Tag Archives: budget

We could get an Amtrak connection from Atlanta to Fort Worth

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Or it could all be killed by the Freedom Caucus nihilists. That’s just how these things go these days. A passenger rail line project touted as a major connectivity and economic boost to the Fort Worth region and beyond could … Continue reading →

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Paxton whistleblowers demand depositions

Posted on November 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As always, I am rooting for them. Lawyers for the Ken Paxton whistleblowers are moving forward with their lawsuit in Travis County after another judge cleared the way, asking the Austin-based court to force the attorney general and his top … Continue reading →

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Paxton whistleblower lawsuit unpaused again

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Burnet County district judge ruled Tuesday that the Ken Paxton whistleblowers’ case can proceed in Travis County, while Paxton’s recently launched legal challenge to the revived lawsuit remains pending. The ruling by Judge Evan Stubbs could allow the … Continue reading →

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Paxton whistleblower lawsuit paused again

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

WTF??? The whistleblower lawsuit against Attorney General Ken Paxton has once again been put on pause, this time by a judge who had not been previously involved in the case. The Texas Supreme Court agreed to jumpstart the case in … Continue reading →

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What some Mayoral candidates said to some Republicans

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have a few thoughts about this. Houston mayoral candidates took aim at “feel-good” public safety initiatives such as gun buybacks and proposed plans to boost the city budget at a Friday forum organized by United Republicans of Harris County. … Continue reading →

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Metro moves forward with its bike plan

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Really interested to see what this looks like. Metro’s board of directors voted Thursday to negotiate a contract with a Canadian company to launch Houston’s second bike-share program, but left unclear how – or whether – the two bicycle rental … Continue reading →

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SCOTx rules whistleblowers’ lawsuit can proceed

Posted on September 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas Supreme Court has sided with former top deputies of Attorney General Ken Paxton and cleared the way for their whistleblower lawsuit to move forward. The all-Republican Supreme Court on Friday rejected Paxton’s request to dismiss the lawsuit … Continue reading →

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City Council approves B-Cycle lifeline

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I approve of this as a stopgap, but a real plan needs to be in place. Houston’s floundering bike sharing system has a little more life, after city officials approved $500,000 to keep the system operational, at least until a … Continue reading →

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The whistleblowers say they aren’t going away

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to hear it. In a Monday filing to the Texas Supreme Court, the whistleblowers [Blake Brickman, David Maxwell, Mark Penley and Ryan Vassar] argued that Paxton has failed to uphold key parts of the settlement agreement, including the $3.3 … Continue reading →

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Once again with questions about Mike Miles’ finances

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

More good work from Houston Landing. New Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ plans for the district are built on the promise of more. More pay for teachers. More staff in classrooms. More security officers on campuses. But all of those … Continue reading →

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Ken Paxton’s sleaze goes beyond his (alleged) crimes and misdemeanors

Posted on September 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder, in case you needed it. When Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton held a news conference in May decrying state lawmakers’ anticipated vote to impeach him, he framed the decision as not only a threat to his political … Continue reading →

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All candidates should support repealing the revenue cap

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Long overdue to get rid of the stupid thing. The Gulf Coast AFL-CIO released a platform for City Hall on Saturday that calls for eliminating Houston’s property tax revenue cap and avoiding worker layoffs. The union has endorsed state Sen. … Continue reading →

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About those HISD central office cuts

Posted on August 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

More illusion than reality so far, it seems. A cornerstone of Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ plans for overhauling the district — rapidly eliminating nearly 700 jobs in its “bloated” central office — appears to be exaggerated by the district’s … Continue reading →

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Who might testify at the Paxton impeachment trial?

Posted on August 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe these people. The names of witnesses for Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial must be submitted to the Texas Senate by Tuesday, but the public won’t know who they are until they’re called to testify. Such witness lists are not public, … Continue reading →

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Still more Paxton revelations

Posted on August 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. In new allegations revealed Wednesday, Texas House investigators accused suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton of engaging in a complex cover-up to hide his relationship with real estate investor Nate Paul as senior … Continue reading →

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More motions to dismiss the impeachment charges

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Ken Paxton’s billionaire sugar daddies sure are getting their money’s worth from his attorneys. Attorneys for suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a flurry of motions over the weekend that seek to dismiss additional articles of impeachment, arguing that the … Continue reading →

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The stunning arrogance of Team Paxton

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Even for a cynic like me, this is breathtaking. Rep. Jeff Leach was “pissed off.” He had just found out that Ken Paxton wanted $3.3 million to settle a lawsuit with a group of whistleblowers who’d accused him of corruption … Continue reading →

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Republicans finally agree on a property tax cut

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Our moderate-length semi-statewide bit of unpleasantness is coming to an end. Probably. The $18 billion compromise between the Texas House and Senate — which includes more than $5 billion approved for relief in 2021 — would give increased tax relief … Continue reading →

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The sidewalk situation

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We have a lot of work to do. Growing up in Gulfton, Sandra Rodriguez walked just about everywhere. Her father took the family’s only vehicle to work, so Rodriguez and her four siblings got used to the southwest neighborhood’s patchy … Continue reading →

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Latest ReBuild lawsuit dismissed

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

One less thing for the next Mayor to worry about. I hope. A district court judge has ruled in favor of Houston leaders in a 4-year-old lawsuit, countering allegations that Mayor Sylvester Turner and the City Council illegally shortchanged the … Continue reading →

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How Harris County has spent COVID relief funds

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A lot of good stuff here. Harris County has received around $1.8 billion in federal aid to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, a staggering sum that provided struggling residents with immediate emergency relief, has kept county services running and is fueling … Continue reading →

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No pay for Paxton while he’s on the sidelines

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Poor baby. The Texas attorney general’s office attempted an end-run around a ruling from the state’s top accountant to pay Attorney General Ken Paxton despite his impeachment, documents indicated. Paxton has remained suspended from duty since the House overwhelmingly voted … Continue reading →

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I still don’t get how Mike Miles is going to do what he says

Posted on June 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start with the big plans that appointed HISD Superintendent Mike Miles is touting. Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles unveiled a dramatically expanded plan for the district at a Thursday board meeting, announcing 150 schools will see “wholesale systemic reform” … Continue reading →

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City passes Mayor Turner’s final budget

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready, whoever is up next. Houston city staff will see pay raises, money will go toward sidewalk repairs and residents won’t have to maintain their own drainage ditches anymore. All are part of the $6.2 billion budget that passed through Houston … Continue reading →

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Expanding HART

Posted on June 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. More of Harris County’s 911 calls will be diverted to a mental health crisis team instead of law enforcement officers after a year-long pilot program in a handful of neighborhoods handled thousands of non-violent incidents. Since March … Continue reading →

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Two thoughts on the whole impeachment thing

Posted on May 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start with the obvious, which is the “Why now?” question. A lot of people seem to be mystified. Why, after nearly a decade of Ken Paxton’s criming, did the House General Investigations Committee decide to go all scorched earth … Continue reading →

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Post-impeachment pre-trial roundup

Posted on May 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Some more links of interest relating to the Paxton impeachment-a-thon. I suspect that as more reporters and columnists read the House General Investigations Committee’s report we will see more stories that zoom in on the particulars of his offenses. For … Continue reading →

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House impeaches Paxton

Posted on May 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

For the third time in as many days, I say Wow. In a history-making late-afternoon vote, a divided Texas House chose Saturday to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, temporarily removing him from office over allegations of misconduct that included bribery … Continue reading →

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House General Investigations Committee votes to impeach Paxton

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Once again, I say Wow. In an unprecedented move, a Texas House committee voted Thursday to recommend that Attorney General Ken Paxton be impeached and removed from office, citing a yearslong pattern of alleged misconduct and lawbreaking that investigators detailed … Continue reading →

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House General Investigations Committee goes hard after Paxton

Posted on May 25, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. A Texas House committee heard stunning testimony Wednesday from investigators over allegations of a yearslong pattern of misconduct and questionable actions by Attorney General Ken Paxton, the result of a probe the committee had secretly authorized in March. In … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner’s final budget

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is what he’s handing off. Mayor Sylvester Turner will unveil a $6.2 billion budget proposal this week, the final spending plan of his tenure and one he predicts will have enough savings to cover his successor’s first budget gap. … Continue reading →

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No Paxton settlement money in the budget

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Lege takes a stand. Texas budget negotiators want to ban Attorney General Ken Paxton from using state funds to pay a $3.3 million whistleblower settlement. This week, they adopted a provision that would bar the Office of the Attorney General from using … Continue reading →

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Abbott threatens special session if he doesn’t get his voucher bill passed

Posted on May 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s not the Lege these days without a special session threat. Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday said he would veto a toned-down version of a bill to offer school vouchers in Texas, and threatened to call legislators back for special … Continue reading →

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We ask again if the HISD Board should bother doing anything right now

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I think the answer is still mostly No, but there’s some nuance to that. The Houston Independent School District board met Thursday to discuss potential cuts to the district’s $2.2 billion budget as it faces a growing a growing deficit and a … Continue reading →

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