Monthly Archives: March 2011

Center Street recycling center for sale?

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Looks to be that way. Back in 2009, the city contemplated selling the site to Admiral Linen next door, and opening a new recycling center on Spring Street in the First Ward. See here, here, and here for background. The … Continue reading →

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Eversole rests his case without presenting one

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You have to admire the guts, if nothing else. In a move even his attorneys acknowledged was risky, Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole’s defense team rested Wednesday without calling a single witness after prosecutors ended more than two weeks of … Continue reading →

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The Lege’s job killing budget

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Do you think this is what all those people who came out to vote last November had in mind? The Legislative Budget Board, a nonpartisan state agency that helps lawmakers with budget numbers, predicts that House version of the 2012-2013 … Continue reading →

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Today’s the day for the TIP

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

That postponed Transportation Policy Council meeting to determine how to allocate unprogrammed federal transportation funds happens today. A proposal before the regional Transportation Policy Council last month could have clawed back $12.8 million in funding set aside for bicycle and … Continue reading →

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Voter ID passes the House

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. There was a long and often contentious debate, but when you have a 2/3 majority as the Republicans currently do, you usually get what you want. Gov. Rick Perry declared the voter ID issue an emergency issue, which … Continue reading →

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Where the Senate is looking for revenue

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The hunt for $5 billion is on. Higher driver license fees and a hike in college tuitions are among potential money raisers as a special Senate panel searches for $5 billion in “non-tax revenue” to help fund key services, Senate … Continue reading →

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It’s way past time to regulate payday lenders

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the Observer: As an industry, when you’ve got Tom Craddick, consumer groups, the Midland County District Attorney and Bible-quoting Baptists arrayed against you, most likely you’re facing a serious come-to-Jesus moment. Today, a House committee heard hours of impassioned … Continue reading →

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What about the jobs?

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

With all of the public sector job cuts coming, will the private sector pick up the slack? This Statesman story paints a picture that I think is a tad bit too optimistic. Government employment, which includes local school districts and … Continue reading →

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Should we do away with school police forces?

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Grits makes the case. If public school budgets will be radically cut in Texas, a prospect which for the moment appears all but inevitable, which employees should be eliminated first? Judging from the ongoing debate, maybe campus cops. Jason Embry … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of March 21

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance’s brackets are still in good shape as it brings you this week’s blog roundup.

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More on the microbrew compromise

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Brewed And Never Battered gives its report from the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee hearing yesterday. Briefly on HB 602: No one expressed opposition, not even the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas, who have opposed the bill in the … Continue reading →

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House Appropriations Committee passes a budget

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not much different than what they started out with. House budget-writers were able to sprinkle some extra money into education and health care but otherwise did little to change the bare-bones proposal with which they started. The 2012-13 budget … Continue reading →

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Can the Lege pass a budget?

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Robert Miller: [T]here is a growing chasm between the House and the Senate on the budget. The Governor and House leadership have agreed to spend $3.2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund to balance the FY 2010-11 budget. But, the … Continue reading →

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The “Dan Patrick thinks you’re too stupid to know what you’re voting for” bill

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. A bill that would remove churches and schools from the drainage fee Houston voters narrowly approved last November as part of Proposition 1 is scheduled for a public hearing Wednesday before the Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee. Dubbed Rebuild Houston, … Continue reading →

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You got a license for that downward dog?

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

How much regulation do yoga teachers need? In the past few years, the Texas Workforce Commission has begun sending letters to programs that train yoga instructors, advising them they must get certified to operate as a career school or college, … Continue reading →

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Feral hogs: Still a problem

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve always been glad to live in the city because of stuff like this, but maybe it’s not enough any more. Arlington and Dallas are among cities along the Trinity River that also have reported problems with wild hogs that … Continue reading →

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Compromise on microbrew bills

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As Brewed and Never Battered noted, HB660 and HB602 were scheduled for a public hearing in committee today. I’m delighted to say that it looks like there was progress achieved on them. Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, laid out HB660 … Continue reading →

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The time to plan for the future was in the past

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a piece in the Rio Grande Guardian by my one-time history professor Char Miller that’s worth your time to read: Today is World Water Day, a U.N.-sponsored event that is an ideal time for communities to strategize about their … Continue reading →

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The next step for voter ID

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Very likely, the courthouse. While the Democrats have little chance of stopping the bill from getting the votes to pass, this particular piece of legislation may very well be tied up in lawsuits for years. And today, Democrats can lay … Continue reading →

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Adding charter schools

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There are currently 210 active charter schools, and state law limits the total number to 215. (Note that this refers to charter school networks as well, so those 210 schools translates to about 520 campuses.) There are about 56,000 students … Continue reading →

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Meet the new historical districts

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Not so different from the old historical districts. After months of petition drives and acrimonious public testimony over the protection of old Houston neighborhoods, the only change to the six historic district maps headed to the City Council on Wednesday … Continue reading →

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What the decision to use Rainy Day funds means for school districts

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From School Zone: As you might know by now — unless you’re tuning out the news over spring break — the House Appropriations Committee, with Gov. Rick Perry’s blessing, agreed to spend up to $3.2 billion from the rainy-day fund … Continue reading →

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Republican legislators to support Republican legislation

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the takeaway from this story. The Hispanic Republican Conference has thrown its weight behind the controversial voter ID legislation slated to hit the House floor next week. In a statement released today, the caucus said the issue is essential … Continue reading →

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A couple of maps to contemplate

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Over at the Swing State Project, frequent commenter blank has taken a crack at drawing a new Congressional map for Texas that looks mighty plausible. He’s also contributed a couple of scenarios for redrawing State House districts in Dallas County, … Continue reading →

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Solar bills advance

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Bills relating to solar energy are moving forward through the Lege. Texas is the top-producing state for wind-generated electricity just 12 years after a legislative deal jump-started the industry. The Legislature is now debating whether Texas should provide a similar … Continue reading →

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HGAC hearing on TIP

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From Houston Tomorrow: The Houston – Galveston Area Council Transportation Policy Council will host a public hearing to discuss citizen priorities for the use of discretionary funds in the 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program on March 25, 2011 at 8:45am at … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for March 20

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Are we fired up and ready to go yet? For the record, I love Daylight Savings Time. It’s the best time of the year. My BlackBerry adjusted to DST with no problems. Your iPhone, maybe not so much. Why anonymous … Continue reading →

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Don’t claim endorsements you don’t have

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like that lesson needs to be re-learned every cycle. We already have two examples of it this cycle. Here’s example one: City Council candidate Eric Dick apologized for advertising an upcoming fund-raiser by sending out a mailer featuring a … Continue reading →

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SBOE wants its new textbooks

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

But it may not get them. State board members are growing increasingly anxious that lawmakers might not provide funding for new textbooks and instructional material – even though they’re giving the Legislature $1.9 billion from a 157-year-old endowment established to … Continue reading →

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It’s a start

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Credit where it’s due, from a story about the Lobby Day effort by teachers and other public school supporters. New member Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, reminds folks that the current budget shortfall reflects a structural deficit that began in … Continue reading →

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Time for a corporate income tax?

Posted on March 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe, but don’t hold your breath waiting for it to happen. Senate Finance Chairman Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, said legislators should consider a constitutional amendment that would clarify that an income tax could be assessed on corporations but not individuals. The … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Away with Click and Clack!

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of high quality snark from the floor of the House: See here for more.

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Taco trucks and city regulations

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Gray writes about the food truck craze in Houston, and the obstacles that these foodie entrepreneurs must overcome. Food trucks can be a serious urban amenity, a quick way to bring life to a street, parking lot or underused … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Historic Houston closing its salvage warehouse

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

What a shame. LOCAL NONPROFIT Historic Houston is no longer accepting donations of building materials, and is closing its salvage warehouse and ending its salvage program, reports the organization’s founder and executive director, Lynn Edmundson. The organization stored and sold … Continue reading →

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