Monthly Archives: January 2023

A petition effort to force H-GAC to be more fair to Houston and Harris County

I heard about Fair For Houston over the weekend, and I like where they’re coming from. H-GAC determines the funding and planning for our: Sidewalks & Roads Flooding Prevention & Mitigation Childcare Workforce Development Large-Scale Infrastructure, e.g., Highways But we … Continue reading

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

The ongoing referee shortage

This news is not new, though the cause being cited is different than the last time I read this kind of story. The official shortage seen in the Houston area is part of a nationwide issue, according to the National Federation … Continue reading

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The ongoing referee shortage

A brief 11th Street update

From the latest Woodland Heights Civic Association newsletter: 11th Street Safety Improvements: Project Update The WHCA board hosted City officials (David Fields, Lauren Grove, and Colin Lupold) at the January 10th general meeting. We had around 50 or so on … Continue reading

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

Precinct analysis: The different kinds of courts

PREVIOUSLY Beto versus Abbott Beto versus the spread Hidalgo versus Mealer Better statewide races Not as good statewide races County executive offices Houston/not Houston I’ve spent a lot of time and space on this blog talking about judicial races and … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Can we finally end Ken Paxton’s egregious court-shopping?

File this under “About damn time”, even if it eventually comes to naught. As soon as President Joe Biden entered the White House, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an unprecedented campaign of obstruction to block his agenda in the … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Can we finally end Ken Paxton’s egregious court-shopping?

No 2024 DNC for Houston

Not a surprise. The Democratic National Convention told Houston officials this week the city will not host Democrats’ national convention in 2024. Mayor Sylvester Turner’s office confirmed Thursday that Houston no longer is in the running. The snub leaves New … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on No 2024 DNC for Houston

Weekend link dump for January 29

“One of George R.R. Martin’s favorite fantasy novels might finally get adapted into a TV series thanks to an unlikely ally — late-night host Stephen Colbert.” “Over the last year, several Republicans have been clamoring to impeach the Secretary of … Continue reading

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

Not quite the same old gambling story

This Trib story about the state of gambling expansion in the Lege is not the usual formula. It has a lot of the usual elements, but for the first time there’s some hint of maybe something could happen. Maybe. Gambling … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sen. Gutierrez files more Uvalde bills

Wish I could say any of these had a chance, but the work he’s doing is still vital and necessary regardless. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents Uvalde, said Tuesday that he is leading legislation to make it easier for … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Sen. Gutierrez files more Uvalde bills

The Pierce Skypark and the Midtown McDonald’s

Fascinating. The now closed McDonald’s in Midtown isn’t the only parcel at play in the area that could – when combined with a major proposed “sky park’ – help to reshape the southern edge of downtown. The Greyhound bus station next to … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Pierce Skypark and the Midtown McDonald’s

More on the PUC’s attempt to fix the grid

From TPR: After the last big blackout, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 3, telling the commission to improve grid reliability. So, commissioners have been working on changing the state’s electricity market. They want to reform how energy is bought and … Continue reading

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

Metro approves initial takeover of B-Cycle

I’m optimistic about this. The Metro board approved a six-to-nine month transition period where operations now overseen by the nonprofit Houston Bike Share will move into the transit agency. Officials said rolling the bike borrowing system into the transit made … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Metro approves initial takeover of B-Cycle

Project Unloaded

I approve of this.

Posted in Society and cultcha, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Project Unloaded

The next round of voter suppression bills are coming

Brace yourselves. Texas Republicans spent most of the 2021 legislative session focusing on election security — and this year, it’s a top priority for them again. GOP leaders are discussing a range of election security measures, from higher penalties for … Continue reading

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Chron story on HCC redistricting

This focuses on one district, which seems to be the main and possibly only point of contention in the process. I’d like to know more than what was in this story. Houston Community College trustee Reagan Flowers had to receive … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Chron story on HCC redistricting

Egg smuggling

We live in strange times. As the price of eggs continues to rise, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials are reporting a spike in people attempting to bring eggs into the country illegally from Mexico, where prices are lower. The jump in … Continue reading

Posted in Around the world | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Egg smuggling

New Mexico sues its “abortion sanctuary cities”

Good. New Mexico’s top prosecutor on Monday asked the state’s highest court to overturn abortion bans imposed by conservative local governments in the Democratic-run state where the procedure remains legal after Roe v. Wade was struck down. The move comes … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Mexico sues its “abortion sanctuary cities”

FDA suggests annual COVID booster

I like the idea of this, which is to make COVID shots simpler and thus hopefully more likely to be taken, but it seems to be more nuanced than that. The US Food and Drug Administration wants to simplify the … Continue reading

Posted in National news, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on FDA suggests annual COVID booster

Scott Rolen elected to the Hall of Fame

Well deserved. The hot corner has historically had a high bar for National Baseball Hall of Fame entry. But in 2023, Scott Rolen made the cut and completed a meteoric rise in support in his time on the Baseball Writers’ … Continue reading

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Scott Rolen elected to the Hall of Fame

Texas blog roundup for the week of January 23

The Texas Progressive Alliance is ready for pitchers and catchers to report as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of January 23

More on the lawsuit against Paxton’s deranged ballot access opinion

There are actually three counties suing him, not just the one I had originally noted. At least three Texas counties — Tarrant, Williamson, and Harris — have sued Attorney General Ken Paxton and are asking a judge to strike down a legal … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the lawsuit against Paxton’s deranged ballot access opinion

The “True The Vote Freedom Hospital of Ukraine”

This story has broken my brain. Gregg Phillips and Catherine Engelbrecht are best known as the election deniers behind True the Vote, a Texas-based nonprofit responsible for amplifying conspiracies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. But soon after Russia … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The “True The Vote Freedom Hospital of Ukraine”

A new proposal for adding sidewalks

I’d like to hear more about this. Some homeowners and developers soon may be able to opt out of requirements to build sidewalks and instead pay a fee into a new fund the city would use to build sidewalks across … Continue reading

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

HISD in TEA limbo

No one knows how long this might take. Houston ISD is in limbo as the Texas Education Agency weighs how to proceed with a possible takeover of the state’s largest school system allowed under a recent Texas Supreme Court ruling. … Continue reading

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

More on the collegiate TikTok bans

An interesting perspective from a professor in Texas. The bans have come in states where governors, like Texas’s Greg Abbott, have blocked TikTok from state-issued computers and phones. Employers can generally exercise control over how employees use the equipment they … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the collegiate TikTok bans

Spring Branch ISD to discuss a book ban today

I don’t post stuff like this often – it’s not really my remit, and timeliness usually works against me – but this one really annoyed me, so here it is. Via Facebook: PLEASE CONSIDER SPEAKING ON TUESDAY @ 1PM! (If … Continue reading

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Spring Branch ISD to discuss a book ban today

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

Pushing the panic button

This feels like security theater to me, but it’s what passes for progress these days. All school districts in Montgomery County will soon be using panic alert technology during emergencies, including an active shooter situation, a security measure Texas education … Continue reading

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Pushing the panic button

“I bless the drains down in Africa”

Whoever came up with the Adopt A Drain program is a damn genius. When it comes to naming storm drains, it seems Houstonians have a hard time keeping their minds out of the gutter. In 2018, the city of Houston … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on “I bless the drains down in Africa”

Weekend link dump for January 22

“I’m a Criminology Professor. I’ve Seen Students Like the Idaho Suspect Before.” “After being fired by Disney for transphobic and antisemitic statements, Gina Carano’s new movie has epically flopped”. I should note that what is reported there is not entirely … Continue reading

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | Comments Off on Weekend link dump for January 22

Will Metro take over B-Cycle?

I like the idea and hope Metro can really run with it. The Houston area’s biggest bus operator is considering getting in the bike business, infusing up to $500,000 into the city’s network of docked two-wheelers. Under the proposal, scheduled for a vote … Continue reading

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

COVID rates tick down again in Houston

Always a good headline to read. COVID-19 data from the Texas Medical Center this week suggests the current wave may be subsiding, though experts urge caution as a new, highly infectious variant continues to circulate. The average number of daily … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on COVID rates tick down again in Houston

A new Adickes statue is on the way

Been too long since there was some Giant Presidential Head news. Where to start with all the David Adickes sculptures dotting Houston landscape? Perhaps his 44 gigantic heads paying homage to our U.S. presidents (still no Trump)? His giant cello … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on A new Adickes statue is on the way

PUC makes an attempt to fix the grid

People are skeptical. The Public Utility Commission voted Thursday to make a substantial change to the state’s electricity market in a controversial effort to get the whole system to be more reliable. The agency said it will let the Legislature … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment