Monthly Archives: October 2013

The party-switchers of Bexar County

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. A Bexar County judge elected during the “red tide” of 2010 is switching parties. Standing at the foot of the Bexar County Courthouse steps, County Court-at-Law No. 11 Judge Carlo Key said Monday he is joining the Democratic Party … Continue reading →

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Chron profile of Ben Hall

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

As promised from last week. When Ben Hall left the city attorney’s office in December 1994 after three years as a confidante to and attack dog for Mayor Bob Lanier, observers assumed the ambitious 38-year-old’s path would lead back to … Continue reading →

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Redistricting trial set for July

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The San Antonio federal court has set a date in July of 2014 to resolve the litigation relating to the 2011 and 2013 redistrictings. A federal three-judge panel in San Antonio on Friday issued a schedule for the case, mostly granting state … Continue reading →

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Interview with Kevin Hoffman

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

My second and final interview for HCC Trustee in District 1 and for candidates this cycle is with Kevin Hoffman. Hoffman has a diverse background, working in the energy industry after previously working non-profit theater companies as a department head. … Continue reading →

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First day EV totals

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It was pretty brisk, with higher turnout than any of the previous three elections. Here are the relevant daily totals: 2013 2011 2009 2007 And here are the numbers for each for day one: Year In person By Mail Total … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit against abortion restrictions goes to trial

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Seeking to block the state of Texas from implementing new abortion regulations, plaintiffs representing abortion providers argued Monday in a federal court that the state’s law violates the constitutional right of women to access the procedure. But … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of District I

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron covers the District I race. The contrasts in this eastside, heavily-Latino council district are dramatic: from the gleaming George R. Brown Convention Center in the heart of downtown, to older neighborhoods lacking modern street drainage where vacant lots … Continue reading →

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Interview with Zeph Capo

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting starts today, and so this is my last week of presenting interviews. The last frontier is the HCC Board of Trustees, and I have two interviews, both in District 1 where scandal-marred incumbent Yolanda Navarro Flores faces two … Continue reading →

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Early voting starts today

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Today we arrive at the more action-oriented part of the election cycle, in which voting actually happens. Early voting starts today and runs through next Friday, November 1. Here’s the schedule and map of locations for Harris County. Check with … Continue reading →

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Third public meeting for I-45 widening

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the I-45 Coalition, via the inbox: TxDOT is starting to roll again on the I-45 project!   TxDOT has just scheduled the 3rd round of public meetings to be held Thursday, Nov 14 at Aldine Ninth Grade School, 10650 North … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For the joint processing center

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

An easy call. [V]oters should consider themselves fortunate that they can easily cut $25 million in unnecessary spending from the city’s annual budget by voting for the Joint Processing Center on Election Day. The overlapping criminal justice duties of Houston … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for October 20

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I’m old enough to remember when people inserted random words on Usenet posts in a (joking?) attempt to confuse NSA surveillance routines. The past is never dead… Cheating the lines at Disneyland is now harder to do. Dodos apparently lasted … Continue reading →

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RIP, Bum Phillips

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A sad day in Houston. Oail Andrew “Bum” Phillips Jr., who spent half his adult life as a football coach and every waking moment as the personification of all things Texan, died Friday at his ranch in Goliad. Phillips was … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of Controller’s race

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an interesting race. On paper, City Controller Ron Green would appear to have been ripe for a bevy of challengers in November. The city’s elected financial watchdog owes tens of thousands of dollars to the IRS, was criticized for … Continue reading →

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Let’s not get the private high speed rail line bogged down in politics

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I’m always interested in stories about the Texas high speed rail line. The company, Texas Central High-Speed Railway, drew attention last year when it announced plans to develop a high-speed rail line without public subsidies. Texas transportation officials took the … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Calvert

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s second endorsement on Friday, and what should be their last for the regular election, was for Rogene Calvert in At Large #3. Experience is valuable on Houston City Council. Council members often spend their first two-year term learning … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Happy anniversary

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Old school anniversary celebration: And hey, look: A cover version! Nothing like a rousing anniversary song, is there?

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Sam Houston officially announces for AG

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston attorney and fortuitously named Democrat Sam Houston announced Thursday his plans to make a statewide run at Attorney General, making him the first Democrat to officially toss his hat in the ring. Houston, who received the most votes … Continue reading →

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Demagnetized

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Some unhappy changes are about to occur at Houston schools. HISD officials unveiled a plan Thursday to cut funding and end bus rides next year for transfer students at 20 struggling magnet schools, tackling a politically tough topic that has … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Christie

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses freshman CM Jack Christie in At Large #5. At-Large council members act as a sort of minister without portfolio. While district council members focus on constituent issues, at-large members can set their own agendas. The previous incumbent … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of At Large #2

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron looks at one of the most competitive races involving an incumbent on the ballot this year. A minister, architect and city accountant are vying to unseat Councilman Andrew C. Burks Jr. from the Position 2 at-large seat on … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Love, exciting and new

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday was my 15th wedding anniversary. In celebration of that, these are some of the mushiest love songs I have in my collection: 1. Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley 2. Just The Way You Are – Billy … Continue reading →

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Where things stand going into early voting

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A few impressions of the state of the races as we head into early voting. Mayor – The thing that I will be looking for as initial results get posted at 7 PM on November 5 is how the gaggle … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS will hear another EPA lawsuit appeal

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Gird your loins. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Texas’ challenge of federal regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources like power plants and factories, the court announced Tuesday. But it declined to hear the state’s appeals … Continue reading →

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Moving the focus back to un-crowding the jails

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a positive development. Newly appointed Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson on Wednesday pledged to curb the increasing number of low-level felons being sentenced to serve misdemeanor time in the county jail rather than going to prison, known … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Brad and Graci

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Another endorsement twofer from the Chron, this time an incumbent and an open seat. First up, the Chron endorses CM Brad Bradford for a third term. The duties of an at-large council member are not as specific as those of … Continue reading →

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Medina keeps mulling

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And I keep marveling at the very idea. Tea party Republican Debra Medina said Thursday that she is weighing a run for governor as an independent, potentially setting off a new dynamic with a three-way race. Such a decision is … Continue reading →

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On missing KBH

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. Does anyone else miss Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison? >We’re not sure how much difference one person could make in the toxic, chaotic, hyperpartisan atmosphere in Washington, but if we could choose just … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For the amendments

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron stumps for the constitutional amendments on the ballot this year. It’s an off-year election, but Texas voters still have good reasons to go to the polls Nov. 5. In addition to local races, they’ll be deciding nine proposed … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of October 14

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance thanks Sen. Ted Cruz for his hard work making the Republican Party more unpopular than ever as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Interview with Lana Edwards

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, District D is a very big field with twelve candidates running to succeed CM Wanda Adams. I published interviews with five of the candidates a few weeks ago. I don’t always reach out to all candidates in … Continue reading →

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No repeal petition for San Antonio non-discrimination ordinance

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Opponents of San Antonio’s nondiscrimination ordinance spread the word at churches and parks about their petition drive to place the policy on a citywide ballot. A few hours before Tuesday’s deadline, they informed city officials that effort had fallen … Continue reading →

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Mostly looking good for Prop 6

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A good poll result for the water infrastructure Constitutional amendment. Texans support $2 billion in water infrastructure financing by a better than 2-to-1 margin, but nearly a quarter haven’t decided how they will vote on the issue this November, according … Continue reading →

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Chron profiles the Mayor

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Sunday Chron has an expansive profile of Mayor Parker. In a system where term limits cap elected officials at six years, City Hall veterans joke that new council members spend their first year finding the bathrooms and their sixth … Continue reading →

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