Category Archives: National news

Compost or else

Posted on June 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Go, San Francisco! Trash collectors in San Francisco will soon be doing more than just gathering garbage: They’ll be keeping an eye out for people who toss food scraps out with their rubbish. San Francisco this week passed a mandatory … Continue reading →

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Voting right on climate change, part 3

Posted on June 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go again. The late-stage whip count on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 has produced a particular political irony. A measure crafted by two Democrats in the House of Representatives — Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) … Continue reading →

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Your Texas Republican delegation in action

Posted on June 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

David Weigel tells us what some of our Republican Congressfolk have been up to. Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.), who has introduced a bill that would require future presidential candidates to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, has collected four more co-sponsors — Reps. … Continue reading →

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Did Tom DeLay do us a favor on climate change?

Posted on June 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Via Yglesias, I see that one of the biggest impediments to a real solution for climate change is Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson, who is the chair of the Agriculture Committee. This has Chris Bowers thinking outside the box. Here is … Continue reading →

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The Ensign affair

Posted on June 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), who had been considering a 2012 presidential campaign, has now admitted to an extra-marital affair, and will hold a press conference later today in Nevada to explain it further. Chris Cillizza reports that the affair … Continue reading →

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Green and Gonzalez get plaudits for climate change bill

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

After all the haranging I did on this, the least I can do is to note this. The Obama administration joined environmentalists Friday in heaping praise on Texas Democratic Reps. Charlie Gonzalez and Gene Green for helping climate change legislation … Continue reading →

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More on Gene Green and climate change

Posted on May 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a followup story on the eventually successful negotiations among members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on the cap-and-trade bill. Climate change legislation moving through Congress would give refiners free permits to emit greenhouse gases under a compromise … Continue reading →

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Voting right on climate change, take two

Posted on May 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Yo, Democrats. You were given a mandate this past November. Please act like it. Democratic leaders pushing to cap greenhouse gas emissions were working Wednesday to appease key lawmakers who want to ease the financial burden that the climate change … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Voting right on climate change

Posted on May 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It is, of course, a good thing that President Obama has Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress as he tries to get his agenda implemented. That doesn’t mean he’ll have smooth sailing, of course – between the weirdly ahistorical … Continue reading →

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Juan Garcia takes a job in the Obama administration

Posted on May 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Congrats to former State Rep. Juan Garcia on his new gig. The White House issued a news release announcing Juan Garcia, Obama’s former law school classmate and one-term Texas House member, will be nominated to be Assistant Secretary of the … Continue reading →

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Specter switches

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As Greg says, wow. Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning. Specter’s decision would … Continue reading →

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Now how much would you pay to get rid of those immigrants?

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

They sure do seem to like flushing their money away in Farmers Branch. The Farmers Branch City Council will spend nearly a half-million dollars more to cover the cost of legal fees incurred by two groups that have challenged the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Now how much would you pay to get rid of those immigrants?

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

They sure do seem to like flushing their money away in Farmers Branch. The Farmers Branch City Council will spend nearly a half-million dollars more to cover the cost of legal fees incurred by two groups that have challenged the … Continue reading →

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A letter to the President

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s another update from the Handmade Toy Alliance, in the form of a letter to the President on the current state of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and the need for a technical amendment to it for small … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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A letter to the President

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s another update from the Handmade Toy Alliance, in the form of a letter to the President on the current state of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and the need for a technical amendment to it for small … Continue reading →

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Two immigration stories

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Governor Perry writes a letter to the Department of Homeland Security. Perry asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano this week to take a series of steps to improve information-sharing between federal, state and local law enforcement. The Homeland Security-related issues … Continue reading →

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Lampson to NASA?

Posted on April 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Former Rep. Nick Lampson, who was a big advocate for NASA while he was in Congress, is now on the short list to become NASA’s administrator. The 64-year-old Stafford Democrat, whose Houston-area congressional district included Johnson Space Center, has joined … Continue reading →

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Which Republicans do you have in mind for that?

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Republican attorney Jacob Monty calls on his party to tackle the problem of immigration reform in a serious and rational way. I think he makes some good points about the toxic relations the GOP currently has with Hispanics nationally, and … Continue reading →

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Slowdown at the Mint

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

They’re not making as many coins as they used to. As falls the economy, so falls the jingle of coinmaking at the U.S. Mint. Production at the federal government’s coin factory in Denver fell a sharp 26 percent in 2008 … Continue reading →

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That other budget

Posted on March 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve spent a lot of time lately talking about the state budget – more than the Lege has spent, I daresay – but while this is happening there’s also the federal budget, the first one President Obama has proposed, to … Continue reading →

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The HTA and the Times

Posted on February 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The New York Times wrote an editorial about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). Unfortunately, they seem to have misunderstood what all the fuss is about. As many parents, and ultimately manufacturers, learned the hard way, the Bush administration … Continue reading →

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The HTA and the Times

Posted on February 20, 2009 by Greg Wythe

The New York Times wrote an editorial about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). Unfortunately, they seem to have misunderstood what all the fuss is about. As many parents, and ultimately manufacturers, learned the hard way, the Bush administration … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Will we get a piece of the stimulus?

Posted on February 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe, maybe not. Many states, running short of cash, may jump at the chance to spend federal stimulus money. In Texas, though, the executive and legislative branches may not jump in unison. Several Democrats and even a few Republicans are … Continue reading →

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Will we get a piece of the stimulus?

Posted on February 9, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Maybe, maybe not. Many states, running short of cash, may jump at the chance to spend federal stimulus money. In Texas, though, the executive and legislative branches may not jump in unison. Several Democrats and even a few Republicans are … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Handmade Toy Alliance wins a stay

Posted on February 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news from last week for the Handmade Toy Alliance – they got a one year reprieve on enforcement of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Federal regulators on Friday postponed some testing requirements that would have forced many … Continue reading →

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Handmade Toy Alliance wins a stay

Posted on February 7, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Some good news from last week for the Handmade Toy Alliance – they got a one year reprieve on enforcement of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Federal regulators on Friday postponed some testing requirements that would have forced many … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Healthcare Workshop

Posted on January 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Public service announcement: Next Saturday, February 7, from 9 AM to 1 PM at Covenant Baptist Church (4949 Caroline, see map), the group Health Care For All Texas will be holding a workshop on “Health Reform: An Opportunity to Address … Continue reading →

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How much would you pay for that post office?

Posted on January 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The US Postal Service would like to make you a deal. The U.S. Postal Service is unloading as many as 200 facilities in an effort to offset some of its huge financial losses. In Houston, just two properties have been … Continue reading →

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Healthcare Workshop

Posted on January 31, 2009 by Greg Wythe

Public service announcement: Next Saturday, February 7, from 9 AM to 1 PM at Covenant Baptist Church (4949 Caroline, see map), the group Health Care For All Texas will be holding a workshop on “Health Reform: An Opportunity to Address … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

How much would you pay for that post office?

Posted on January 31, 2009 by Greg Wythe

The US Postal Service would like to make you a deal. The U.S. Postal Service is unloading as many as 200 facilities in an effort to offset some of its huge financial losses. In Houston, just two properties have been … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, National news | 2 Comments

Let’s always elect our Senators

Posted on January 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, having seen what a farce the gubernatorial-selection process for replacing Senators has been this year, proposes to do something about it: The controversies surrounding some of the recent gubernatorial appointments to vacant Senate seats make it … Continue reading →

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Let’s always elect our Senators

Posted on January 30, 2009 by Greg Wythe

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, having seen what a farce the gubernatorial-selection process for replacing Senators has been this year, proposes to do something about it: The controversies surrounding some of the recent gubernatorial appointments to vacant Senate seats make it … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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California breathin’

Posted on January 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We may get some cleaner air to breathe here in Texas thanks to California and President Obama. Obama ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to review the Bush administration’s refusal to allow California and 13 other states to set the nation’s … Continue reading →

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California breathin’

Posted on January 29, 2009 by Greg Wythe

We may get some cleaner air to breathe here in Texas thanks to California and President Obama. Obama ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to review the Bush administration’s refusal to allow California and 13 other states to set the nation’s … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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