Monthly Archives: September 2016

Renaming Dowling Street

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The process has to change before the name can be changed. For years, Third Ward residents have had to roll with the changes in their community, often having to live with decisions made in the corridors of power at City … Continue reading →

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

Endorsement watch: Bail matters

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

For only the second time this cycle, the Chron endorses a challenger to a sitting judge. Harris County’s criminal courts at law are currently defendants in a lawsuit alleging that pretrial bail policies violate the U.S. Constitution. It is a … Continue reading →

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Miller avoids charges for his questionable trips

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t catch ’em all. Travis County prosecutors will not press criminal charges against Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller for tapping taxpayer funds for two trips that involved personal activities — including an appearance in a Mississippi rodeo and the receipt … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

More on the Sandra Bland settlement

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Garnet Coleman is working to implement the reforms mandated by the Sandra Bland lawsuit settlement. House Democrats sparred with state law enforcement officials over questions of racial profiling Tuesday at a sometimes contentious hearing. It was the latest … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We continue to cower in fear of Syrian refugees

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sheesh. As part of its ongoing fight to keep Syrian refugees out of the state, Texas is threatening to withdraw from the nation’s refugee resettlement program if federal officials refuse to “unconditionally approve” a state plan requiring additional vetting of … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of September 19

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance prefers tote bags for its deplorables as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Judge orders state to reword its voter ID outreach materials

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s try this again, shall we? In the continuing fight over Texas’ voter ID law, a federal judge on Monday ordered state officials to change, where possible, the language used to inform voters and poll workers about acceptable voting procedures … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Texas versus the feds, Overtime Pay Edition

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, look, it’s another lawsuit filed by Texas against something the Obama administration did that our AG doesn’t like. Texas is helping lead a lawsuit against President Barack Obama’s administration over a new rule that makes millions of more workers … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Two more Clinton campaign offices opened in Texas

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

In Austin: The Democratic National Committee opened its Austin headquarters on Sunday. The move comes amid a surprisingly narrowing gap (given the longtime deep-red status of the state) between Clinton and her GOP rival, Donald Trump, for the presidency. The … Continue reading →

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“The only game in college sports history whose the final outcome was decided after the game”

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

If you follow sports, you have probably heard about this: In one of the more improbable finishes to a football game, Central Michigan wide receiver Corey Willis grabbed a lateral from fellow receiver Jesse Kroll at the 12-yard line after … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Now let’s take on the revenue cap

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

With the pension issue settled, this can be the next big item on Mayor Turner’s to-do list. Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to ask city voters next fall to do away with a decade-old cap on city revenues, but for now … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Spending money to defend our terrible bail practices

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. About $170,000 in tax money has been paid to outside attorneys to defend Harris Country officials from a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that the bail bond system discriminates against poor people, records show. That’s more than the cost … Continue reading →

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The city cab app

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Arro. Houston’s fractured taxi market is headed toward a rare bit of unity, with a push by the city toward how people hail cabs in the 21st century. As the taxi and limo industry adjusts to new ways of … Continue reading →

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

Endorsement watch: A bit of a surprise

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses Ann Harris Bennett for Harris County Tax Assessor. When Mike Sullivan first ran for Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector, he promised that he would: “Bring the office into the 21st century by embracing new technology.” By Sullivan’s standard, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Interview with Jon Harris

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It is time to start the fall 2016 interview season. I don’t plan to do a whole lot of these – in particular, I don’t plan to revisit races that I had covered during primary season – but I do … Continue reading →

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The MOB and Baylor

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

So you’ve probably heard about this by now. If it’s possible for a band to steal headlines away from a football game, Rice’s Marching Owl Band found a way. While Rice made strides but ultimately fell against No. 21 Baylor … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Texas v. the Feds: Telemedicine edition

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a new one. Teladoc, the Dallas-based company that sued Texas over its telemedicine regulations, has a new ally in the Federal Trade Commission. In a letter sent to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court late Friday, the federal antitrust agency … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Abbott says something about high speed rail

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Something vague, and a bit confusing. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday expressed caution about high-speed rail in Texas, warning that any investment in transportation must not be a “money-losing proposition.” It was one of several notable topics that came up … Continue reading →

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

Weekend link dump for September 18

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Two-factor authentication still has its limitations. Deep Space Nine was my favorite Star Trek, too. “So maybe more than any issue right now, Putin has become the ultimate test of GOP loyalty to Trump. Do you agree or disagree with … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 2 Comments

So what’s going on with these polls of Texas?

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Republicans are feeling a little touchy about them. “I think the emerging picture is one that looks a little bit tighter in the presidential election than we’ve seen in recent elections in the state,” said Joshua Blank, whose Texas Lyceum … Continue reading →

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HISD board members against the HISD ballot item

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I missed this when it first appeared. Three Houston school board members on Thursday evening publicly urged voters to oppose a measure that would authorize the district to forfeit $162 million to the state. Trustees Jolanda Jones, Harvin Moore and … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Obamacare: Still working

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Down doobie doo down down… Texas’ rate of uninsured people fell to 17.1 percent in 2015 as part of a steady decline in the share of uninsured residents following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, according to new Census … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

The Houston Furniture Bank

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Get to know them, they do great work. [Oli] Mohammed, a native of Bangladesh who has devoted his life to helping the poor, came to Houston after several years of working with refugees in Kenya. “I’m from Bangladesh, and poverty … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Meant To Be

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Remember the Squirrel Nut Zippers? I remember them well, and I wish they had made more CDs. I’ve been a fan of various forms of swing/jazz/ragtime music since my earliest exposure to jazz band in school. Of the bands that … Continue reading →

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Another story about the possible Trump Effect on downballot races

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s mostly about one legislative race in particular, but that’s okay. When he worked in the oil industry, Thomas Benavidez traveled to drilling sites across Texas and northern Mexico. The work was exciting, and the pay was good. He rarely … Continue reading →

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Family of Sandra Bland settles its lawsuit

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I hope this brings them some peace, but more importantly I hope it leads to fewer inmate deaths, in Waller County and elsewhere. The family of Sandra Bland — who died last year in a Waller County Jail cell — … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

TEA will review special ed limits

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said Wednesday that his office is reviewing a monitoring system that sets an 8.5 percent benchmark for special education enrollments and strictly audits school districts with enrollments that exceed that rate for … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Let’s cooperate on animal welfare

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Yes to this. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett called Tuesday for a summit of county and Houston city leaders, along with animal welfare organizations, to address the region’s “outrageous” problem with stray animals. While the details are still being developed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Friday random ten: Ladies’ night, part 13

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Turns out there are a lot of girl names that begin with the letter E. 1. Oklahoma Home – Elana James 2. Sweet Child O’ Mine – Eliza Lumley 3. Freight Train – Elizabeth Cotton 4. A Little Luck – … Continue reading →

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Lyceum: Trump 39, Clinton 32

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the Texas Lyceum, another single-digit poll result. If the U.S. presidential election were held today, ballot tests show a tighter race at the top of the ticket in deep red Texas than recent history would suggest, according to independent … Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

More on the pension deal

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The full version of the Chron story adds a lot of detail. Under the tentative deal, the funds would assume more realistic investment returns – 7 percent rather than 8 percent to 8.5 percent – and would recognize all recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Who’s afraid of Uber’s driverless car test?

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Transportation safety officials, at least some of them. Uber’s decision to bring self-driving taxis to the streets of Pittsburgh this week is raising alarms among a swath of safety experts who say that the technology is not nearly ready for … Continue reading →

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

ACC makes it three

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

So long, North Carolina. Just two days after the NCAA announced they were moving scheduled tournaments out of North Carolina in protest of the state’s anti-LGBTQ House Bill 2, the Atlantic Coast Conference—which includes North Carolina’s biggest Division I programs … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mayor Turner announces pension fund deal

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Negotiators for the City, the Houston Police Officers’ Pension System, the Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund and the Houston Municipal Employees Pension System have developed Preliminary Points of Understanding on a structural approach to long term, … Continue reading →

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