Monthly Archives: April 2014

Will the Ashby Highrise ever be built?

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reviews the bidding so far prior to Monday’s Ashby hearing. Key to the jury’s finding was that the project should be considered a nuisance. The residents’ attorneys will ask the judge to grant a permanent injunction for the … Continue reading →

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Wallace Jefferson is still going on about judicial elections

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

In an interview in The Atlantic, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson rides his favorite hobbyhorse of partisan judicial elections. I’ve been talking about this for a long time. And I am not the first one. Republican or Democrat … Continue reading →

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No restraining order against Uber and Lyft

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The ridesharing services in Houston and San Antonio can continue to operate, at least for now. A federal judge Monday declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by Houston and San Antonio cab companies hoping to block ride-sharing services … Continue reading →

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Mayor Parker releases draft of non-discrimination ordinance

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Mayor Annise Parker today released a draft of her proposed Equal Rights Ordinance. The document is the result of more than two months of collaborative discussions with various stakeholders. “As I stated in my State of the … Continue reading →

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East Enders want the underpass

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’re talking about the long-debated Harrisburg rail line extension, for which three residents of the East End took to the Chron op-ed pages to make their case for their preferred solution. East End residents worked for years with Metro to … Continue reading →

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

Texas insurance enrollment update

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Enrollments are up and the number of uninsured are down, though both could have been a lot better. The sky-high rate of Texans without health insurance has dropped only slightly since the launch of the federal Affordable Care Act’s online … Continue reading →

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Burnam challenge awaiting appeal

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Another update on the ongoing legal challenge by State Rep. Lon Burnam, who wants his loss in the primary to Ramon Romero thrown out on the grounds that some applications for absentee ballots by Romero voters involved the use of … Continue reading →

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Retail medical clinics

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I for one think they’re a good idea. Here’s a prescription for pediatricians fighting to keep easy-to-treat, well-paying patients: Expand after-hours and weekend services to serve desperate parents in search of quick remedies for their kids’ late-night sore throats and … Continue reading →

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City asks court to let Ashby Highrise be built

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. The city on Friday asked a judge to let the Ashby high-rise project go forward after seven years of wrangling and a recent jury verdict in favor of nearby residents who oppose the 21-story tower planned for 1717 Bissonnet. … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for April 20

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Personally, I think the way to deal with fans who run onto the field is to have more stadium security at the fences. Yeah, most of these guys are just drunken fools, but it only takes one evildoer to cause … Continue reading →

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Court rules for the EPA against Texas again

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Another win for the environment. A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the Obama administration’s new rules that for the first time limit emissions of mercury and other harmful pollutants from coal- and oil-fired power plants. In a split decision, … Continue reading →

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HCC has not begun any 2012 bond construction yet

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I hadn’t realized it was taking this long. A divided Houston Community College board has failed to approve construction contracts for its November 2012 voter-approved bond program, potentially costing the college system tens of millions of dollars in fines. The … Continue reading →

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Uber uber alles

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Uber rolled out a new service in Manhattan [last] Tuesday that foreshadows the five-year-old company’s plans to become much more than a platform for e-hailing taxi and town car rides. Now, with UberRUSH, the company is piloting a … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Beautiful

Posted on April 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Another installment of Same Name, Different Song. The song is “Beautiful”, and our first contestants are G. Love & Special Sauce, featuring Tristan Prettyman: I do love me a good duet. G. Love has a new album out that you … Continue reading →

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Council approves hoarding ordinance

Posted on April 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I think they’re on the right track. The Houston City Council unanimously approved an anti-hoarding ordinance Wednesday without a clear idea of how it will be enforced. The ordinance, which does not apply to single-family homes, clarifies when police can … Continue reading →

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The explosion in West will change nothing

Posted on April 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

That’s just how we roll around here. A year after the blast killed 15 people and injured hundreds, Texas lawmakers have yet to propose or put into action any major reforms in an attempt to prevent future industrial accidents, whether … Continue reading →

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The equal pay issue in SD10

Posted on April 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Just as the issue of equal pay has become a big deal in the Governor’s race, so is it an issue in the race to succeed Sen. Wendy Davis in SD10. In the battle for Senate District 10, [Konni] Burton … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: The not-so-special SD04

Posted on April 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Before we get to the primary runoffs, we must first settle the special election business in SD04. The Chron attempts to pick the best of a mostly sorry lot of candidates to replace Sen. Tommy Williams. Residents of state Senate … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten – Baby, You Can Drive My Car Part 1

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

There are lots of songs about different kinds of cars. Here are ten of them. 1. Cadillac Ranch – Bruce Springsteen 2. Elvis Rolls Royce – Was (Not Was) 3. Hey, Little Minivan – Austin Lounge Lizards 4. Jaguar – … Continue reading →

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Sorry, the Sriracha factory will not be coming to Texas

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The ongoing battle between the makers of Sriracha sauce and their hometown flared up again last week. The Irwindale City Council has voted unanimously to declare the spicy smell of Sriracha hot sauce production a public nuisance. Once the council … Continue reading →

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Mail ballots being mailed out for primary runoffs

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The first batch of over 38,000 postal ballots for the May 27, 2014 Primary Runoff Elections have been mailed and will be arriving in voters’ mailboxes this week. This mailing represents the highest number of mail ballots … Continue reading →

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Boats N Hoes

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

With friends like these… The name of a fundraising group made waves in the tug-of-war between Republicans and Democrats over women voters on Wednesday. Political consulting firm employee Shaun Nowacki registered the political action committee, “Boats ‘N Hoes PAC,” with … Continue reading →

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The dino turtle

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Please don’t go extinct. The extremely rare, utterly impressive and scary looking alligator snapping turtle is actually even more rare than first thought, according to a study out of Florida this week. Researchers in in the sunshine state have found … Continue reading →

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Uber goes rogue

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

That sound you hear is me shaking my head. At least one ride-sharing company has decided to openly defy city law that bans its unlicensed drivers from charging for rides. While a few free-ride promotions remain ongoing, Uber spokeswoman Nairi … Continue reading →

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Castro v Patrick

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Who do you think won? Democratic Mayor Julián Castro and GOP lieutenant governor candidate Dan Pat- rick of Houston clashed over immigration policy on Tuesday in a rowdy debate that left both politicians claiming victory. The politicians stood by the … Continue reading →

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HISD unveils new mascots

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here they are. The cafeteria at Hamilton Middle School showcases a painting of a Native American in a feathered headdress. Students wear collared shirts with a similar symbol. They were, until Tuesday, the Hamilton Indians. Now, with a new school … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of April 14

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance honors the legacy of LBJ and the continuing struggle for civil rights as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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PPP: Abbott 51, Davis 37

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Another discouraging poll from PPP. In the Governor’s race Greg Abbott’s at 51% to 37% for Wendy Davis. Those numbers are largely unchanged from our last poll of the state in early November when Abbott had a 50/35 advantage. Davis … Continue reading →

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City issues One Bin RFPs

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Mayor Annise Parker today announced the issuance of a Request for Proposals and creation of an advisory committee for the One Bin for All waste management and diversion project. The City of Houston invites submittals from short-listed … Continue reading →

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SA City Council to begin the plastic bag debate

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I look forward to seeing what direction they go. City staffers Wednesday plan to recommend to the City Council’s Governance Committee that San Antonio move forward with a ban on single-use plastic and paper bags. The recommendation comes after vetting … Continue reading →

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The Rick Perry grand jury convenes

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Game on. A grand jury was sworn in Monday to look into whether Gov. Rick Perry acted improperly last year when he threatened to kill funding for the Travis County district attorney’s public corruption division unless District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg … Continue reading →

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Another trip down Demography Lane

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the Sunday Chron op-ed pages: Texas is headed for the ditch, but few people are aware of the state’s perilous path. The demographers have seen the future, though, because it’s foretold in their numbers. And they’ve been sounding the … Continue reading →

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Perry lawyers up

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s getting real. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has hired a high-profile Austin defense lawyer to represent him in an investigation into whether he illegally withheld money from the Travis County District Attorney’s office. KVUE News and the Austin American-Statesman confirmed … Continue reading →

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Regulating Bitcoin in Texas

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Bitcoin regulations. We have ’em. Texas will not treat Bitcoin and other virtual currencies as legal money, according to a new memo from the Texas Department of Banking. Yet some companies that deal in Bitcoin transactions could draw state oversight, even … Continue reading →

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