Tag Archives: Abbie Kamin

Whitmire’s Montrose Boulevard plan passes on second try

Dammit. A controversial Montrose Boulevard redesign plan is set to move forward with key revisions introduced by the Whitmire administration after board members of the area’s Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone voted to accept the changes Friday morning. The Nov. 1 meeting … Continue reading

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

Houston re-ups its membership in H-GAC

It’s hard not to get really effing discouraged sometimes. Houston City Council voted 9-4 to renew its membership in the Houston-Galveston Area Council Wednesday after fiery discussions over whether the city’s continued involvement violated the city charter. Council Members Tarsha Jackson, Abbie Kamin, Edward … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Not so fast on Whitmire’s Montrose Boulevard revisions

Nice. Probably fleeting, but still nice. After months of delays, the controversial redesign of Montrose Boulevard was still in limbo Monday night when a split vote at a contentious public meeting stalled the project yet again. The Whitmire administration favors a design that would … Continue reading

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

July 2024 campaign finance reports – City of Houston

PREVIOUSLY: Senate and Congress State offices Harris County offices No preambles here. This used to be a dead time in the city electoral cycle, as no one was allowed to fundraise until the January of the election year. That’s long … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on July 2024 campaign finance reports – City of Houston

The CenterPoint criticism

Lots more people in positions of power with things to say about CenterPoint’s performance this week. Here’s Rep. Sylvia Garcia: U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia is tired of feeling left in the dark by CenterPoint Energy – both literally and figuratively. … Continue reading

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Shepherd-Durham project back on track

First, I got this in my inbox, from the Mayor’s office. Mayor John Whitmire and the Memorial Heights TIRZ have reached a compromise on the design of the Shepherd Durham Phase II project that maintains the terms of the Federal … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Firefighter settlement officially approved

The legalities are mostly over, but there are still a bunch of items to handle. A state district court judge has signed off on a settlement between the city of Houston and the firefighter union, clearing one obstacle for a … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

More on the senior living situation

I look forward to seeing what the city does about this. Reyes and his neighbors at Independence Hall are among thousands of low-income and disabled seniors in Houston left to rely on their landlords for an organized response to last … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the senior living situation

The senior living situation

This story hit me in a couple of ways. Ever since the power went out Thursday night from the devastating storm that hit Houston, Brian Cotten has been living on water and peanut-butter sandwiches in his sweltering apartment at a … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Mayor Whitmire, Judge Hidalgo. Judge Hidalgo, Mayor Whitmire.

What are we doing here? April made four months into Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s administration and he had yet to meet face-to-face with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. “It has me worried, but it’s outside my control,” said Hidalgo. “I … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Montrose Blvd project officially delayed

I dunno, man. Permitting for an overhaul of Montrose Boulevard, a project that has drawn ire from residents pushing to protect the road’s oak trees, has been delayed at City Hall after Mayor John Whitmire’s staff asked project organizers to … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

January 2024 campaign finance reports – City of Houston

PREVIOUSLY: State offices Harris County offices Senate Congress I did a lot of posting before now on the city finance reports, so it’s probably best to summarize: 8 Day reports for Mayoral candidates 30 Day reports – that post was … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on January 2024 campaign finance reports – City of Houston

It’s budget cut proposal time

A familiar ritual. Facing a projected budget shortfall and costly settlement with the firefighters union, Mayor John Whitmire has directed most city departments to identify potential 5% budget cuts for the coming fiscal year. Finance Director Melissa Dubowski said Wednesday … Continue reading

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

30 day campaign finance reports – District Council candidates

Previously: Mayor City Controller Let’s get into the Council races, starting with the district Council contests. The January finance reports for city of Houston candidates are here, and the July reports are here. Dist Candidate Raised Spent Loan On Hand … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Endorsement watch: Kamin for C, Jackson for B

The Chron gets to two more endorsements, both for incumbents, the first being in District C. Abbie Kamin was the city’s first pregnant council member, a title she wore proudly and that informed her own advocacy around the horseshoe at … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: Kamin for C, Jackson for B

Interview with CM Abbie Kamin

We take a brief diversion from the At Large races today to have a conversation with Council Member Abbie Kamin, the incumbent in District C. A civil rights attorney who served the Associate Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Southwest … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Houston to fund database to track gun violence

This is a good thing. A data project to track gun injuries will receive city funding as trauma centers across Houston saw a steady increase in firearm injury victims in recent years, but lacked a systematic way to report the … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Houston to fund database to track gun violence

July 2023 campaign finance reports: City of Houston, part 3

Previously: Congress SD15 City of Houston, part 1 Harris County City of Houston, part 2 January finance reports for city of Houston candidates are here. This post will look at the various district candidates. I’ll do the Controller’s race and … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Ashby 2.0 cleared for groundbreaking

It’s actually happening. Along-embattled residential high-rise project in Boulevard Oaks is set to move forward, with one Houston City Council member calling the news “terrible.” The Langley , a new luxury rental community jointly developed by El Paso-based Hunt Companies, … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

January 2023 campaign finance reports: City of Houston

It’s late January, so you know what that means: It’s campaign finance report time again. The reports of the greatest interest will be for the city of Houston, but I’ll be checking in on HISD, HCC, and Harris County as … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Houston City Council approves its new map

Now we wait for the lawsuit(s). City Council on Wednesday approved new boundaries for the city’s 11 districts for the 2023 elections, featuring modest adjustments affecting parts of downtown, Braeburn, Greater Inwood and a few areas in southeast Houston. The … Continue reading

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

July 2022 campaign finance reports: City of Houston

We’re still more than a year out from the 2023 election, but we are now up to three serious conteners for Mayor, plus two others in the wild, so the finance reports are beginning to generate some real interest. The … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

City Council approves paid parental leave for city employees

Good. City of Houston employees will have access to paid parental leave for the first time beginning in May after a decade-long push to adopt the family-friendly policy that advocates hope will help the city attract and retain working parents. … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on City Council approves paid parental leave for city employees

Paid parental leave for city employees

This is a thing that should have happened a long time ago. City of Houston employees soon could be eligible for up to three months of paid parental leave under a policy change expected to reach City Council next week. … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

January 2022 campaign finance reports: City of Houston

January finance reports are always worth a look, if only as a ritual to start the new year. We’re a year out from election season truly beginning for Houston, but as we now have two brand name contenders for Mayor … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on January 2022 campaign finance reports: City of Houston

River Oaks Theater lives again

Wow. The curtain is going up on a new era for the vacated River Oaks Theatre. Kimco Realty, the Jericho, New York-based company that owns the River Oaks Shopping Center where the theater sits, announced Wednesday that the cinema will … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Shepherd and Durham Major Investment Project

Get ready for some major construction, but the end result will be well worth it. Beginning next month, those who travel along North Shepherd Drive and Durham Drive in the Heights are going to have to cope with road construction … Continue reading

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

Bike trail connections news

Here’s something nice and simple and good, because we could use that. The White Oak Bayou Greenway and MKT Trail will soon be connected. The city announced Thursday that the two trails will be linked by a 850-foot connection, which … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

July 2021 campaign finance reports: City of Houston

PREVIOUSLY: Congress, Harris County As we know, this is not an election year for city of Houston offices. That usually makes for a pretty dull summary of finance reports, since it’s just incumbents and about half of them are term-limited … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2021, Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on July 2021 campaign finance reports: City of Houston

City’s budget passes

There was a little bit of drama, but nothing too big. Houston’s City Council voted Wednesday to approve a $5.1 billion budget for the next fiscal year that relies heavily on a massive infusion of federal aid to close a … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on City’s budget passes

Mayor Whitmire 2.0?

Buried in this story about the recent departure of HPD Chief Art Acevedo for Miami is the following tidbit: Houston insiders knew that the 56-year-old Acevedo had been considering a mayoral run once Sylvester Turner reached his term limit in … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Big Tex Storage

I’m strangely almost nostalgic for a controversy like this. A group of Heights residents are lobbying legislators to protest the development of a storage facility at the site of the former Stude Theater, which was demolished after the property was … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Let’s please find more opportunities to avoid using unpaid prison labor

More like this, in other words. As Houston officials hashed out the budget last spring, City Council members Abbie Kamin and Carolyn Evans-Shabazz quietly asked to send a routine contract back to the Turner administration. The $4.2 million deal was needed to … Continue reading

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

HPD adopts cite-and-release

Took them long enough. The Houston Police Department plans to join Harris County’s cite-and-release program, fulfilling advocates’ long-running request to implement the policy they say keeps low-level offenders out of jail and saves law enforcement resources for more serious threats. … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HPD adopts cite-and-release