Monthly Archives: July 2011

San Antonio rail progress

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’m glad to see them continue to move forward. VIA Metropolitan Transit has hired a program manager to oversee its high-capacity transit initiative, a move that board and staff members say will help usher in the agency’s plans for an … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for July 17

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Who let the dog days out? Good for the BlackBerry Playbook. I still can’t think of a reason why I need a tablet, though. From the “couldn’t happen to a nicer guy” files. The cost increase for summer camp far … Continue reading →

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Finance reports and the Mayor’s race

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Finance report updates: David Robinson has filed his corrected report, which includes the $53,095.57 cash on hand total that was omitted in the original. There were no other changes made. Mayoral candidate Kevin Simms has now filed his report. He … Continue reading →

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Austin braces for job losses

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, here they come. The Texas Education Agency said Tuesday that it is laying off 178 employees this week. Those are among the first of thousands of state government layoffs expected in the coming weeks. The TEA decision … Continue reading →

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Constitutional amendments for 2011

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There will be ten constitutional amendments on the ballot this November. I may revise this opinion later, but my initial impression is that none of them are particularly controversial or momentous. No cancer bonds, no tort “reform”, no gambling – … Continue reading →

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Bike sharing in London

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Write On Metro notes the one-year anniversary of London’s bike sharing program. In London’s first year of operating a bike-share program, it has proven so popular that riders can’t always find a bike, and when they finish their trip, often … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Saturday video break: The only thing that was missing

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Surely you’ve seen Abby Wambach’s amazing last-minute goal that enabled the US Women’s National Team to come back against Brazil: It was called the most dramatic goal in World Cup history, topping Landon Donovan’s last-minute goal last year against Algeria. … Continue reading →

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The anti-gay stuff has already started

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

For the most part, we didn’t see any nasty homophobia in the 2009 Mayoral election until the runoff, at which point it oozed out from several locations. This time around, the gay bashers aren’t wasting any time. First, usual suspect … Continue reading →

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Emmett goes after Raycraft

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This will be fun to watch. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, spurred by revelations about former finance chief Edwin Harrison’s business practices and personal conduct, is calling for Harrison’s boss — longtime budget director Dick Raycraft — to produce a … Continue reading →

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Grand Parkway news

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From Houston Tomorrow: The Sierra Club lawsuit to stop construction of the proposed SH99 toll road over the Katy Prairie will see its day in court by September,according to KUHF. The Sierra Club filed suit against “the Federal Highway Administration … Continue reading →

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“Zero waste” grocery stores

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is a really interesting idea. That environmentally friendly canvas shopping bag you proudly lug to the grocery store is about to get a lot more full, if you do your shopping in Austin, Texas. You’ll need to fill it … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

More campaign finance reports for July

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Following up on the earlier post, here are some more highlights from the July campaign finance reports for City of Houston elections. All reports can be found on my 2011 Election page. – Since I dinged Al Hoang for not … Continue reading →

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Friday random twenty: That’s so annoying

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

One more diversion from the Songs of the Century before we get back to them. MeMo wrote about how the song “Africa” by Toto is one of the most hated pop songs, and while I find that assertion debatable – … Continue reading →

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Some early fundraising numbers

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the day that campaign finance reports are due for candidates in this November’s city of Houston elections. Some early filer’s reports are already up on the city’s Campaign Finance webpage. I’ve uploaded copies of these reports to my … Continue reading →

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“Flex permit” plants agree to follow EPA guidelines

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Somehow, the world continued to rotate on its axis afterward. The unique way Texas regulates air pollution from refineries, chemical plants and other major industries is no more — for now. The EPA said Tuesday all 136 industrial plants with … Continue reading →

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Steroid prevalency: Opinions differ

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Richard Justice writes about steroids in sports, in particular steroid use among high school students, and quotes a familiar source. [Don Hooton] cites a Procter & Gamble Co. study in which 2,000 kids were asked if an adult, parent, coach … Continue reading →

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You’ve got to grab those opportunities where you can

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I just have one question about this: Some area artists are making old look new by featuring recycled materials in their work. Their pieces, showcased Saturday at the Green Arts Festival at the Talento Bilingue de Houston in the East … Continue reading →

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Judge declares mistrial in Clemens case

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You’ve got to be kidding me. The judge declared a mistrial Thursday in baseball star Roger Clemens’ perjury trial after prosecutors showed jurors evidence that the judge had ruled out of bounds. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said Clemens could … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Lampson says he’s looking at CD14

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Some potential good news from the Chron story about Ron Paul’s announcement that he will not seek re-election in CD14: One with a definite interest in the race is Nick Lampson, a Beaumont Democrat who represented Texas’ 9th Congressional District … Continue reading →

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Our debt is good, your debt is bad

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, the humanity! For all the controversy over the national debt ceiling, here’s a surprise: Since 2001, the debt load in conservative Texas has grown faster than the federal debt. Texas has been borrowing more than most other states, too. … Continue reading →

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

San Marcos takes a step forward on smoking ban

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

A non-binding step, anyway. Presented with four ways to proceed with a potential public smoking ban, the San Marcos City Council opted late Tuesday to move forward with putting a nonbinding referendum before voters in November. Assistant City Manager Collette … Continue reading →

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RIP, Department of Rural Affairs

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

People say they want to shrink government, except when it happens to them. The Texas Department of Rural Affairs, the office that helps keep rural Texas communities afloat, is scheduled to close in October, and the lawmaker who wrote the … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of July 11

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance salutes the US Women’s National Team in their quest for the World Cup as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Doggett v Castro by the numbers

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Greg looks at primary results from the last two cycles in the newly drawn CD35, and finds confirmation of the convention wisdom that Rep. Lloyd Doggett has his work cut out for him against State Rep. Joaquin Castro. Go take … Continue reading →

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Meet the Harris County redistricting map

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

On the agenda yesterday at Commissioners Court – the long-awaited redistricting plan for County Commissioner precincts. The proposal would bring significant changes to several precinct boundaries, seeking to make the populations in the four commissioners’ precincts roughly equal, as required … Continue reading →

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

We’re #12!

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The twelfth most obese state in the country, that is. They say everything’s bigger in Texas — and apparently, that includes the people. Texas ranks as the 12th most obese state in the U.S., according to a new study by … Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Why not put solar panels on school rooftops?

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

EoW asks a good question: As the debate over the Texas GOP’s cuts to public education funding raged, and the summer sun started to heat up, it became apparent that at least one opportunity was being missed. That’s when a … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Ron Paul not running for re-election in CD14

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like we won’t need to challenge him after all. Late Tuesday morning, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside, sent out the following message to his Twitter followers: “I have decided not to seek re-election to Congress.” Brazoria County newspaper, The … Continue reading →

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The landfills of Waller County

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There are three things I find remarkable about this story about a proposed landfill in Waller County, near Hempstead. A Georgia-based company wants to build a landfill and industrial park just outside the city on Texas 6 and Kelley, on … Continue reading →

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Directing density

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This looks interesting. A new draft ordinance prepared by the city’s planning department aims to make it tougher to build tall buildings next to single-family homes. The proposal is called the High Density Ordinance, but many of its restrictions would … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Opening bids on the next deficit

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Do I hear $7 billion? Ten billion? How about $15 billion? Early projections indicate that when the Legislature convenes in 2013 it could face another revenue shortfall. Not as severe as this year’s $27-billion gap, but still problematic. “I think … Continue reading →

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Time once again to keep an eye on the SBOE

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Legislature is now out of town, but there will still be action in Austin to watch out for as the State Board of Education holds its July meeting. The Express News lets us know what’s happening. In 2008, an … Continue reading →

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

The long-term recycling deal

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I noticed this when it was posted last week but didn’t give it much thought at the time. There’s a 20-year no-bid contract on today’s City Council agenda. That’s legal because it’s an amendment to an existing contract, not a … Continue reading →

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The 2011 interview season has begun

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As of this week, I will begin interviewing candidates for the 2011 elections. At the top of the site, you can see the 2011 Election page, where I will be keeping track of interviews, endorsements, campaign finance reports, and possibly … Continue reading →

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