Tag Archives: stimulus

The wrong track

Posted on September 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting, but there are some key questions left unasked. According to a poll conducted by Texas 2036, at least 92 percent of Texas voters said they were concerned about the future of the state, with 58 percent also stating they felt … Continue reading →

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

The final Ike Dike plan

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s taken a long time to get to this point. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released the final version of its Coastal Texas Study, which examines a proposed coastal barrier to protect the Houston region against storm surge. … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The final Ike Dike plan

The contract health worker surge

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t know how sustainable this is. Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, president and CEO of Harris Health System, said the hospitals in the system were at a breaking point when he learned that 100 temporary medical workers were being sent to help. … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The feds prepare to enter the mask mandate fight

Posted on August 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott may soon be fighting a war on two fronts — with local officials and the federal government — to stave off mandatory COVID-19 prevention efforts after the Biden administration announced Wednesday it was going after … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Abbott flails about on the COVID surge

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He remains committed to the bit. Gov. Greg Abbott announced new moves Monday to fight the coronavirus pandemic as it rages again in Texas, including asking hospitals to again put off certain elective procedures to free up space for COVID-19 … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

We’re #2!

Posted on August 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More people have died of COVID in Texas than any other state except California, as Texas surpasses New York’s total. Texas has passed New York to become the state with the second-most COVID-19 deaths, a feat experts say was driven … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

How HISD intends to spend its COVID relief money

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Seems reasonable. Houston ISD expects to spend $1.2 billion of federal relief shoring up academic losses from the pandemic under a wide-ranging plan that would target accelerated instruction to kids that have fallen behind, bolster tutoring and after-school services, seek … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on How HISD intends to spend its COVID relief money

Can you tell me how to get (safely) to Memorial Park?

Posted on July 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Safety is nice. A $200 million-plus plan to improve [Memorial Park] is aimed at making it a signature destination for all Houstonians. With that success, though, will come the same challenges anything popular in Houston faces: How will people get … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Can you tell me how to get (safely) to Memorial Park?

More federal stimulus money for education coming

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas soon will receive another $4.1 billion in federal stimulus money to address the post-pandemic needs of public school students, many of whom fell behind academically during months of remote learning. The funding comes come as the U.S. Department … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on More federal stimulus money for education coming

Superintendent House has arrived

Posted on July 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He’s got a lot of work in front of him. When Millard House II officially [started] as the new superintendent of Houston ISD on Thursday, he [had] a stack of challenges awaiting his attention. Some students fell further behind during … Continue reading →

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

And the STAAR results ain’t great either

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Oof. The COVID-19 pandemic appeared to undo years of improvement for Texas students meeting grade requirements in reading and math, with students who did most of their schooling remotely suffering “significant declines” compared to those who attended in person, according … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

You can’t use that money for your stupid wall

Posted on June 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

So say Democratic members of Congress from Texas, and they’re asking the Treasury Department to back them up. Texas Democrats in Congress are irate that Gov. Greg Abbott can divert federal funds intended for COVID-19 relief to build a border … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Lawsuit filed against suspension of federal unemployment benefits

Posted on June 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure how likely this is to succeed, but it’s worth a try. Thousands of Texans have banded together and hired an attorney to file suit to block Gov. Greg Abbott from ending emergency federal unemployment benefits before the programs … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

City’s budget passes

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

There was a little bit of drama, but nothing too big. Houston’s City Council voted Wednesday to approve a $5.1 billion budget for the next fiscal year that relies heavily on a massive infusion of federal aid to close a … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on City’s budget passes

The non-high speed rail option

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here comes Amtrak. Amtrak is all aboard the Texas Triangle, but there is a long way to go before more trains roll into Houston, headed for San Antonio and Dallas. The national rail system’s new plan for expanding service, released … Continue reading →

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

Here comes our boring budget

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Save the drama for the budget amendments. A few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Sylvester Turner painted a dire picture of the city’s finances as he laid out his plan to balance last year’s $5 billion city budget. Like … Continue reading →

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

Let’s try and get those federal transit funds now

Posted on May 30, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Works for me. Transit officials, sensing the timing may be right to tap federal funds for major projects, are moving quickly on portions of a planned bus rapid transit line viewed by some as the backbone of Houston’s future movement. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Let’s try and get those federal transit funds now

Two arguments against Abbott’s rollback of extended unemployment insurance

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s bad economic policy. “I’m still nervous that we’re bowing out of this program before the labor market is fully healed,” said Dietrich Vollrath, an economics professor at the University of Houston. “The bad consequences of doing too much is … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Two arguments against Abbott’s rollback of extended unemployment insurance

Of course business groups want Abbott to cut off unemployment payments

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Completely on brand. The Texas Association of Business and more than three dozen other business groups are pushing Gov. Greg Abbott to cut the additional $300 in federal benefits currently going to unemployed Texans. Nearly 1 million Texans remained unemployed … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

More than one way to fund the Ike Dike

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

As long as it gets funded, that’s what matters. When President Joe Biden proposed a nearly $2 trillion infrastructure bill, some Texas officials had high hopes that it might include funding for the long-awaited “Ike Dike” project to protect the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Houston gets to have a boring budget

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Thanks, President Biden and all you voters in Georgia! Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to use an influx of federal cash to give firefighters a “raise the city can afford,” expand the Houston Police Department and replace lost revenue from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Houston gets to have a boring budget

The I-45 effect on Metro

Posted on May 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

There will be a lot of disruption to mass transit as a result of the I-45 project. Metro’s board on Thursday approved hiring design and engineering firm STV Incorporated for services related to the controversial Interstate 45 project. Though the … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The I-45 effect on Metro

State finally releases most federal stimulus funds for schools

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

About damn time. Texas’s top state leaders announced Wednesday they are releasing $11.2 billion out of nearly $18 billion available in federal pandemic relief funding that has been dedicated for the state’s public schools. The announcement comes as education advocates … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State finally releases most federal stimulus funds for schools

Rep. Fletcher will push for Ike Dike in the infrastructure plan

Posted on April 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A good thing to champion. As congressional Democrats hash out a plan to spend more than $2 trillion on the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, it’s unclear how much — if any — of that money would go toward a long-sought barrier … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Rep. Fletcher will push for Ike Dike in the infrastructure plan

House passes its budget

Posted on April 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The rites of spring in Texas: The start of baseball season, the first 90-degree day, and in odd-numbered years, the House Budget Amendment-Palooza. The Texas House on Thursday night unanimously passed its proposed two-year, $246 billion state budget after members … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on House passes its budget

The infrastructure bill and Texas flooding

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s more than just the Ike Dike. President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan includes $50 billion to fortify states against future extreme weather events such as the droughts, floods and hurricanes that caused up to $200 billion in damage in Texas … Continue reading →

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

Is there an infrastructure boost in the works for Texas Central?

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe! The federal government is serious about spending money on high-speed rail, and Texas could be among the first beneficiaries. The recent interest in investing in bullet trains capable of going 200 mph or faster comes at a time when … Continue reading →

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

Where are the stimulus funds for the schools?

Posted on April 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Ridiculous. For more than a year, the federal government has been pumping billions of dollars into school districts across the country to help them meet the demands of the pandemic. Most states have used that pot of stimulus funds as … Continue reading →

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

The infrastructure bill and the Hobby Airport light rail extension

Posted on April 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More good thing we could get from the eventual Infrastructure Bill. Houston was made and marketed by the slogan “where 17 railroads meet the sea.” Local elected officials now think its short-term future, and the local success of a proposed … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The infrastructure bill and the Ike Dike

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is encouraging. President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan sure seems to be considering building the Ike Dike. His $2 trillion plan includes improving and strengthening infrastructure in coastal areas most vulnerable during hurricane season. Biden pitched part of the American … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The infrastructure bill and the Ike Dike

The infrastructure bill and the power grid

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan could help rebuild Texas highways and ports and push broadband into rural parts of the state, where up to 31 percent of residents do not have access to high-speed internet. It … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The infrastructure bill and the power grid

What the American Rescue Plan means to Houston

Posted on March 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

First and foremost, no layoffs. Houston and Harris County are expected to receive more than $1.5 billion through the stimulus bill approved by Congress Wednesday, providing a massive cash injection that city officials say will help close a budget shortfall … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

The economic hardship of the freeze

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We may have power and water again (mostly), but some things that were lost can’t easily be gotten back. Last Tuesday, as Houston temperatures hovered below freezing for much of the day, Gloria Sanchez’s lights — and heat — cut … Continue reading →

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

Harris County approves its budget

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good priorities. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved a $3.3 billion general fund budget that includes new investments in pollution control, public health and attorneys for indigent criminal defendants. The $64 million in new spending represents a 2 … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments