Monthly Archives: April 2012

More trouble for TAPPS

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe they just can’t help themselves. Even as they face calls for reform, TAPPS board members also face a fundamental question in the Beren Academy controversy: whether to discipline Beren for a rules violation or to let the matter slide, … Continue reading →

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Why gay marriage is inevitable

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Professor Stephen Klineberg – you know, the fancy movie star – looks at 30 years worth of Houston Area Survey data and sees the future. The findings from the 31st year of the Kinder Houston Area Survey (1982-2012) will be … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Good Friday, take 3

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Time once again for a Good Friday random ten list. 1. Good – Better Than Ezra 2. Good After Time – team9 vs Stereogum 3. Good Enough – Sarah McLachlin 4. Good Feeling To Know – Richie Furay 5. A … Continue reading →

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Interview with Phillip Andrews

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Wrapping up this week’s worth of Congressional interviews we have Phillip Andrews, who is also running for CD07. Andrews is the President and CEO of Daugherty International, which supplies private security forces, and is also the manager of his wife’s … Continue reading →

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Catching up on United versus Southwest

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There have been a few news stories of interest since we first heard about the Southwest Airlines plan for international flights at Hobby Airport, which is being vigorously opposed by United, who wants to keep IAH as the only international … Continue reading →

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Homeless feeding ordinance, such as it is, passes Council

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. City Council outlawed feeding homeless people anywhere in Houston without permission of the property owner, voting 11-6 Wednesday after a month of protest that persisted even as the ordinance was vastly scaled back from its original form. […] Mayor … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

The Texas bait and switch

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You almost have to admire the sheer brazenness of it all. Almost. In a fiscal switcheroo, Texas could free up state dollars to fund the embattled Women’s Health Program by seeking federal block grants for other programs, the state’s health … Continue reading →

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Interview with Lissa Squiers

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

My next interview for CD07 is with Lissa Squiers. Squiers was a write-in candidate for this office in 2010 after deciding that incumbent Rep. John Culberson should not go unchallenged by a progressive. Squiers has been active with Occupy Houston, … Continue reading →

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Open The Taps voters’ guide for 2012

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Want to know how your preferred legislative candidates stand on the important issue of beer freedom in Texas? Then the Open The Taps Voters Guide for 2012 is for you. As a reminder, Open The Taps is about the following: … Continue reading →

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Patterson wants to vote out anti-open beach Supreme Court justices

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. Voters should replace the five members of the Texas Supreme Court who issued an opinion weakening the state Open Beaches Act, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said Monday. “We now have private beaches in Texas where the public … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of April 2

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is stocking up on pastel-colored dyes as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Interview with James Cargas

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We come now to the three-way race for the nomination in CD07. The first candidate in this diverse primary is James Cargas. Cargas is an attorney with a background in environmental and energy law who has done two stints in … Continue reading →

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Homeless feeding ordinance, take three

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Parker does a third revision of the controversial proposed ordinance about feeding the homeless. Parker has whittled an original proposal that would have set rules on preparation, storage and server training down to a plan that mandates only that … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Still waiting on the new density rules

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

With all that went on last year in Houston, one item that had been on the table was a revision of Chapter 42, to redefine the rules about density and other codes for developers. The planned revisions never made it … Continue reading →

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

Again with judicial elections

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. Texas is one of seven states that holds partisan elections for judges, a practice that one watchdog group says can lead to conflicts of interest. “We have a judiciary at the highest level, the Texas Supreme … Continue reading →

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Interview with KP George

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There are many contested Democratic Congressional primaries around the state this year, but in a sense the most important one is for a race that’s not on any national list of races to watch. I’m talking about the CD22 primary, … Continue reading →

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

I think we’ve found the problem at TAPPS

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As is often the case, the problem starts at the top. Edd Burleson, in full charge, didn’t bother to chew on the question. At age 77, the former small-town state champion football coach, who later served as the superintendent of … Continue reading →

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Amending the Texas “Stand Your Ground” law

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I agree with this. Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, said Texas needs to revise its law to prevent a tragedy such as the Trayvon Martin case in Florida from happening here. This state’s current law is not that different from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The Grand Prix is back

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

For those of you who are into that sort of thing. After a six-year hiatus, the Grand Prix of Houston will be returning in 2013. With city and race officials on hand, IZOD IndyCar Series CEO Randy Bernard announced Wednesday … Continue reading →

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Interview with Nick Lampson

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I still have one more State House primary to cover, that being the one in HD144, but the way things worked out I wound up doing interviews with local Congressional candidates first, so I’m going to run those this week. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Voter ID lawsuit action this week

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Tomorrow, the DC Court will hear “oral argument on the State of Texas’ request to block the depositions of 12 Republican legislators who were involved with the voter ID bill, including State Sen. Dan Patrick and state representatives Debbie Riddle … Continue reading →

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

School finance litigation gets underway

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We ought to get a decision in the school finance lawsuits by the end of the year. This case has become the largest of its kind in Texas’ decades-long history of school finance litigation. The school districts that have signed … Continue reading →

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North Forest gets a reprieve

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

For a year. The long-troubled North Forest school district will remain intact for at least another year as Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott granted it a rare reprieve Friday from having to close in July. Scott said he would give … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Weekend link dump for April 1

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

F-f-f-foolin’… So did you buy Etch-A-Sketch stock last week? But how can you prove that someone loves formal logic or not? Be careful who you brag to about avoiding jury duty. I for one welcome our robotic jellyfish overlords. Rape … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court keeps beaches closed

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Phooey. Affirming the private-property rights of shoreline landowners, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that the public’s right of access to state beaches cannot be guaranteed when hurricanes or storms reshape the coast. The sharply divided ruling will limit the … Continue reading →

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

How do school districts spend their money?

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

One report claims it’s too hard to tell. Tracking the billions of dollars spent on public education each year is virtually impossible, with no real measures to determine if the education of 5 million students is efficient, suitable and adequate, … Continue reading →

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San Antonio going for desalinization

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Another thing we’ll be seeing more of in the near future. The San Antonio Water System is now pumping salt water in southern Bexar County as it looks for new water sources for the city. Tuesday the utility gave a … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

If it were good for Travis it would be good elsewhere as well

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This article asks if Travis County is better off being split into five different Congressional districts. Seems to me that’s a question that answers itself, but I’ll play along. The voters and geography of Travis County are split among five … Continue reading →

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