Monthly Archives: January 2020

Uptown BRT pushed back to July

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Sigh. Opening day for Houston’s first bus rapid transit line has been pushed back to mid-summer as construction enters the final steps along most of the route before reaching a three-month testing period. Service is expected to start no earlier … Continue reading →

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Jeter, Walker elected to Hall of Fame

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations. Derek Jeter received the second-highest plurality in the history of Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in being elected Tuesday along with Larry Walker in the 2020 balloting verified by Ernst & … Continue reading →

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Interview with Lawrence Allen

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We continue in HD26, where incumbent Rick Miller self-immolated and quickly wound up vacating this very competitive seat. Lawrence Allen, Jr. is a current member of the State Board of Education, in District 4, a seat he has held since … Continue reading →

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The Democrats’ voter registration strategy

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the Texas Signal: [Last] Monday, the Texas Democratic Party announced the largest voter registration program in the history of the state. This massive effort will be done in conjunction with Fair Fight, a voting rights organization started by Stacey … Continue reading →

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You can’t move on from something you haven’t faced up to

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s not how it works. Neither Jose Altuve nor Alex Bregman, two principal players on a 2017 team that executed what Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred described as a “player-driven and player-executed” system to violate baseball’s rules and defraud … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Interview with Sarah DeMerchant

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

One more time to legislative races, and one more time to a district carried by Beto. Like the others of that class, HD26 has drawn a full field of contenders to bring it across the finish line and into the … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Steve Miears

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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Meanwhile, the HISD Board of Trustees is still a thing

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Meet the new Board, not the same as the old Board. Hours after Houston ISD’s four recently elected trustees took office, enshrining the district’s first all-female school board, the new-look governing team on Thursday made its first big decision. Trustees … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for January 19

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

A deep and myth-busting dive into the life of the notorious Countess Elizabeth Bathory. “After Floridians approved an initiative to restore voting rights to approximately 1.4 million people with felony convictions, Republican lawmakers immediately moved to sabotage the historic effort. … Continue reading →

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January 2020 campaign finance reports: Harris County

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, New Year’s Day brings a new round of campaign finance reports, for all levels of government. I’m going to be working my way through these as I can, because there’s lots to be learned about the candidates … Continue reading →

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It’s the year 2020…

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

But where are the flying cars? And hyperloops? And other things we were promised? Uber will deploy flying cars When Uber Technologies Inc. pledged to deliver on a promise of the Jetsons, it gave itself just three years to do so. The … Continue reading →

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Early voting for the legislative special election runoffs starts Tuesday

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Early Voting for the January 28, 2020 Special Runoff Election for State Representative District 148 begins Tuesday, January 21 and ends Friday, January 24. During the four-day Early Voting period, five locations will be available to more … Continue reading →

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Where the primary action is

Posted on January 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s on the Democratic side in Harris County. This should come as a surprise to no one. The crowded Harris County Democratic primary field reflects a new reality in Houston politics: With the county turning an even darker shade of … Continue reading →

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No free fares

Posted on January 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

For the best, I’d say. Free fares appear to be a hard sell for Houston area transit officials, who said while they are open to exploring discounts, people boarding buses and trains will need to fork over $1.25 for the … Continue reading →

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Update on the little girl hit by the foul ball

Posted on January 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Man, this breaks my heart. The 2½-year-old girl who suffered a skull fracture when hit in the head by a foul ball at an Astros game May 29 continues to be treated for a brain injury that has left her … Continue reading →

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“Motor voter” lawsuit 2.0

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Try, try again, this time hopefully addressing the cause of the Fifth Court of Appeals’ rejection of the first lawsuit. The first time former English professor Jarrod Stringer was told he couldn’t vote in a Texas election, he sued. A … Continue reading →

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Meet your Board of Managers wannabes

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of people want that gig. [Frank] North is one of nearly 250 people who applied for positions on the prospective replacement board, which Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath plans to install in the coming months. Morath announced in November … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Stockman denied on appeal

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

At least one thing in this world is still righteous and wholesome. A federal appeals court summarily rejected what it called a “self-serving” appeal by disgraced former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman, finding the lower court properly convicted him of 23 … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Interview with Jolanda Jones

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We knew a long time ago that this was going to be a busy primary season, with a lot of contested Democratic races. Because the campaign calendar is so short, I have to be very picky about what races I … Continue reading →

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More heat on Abbott over his anti-refugee action

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Keep it up. “This is not a Democrat versus Republican issue. It’s not an immigrant versus native-born issue … it is not a religious versus secular issue,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo during a press conference with elected … Continue reading →

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Back to the no-fares question

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I remain skeptical, but we’ll see. As it stands right now, most of METRO’s operating funds don’t come from the fares. The transit agency gets most of its money from a one-cent sales tax, which caught the attention of Harris … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of January 13

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance will not be taking restaurant advice from former Mayoral candidates as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Interview with Jenifer Pool

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up our visit with the candidates in HD138, the district that I was sure would flip before HD132 did. Politics is funny sometimes. Today’s candidate is Jenifer Pool, whose website is not up right now. If you’ve been … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Robert Morales

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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Flynn officially on HD138 primary ballot

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Score two for formerly-booted candidates. In mediation last Friday, [candidate Josh Flynn and the Harris County Republican Party] agreed that Flynn would appear on the upcoming primary ballot [for HD138]. [HCRP Chair Paul] Simpson said in a statement that he … Continue reading →

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Update on the “Judicial Selection Committee”

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, this is a thing. All but one member of the new Texas Commission on Judicial Selection indicated at the group’s first meeting Thursday that they believe partisanship is problematic in the state’s method of selecting judges. Only Sen. Joan … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Interview with Josh Wallenstein

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We continue in HD138 and the quest to turn that district blue. Unlike the districts we flipped in 2018, which really only came on the radar that year, HD138 has been a low-key target going back to the previous decade, … Continue reading →

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DMN profile of Royce West

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The fifth, and as far as I can tell final, one of these. U.S. Senate hopeful Royce West warns fellow Democrats not to nominate a “far left” candidate. Instead, he says they should choose him, the “most qualified” person in … Continue reading →

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Luhnnow and Hinch suspended by MLB, then fired by Astros

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Astros owner Jim Crane fired manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow on Monday shortly after Major League Baseball announced the pair would be suspended for a year as part of the penalties for the investigation into alleged … Continue reading →

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Bishops condemn Abbott’s refugee refusal

Posted on January 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas’ Catholic bishops issued a sharp rebuke of Gov. Greg Abbott, a fellow Catholic, following his decision Friday to ban refugees from initially settling in Texas. In a joint statement by the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, which includes … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Interview with Akilah Bacy

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We come now to HD138, another one of the top Democrat targets in this cycle, following an election in which the Republicans held it by 47 votes. It’s now an open seat, as incumbent Dwayne Bohac has chosen to retire. … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Judge Steven Kirkland

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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

Judge Hidalgo’s first year

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Been pretty good so far, I’d say. During her longshot campaign in 2018, Lina Hidalgo at times sounded like a candidate for mayor or Congress. With talking points on immigration, criminal justice reform and education, her critics contended she surely … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for January 12

Posted on January 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

“Imagine a city the size of Washington D.C. going an entire year without any pedestrians or cyclists being killed on its streets. That’s exactly what happened in Oslo, where officials reported this week that zero pedestrian or cyclist fatalities occurred … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 5 Comments