Monthly Archives: September 2007

First TexBlog PAC fundraiser a smashing success

Posted on September 26, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

As it’s not exactly practical for me to drive to Austin on a weeknight for an evening event, I was unable to attend the first TexBlog PAC fundraiser, which took place last night in Austin. Fortunately, my colleague Matt Glazer … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Kirby renovation by the numbers

Posted on September 26, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Christof looks at the Upper Kirby reconstruction project, and sums up the case against widening the traffic lanes succinctly: It’s been the Houston pattern for 50 years to take away trees and pedestrian space in the interest of wider traffic … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Kirby renovation by the numbers

S-CHIP vote in the House today

Posted on September 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The battle over S-CHIP will be re-joined today as the House takes up the a compromise bill that was agreed upon last Friday. An earlier version of that bill, HR 976, passed with 68 votes in the Senate last month, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on S-CHIP vote in the House today

HISD still struggling with the bond referendum

Posted on September 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I know HISD has said repeatedly that it will not remove the bond referendum from the ballot this November. And though they’ve picked up some support recently, the overall news continues to be bad for them. The Houston Independent School … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | Comments Off on HISD still struggling with the bond referendum

Interview with James Rodriguez

Posted on September 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

And on we go with the Council interviews as I head back to District I for a conversation with James Rodriguez. Rodriguez was Chief of Staff to Council Member Carol Alvarado for four and a half years and is now … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | Comments Off on Interview with James Rodriguez

Texas blog roundup for the week of September 24

Posted on September 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

New week, new Texas blog roundup. Some new faces in the links below, so click on and see what’s happening. Continue reading →

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The anti-Bolsover

Posted on September 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve blogged quite a bit about the Sonoma project in the Rice Village for which a one-block stretch of Bolsover has been abandoned by the city to the developer so it can be turned into a pedestrian plaza. (If you … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on The anti-Bolsover

Fifty years of vocational training

Posted on September 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation is celebrating 50 years of offering vocational training – yesterday was the ceremony observing the anniversary. KUHF has a brief story, which as far as I can tell is the only mention in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Comments Off on Fifty years of vocational training

The end (?) of hurricane season in Texas

Posted on September 25, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

According to SciGuy, in the past 150 years, only three hurricanes have hit the Texas coast after September 24, the most recent being Jerry in 1989. The 24th is a key date, since it’s when Rita made landfall in 2005, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Noriega wins DFT endorsement

Posted on September 24, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, it wasn’t even close. Which isn’t really a surprise when you realize how much Rick Noriega has to offer progressive voters. What more can you say? For good reason, I believe in Rick Noriega. Here’s what DFT … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The ghosts of Flatbush

Posted on September 24, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Fifty years ago today, the Dodgers played their last game in Brooklyn. When former Dodgers pitcher Danny McDevitt threw a ceremonial first pitch to ex-batterymate Joe Pignatano at a Brooklyn Cyclones minor league game in June, more than 7,900 fans … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 2 Comments

Interview with Council Member Anne Clutterbuck

Posted on September 24, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

While most of my energy in covering the City Council races is going to focus on the open seats, I am also going to interview some of the incumbent Council members who have opposition this fall. With that in mind, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | 1 Comment

GLBT Political Caucus endorses revised HISD bond proposal

Posted on September 24, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

This is the first genuine good news I’ve heard for the HISD bond proposal so far. [Saturday], the [screening] committee [for the Houston GLBT Political Caucus] met once again with a representative from HISD. The revised proposal was presented, and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | 2 Comments

Another high-rise, another neighborhood uproar

Posted on September 24, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

This sort of thing is becoming more and more commonplace; I’m talking about both the type of project and the neighborhood reaction to it. A standing-room-only crowd packed the Poe Elementary School auditorium on Thursday night to oppose a 23-story … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | 4 Comments

Revitalizing Montrose

Posted on September 24, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

This sounds interesting. With a little motivation, a group of like-minded people could change the look of one of Houston’s major streets. The idea to revitalize Montrose Boulevard and make it one of the city’s few walkable corridors has been … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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When A Meter Is A Natural Disaster

Posted on September 23, 2007 by admin

In a 100 years (give or take), oceans are expected to rise one meter (39 inches) and will wipe out the Jamestown settlement area, the lauch pad in Florida that sent man to the moon, Bush’s Kennebunkport home, John Edwards … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 3 Comments

Those damn call centers again

Posted on September 23, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

You might have noticed in that story about the lack of help being given to Hurricane Rita victims that a part of the problem was with getting private contractors geared up to distribute benefits. That’s a phenomenon with which we’re … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Comments Off on Those damn call centers again

No help for Rita victims

Posted on September 23, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

This really pisses me off. Two years after Hurricane Rita pushed deep into East Texas with devastating force that damaged or destroyed an estimated 75,000 homes, the state has spent less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the federal grant … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | 3 Comments

The five-spot gets a makeover

Posted on September 23, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

More redesigned currency is coming our way. Honest Abe will become Colorful Abe with splashes of purple and gray livening up the $5 bill. The government showed off the new bill Thursday in an Internet news conference — a high-tech … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

I-45 Coalition website and status update

Posted on September 23, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

The I-45 Coalition has itself an updated website, and a status report on the I-45 expansion project, which has been on hold for awhile. Where are we right now? Currently, the project should be in the Schematic Design & Environmental … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Like An Episode Of 24, Only It Really Happened

Posted on September 23, 2007 by admin

And it lasted 36 hours, not 24. On August 29th, Six nuclear warheads were flown across the United States unbeknownst to anyone. At one point – overnight, after they were loaded onto the transport aircraft – they were secured by … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in National news | 1 Comment

Last chance to vote in DFT Senate Endorsement poll

Posted on September 22, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Voting ends at midnight tonight. Surely you can tear yourself away from football for a few minutes, right? You’ve heard Lee Corso before, after all. If nothing else, be sure to read the Noriega and Watts questionnaire responses. And then … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Uncle Dan update

Posted on September 22, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I mentioned in the previous entry that my Uncle Dan’s write-in victory in the Independence Party primary this Tuesday had been confirmed, and now here it is in print. In recounting votes Friday, commissioners confirmed two upsets took place Tuesday. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | Comments Off on Uncle Dan update

More on Rep. England’s party switch

Posted on September 22, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Kirk England, the Lege’s newest Democrat, discusses the reasons why he switched. “My community’s agenda and the Republican leadership’s agenda are absolutely not the same,” said the Grand Prairie lawmaker. “Certainly the speaker is included in that, but … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Comments Off on More on Rep. England’s party switch

DPS’ quixotic fight against the Observer

Posted on September 22, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Almost a year ago, the Texas Observer won a ruling in court against the Department of Public Safety that ordered DPS to turn over security camera footage from the second floor hallway behind the House chamber to see if GOP … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Wading in

Posted on September 21, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

So let me welcome (or really, welcome back) Ed Wade to Houston as the Astros’ new GM. My very fuzzy recollection of his tenure in Philadelphia was that he was reasonably solid, and did do a good job of finding … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Comments Off on Wading in

Winning the write-in way

Posted on September 21, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Normally, I wouldn’t pay much attention to a primary for the Independence Party nomination for County Legislator in Poughkeepsie, New York, but in this particular case one of the principals in the story is my uncle. And even better, he … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2007 | 4 Comments

Rep. Delisi to retire

Posted on September 21, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Say good-bye to another Texas Republican – State Rep. Dianne White Delisi will retire from the Lege after 16 years. No word if she plans to start performing weddings in her newly-acquired free time. As hers is a safe Republican … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2008 | 1 Comment

Win now, rest later

Posted on September 21, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t actually disagree with anything Joe Sheehan says here about the Yankees’ sudden proximity to the Red Sox in the standings and how basically meaningless it is given their now almost assured spot in the playoffs as a wild … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment

Uri Geller bends copyright law with his mind!

Posted on September 21, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

As Kevin Drum says, this is yet another reason to hate the DMCA. Those of us who grew up in the 1970s probably remember a popular psychic named Uri Geller, who was always on TV back then, bending spoons with … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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How many innocent “guilty” people are there?

Posted on September 21, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Blonde Justice explores a fascinating and dangerous question: What percentage of people who plead guilty to a crime in court really aren’t guilty? She provides an example of how this can happen: I had a case just last week, where … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Comments Off on How many innocent “guilty” people are there?

Don’t forget to vote in the DFT Senate Endorsement poll

Posted on September 20, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Reprinted for your benefit. DFT Announces Senate Endorsement Poll John Cornyn has been on the wrong side of countless issues that are critical to Texans in general and DFT supporters in particular. Beyond that, well, he’s just an embarrassment. But … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Feds subpoena Buckham payroll records

Posted on September 20, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

Bad news for Tom DeLay. A federal grand jury has subpoenaed payroll records from the House for Ed Buckham, former chief of staff to ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas). The subpoena, issued by a grand jury in Washington, D.C., … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | 1 Comment

An HISD threefer

Posted on September 20, 2007 by Charles Kuffner

So much HISD news, so little time… HISD shorted out of tax revenue, state says The Harris County Appraisal District undervalued commercial and apartment property in 2005 and 2006, shorting the Houston Independent School District millions of dollars in tax … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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