Monthly Archives: March 2014

Saturday video break: All I Want

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Just because two songs have the same name it doesn’t mean they’re the same song. In theory there’s an unlimited number of possible song titles, but in practice there are a lot of reruns. Example #2 from my collection is … Continue reading →

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Add Tennessee to the list

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A partial win, but the rest will follow. A federal judge here granted a preliminary injunction Friday against the state’s ban on same-sex marriage in certain instances. In October three same-sex couples filed a lawsuit asking the state to recognize … Continue reading →

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The case for Kinky

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib sums up the reasons for voting for the Kinkster in the runoff. The race for agriculture commissioner is far down the list, both in terms of voter interest and the interest of people who write checks to political … Continue reading →

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HPD crime lab update

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The man who wrote the report detailing all of the HPD crime lab’s problems was back to give a progress report on how things look now. Houston police managers at the once-shuttered crime lab have failed to re-examine tests on … Continue reading →

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Dodson to be closed, Jones to be revamped

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, only one school was closed by HISD, but a lot of people are still upset about the whole thing. During a rowdy meeting where police had to quiet shouting protestors, the Houston school board narrowly agreed Thursday … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: My wild Irish Rose

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, some Irish music. 1. Irish Rover – Flying Fish Sailors 2. Star Of The County Down – Gordian Knot 3. Molly Malone – Ceili’s Muse 4. Into The Mystic – Van Morrison 5. The … Continue reading →

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The Dew is in it to win it

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Let the attack ads begin! Despite mounting pressure to throw in the towel, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst skipped a Wednesday deadline to take his name off the May 27 primary runoff ballot, instead committing himself to an expensive come-from-behind battle … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

AG opinion sought on bag bans

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. As proponents continue to tout the benefits of banning plastic bags, the debate over whether Texas cities like Austin actually have the ability to enact such ordinances has made its way to the attorney general’s office. In a letter … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lyft has some stumbles

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. Lyft, known for its pink mustaches, has again been caught red-handed in Houston breaking a basic driving law. A driver for the company, which pairs riders with drivers via smartphone app, picked up a Houston investigator Monday and was … Continue reading →

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Rename this!

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. Reliant Park will soon be called NRG Park and Reliant Stadium NRG Stadium, after NRG Energy, the parent company of one of the largest electric retailers in the Houston area. County sources say NRG, which acquired Reliant’s retail operations … Continue reading →

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Oh, Buc-ee’s

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Convenience-store chain Buc-ee’s Ltd. has garnered lots of attention for its clean restrooms. But this week, it’s the owners’ endorsement of tea party favorite Dan Patrick, who faces incumbent David Dewhurst in the Republican runoff for lieutenant governor, that’s … Continue reading →

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More Obamacare enrollments, still lots more needed

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

That’s pretty much the story. Texas enrollment in the online insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act rose steadily in February but did not meet expectations set forth by the Obama administration, according to figures that the U.S. Department … Continue reading →

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Last stand against school closures

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Last chance, too. Community activists called Tuesday for HISD to spare two schools from closure in a last-ditch effort that included filing a federal civil-rights complaint alleging racial discrimination. Charles X. White, president of the city’s South Park Super Neighborhood … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of March 10

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is always springing forward as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Oh yeah, that other election

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve had the primary, and we’ll have the runoff in late May. In between, there’s the special election in SD04 to replace Tommy Williams. Overshadowed by a heated primary season, a special election will be held on May 10 in … Continue reading →

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Enough with analyzing Democratic primary turnout already

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Seriously, enough of this. Republicans saw a turnout of 11.4 percent of registered voters, or 1.5 million people, in 2010 when their primary featured the long-awaited clash between Gov. Rick Perry and then-U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. The GOP primary … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

San Antonio plastic bag ban update

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an update on the city of San Antonio’s effort to regulate plastic bag usage, which may include a ban. It’s written by San Antonio City Council member Cris Medina, who is the point person for the effort. Late last … Continue reading →

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Street closings ahead

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. Three busy Houston streets will shut down to vehicular traffic on selected Sunday afternoons in an effort to see if car-bound residents will walk, bike and explore each block rather than simply drive through. The … Continue reading →

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Comparing Davis and White

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

In 2010, Bill White received 517,487 votes in the Democratic primary, for 76.0% of the vote. Wendy Davis just received 432,065 votes, for 79.1% of the total but 85,422 fewer votes than White. As is always the case, the change … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What should we do about hurricane preparedness?

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Or, to put the question another way: Ike Dike, Ike Floodgate, something else, or nothing? In 2009, months after Hurricane Ike devastated the upper Texas coast, Texas A&M-Galveston professor William Merrell unveiled a multibillion-dollar plan – to much skepticism – … Continue reading →

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Transit ridership up nationally

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some encouraging news here. More Americans used buses, trains and subways in 2013 than in any year since 1956 as service improved, local economies grew and travelers increasingly sought alternatives to the automobile for trips within metropolitan areas, the American … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Inmates and Medicaid

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Other states are doing what Texas has declined to do. Being arrested in Chicago for, say, drug possession or assault gets you sent to the Cook County Jail to be fingerprinted, photographed and X-rayed. You’ll also get help applying for … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A new day for the Harris County GOP?

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg postmortems the changing of the guard at the Harris County GOP. Now that [Paul] Simpson defeated [Jared] Woodfill in the Republican primary election earlier this week, [Rep. Sarah] Davis is hoping her past experience with him is prologue. … Continue reading →

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Three of five schools escape closure

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

For now, at least. The other two are still on the block. Three small schools will be spared from closure at the urging of Houston school board president Juliet Stipeche, but Jones High and Dodson Elementary remain on the potential … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

The name game, primary style

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, Democrats have had some issues in recent primaries with random results based on low information and name variations. Turns out Republicans have those issues, too. This year, names may have also factored in other races, including the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Metro reports an increase in boardings with bikes

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The number of people using bikes to extend their bus trips (or vice versa) increased more than 47 percent jumping from 12,111 bike bus boardings in January 2013 to 17,859 in January this year, That’s according to … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for March 9

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

“I don’t know about you, but the idea that every single person in America who has ever had an injection has been protected because we harvest the blood of a forgettable sea creature with a hidden chemical superpower makes me … Continue reading →

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Rasmussen: Abbott 53, Davis 41

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We have our first non-UT/Trib poll result for this cycle. The latest statewide survey of Likely Texas Voters shows Abbott with 53% support to 41% for Davis. At this early point in the campaign, there are surprisingly few voters who … Continue reading →

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Firefighters union ratifies no-brownout agreement

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Members of the Houston firefighters’ union have signed off on a deal with Mayor Annise Parker that would prevent pulling firetrucks from service to help balance the Fire Department’s budget. “We’re very pleased that the union membership ratified the … Continue reading →

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Still dreaming about MLB in San Antonio

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From The Rivard Report, a grassroots group in the Alamo City is keeping hope alive. If you’ve been a San Antonio sports fan for any length of time, you’ve heard it. It’s the label that the Alamo City has been … Continue reading →

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The Texas Future Project

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. High-powered Democrats from Texas and California have joined with national labor unions in an effort to mobilize out-of-state donors and raise millions of dollars to build a progressive majority in the Lone Star State that could change state … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: All Around My Hat

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Songs from the folks tradition are by definition covers, since there obviously is no original recording. One of my favorites is All Around My Hat. It was a hit for Steeleye Span in the 70s: Later, Status Quo covered Steeleye’s … Continue reading →

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What will The Dew do this time?

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Go negative or go home is the strategy the pundits have selected for him. Political experts have a bit of advice for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s re-election campaign: go negative or go home. The incumbent Senate president was crushed in … Continue reading →

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We’ll get our new trains in January

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We have a deadline. The company building Metro’s new trains will deliver the final car to Houston five months late, according to a revised schedule submitted to the transit agency. The Metropolitan Transit Authority is reviewing the schedule, spokesman Jerome … Continue reading →

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