Monthly Archives: April 2013

The Uptown/Memorial TIRZ

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Big projects, big plans, big funding mechanism. Transit and trees – things that make urban areas move quickly and look pretty – are the centerpieces of a $500 million project that would remake the Uptown area and reinvigorate Memorial Park. … Continue reading →

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

Fifth Ward revitalization

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I’m very glad to see this renewal project going on it the Fifth Ward. But now the stains of that past are being scrubbed clean by the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation with what it calls the Lyons Avenue Renaissance. … Continue reading →

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

Someone will do something sort of soon about the Dome

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t be more specific than that. While Houston’s Super Bowl Host Committee continues its bid to win the vote for Super Bowl LI, the next step in the possible demolition of the Astrodome could be taken next week by … Continue reading →

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

Weekend link dump for April 14

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The first obstacle for Hillary Clinton to overcome if she wants to run in 2016 is to not have Mark Penn on her campaign payroll in any fashion. The untold story of how Apple built an operating system. Maybe Mark … Continue reading →

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Travis DA Rosemary Lehmberg arrested for DUI

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, arrested and charged with drunken driving overnight, plans to remain in office and will not resign, according to a spokeswoman. According to county records, Lehmberg, 63, was arrested by Travis County deputies in … Continue reading →

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

How will Chapter 42 affect housing in Houston?

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, we’re still talking about Chapter 42, the local development and density code. One of the goals of revamping Chapter 42 is to make it easier and more attractive to build mid-range housing in the city limits. How do we … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Romeo and Romeo and Juliet and Juliet

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a small step forward, but it’s an important step. In a state where attempts to expand gay rights have hit a wall of conservative Republicans, a Senate committee on Tuesday approved a bill to provide a new legal … Continue reading →

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

Another reason why graduate school sucks

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I just shook my head when I read this. English Department teaching fellows at the University of Houston ended their sit-in Monday after UH Chancellor Renu Khator committed $1 million a year to improve their wages – potentially enough money … Continue reading →

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

Saturday video break: Me And Bobby McGee

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Song #23 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Me And Bobby McGee”, originally by Kris Kristofferson, and covered by Janis Joplin. Here’s Kristofferson’s original version: I love Janis Joplin’s iconic version of this, but there’s something about Kristofferson’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Charter bill passes Senate, voucher bill passes out of committee

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Score one for Sen. Dan Patrick. As colleagues praised Education Chairman Dan Patrick’s efforts at building consensus, a significantly altered version of his expansion of the state’s charter school system quickly passed out of the Senate Thursday afternoon. Patrick, R-Houston, … Continue reading →

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Still arguing about road funding

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I still don’t quite get why the obvious solution is so blithely dismissed. With most of the work of developing a state budget behind them, lawmakers can now drill deeper into the state’s spending plan to find a way to … Continue reading →

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Busy hurricane season predicted

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Start stocking up on batteries and bottled water. Forecasters agree: The coming Atlantic hurricane season looks like a busy one. A number of factors, principally higher-than-normal temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean where most tropical storms form, indicate this season will … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Friday random ten: The city never sleeps, part 1

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The musical geography continues as we move from states to cities. If only I had at least ten songs about city-states… 1. Abilene – Yes 2. Albuquerque – Weird Al Yankovic 3. All The Way To Memphis – Mott the … Continue reading →

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Senate to tap that Rainy Day Fund

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It is just sitting there, not doing any good if it’s unused. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, laid out an ambitious plan to spend $6 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund on Thursday morning while also … Continue reading →

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

Houston considers a “Safe Passing” ordinance

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to hear it. Though it boasts a growing biking culture, Houston is the only major city in Texas without a safe-passing law requiring motorists to share the road with cyclists and others. City leaders now want to change that. … Continue reading →

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Is this the end of hockey in Houston again?

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like it. As the Houston Chronicle first reported in January, it appears the Houston Aeros’ 19-year run in Houston is all but over. An announcement could be coming in the next couple of weeks, basically after the Aeros’ season, … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Get ready to hear more about Texas high speed rail

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I for one can’t wait. Texas Central High-Speed Railway has spent the last few years privately — very privately — looking at how to connect Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston with a bullet train moving upwards of 200 miles per hour. But soon, they … Continue reading →

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

The remaining holdouts on marriage equality

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, we talked about the Democratic members of the Legislature that had voted for the anti-gay marriage Constitutional amendment of 2005, and where they stood now. Along those lines, The Hill checks on the situation in Congress. Eleven House … Continue reading →

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More on the potential Coushatta casino

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Houston Press cover story from last week is about the Alabama-Coushatta tribe’s efforts to get a casino again. It covers a lot of the same ground as that Chron story I blogged about on Sunday, but it also reminds … Continue reading →

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Patrick has his voucher hearing

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It went about as you’d expect. State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, delivered an impassioned plea in support of what threatens to become a beleaguered tax credit scholarship plan during a Tuesday morning hearing on his legislation. “We are great enough … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of April 8

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance has seen what Battleground Texas wants to do and is ready to do its part as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Senate to consider expanded gambling

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t really take it seriously when I heard that Sen. John Carona had filed his own gambling expansion legislation, but it seems it’s got some traction. A proposal from Dallas Republican Sen. John Carona would establish a commission that … Continue reading →

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Watch the county’s business

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I wholeheartedly approve of this. Meetings of the Harris County Commissioners Court and the governing boards of the Port of Houston Authority, the Harris Health System and the Harris County Department of Education soon could be streamed live online. County … Continue reading →

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Voter ID and the Driver Responsibility Program

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Grits returns to a question he has asked before. The Dallas News last week (March 24) published a feature behind the paywall by reporter Terrence Stutz titled “Texas lawmakers want brakes put on driver surcharges for road violations,” as well … Continue reading →

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Biking to transit

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

KUHF has an update. Metro’s Strategic Planning Committee got an update on the “Bike and Ride” Access Study. Metro says it wants to make it easier for Houstonians to combine bike and bus travel. Metro officials say between 10,000 and … Continue reading →

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Early voting safe for now

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to hear it. A bill that would slash the number of days allowed for early voting is likely to be pulled after scathing testimony Monday from opponents who said the bill was discriminatory and retrogressive. House Bill 2093, by … Continue reading →

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

News flash: Ted Cruz is not KBH

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I know, I’m as shocked as you are. For nearly two decades, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison delivered thousands of federal projects to Texas that added billions of dollars to the state’s economy. The leader of a bipartisan approach known as … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Feeling good about the Super Bowl bid

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Houston has submitted its bid to host Super Bowl LI in 2017, and they feel pretty good about their chances. Houston’s competition will be San Francisco or Miami – the city that fails to get the coveted … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Skilling might get a sentence reduction

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

But don’t expect him to get out of jail anytime soon. Attorneys for former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling and the Department of Justice are discussing an agreement to reduce his prison time and possibly avert a drawn-out court battle. Those … Continue reading →

Posted in Enronarama | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

At the Battleground Texas kickoff meeting

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I attended the Battleground Texas kickoff meeting for Houston on Saturday. Houston was one of the last stops on their statewide introduction tour. I estimated about 300 people in attendance; BGTX gives it as 350, which is probably the more … Continue reading →

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Fort Bend County Commissioners Court supports Medicaid expansion

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Fort Bend County, y’all. RESOLUTION OF THE FORT BEND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT IN SUPPORT OF EXPANSION OF MEDICAIL) COVERAGE WHEREAS, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured [24%) and underinsured in the United States and 23% of the residents of … Continue reading →

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Going after human traffickers

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a great story about Ann Johnson, the Democratic candidate in HD134 last year, who is now back with the District Attorney’s office fighting against pimps and traffickers who prey on kids. Johnson, a 39-year-old juvenile law attorney, is … Continue reading →

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“One person, one vote” upheld

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

More accurately, a challenge to the constitutional doctrine of “one person, one vote” was dismissed by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has rejected a conservative challenge to the common practice of counting everyone, not just U.S. citizens, when adjusting … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Weekend link dump for April 7

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Ah, baseball. I’ve missed you. Twenty great Billy Joel songs that haven’t been overplayed. It’s great living in the future, isn’t it? “Many big network breaches begin not with brainy hacker code but with workers who are tricked by so-called … Continue reading →

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