Daily Archives: June 24, 2011

GOP finally kills Howard amendment

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, this was no surprise. An amendment from Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, that would have directed surplus money from the Rainy Day Fund to pay for enrollment growth in public schools has perished in conference committee. The House … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Songs of the Century, part 7

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing with songs in my collection from the Songs of the Century as compiled by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. 1. I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown (#152) 2. Banana … Continue reading →

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City passes its budget

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It wasn’t much different than the Mayor’s original proposal. The overall spending plan totals $4 billion, including $1.8 billion from the tax- and fee-supported general fund. The remaining $2.2 billion involves the city’s enterprise funds, such as the airport and … Continue reading →

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Balancing the budget on the backs of charities

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Just another “accounting trick” from our Republican legislature. Each year, more than 100 organizations — including the University of Texas, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Special Olympics and the Girl Scouts — earn a collective $2.5 million from … Continue reading →

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The perils of being a single-issue voter

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

A new voice is heard against the “sanctuary cities” bill. Several Hispanic, conservative evangelical pastors from around the state spoke out in opposition of the bill. One of them, Gilberto Avila, a pastor from Tyler, testified against the measure on … Continue reading →

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Andrea Yates, ten years later

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since Andrea Yates drowned her children in their bathtub. I’ve blogged about her many times since first posting about her trial and conviction, which was later overturned on the grounds that … Continue reading →

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