Monthly Archives: May 2012

Council approves Hobby expansion plan

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, it wasn’t close. City Council approved a plan Wednesday that will give Houston two international commercial airports, settling a public policy debate that raged for months over whether flights from Hobby Airport to Latin America would boost … Continue reading →

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More reactions to the election results

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Enough about me. What are some other people saying about Tuesday’s results? Here’s a sample: Greg Juanita PDiddie Campos Mark Bennett EoW Neil Harold Stace Lion Star Texas Trib TM Daily Post TFN Insider There’s a certain amount of bitterness … Continue reading →

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Skeeter season

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Not the minor league baseball team, the kind we all hate. Despite dire predictions of an even worse-than-usual mosquito invasion this spring, the swarm of activity actually thinned out in May, after two out-of-control months buoyed by rain and unseasonably … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 28

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance says “on to the runoffs!” as it brings you this holiday week roundup.

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Democratic results, Harris County

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The good: – Lane Lewis won a full term as HCDP Chair by a 55-45 margin. If you heard a whizzing noise this evening, it was the bullet we all dodged in this race. – Sheriff Adrian Garcia easily won … Continue reading →

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Democratic results, statewide

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Let me get this off my chest first: In tonight’s Texas primary, President Obama faces another set of red-state voters — and with it the possibility that some little known challenger could wrack up some significant portion of the Democratic … Continue reading →

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GOP results, statewide

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Full, though not necessarily the most up to date, results, are here. The Trib and the Observer have good roundups as well. – Mitt. Yawn. He was at just under 70% statewide, with Ron Paul getting 11% and Rick Santorum … Continue reading →

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GOP results, Harris County

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Bullet points for all these result posts, I was up way too late last night. See the numbers here and the chat transcript from last night here. – You could have sold me on any result in the GOP DA … Continue reading →

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Races I’ll be watching for tonight

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As noted this morning, I will be participating in a live chat tonight beginning at 7 PM at the Chron election blog. I hope you’ll come by and ask some questions about what happened today. There are many races to … Continue reading →

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Hobby jobs claims

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There’s been a lot of discussion about how many jobs the proposal to expand Hobby Airport and allow Southwest Airlines to begin flying internationally from there may or may not create. This story gets to the heart of what really … Continue reading →

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Vote centers in Travis County

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This will be interesting to observe. Come Nov. 6, Travis County residents can vote at any polling place in the presidential election, county commissioners decided Tuesday. County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir recommended the switch to the “vote center” system, which allows … Continue reading →

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More replay for MLB, please

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

They’re thinking about it, but don’t rush them. Major League Baseball currently is exploring the expansion of instant replay with the World Umpires Association, and no timetable has been specified for any adjustments to the current policy. The owners and … Continue reading →

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The Chron’s final endorsement list

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here it is, in all its pathetically incomplete glory. Compare to what they had done by the start of Early Voting and you can see that they never developed anything resembling a sense of urgency about this. It’s a pity … Continue reading →

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Four Congressional stories

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

CD27: It’s a relatively unknown field of hopefuls trying to unseat incumbent Republican Blake Farenthold in the newly configured U.S. House District 27, an area that stretches from Bastrop County south to Nueces County. The field includes former Bastrop County … Continue reading →

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Don’t talk about 2014!

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Greg Abbott continues to not talk about his burning desire to be Governor. When it comes to his political ambitions, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is playing coy. During a campaign stop Tuesday in Helotes, where he endorsed Republican state … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for May 27

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Summertime, and the living is easy… Why newspapers insist on printing what liars say is a mystery to me. This is the best argument I’ve seen against restaurants automatically adding a tip to the check. You can find life just … Continue reading →

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Three primary stories

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

TX Trib: 4 Democrats Vying to Replace Hochberg in HD-137 Observers say the winner of the contest for HD-137 is likely to be decided in the Democratic primary, whose four candidates are former Capitol staffers Joseph Carlos Madden and Jamaal … Continue reading →

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Abbott gives on legislative privilege

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

About time. In an effort to move to trial more quickly, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has quietly dropped his opposition to the Department of Justice’s request to take depositions from state lawmakers in the voter identification case. In March, … Continue reading →

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Skilling asks for new trial

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck with that. Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling’s appellate battle apparently will continue with what his attorney says is “newly discovered evidence.” In a motion for a time extension filed last week, Daniel Petrocelli asked to have until August … Continue reading →

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Final early vote totals

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The pattern remained consistent till the end. Nearly 116,000 Harris County residents have made their selections in next week’s primaries through early voting and returns from a record batch of mail-in ballots. In all, 90,489 people voted in person at … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: You Really Got A Hold On Me

Posted on May 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Song #66 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “You Really Got A Hold On Me”, by The Miracles and covered by The Beatles. Here’s the original: You pretty much can’t go wrong with Smokey Robinson. And here’s the … Continue reading →

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For shame, Keryl Douglas

Posted on May 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Take a look at what was being handed out at an early voting location yesterday: So much for all those denials about that “Ministers for Keryl” email. You’d think that President Obama’s recent embrace of marriage equality might have made … Continue reading →

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More reactions to the new Astrodome report

Posted on May 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Texans owner Bob McNair says “Sure, that’s nice and all, but don’t you forget about me.” “Our first concern is Reliant Stadium,” McNair said Thursday. “We want to make sure we’ve got adequate funds there for repairs, replacement and improvements, … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Three for SBOE

Posted on May 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron finally crosses one redistricting-affected category off its list by issuing three endorsements in State Board of Education primaries. State Board of Education, Position 6, Democratic primary: This race has drawn a particularly strong slate of Democrats. (We are … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: What I am is what I am

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I know what I am. 1. I’m A Bear In A Ladies Boudoir – Asylum Street Spankers 2. I’m A Believer – The Monkees 3. I’m A Rocker – Bruce Springsteen 4. I’m An Old Cowhand – Mutual Admiration Society … Continue reading →

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Meet the new “What To Do With The Astrodome” report

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Not that much different than the old “What To Do With The Astrodome” report. The Astrodome, a now-empty showplace that has hosted everyone from Elvis Presley to Hurricane Katrina evacuees, should be turned into a multipurpose facility that could spark … Continue reading →

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Petition drive to overturn the homeless feeding ordinance

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s underway. The petitioners have until July 1 to gather their signatures because that’s when the ordinance goes into effect. City Attorney David Feldman just informed me that petitioners have the longer of either 30 days following an ordinance’s passage … Continue reading →

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Hubbard profile

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Impressive. Of the six top-tier candidates running for the U.S. Senate, only Sean Hubbard may have to worry about being challenged by eagle-eyed poll watchers, suspicious that he is too young to vote. Fresh-faced and slight, the Dallas resident is … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Rep. Alma Allen

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There are three contested Democratic primaries involving an incumbent State Representative in Harris County, and six such primaries involving Republicans. The Chron has now made an endorsement in one of those races. In the Democratic primary race for Texas House … Continue reading →

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More details on the Southwest deal

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the memo of understanding between Southwest and the city, via Houston Politics. Some highlights: Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-to-late 2013 with an opening of the five international gates and customs facility in late 2015. Other aspects of … Continue reading →

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The deal with Southwest

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s official. In a news conference at Hobby Airport, Mayor Annise Parker announced Wednesday that Southwest Airlines will pay the estimated $100 million cost for a five-gate expansion at Hobby that would provide international flights. “This is one of those … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit sends open beaches lawsuit back to district court

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunately, the headline makes it sound like better news than it is. A federal appeals court Monday ruled that the Texas Open Beaches Act is unconstitutional in the case of a Galveston Island property, a ruling that puts the fate … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: One more down, still many more to do

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

After a three-day hiatus, the Chron gets back on the endorsement track by recommending Cindy Vara-Leija for Constable in Precinct 1. We believe Cindy Vara-Leija, who retired last October from a 32-year career in law enforcement, is the strongest candidate … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 21

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance reminds you that early voting for the 2012 primaries continues through Friday as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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