Monthly Archives: February 2005

CHIP cuts cost us all

Posted on February 10, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve harped on the drastic cuts in CHIP funds from the 2003 legislative session many times. It was bad policy in many ways, and helped contribute to the deserving defeats of Arlene Wohlgemuth and Talmadge Heflin at the polls, but … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 2 Comments

Another chance for slot machines

Posted on February 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Sylvester Turner has had a change of heart, and is now supporting slot machines. In addition to allowing slot machines at horse and dog tracks and Indian reservations, the legislation would legalize the games at one location in each … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 1 Comment

Tina Benkiser thinks you’re a loser

Posted on February 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Pink Dome picks up a quote from the conclusion of the Heflin Challenge that I had missed: Republican Party officials praised Mr. Heflin’s efforts against what they called “illegal voting and election fraud” and called on the Legislature to take … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 3 Comments

Sold!

Posted on February 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Banjo notes that the ad space on Shaune Bagwell’s boobies has been sold for $15K, apparently to Golden Palace Casino. Apparently, this is part of a broad advertising outreach strategy they’re on. I guess you gotta do what you gotta … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 3 Comments

Vo goes to work

Posted on February 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Now that the Heflin Challenge is officially over, Rep. Hubert Vo can focus on the job he was sent to Austin to do. “I feel very much relieved. Now I can focus on my work,” Vo, 48, said. Members from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Vo goes to work

Metro funding in doubt again

Posted on February 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

By the way, one of the things those TxDOT people kept mentioning last night was that mass transit, in the form of express bus and light rail service, was a key component to the overall plan to alleviate congestion on … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 7 Comments

Talking back to TxDOT

Posted on February 9, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I did manage to make it out to the public meeting last night on the I-45 expansion, along with about 400 of my neighbors and representatives of various public officials. TxDOT engineer Mike Tello spoke to us for about ten … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 7 Comments

Heflin challenge coda

Posted on February 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Greg Moses reads through the Hartnett report (PDF) and finds some items that undoubtedly will not get any further attention now that the Select Committee on Election Challenges’ meeting will be a formality, but should. Check it out. On a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Heflin challenge coda

Poetry for Physicists

Posted on February 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Chad Orzel has a problem with GenEd science classes, and asks for some understanding from the humanities majors out there. Check it out. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Comments Off on Poetry for Physicists

Ask Jeeves buys Bloglines

Posted on February 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Search engine Ask Jeeves has bought Bloglines for an undisclosed sum. Various mainstream coverage is here, here, here, and here. They say they won’t make any major changes, at least not at first, but you never know what will happen. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 1 Comment

In the family

Posted on February 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Tom Musselman, Official Dad of BOR’s Karl-Thomas Musselman, is running for City Council in Fredericksburg, Texas. If anyone reading this is from Fredericksburg, take a moment and check out his resume. And if you’re an Austin Lounge Lizards fan, you … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2005 | 4 Comments

Eric Zorn

Posted on February 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn now has a Movable Type-powered blog with comments. Zorn had been blogging for the Trib before, but that was on their branded site with their software; now, though he’s still on the Trib domain and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 3 Comments

Hot Town, Cool City

Posted on February 8, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

‘stina brings word of a new documentary/community project called Hot Town, Cool City, which “attempts to answer the question — Why Houston?” Their website is currently under construction, but when it is up, it will apparently solicit input from the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 2 Comments

Catching up, part 3: DeLay doings

Posted on February 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Just a little linkage related to the recent purge of disloyal Republicans on the House Ethics Committee, in particular a few editorials giving them what for: from the WaPo and NYT (via the Daily DeLay); the Chron and Baltimore Sun … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

Heflin concedes

Posted on February 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Talmadge Heflin has withdrawn his challenge after Discovery Master Will Hartnett recommended that it be dismissed. Hartnett concluded that Heflin had produced “no evidence of any intentional voter fraud” that would have affected his Nov. 2 loss to Vo in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Heflin concedes

Where the real sausagemaking occurs

Posted on February 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

We aren’t anywhere near the point of specific proposals to overhaul our state’s tax structure, but we all know that redoing the way we tax businesses is going to be a big part of it. The issue, as always, is … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | 3 Comments

The word is in: Hartnett says that Vo wins

Posted on February 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Will Hartnett is scheduled to release his report on the Heflin challenge this morning. This news brief indicates that Rep. Hubert Vo will be declared the winner, though with a slightly decreased margin of victory. I have been informed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | 1 Comment

Catching up, part 2: Building more influence

Posted on February 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Two more pieces worth your time to read which cover a subject touched on here recently: the toothless Texas Residential Construction Commission and the forced march to binding arbitration instead of the right to sue. The Texas Observer covers the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Comments Off on Catching up, part 2: Building more influence

Catching up, part 1: TRMPAC

Posted on February 7, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been a bad couple of weeks for TRMPAC, as they’ve had a couple of setbacks in the civil suit against them. First, Trevor Potter, a “lifelong Republican and former commissioner and chair of the Federal Election Commission” will testify … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

Scott Long’s Super Bowl experience

Posted on February 6, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Linkmeister sent me this link, written by a comic named Scott Long about his experience as entertainment for a corporate event at last year’s Super Bowl. Scott, if you’d like to know what Houston is like under more normal circumstances, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Scott Long’s Super Bowl experience

Probably the only thing I’m going to say about the Super Bowl commercials

Posted on February 6, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Now hear this: If Jim Henson were still alive, there’s no way that the Muppets would be shilling for Pizza Hut. That is all. Continue reading →

Posted in General snarkiness | 2 Comments

Collin County values

Posted on February 6, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

You can’t afford to get sick in Collin County. Flat broke, out of work for nine months and with only an old SUV to his name, William Wright was stunned to learn he is too well off for public health … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 15 Comments

Straus wins in HD121

Posted on February 6, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Ah, well. It was always a longshot, but we were playing with house money. This is a long-term investment. Getting good people to run is the first step. Kudos to Rose Spector for being willing to take that step, and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2005 | 1 Comment

Final Koufax voting, and States Writes update

Posted on February 5, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

You did know that final voting for Koufax awards ends on Monday, right? Here’s a link to all posts of nominations. Hurry up and make your voice heard, and if you’d thought about making a donation to help cover Wampum’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Final Koufax voting, and States Writes update

Vote fraud suspected in HD137

Posted on February 5, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Greg and Cate tell you what you need to know about this story in which voters from HD149 were alleged to have been illegally moved into HD137. To answer Greg’s question about how this affects the Heflin challenge, I recall … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2004 | Comments Off on Vote fraud suspected in HD137

Physician, heal thyself

Posted on February 5, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Doctor Eric Sheffey: [Sheffey] has been sued more than 60 times and accused by patients’ relatives of causing four deaths and two suicides. […] Last year, administrative law judges found Scheffey had performed 29 surgeries on 11 patients that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | 12 Comments

Reforming probation

Posted on February 5, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Grits brings the news of HB 575, filed by State Rep. Pat Haggerty (R, El Paso) that would bring some much needed reform to probation. You won’t read about it in the papers, so head over to Grits for Breakfast … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on Reforming probation

Vote today in San Antonio

Posted on February 5, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the day for the special election in San Antonio’s HD121. There are other items on the electoral agenda in Bexar County, so whether you’re in HD121 or not, you should be going to the polls today. Be sure … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2005 | Comments Off on Vote today in San Antonio

The I-45 Coalition

Posted on February 4, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Those of you who want to give a piece of your mind to TxDOT regarding the proposed I-45 expansion into downtown should attend this public meeting on Tuesday next week. The I-45 Coalition will play host to a public meeting … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

Boatloads of new blogs

Posted on February 4, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of new Texas blogs popping up lately. I’ve already mentioned Pink Dome, which won my personal snarky post of the week award on Monday, and now it’s been joined by the similarly-named In The Pink Texas, written by “professionally … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 2 Comments

Jay for Houston

Posted on February 4, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve said before that the 2005 city elections look to be a snoozer, at least when compared to 2003 (and barring, of course, a massive anti-SafeClear popular uprising which John Whitmire may head off at the pass anyway), but that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2005 | 1 Comment

McElhiney reinstated

Posted on February 4, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like Ashley McElhiney’s wild ride has ended with her still in the coach’s chair, as the rest of the management of the ABA’s Nashville Rhythm has overruled co-owner Sally Anthony. Yesterday’s statement from the franchise said “the majority owners … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 1 Comment

Local control, we hardly knew ye

Posted on February 4, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

The State Lege will once again take a crack at telling local governments how to mind their own businesses. Keeping up the pressure to lower the cap on local property appraisals, a lawmaker from Houston filed on Thursday the third … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Comments Off on Local control, we hardly knew ye

Rudy T retires again

Posted on February 3, 2005 by Charles Kuffner

So Rudy T has stepped down as coach of the Lakers for health reasons, half a season into a five-year deal. I’m sorry to hear that, but I do wonder why he thought it would be a good idea to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 1 Comment