Monthly Archives: June 2014

Weekend link dump for June 22

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

#OrangeIsTheNewPrisonReformHashtag. I guess that’s kind of long as hashtags go. The OJ Simpson saga cast of characters, 20 years later. “Hillary Clinton would start out as a favorite — albeit not a heavy one — over Jeb Bush or any … Continue reading →

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A Greg Abbott threefer

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Trail Blazers: Dallas appeals court rules fired prosecutor can pursue whistleblowing case against Greg Abbott’s office In May 2009, a former assistant attorney general in Greg Abbott’s office sued the Office of the Attorney General in Dallas County court, claiming … Continue reading →

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Company operating SH 130 may default

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. The company behind a privately operated Texas toll road that sports the country’s fastest speed limit is dangerously close to defaulting on its debt, according to a credit rating agency. According to a report released this week by Moody’s … Continue reading →

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The Texarkana experience

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Texarcana literally sits on the border between Texas and Arkansas, partly in one state and partly in the other. That means that some of its residents may be eligible for a health insurance subsidy under Arkansas’ Medicaid … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Careless Whisper

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Back to the 80s, a time and place we’ve visited more than a few times, and one of the biggest hits by Wham!. I wasn’t a big fan of Wham! back in the day, but this was the song of … Continue reading →

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HISD passes its budget

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

They restored a lot of funding, but it’s the changes to magnet school funding that everyone is talking about. Bouncing back from recent cash-strapped years, the Houston school board Thursday approved a bigger budget that gives raises to all employees, … Continue reading →

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Another entry for the judicial election files

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Get Wallace Jefferson on the phone for me, will ya? Three justices on the Tennessee Supreme Court are facing an election-year attack, not for any particular decision they have authored or even for any unpopular opinion they have espoused. No, … Continue reading →

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Reading and writing and operating systems

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Religion, politics, and operating systems – three things sure to start a spirited discussion. By January 2016, when the Houston Independent School District’s latest tech initiative hits full stride, the district will issue laptops to every high school student and … Continue reading →

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Feral hogs cross the border

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

You can’t stop them, and hoping to contain them is not looking so likely, too. If nothing else, the voracious wild hogs that years ago destroyed the lucrative melon and cantaloupe harvests in this isolated border city — and are … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Lockjaw and The Chief

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Names that start with E often come with nicknames. That’s the lesson we learn this week. 1. Mighty Mighty – Earth Wind & Fire 2. All Because of You Days – Echo and the Bunnymen 3. Leapin’ On Lenox – … Continue reading →

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Council adopts its budget for next year

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Might be the last easy budget for a couple of years. The Houston City Council agreed to boost funding for after-school programs, add cameras to catch illegal dumpers and give $1 million to each district council office to spend on … Continue reading →

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DeLay gets his day before the CCA

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like he might have had a pretty good day, too. Oral arguments in Tom DeLay’s decadelong legal fight with the Travis County District Attorney’s office heated up Wednesday as Republican judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals questioned … Continue reading →

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Special session for border security?

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

What could possibly go wrong? State Sen. Dan Patrick, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, joined some of his conservative colleagues on Tuesday in calling for “immediate action” to address the surge of undocumented immigrants crossing into Texas. “The Texas … Continue reading →

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Bad signs of the times

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t even know what to say. Cypress-Fairbanks ISD will spend $55 million to tighten school security, including installing strategically placed panic buttons on campuses and replacing existing entry windows with bullet-resistant glass – upgrades experts call a necessary but … Continue reading →

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Dave Wilson reminds us again why elections matter

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Because now when he does crap like this, it’s as an elected official and not just a yahoo crank of long standing. Dave Wilson, an anti-gay activist who won a contested race for a seat on the Houston Community College … Continue reading →

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HISD prepares its budget

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Teacher pay raises and magnet school funding changes are the main points of interest. Thanks to rising property values, all Houston ISD employees would receive raises and schools would get more money for supplies, field trips or tutors next year … Continue reading →

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Firefighters union rejects contract deal

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. The contract rejected Tuesday by 93 percent of the roughly 2,900 firefighters voting would have taken a similar approach, granting a pay raise in exchange for concessions on members’ ability to take leave. With the no vote, as of … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of June 16

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance thinks it’s the Republican Party of Texas’ platform writers that need some therapy as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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More talk about bathrooms

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The HOUEquality webpage returns to a familiar topic. 1.) Over 180 cities and municipalities across the country have implemented nondiscrimination ordinances, some have been in place for decades. There are no reports of incidents of sexual assault or rape causally … Continue reading →

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The Mayoral succession process starts in San Antonio

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

With the confirmation as Housing Secretary seemingly in the bag for San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, the process of naming an interim Mayor has begun. Not too surprisingly, there’s some conflict about this, though the issue at the root of … Continue reading →

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Today’s the day for Tom DeLay at the CCA

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Apologies for the excessive alliteration. I got on a roll and couldn’t stop. DeLay’s appellate lawyer, Brian Wice of Houston, and Travis County prosecutor Holly Taylor will argue Wednesday before the state’s highest criminal court in Austin over whether the … Continue reading →

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There’s an app for alternate mobility in Houston

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This makes a lot of sense. Technology companies might soon upend Houston’s paid ride market, but they’re already adding new options for getting around the region. Local groups and software developers are tapping into Houston’s sophisticated traffic management system to … Continue reading →

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On defining success

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It depends on what your goals are. Suppose you were a Texas Democrat and a realist. You want your candidates to win in November and to break the spirit-killing string of losses that started after the statewide elections in 1994. … Continue reading →

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HISD hires its defenders for the teacher evaluation lawsuit

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I have to say, I’m a bit uncomfortable with this. Earlier this year, seven teachers sued the Houston Independent School District in federal court over their evaluation system. That system uses a statistical formula and student test scores to grade … Continue reading →

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Once again, where are the jobs Rick Perry was trying to poach?

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Politico revisits a familiar subject. Since as early as February of last year and as recently as April of this one, Perry has made eight trips to six different states, all of which have one very particular thing in common: … Continue reading →

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Cheerleading is now a sport in Texas

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This is a real thing. Cheerleading will finally get its tryout from the University Interscholastic League. After a hearty debate and a failed first vote, the UIL Legislative Council approved a one-year pilot program to hold a league-sanctioned cheerleading competition … Continue reading →

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Of course some people will split their votes

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s just a matter of how many of them do so, and if the races in question are close enough for it to matter. Democrats are hoping the Republicans will eventually make some of the mistakes Democrats themselves made back … Continue reading →

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On cops and the revenue cap

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Parker again calls attention to the city’s stupid revenue cap and the things it will prevent the city from doing if it is left in place. If Houston voters do not want police pulled from the streets next year, … Continue reading →

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Perry appoints Pratt replacement

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Gov. Rick Perry on Friday appointed Houston family lawyer Alicia Franklin as presiding judge of Harris County’s 311th state District Court, a position left vacant in March after the resignation of disgraced freshman jurist Denise Pratt. Franklin won … Continue reading →

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Comcast wants to use your routers

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

For a massive WiFi network. Comcast is expected to flip a switch Tuesday in Houston that will turn 50,000 of its customers’ home Wi-Fi routers into a massive network of public Wi-Fi hotspots. Comcast residential Internet subscribers with one of … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for June 15

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We really shouldn’t provide tax incentives to give CEOs even higher pay than they’re already getting. If nothing else, Seattle’s $15 minimum wage will provide some objective data on the effect of such increases on employment. It’s not enough to … Continue reading →

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I repeat: Greg Abbott owns the RPT platform

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This is what I’m talking about. At its state convention in Fort Worth last week, the Texas GOP amended its platform to include support for reparative therapy “for those patients seeking healing and wholeness from their homosexual lifestyle.” In response … Continue reading →

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Another taxi survey

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Vehicle for hire industry survey The City of Houston has retained Taxi Research Partners to conduct a study of demand within the vehicle for hire industry in Houston. The study will review current market conditions, identify key … Continue reading →

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Would you let Reliant turn off your air conditioning?

Posted on June 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

In the name of conservation, of course. “Our objective is to have more and more customers participate so we can make a material difference in an event when the state needs us to make a difference,” said Elizabeth Killinger, senior … Continue reading →

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