Monthly Archives: September 2013

Interview with Anna Eastman

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I still have some Houston elections to cover here, but for this week we turn our attention to the HISD Trustee races. I have five interviews to bring you for these races, beginning with my Trustee in District I, Anna … Continue reading →

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First lawsuit filed over abortion restrictions

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The next stage in abortion rights advocates’ efforts to block implementation of strict new regulations on the procedure in Texas began on Friday, as the Center for Reproductive Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union and a group of abortion … Continue reading →

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Kim Ogg to run for DA

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That didn’t take long. Kim Ogg, a former prosecutor, anti-gang investigator and crime prevention leader, told supporters Saturday that she will run for Harris County district attorney. In an email, Ogg said she would announce Monday that she would run … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Saving the Dome

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chronicle gives its blessing to the Astrodome renovation referendum. There has been a lot of finger-pointing over the Astrodome’s mismanagement, but come Election Day it only matters that voters point their fingers to the ballot button and approve the … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for September 29

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

“Next I see the gluten-free section filled with crackers and bread made from various wheat-substitutes such as cardboard and sawdust. I skip this aisle because I’m not rich enough to have dietary restrictions.” If the mixtapes you made in college … Continue reading →

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Medina for Governor?

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this would shake things up. Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina could end up running again for the state’s highest office, this time as an independent, she said Friday afternoon. Medina, who has been exploring a race for comptroller … Continue reading →

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Bye-bye, Bud

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t say I’m sorry to see the tenure of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig come to a close. Bud Selig said Thursday that he plans to retire as baseball commissioner in January 2015 after a term of more than 22 years … Continue reading →

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Inmate processing center polls favorably

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The other issue on the county ballot appears to be in good shape. Results from a recent KUHF-KHOU 11 News poll suggest strong voter support for a $70 million November bond issue for a city-county inmate processing center. The poll, … Continue reading →

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Callegari to retire

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We will have at least one open State House seat in Harris County next year. State Rep. Bill Callegari, a Katy Republican who chairs the House Committee on Pensions and the House Research Organization, said Monday that he wouldn’t seek … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Respect

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

At long last, we come to Song #1 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list. It’s “Respect”, originally by Otis Redding, and of course covered by Aretha Franklin. Here’s the original: Admit it, you’ve never heard that version before. It’s … Continue reading →

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We have to worry about jail overcrowding again

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not good. After a nearly two-year hiatus, the Harris County jail population is nearing capacity, prompting officials to again consider whether to ship some inmates to out-of-state lockups. The latest jail population report shows the total number of detainees dropped … Continue reading →

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Keep runoffs on Saturday

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Put me on record as opposing this. A Houston City Council committee [Tuesday] recommended keeping the city’s run-off election day on a Saturday. But committee members remained open for the possibility of changing it to a Tuesday in the future. … Continue reading →

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Another poster child for tort “reform”

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Observer asks how well you know your doctor. In late 2010, Dr. Christopher Duntsch came to Dallas to start a neurosurgery practice. By the time the Texas Medical Board revoked his license in June 2013, Duntsch had left two … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Bird on a wire

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

One last set of animal-related songs. Watch the birdie! 1. Bee Of The Bird Of The Month – They Might Be Giants 2. The Bird – Eddie From Ohio 3. Bird Feathers – Charlie Parker 4. Bird On The Wire … Continue reading →

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Other interviews

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You may have noticed on my 2013 Elections page some new links in the Interview column for various candidates. That’s because three other local blogs have done interviews with candidates, both recorded and written, which is something we haven’t seen … Continue reading →

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Democratic ballot update

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte: State Sen. Leticia Van De Putte of San Antonio is exploring a run in 2014 as the Democratic challenger in the lieutenant governor’s race, but she said there is still a lot to consider. “We’ve … Continue reading →

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Premiums for insurance exchange plans released

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Guess what? They’re pretty darned affordable. “In just 99 days, millions of Americans will finally have the security and peace of mind that have eluded them for years,” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on a press … Continue reading →

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That pollution isn’t our fault!

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You have to admire the creativity. Harris County’s problem with tiny, lung-damaging particles in the air can be blamed partly on African dust and crop-clearing fires in Mexico, the state’s environmental agency has told federal regulators. If the Environmental Protection … Continue reading →

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Interview with Leticia Ablaza

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

For my last City Council interview for the 2013 cycle, I return to District I for a conversation with Leticia Ablaza. Ablaza turned her activism against the historic preservation ordinance into a filing-deadline candidacy for I in 2011, eventually getting … Continue reading →

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Devon Anderson named interim DA

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We’d been waiting for an announcement about this. Devon Anderson, the widow of recently deceased Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson, was appointed Tuesday to serve out her late husband’s unexpired term. Gov. Rick Perry announced Tuesday that Anderson, of … Continue reading →

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Dome poll

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to their poll of the Mayor’s race, KHOU and KUHF also polled about the Astrodome referendum. These results are a bit harder to read. The fate of the Astrodome rests with voters who’ll decide whether Harris County should … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of September 23

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is thoroughly enjoying some Republican slapstick comedy as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Interview with James Horwitz

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

My last planned interview for City Council At Large races is with James Horwitz, who filed a few days before the deadline in At Large #5 against CM Jack Christie. Horwitz is an attorney, the owner of his own firm, … Continue reading →

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KHOU polls the Mayor’s race

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The first poll of the season is always exciting news. Annise Parker seems headed for a runoff in her campaign to keep her job, but she commands more than twice as many supporters as her leading challenger in a newly … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: SEIU and HAR

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This came in on Thursday: SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Texas, including janitors who clean office buildings, housekeeping workers at GRB and food service workers, have endorsed Mayor Annise Parker for re-election. Houston members have also launched an effort to … Continue reading →

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DeLay wants to sue

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever you say, dude. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, reveling in victory Thursday against Texas prosecutors in a money-laundering case, said his political career is over but he’s eager to return to the courthouse. If he can find a … Continue reading →

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Interview with Issa Dadoush

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Filing to run just before the deadline against CM Bradford in At Large #4 is Issa Dadoush. Dadoush spent a number of years in city government, serving as the Director of General Services Department for six years under Mayor Bill … Continue reading →

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A deeper look at the city’s pension funds

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate this just-the-facts analysis of the city’s pension funds. It’s delightfully free of fearmongering and doomsaying, which tend to cloud most stories on the funds. I don’t have anything specific to say about the article, but I do want … Continue reading →

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The tab for the redistricting fight

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The bill is coming due. Civil rights groups are now contending that since the 2011 maps were never used and ultimately were altered by a court that they are entitled to be reimbursed for money spent fighting [Attorney General Greg] … Continue reading →

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Going after the dumpers

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to see this. City Council District B will be the site of a pilot program in which five surveillance video cameras have been placed in undisclosed locations, [Mayor Annise] Parker announced. The cameras will be monitored in real time … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Bradford

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This week we venture back to the At Large Council races, as there were a couple of late filers that brought opponents to previously unchallenged incumbents. One of those incumbents is Council Member C. O. “Brad” Bradford, now in his … Continue reading →

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Questions asked about Perry’s job-stealing trips

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. As Gov. Rick Perry visits Maryland in his latest effort to recruit businesses to relocate to Texas, a Washington, D.C.-based group is taking aim at what it calls the governor’s “piracy trips,” raising questions over how they are funded. … Continue reading →

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Sen. Garcia joins the fight in Pasadena

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. State Sen. Sylvia Garcia on Tuesday joined forces with four Pasadena council members and a community organizing group to mount a campaign against a new redistricting plan they say is designed to dilute the voting strength of Pasadena’s growing … Continue reading →

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Maybe the Ashby Highrise isn’t as evil as we thought

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Home prices don’t lie, I guess. So far, the controversial high-rise under development near Rice University hasn’t hurt the housing market in the neighborhoods around it. The average home price in the nearby Boulevard Oaks area was $1.36 million in the … Continue reading →

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