Monthly Archives: May 2011

Saturday video break: This is an Olympics event I could win

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I do have a talent for some things: I’d need to work on my speed, however.

Posted in General snarkiness | Tagged | Comments Off on Saturday video break: This is an Olympics event I could win

Push poll on Rebuild Houston

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I got a phone call Wednesday night from Baselice and Associates, doing a robopoll about Rebuild (formerly Renew) Houston. They asked the following: 1. If I voted last year, and if I voted for or against Prop 1, which they … Continue reading →

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

Sanctuary cities bill delayed

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Another point of order sends another “emergency” bill back to committee. The controversial “sanctuary cities” bill hit a roadblock in the Texas house late Friday when a point of order derailed the legislation and knocked it off the calendar. The … Continue reading →

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

What do yachts and smokeless tobacco have in common?

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

They’re both getting tax cuts from the Republican legislature. Members of the Texas House on Wednesday approved a bill to lower a tax on Red Man and other brands of loose-leaf chewing tobacco. When Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland , laid … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on What do yachts and smokeless tobacco have in common?

Trader Joe’s coming to Houston

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

And there was much rejoicing. Trader Joe’s, the offbeat grocer whose most popular products include frozen chicken tikka masala, pumpkin ice cream and low-cost Charles Shaw wines nicknamed “Two Buck Chuck,” is expanding into Texas with stores planned in Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Friday random ten: The end of the line

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

At long last, my initial journey through my entire iTunes library is over. I think this list sums it up: 1. End Of The Line – Traveling Wilburys 2. It’s Been So Long – Wendi Slaton 3. It’s All Been … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Friday random ten: The end of the line

Updated interactive House redistricting map from the Trib

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib published a table when the Solomons redistricting map for the Texas House first came out that showed changes to each district’s partisan makeup. That map was modified before its final passage, so they have now produced this interactive … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Updated interactive House redistricting map from the Trib

The budget work is far from done

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Senate may have passed its budget via some creative interpretation of its rules, but there’s more to what has to happen now than just the conference committee. As Abby Rapoport notes, they still have to rewrite the formula for … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The budget work is far from done

Does it count if it’s a TIRZ?

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this is interesting. As the city of Houston seeks to close a $21 million budget gap in the next eight weeks, it is counting on selling a public building to one of its own redevelopment agencies. And while the … Continue reading →

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

Suit against Sheriff’s office dismissed

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron: A lawsuit filed by the former technology director for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, who had contended he was fired because he revealed its alleged plan to hack into the county government computer network, has been dismissed. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Suit against Sheriff’s office dismissed

Senate approves rape kit testing bill

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Earlier this week I mentioned a bill, SB1636, by Sen. Wendy Davis that aimed at getting thousands of untested rape kits analyzed. I’m pleased to say that it was passed unanimously by the Senate today, and now heads to the … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Senate approves rape kit testing bill

New map, new opportunities: Travis, Bexar, El Paso

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

On to the urban counties. I’m grouping these three together because there’s really only one opportunity in each, and none of them are truly “new”. But never mind that. Let’s look at some data. District: 47 Incumbent: Paul Workman (first … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Bexar Dems vote to oust Ramos

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Bexar County Democratic Party leaders voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to remove ailing and embattled Chairman Dan Ramos for misconduct and neglect of duty. The 104-5 vote by the party’s executive committee came despite a desperate attempt by Ramos to call … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Bexar Dems vote to oust Ramos

Still talking about jail overcrowding

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s another op-ed about jail overcrowding in Harris County and what to do about it. It’s all familiar stuff – we’ve only been talking about this for a million years or so – but I was struck by what wasn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Amazon complains to the SEC about Texas trying to collect taxes on it

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Poor dears. Amazon said in a regulatory filing this week that the SEC is looking into its dispute with Texas, which began last year when the Texas comptroller’s office sent Amazon a $269 million assessment for four years of uncollected … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Amazon complains to the SEC about Texas trying to collect taxes on it

Texas blog roundup for the week of May 2

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is proud of President Obama and the Navy SEALS as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of May 2

“Sanctuary cities” bill on the House calendar

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

According to Somos Tejanos, the so-called “Sanctuary cities” bill HB12 is on the House calendar for Friday, May 6. It had originally been scheduled for Cinco de Mayo, but I guess someone decided the optics of that weren’t so good. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on “Sanctuary cities” bill on the House calendar

Senate passes its budget

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Once the rules were suspended to allow the budget bill CSHB1 to come to the floor, this became a mere formality. The Texas Senate took minutes to tentatively approve a proposed $176.5 billion, two-year state budget Wednesday in a party-line … Continue reading →

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

New map, new opportunities: Outside the urban areas, part 2

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

More districts to look at for Democratic opportunities outside of the traditional urban areas. District: 45 Incumbent: Jason Isaacs (first elected in 2010) Counties: Blanco, Hays Best 2008 Dem performance: Barack Obama, 46.78% Patrick Rose won this district in 2002, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Senate fails to bring the budget to the floor

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It started Monday when Senate Finance Chair Sen. Steve Ogden said he might pull same Rainy Day funds out of the budget in order to get more Republican (read: Dan Patrick) support for it. After some discussion about alternate ways … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Auditor criticizes Emerging Technology Fund

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The State Auditor has issued a report saying that the Texas Emerging Technology Fund needs more transparency. I know, I’m as shocked as you are. The report recommended that the state’s 17-member advisory board — volunteers from the technology community … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Auditor criticizes Emerging Technology Fund

Senate passes SBOE map

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

They had a busy day on Friday. Travis County remains divided between two State Board of Education districts under the redistricting plan adopted by the Texas Senate on Friday. See the map here. […] The new map was passed on … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

HISD gets ready to roll out bus ads

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Last year, I noted that the HISD Board of Trustees had approved a plan to allow advertising on its school buses. They are now finally ready to get this going. HISD has partnered with Steep Creek Media to offer advertising … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

New map, new opportunities: Outside the urban areas, part 1

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the first post in my series of analyses of the new districts. I’m using 2008 electoral data, since the next election is a Presidential year, and I feel confident that the districts were drawn with an eye strongly towards … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Lege gets set to tackle payday lending

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is that the Lege is ready to tackle legislation dealing with the scourge of payday lenders. The bad news can be summarized by the following remarks in this Chron story. This week, State Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Keller, … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Two forensic bills

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Texas has thousands of untested rape kits in it, and a bill to try to make something happen with them. The bill, by Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, would require a police department to submit a rape kit to a … Continue reading →

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

House says it may be close to approving expanded gambling

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This would be as far as they’ve gotten in recent sessions. Rep. Mike “Tuffy” Hamilton, R-Mauriceville, who chairs the Licensing and Administrative Procedures committee, said he is close to having enough votes to pass his ever-morphing gambling bill. As Hamilton … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House says it may be close to approving expanded gambling

Modified sonogram bill passes the Senate

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I was hoping that the differences between the House and Senate sonogram bills would ultimately sink them, but alas it is not to be. Senate lawmakers have tentatively passed a controversial measure to require women seeking abortions to receive sonograms … Continue reading →

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

Time to start analyzing the new districts

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You will no doubt be excited to hear that I now have electoral data for the new State House districts as they currently stand. My thanks to Joe Madden of the Legislative Study Group for getting all that to me. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Time to start analyzing the new districts

Lege approves separate online sales tax bills

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. Taking a stand against Internet retailers like Amazon.com, the Texas House moved Tuesday to tighten the state’s rules on when online businesses must collect sales tax. By voting 122-23 to pass House Bill 2403 by Rep. John … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lege approves separate online sales tax bills

Heights Wal-Mart public meeting reminder

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Responsible Urban Development for Houston [RUDH] Announces their next: PUBLIC MEETING: TUESDAY MAY 3RD, 2011 AT 6:30 PM The Council on Alcohol and Drugs 303 Jackson Hill Street, Houston, Texas 77007 Regarding: Heights Wal-Mart Project and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Grand Parkway gets state funding

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

No money for schools, but there is money for this. The Texas Transportation Commission [Thursday] morning unanimously approved allocation of $350 million for construction of the Grand Parkway’s Segment E in west Harris County. […] The $350 million approved [Thursday] … Continue reading →

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

Bin Laden killed in Pakistan

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

About damn time. Osama Bin Laden is dead, U.S. government officials confirm to TPM. Bin Laden was the founder and leader of the Al Qaeda terrorist network that perpetrated the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. His death comes nearly 10 … Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq attack | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Bin Laden killed in Pakistan

Weekend link dump for May 1

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

May Day! May Day! I thought the world’s funniest joke was the basis for the movie “The Aristocrats”. Gauss Facts. If you’re not a math geek, you probably won’t understand. The economics of The Jetsons. Bonus points for the Jet … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment