Monthly Archives: September 2017

Endorsement watch: HGLBT Political Caucus, CVPE, and GPS

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Houston GLBT Political Caucus PAC met on September 9, 2017. At the meeting the membership voted to endorse the following candidates: Kara DeRocha for HISD School Board Trustee – District V Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca for … Continue reading →

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Will we spend on some flood mitigation projects?

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. We’ll see. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is calling for the construction of flood control infrastructure in the Houston area — things he said should have been built “decades and decades ago” — including … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Harvey’s car carnage

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Lot of people lost their wheels in the floods. More than a week after Harvey slammed Houston, wreckers like Bryan Harvey are still hauling cars and trucks from flooded neighborhoods to dealerships or to vast fields where insurance adjusters can … Continue reading →

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What will this school year be like?

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

School has finally started for most of HISD and many surrounding districts, but with the devastation and disruption of Harvey, what can we expect from this academic year? Many students in Houston ISD lost everything – their homes, their school … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

More post-Harvey ideas

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron, which likens this moment to what Galveston faced after the great hurricane of 1900: 1. Establish a regional flood control authority Floodwaters ignore city-limit signs and county-line markers. We can’t adequately address drainage issues with a mélange … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The HCC lineup

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

When I published the July finance reports for HCC trustees, I noted that the only reports available were for incumbents. There was no way to tell who might be challenging the two trustees up for re-election (Carolyn Evans-Shabazz and Robert … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Harvey and the elections

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Labor Day weekend of odd-numbered years is considered to be the opening weekend of Houston election season. The filing deadline has passed, so the fields are set and people (supposedly, at least) begin to pay attention. Candidate forums are held, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017, Election 2018, Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Who will rebuild Houston?

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Vox points out what should be obvious. Unauthorized immigrants were crucial to rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. And they are likely to be desperately needed as Texas rebuilds to clean streets, demolish buildings, and reconstruct homes and offices. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The trans community is fully engaged now

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One positive thing came out of this months-long anti-transgender legislative assault. For more than a year, [Dan] Patrick pulled out all the stops for the bathroom bills, which would have restricted restroom use based on biological sex and undone local … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for September 10

Posted on September 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

“Legal Aid should be a backbone of our social safety net, and limiting that service based on state bar requirements doesn’t seem to be helping anybody.” How does a remake of Lord of the Flies, but with girls instead, grab … Continue reading →

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Lawsuits filed over dam releases

Posted on September 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. A group of flooded-out Harris County homeowners and businesses sued the federal government on Tuesday, accusing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of knowingly condemning their properties by releasing water from the Barker and Addicks … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Ballot order

Posted on September 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Kevin Drum finds this paper, entitled “The Ballot Order Effect is Huge: Evidence from Texas”, by a professor at Sam Houston State, and notes that it confirms what we have all long believed, that being first on the ballot in … Continue reading →

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The Texas Infectious Disease Readiness Task Force

Posted on September 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We have such a thing, and at a time like this that’s good to know. Most Texans don’t regularly concern themselves with infectious diseases such as typhus, Ebola, Zika, or the plague. But in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, public … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Shame On You

Posted on September 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing with the shame theme, here’s the Indigo Girls: They should have had more success on mainstream rock radio. Maybe I’m just a sucker for vocal harmonies, but they were and are excellent at what they do. Now here’s Willie … Continue reading →

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Plaintiffs ask SCOTUS to back down in redistricting fight

Posted on September 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This week’s update: The challengers told the justices that the Supreme Court lacks the power to review the state’s request because there is nothing to put on hold: The lower court has neither blocked the state’s current redistricting plan nor … Continue reading →

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Charity Navigator on your best bets for Harvey relief

Posted on September 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

In case you’re still making up your mind about how to donate to Harvey relief. Hurricane Harvey made landfall on Friday evening, August 25th, as the first Category 4 hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Charley in 2004. … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hiding in Harvey’s shadows

Posted on September 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Most of the people who have been affected by Harvey have begun to get help for their recovery. Undocumented immigrants represent the bulk of those who have not. The water surged into the modest low-lying apartments with the full force … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Friday random eleven – Be all that you can be

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Going to eleven this week because I felt like it. 1. Be Good Johnny – Men At Work 2. Be Like The Man – Mieka Pauley 3. Be Like You – Asylum Street Spankers 4. Be My Baby – The … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over Crosby plant explosion

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be fun to watch. Seven first responders who were exposed to fumes from a chemical fire last week at a Crosby, Texas, manufacturing plant have filed suit against the plant’s owner, alleging that the company’s negligence caused … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Two GOP State Reps seek Senate promotions

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Item One: State Rep. Cindy Burkett, R-Sunnyvale, launched a challenge Tuesday to state Sen. Bob Hall of Edgewood, setting up a Republican primary clash in North Texas. “I am proud of what I have accomplished for Texas and for all … Continue reading →

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Most but not all HISD schools will open Monday

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the latest. Nine storm-damaged Houston ISD campuses will remain temporarily closed when many district students return to classes for the fall following a two-week delay caused by Hurricane Harvey, Superintendent Richard Carranza said Thursday. Meanwhile, students at nearly 80 … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit stays voter ID ruling

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. The state of Texas can use its revised voter ID measure for the upcoming November elections, a divided federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday. The 2-1 decision, first reported by Politico Tuesday night, came from a panel of three … Continue reading →

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

Local government buildings took it on the chin from Harvey

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Houses, businesses, schools, churches, government offices – the destruction caused by Harvey and the bill to fix it all keeps adding up. Local governments grappled Tuesday with the staggering costs of responding to and cleaning up after Hurricane Harvey, a … Continue reading →

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From the “Stupid haters gonna stupidly hate” department

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the same basic story we hear about every time there’s a natural disaster, though with a bit of a twist this time. When Sandy hit the New York metropolitan area in 2012, the floodwaters in Lower Manhattan were still … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of September 4

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance suggests a donation to the United Way Houston Relief Fund to help everyone affected by Hurricane Harvey as it brings you this week’s roundup. Off the Kuff celebrated the federal court ruling that halted enforcement of … Continue reading →

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On DACA

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t have enough words to sufficiently condemn Donald Trump’s shameful decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. So, I’m going to let these people to speak for me. And these people, and these people, and this … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, National news | Tagged , , , , | 27 Comments

Tilman Fertitta buys the Rockets

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the new boss. Houston billionaire Tillman Fertitta has reached an agreement to purchase the Houston Rockets from Leslie Alexander. The $2.2 billion sale price to break the NBA record sale of $2 billion from when the Clippers were sold … Continue reading →

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Trump’s Justice Department goes all in on voter ID

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Despicable, but what did you expect? Continuing a dramatic reversal on voting rights under President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Justice is asking a federal appeals court to allow Texas to enforce a photo voter identification law that a … Continue reading →

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

More on the SB4 ruling

Posted on September 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Circling back to one of the big court decisions from last week, Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern talks to ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt about what was blocked by federal Judge Orlando Garcia in the “sanctuary cities” lawsuit. Mark Joseph Stern: SB … Continue reading →

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The case for calling a Harvey special session

Posted on September 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Gene Wu disagrees with Greg Abbott’s decision. The historic level of damage and suffering caused by Harvey requires that we tap into our state’s Rainy Day Fund. Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to not call a special session of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Now is an excellent time to give blood

Posted on September 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

You want a simple but vital thing to do to help with Harvey recovery? Schedule a blood donation. The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is appealing for donations after a four-day stoppage in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey that … Continue reading →

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No re-rematch for Gallego against Hurd

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The third time is not a charm, mostly because there won’t be a third time. Former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, has decided not to try again to reclaim his old seat in Congress. “Know that my public service is … Continue reading →

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The mosquitopocalypse is coming

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It just keeps getting better and better. Harvey’s rain may have left Houston behind, but there’s another storm headed our way. It’s a cloud of mosquitoes, which breed in standing water and soon will be hatching by the millions. “It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Weekend link dump for September 3

Posted on September 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Just another day at the movies. No big deal. “Why would you attempt to pull a con on a community made up of hundreds of thousands of Meddling Kids?” The case for Taylor Swift’s new song being about Arya Stark. … Continue reading →

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