Monthly Archives: March 2015

The Memphis pension cutting experience

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

In discussions about Houston’s pension liabilities, the city of Detroit is often trotted out as an analogy and cautionary tale. There’s another city that may be a more accurate comparison, and it’s offering an illustration right now of what might … Continue reading →

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Compromise bill to reform property tax appraisals

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Better than nothing, I guess, but not clear to me yet how much better. State lawmakers are looking to partly close a tax loophole that has allowed big companies to drain tens of millions of dollars from local government coffers … Continue reading →

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Alvarado’s term limits bill

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: State Representative Carol Alvarado has filed HB 2917 that, if passed by the Legislature and approved by voters, would change the city’s term limit structure to two four-year terms for the mayor, city controller and councilmembers. “The … Continue reading →

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Driverless car legislative update

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Like just about everything else under the sun, there were bills filed last week to deal with driverless cars. As self-driving cars move from futuristic concept to plausible technology, the Texas Legislature is looking to become a magnet for the … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for March 22

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

California > Texas when it comes to business. Don’t tell Greg Abbott, his head might explode. Buffy The Vampire Slayer is as revolutionary now as it was 18 years ago. “This is like watching bad cosplayers fight at the Comic-Con … Continue reading →

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Police officers’ pension fund speaks up

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The firefighters’ pension fund is the one that gets all the attention, but it’s not the only one the city is responsible for. The Houston Police Officers Pension System (HPOPS) has sent a letter to the city reminding it that … Continue reading →

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Trying again to fix birth certificates

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is encouraging. A Republican committee chairman smacked down an anti-LGBT witness Wednesday during a hearing on a proposal to allow same-sex parents to have both their names on the birth certificates of adopted children. Julie Drenner, of Texas Values, … Continue reading →

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What if they threw an election and nobody ran?

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations, Katy! The Katy City Council on Monday night canceled May’s municipal elections after no one sought to challenge the mayor and two other incumbents. The deadline to file to run was at the end of February. The only candidates … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Minjarez in HD124

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

On the eve of early voting in HD124, the Express News makes their choice for a candidate in the HD124 special election. Former Bexar County prosecutor Ina Minjarez, who now practices civil law in San Antonio, is the best choice … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Friend Of The Devil

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A vintage clip of a classic Grateful Dead song: That video is about three times as long as the studio version of the song, but hey, the Dead were a jam band. Anything less wouldn’t feel right. It’s also interesting … Continue reading →

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HD124 special election overview

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting for the special election to fill Sen. Jose Menendez’s now-vacant HD124 seat begins Monday. The Rivard Report provides a brief profile of three of the candidates in that race. Delicia Herrera, 41, who served on council from 2007 … Continue reading →

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We’re not #1 any more!

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like we’re going to need some new applause lines for our elected officials. When it comes to job growth, some Rust Belt states are gaining an edge on Texas amid the fallout from plunging oil prices. In January, Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Not a good session for equality

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I know, duh, right? Texas lawmakers have filed at least 20 anti-LGBT proposals this year—likely the most in the history of any state. It’s the type of onslaught that was widely expected among LGBT advocates, due to backlash over the … Continue reading →

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De-industrialization update

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The transformation of the Montrose/Heights border area will soon be complete. After 100 years on Washington Avenue, the Detering Co. has sold all of its prime near-downtown property and relocated to north Houston. The Houston-based building materials supply company had … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Parenthetically speaking, part 7

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some real classic this week. 1. I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead (You Rascal You) – Asylum Street Spankers 2. Istanbul (Not Constantinople) – They Might Be Giants 3. It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) … Continue reading →

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State Bar accuses Willingham prosecutor of misconduct

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. In a major turn in one of the country’s most-noted death penalty cases, the State Bar of Texas has filed a formal accusation of misconduct against the county prosecutor who convicted Cameron Todd Willingham, a Texas man executed in … Continue reading →

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Christie will not run for Mayor

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Jack Christie announced this morning that he will run for a third term as the At-Large Five Member of Houston City Council. Christie stated, “Numerous people asked me to run for Mayor, which was incredibly flattering, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

How many candidates are too many?

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Rivard Report brings up a point I hadn’t considered before. Candidates or their representatives arrived at City Council chambers Monday morning to draw lots to determine the order of name placement on the ballot. As candidates waited in the … Continue reading →

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Costco joins in on liquor sales

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not just Wal-Mart any more. Wholesale giant Costco has joined Wal-Mart and other retailers in the fight to let public corporations sell liquor in Texas. Texans for Consumer Freedom, a group formed last month to lobby Texas lawmakers to loosen … Continue reading →

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Paxton files his first lawsuit against the feds

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Won’t be his last, I’m sure, but as the first it sure seems like a rearguard action. The state of Texas is suing the Obama administration for giving medical leave benefits to certain same-sex couples, according to an announcement Wednesday … Continue reading →

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

At Large comings and goings

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Atlas Kerr, who will be running in At Large #3 against CM Michael Kubosh. I am an accounting and finance double major at the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business. I have in-depth knowledge over capital budgeting, debt/bond … Continue reading →

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Not looking good for medical marijuana

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Trail Blazers: A key lawmaker suggested Tuesday that a bill legalizing marijuana for medical use is probably “dead,” but the sponsor said she’s not discouraged by the “premature” pushback. The bill has not yet been referred to a committee, … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of March 16

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is still full from celebrating Pi Day as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Sources say Garcia is in for Mayor

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I feel like I’ve read this story before. Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has decided to run to become Houston’s next mayor and could announce his bid within the next month, according to multiple sources with firsthand knowledge of his … Continue reading →

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Local control deathwatch: Environment

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Unsurprisingly, the Denton fracking ban has provoked a strong reaction. As policy dilemmas go, the one triggered when Denton voters decided last fall to ban hydraulic fracturing in their city looked like a whopper: The oil and gas industry versus … Continue reading →

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The cost of unplanned pregnancies

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Wonkblog: Unintended pregnancies cost American taxpayers $21 billion each year, according to a new analysis released by the Guttmacher Institute. That averages out to a cost of about $366 per every woman of childbearing age in the U.S. Overall, … Continue reading →

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On Uber and DWI

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This was from a few weeks ago, and I just hadn’t gotten around to finishing the draft post I’d started till now. The entrance of app-based transportation companies in American cities decreases the likelihood that people living there drive drunk, … Continue reading →

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Targeting straight ticket voting

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Trail Blazers: Texas is one of only 10 states still doing straight-ticket voting but a North Texas legislator is hoping to change that. At a hearing today, Rep. Ron Simmons (R-Carrollton) told the Elections Committee that doing away with … Continue reading →

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Bill to neuter Public Integrity Unit advances

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Still a bad idea. A measure that would take the state’s public corruption-fighting unit out of the hands of the Travis County district attorney’s office and place it in the Texas attorney general’s office was approved Monday by the Senate … Continue reading →

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Beer legislation 2.0

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Just because craft brewers succeeded in passing a bill allowing them to sell beer for consumption on their premises last session doesn’t mean there isn’t more that can be done to advance the cause of beer freedom. Twinned bills introduced … Continue reading →

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Overpass groundbreaking

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Progress. After years of conflict among community members and leaders, construction of Metro’s new Harrisburg overpass is officially underway in Houston’s East End. “It’s not just a bridge; it’s going to be a landmark in the city,” Metropolitan Transit Authority … Continue reading →

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The state spending cap is a stupid idea

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

And the Republicans want to make it worse. Texas Senate leaders on Tuesday announced another round of efforts to change the way the state determines its two-year spending limit, and keep tax cuts from counting toward the constitutional cap on … Continue reading →

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HISD postpones redrawing school boundaries

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This stuff is hard, y’all. The school board [had planned] to vote Thursday on the district’s biggest rezoning plan in recent years, involving more than two dozen campuses. The proposal mostly would redraw attendance boundaries to shift homes from more … Continue reading →

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R Kelly still on the bill at FPSF 2015

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Progress report from the Cancel R Kelly At FPSF 2015 Facebook page: No progress to report. Thanks for all the support! On Monday March 9th, we met again with Free Press Summer Fest. They had nothing to report about any … Continue reading →

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