguez … Continue reading →

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

We’re not getting rid of Jerry Eversole that easily

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Federal indictments? Pshaw. Ain’t nuthin’ stopping Jerry Eversole. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole on Tuesday declared that he will be acquitted of federal bribery charges in his upcoming trial and left open the possibility he will run for … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The BCS blahs

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Were you thinking that the BCS bowl lineup this year was a bit of a snoozefest? You weren’t alone if so. Ticket sales for some of those games — the Orange, Sugar, Rose and Fiesta bowls — have been sluggish, … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Good beer, good times

Posted on January 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Nice to know that quality still matters. Saint Arnold Brewing Co. increased production by 22  percent last year, continuing a streak of double-digit annual growth even as the U.S. beer industry stagnated. The Houston brewery, founded in 1994, expanded capacity by … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: The top 500, part 9

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing on with the songs in my collection from the Rolling Stone Top 500 list. 1. Walk Away Renee – Southside Johnny and The Jukes (#220, orig. The Left Bank) 2. Moondance – Van Morrison (#226) 3. Fire and Rain … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Let the redistricting begin

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We’re a few weeks away from getting final Census data that will be used to redraw the boundaries for Houston City Council districts (and everything else), but here’s an early look at what to expect from the process. City Attorney … Continue reading →

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Ankle monitors

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Also on the Commissioners Court agenda this week, Harris County will take another small step towards reducing its jail population by experimenting with ankle monitors for low-risk inmates. Commissioners Court granted Sheriff Adrian Garcia permission Tuesday to do a trial … Continue reading →

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

Harris County hands the Grand Parkway back to the state

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Commissioners Court wants TxDOT to take over construction of the Grand Parkway. Harris County took control of the project about 15 months ago in the belief that the Texas Department of Transportation did not have the money to build it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Public universities can read the writing on the wall

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

With polling evidence suggesting that people are willing to accept some cuts in higher education funding, the only question for public universities and community colleges is how bad will it be? “I think all of us felt as though we … Continue reading →

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EPA 3, Texas 0

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

How many times will the courts have to bench-slap our Governor and Attorney General before they get the message that Texas must comply with the same laws as every other state? It’s three and counting. Texas had asked the Court … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

KBH will not run in 2012

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

She finally says something definitive. Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison announced Thursday she won’t seek reelection, ending the uncertainty that had largely frozen a slate of Republicans contenders itching to replace her. In a statement, the three-term Republican who first … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The sanctuary scam

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been thinking about Governor Perry’s designation of so-called “sanctuary cities” as an emergency item for this legislative session, and there are a few inescapable conclusions. 1. Perry is a big flaming hypocrite. I know, I know, big shock. But … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The gambling industry keeps trying

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure how successful an approach this will be, but I guess it’s better than nothing. Expanding gaming requires a vote of two-thirds of the legislature, with voters getting the final say. A new poll done for the Chronicle … Continue reading →

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Cities and counties prepare to play defense

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s going to be a rough session for cities and counties, who have every reason to believe that a large part of the Lege’s budget-balancing strategy will be to foist expenses on them. “As will all of the big cities … Continue reading →

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A few words with Alex Bunin

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Sunday Chron had a brief conversation with the head of Harris County’s new public defender office, Alex Bunin. Q: You don’t know if the office is going to save taxpayer dollars for attorneys per case, but you say it … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of January 9

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is keeping all of the victims of the Arizona shooting in its thoughts as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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