Monthly Archives: December 2018

The losers of 2018

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Allow me to point you to the Observer’s list of six Texas political players who lost power in 2018. I’d call it five-sixths of a good list, plus one entry I don’t quite understand. 3) Bexar County Democrats Want to … Continue reading →

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Now how much would you pay for that emergency room visit?

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Guess higher, and it is a guess because who knows what you’ll wind up getting charged for it. Fifteen months after Texas enacted a law to bring transparency to the state’s for-profit free-standing emergency rooms, many of the facilities continue … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for December 30

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

“But nothing was more telling about this majority than the way it dismissed the issue it rode in on as soon as Trump replaced Obama. So before House Republicans come apologizing again for their past mistakes and begging for another … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 14 Comments

Here come the new judges

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

They’re going to be fine. Seriously, everyone chill out. [Frank] Aguilar said some of his Democratic colleagues may not have a lot of judicial experience, but most have had long careers as lawyers and have the experience they need to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Orlando Sanchez’s bizarre press conference

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

What a weird thing. It was an absolutely wild afternoon for Harris County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez. He planned to have a news conference across the street from the HISD administration building, but things didn’t go as planned. Protestors showed up … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Paxton prosecutors take their shot at a do-over

Posted on December 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. In a fiery filing that amounts to a legal Hail Mary, the attorneys appointed to prosecute Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton implored the state’s highest criminal court to take the unusual step of considering their case again because … Continue reading →

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Another straight-ticket truther

Posted on December 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Hello, outgoing Fort Bend DA John Healey! When John Healey began his career as a young prosecutor in Fort Bend County in the early 1980s, Ronald Reagan was president, MTV had just gone on the air and the then-rural county … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

From the “If at first you don’t succeed” department

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Three Dem Congressional candidates from 2018 may try again in 2020. Among the typically deep-red districts that came down to single digits were three races around Harris County. Incumbent Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, and Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, won by … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Better sidewalks needs to be everyone’s job

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the only way we’re going to make progress. Houstonians annoyed by cracked, missing or buckled sidewalks along their streets may be surprised to learn that city rules make residents responsible for fixing them. At the urging of council members … Continue reading →

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

The Harris County GOP has not hit bottom yet

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I have four thing to say about this. Drubbed. Shellacked. Whooped. Walloped. Routed. However you want to describe November’s midterm election, it was disastrous for Harris County Republicans. They were swept from the remaining countywide posts they held — the other shoe … Continue reading →

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More Congressional retirement speculation

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From Roll Call: Life in the minority will be a new experience for most House Republicans next year. And many of them may not remember what happened the last time the GOP lost the House. After the 2006 Democratic wave, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Watch your packages

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

They’re disappearing off porches at an increasing rate. Package thefts have become a growing problem across the country, Texas and Houston as more people shop online. Nearly 26 million Americans have had a holiday package stolen, according to a study … Continue reading →

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Recruiting more women for 2020

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We made a lot of progress towards better gender balance in our various legislative bodies this year. If we want to make more progress in 2020, it starts with finding and recruiting more female candidates. Even on a rainy Thursday … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s tree-recycling time

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s what you need to know. You have nearly three weeks to do this. Don’t miss out.

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Texas blog roundup for the week of December 24

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes everyone the happiest of holidays as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Mel Torme once again wishes you a Merry Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

You know the story by now, my favorite Christmas story ever. If you know it, treat yourself and read it again. If you don’t know it, if you’re new here and you have no idea what I’m talking about, go … Continue reading →

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And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle

Posted on December 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

As always, my favorite Christmas Eve video: May you and yours get all your Christmas wishes fulfilled.

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Santa’s employment agency

Posted on December 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good work if you can get it. If you have had a picture taken with Santa Claus in San Antonio this holiday season, there’s a good chance he was booked through a local business run by a head elf. That … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for December 23

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

“The focus on the technology behind fake media obscures more pressing questions about the psychology and sociology of viral false narratives.” “I hate the fact that I believe this, but I do, in fact, believe pretty strongly that conservatives on … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

Pete Sessions’ fine whine

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

There ain’t enough cheese in the entire state of Wisconsin to accompany this. Rep. Pete Sessions’ campaign might be over. But he isn’t over it. The Dallas Republican is still smoldering about the circumstances that led to his decisive loss … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, General snarkiness | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Recapture reinterpretation lawsuit update

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is a bit in the weeds, so bear with me. Houston ISD likely will keep an additional tens of millions of dollars more in property tax revenues each year following a widely expected Texas appeals court decision Friday. Judges … Continue reading →

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

Will Amazon ruin Christmas trees?

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe! Amazon this year launched a new service to deliver full-sized, fresh Christmas trees to customers’ homes, betting that lots of people will prefer convenience over experience. The mega-etailer has shown time and time again that it can change consumer … Continue reading →

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HD145 and HD79 special elections set

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Another sprint. Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday set a Jan. 29 special election to fill state Sen. Carol Alvarado’s seat in the Texas House, hours after she was sworn in to the upper chamber. Alvarado, D-Houston, won a special election … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Asking the unanswered questions

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Ross Ramsey goes there on Sen. Charles Schwertner. The problem is that the investigation at UT didn’t reach any final conclusions. The investigator couldn’t prove Schwertner was at fault, but also couldn’t prove he was not. There is no evidence … Continue reading →

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

El Nino 2018

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. Houstonians can expect more rain than usual — and possibly street flooding — this winter, thanks to El Niño. The National Weather Service forecasts an 80 percent chance for a weak to moderate El Niño this winter, … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Here comes the latest school finance report

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I figure the smart money is always on efforts like this to fail, but you never know. After hours of discussion Wednesday, a state panel studying school finance stripped its final report of language that blamed the state for inadequate … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Is there a better way to predict flooding?

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This startup thinks so. An artificial intelligence startup now says it can provide that warning. The company, One Concern, has announced that it can predict whether your block will flood — and if so, by how much — five days … Continue reading →

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Time for the biennial annotation of gambling bills that will not pass

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This one is creative, I’ll give it that. A Texas lawmaker has proposed subsidizing the state’s underfunded windstorm insurance and flooding assistance by building casinos in coastal counties. State Rep. Joe Deshotel filed the bill on Dec. 7 to cover … Continue reading →

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

Precinct analysis: Collier versus Beto

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib looks at some numbers. Mike Collier, the Democrat who ran for and lost the race for lieutenant governor last month, wasn’t the star of his party’s ticket. But by some measures, Collier did better in this year’s general … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

And now we move forward with Prop B

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

No other option. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Wednesday his administration is moving forward to implement the voter-approved charter amendment granting Houston firefighters equal pay to police of corresponding rank and seniority, though the city has not yet determined when firefighters … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 75 Comments

The Russia-Texas-secession connection

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

So many people got played. A sprawling Russian disinformation campaign aimed at influencing the 2016 elections found success with social media accounts promoting the idea of Texas secession, according to a report commissioned by the U.S. Senate that was released … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of December 17

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is busy decorating for Mueller-mas as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Metro moving forward on 2019 referendum

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I’m ready for it. The Metropolitan Transit Authority is expected to ask voters next fall for more than $3 billion in borrowing authority to implement its next wave of transit projects. The 20-year plan laid out by Metro officials includes … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Restraining order lifted on firefighter pay referendum

Posted on December 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Back to the planning stage. A state district judge on Tuesday dissolved a temporary restraining order blocking implementation of the voter-approved charter amendment granting pay parity to Houston firefighters and denied further attempts by the city and police union to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments