Monthly Archives: August 2009

Weekend link dump for August 9

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Next year, this date will be 8/9/10. This year, it’s not nearly as interesting. One reason some politicians lie so much is because there are no consequences for it. Firefighting: A great example of the government doing something a lot … Continue reading →

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Warrants

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of people out there have outstanding warrants. Nearly 2 million warrants worth more than $340 million are outstanding in the Houston area, and in most cases they’re not for hard-core criminals. They’re for average residents who haven’t settled minor … Continue reading →

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Still waiting on Rita aid

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’m appalled by this. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has spent about a third of the federal funds it received to help low-income residents rebuild homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Rita almost four years ago, the … Continue reading →

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Too quiet?

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been very quiet on the hurricane front so far this year – not a single named storm in the Atlantic as yet. The good news, as SciGuy notes, is that this means the projections for the number of named … Continue reading →

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“Crazy ants” becoming a bigger menace

Posted on August 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall hearing about the “crazy ants”, also known as Rasberry ants, last year. They’re apparently gaining a large foothold in Texas and other states, and are threatening honeybees wherever they go. The range of the so-called Rasberry crazy … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: A John Hughes twofer

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

“Twist and Shout”, from “Ferris Bueller’s Day off”: And the original video to Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me”, which was used in “The Breakfast Club”. Thanks to Steven Goldman for that link. And if you haven’t read this … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: HGLBT Political Caucus on Controller and Council races

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

From Wednesday night’s meeting of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus: The Houston Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgendered Political Caucus met on Wednesday evening to endorse candidates in the 2009 Houston municipal elections as well as HISD Board of Trustee elections. … Continue reading →

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Eight candidates for HISD Superintendent

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We don’t know who the candidates are for HISD Superintendent, but at least we know how many of them there are. There’s a Heisenberg joke in there somewhere, I’m just not certain how to find it. The Houston school board … Continue reading →

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Harper-Brown vows to try again on Safe Passing bill

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The bicyclists will not go away despite the setback on the Safe Passing bill. A state legislator’s unsuccessful efforts to pass a “safe passing” bill for cyclists said Wednesday that an accident involving her granddaughter has renewed her interest in … Continue reading →

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How dry we are

Posted on August 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Rain, rain, please don’t go away. Texas is too dry to play. Pedernales Falls, for the most part, doesn’t. Lake Travis is becoming a lake in name only, regressing in some areas almost to the old Colorado River channel and … Continue reading →

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Roy ‘n’ TJ

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Together at last, as Huntley says on Facebook. To all of my loyal supporters, I want to say thank you. Thanks for being behind me and standing in the gap for the things this city lacks. We all know that … Continue reading →

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Jones and Caynon, take two

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

If you thought that the fight between Council Member Jolanda Jones and Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association president Jeff Caynon was over, think again. Earlier this week, City Councilwoman Jolanda Jones sent out a letter with nearly 70 names collected … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Texas, our Texas

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We were out of town most of last week, visiting friends in the Washington, DC area, so here are ten songs to serve as reminders of home for the next time we travel. 1. Irving – Austin Lounge Lizards 2. … Continue reading →

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Mickey Leland, 20 years later

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Twenty years ago today, US Representative Mickey Leland died in a plane crash while on a humanitarian trip to Ethiopia. His widow Alison Leland and State Sen. Rodney Ellis remember his legacy in today’s Chron. Twenty years ago our city, … Continue reading →

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Let’s seat those judges

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Traditionally, a President seeks input from a state’s Senators when filling federal court, US Attorney, and US Marshall openings. Also traditionally, when the President and both Senators from a given state are from opposite parties, the state’s Congressional delegation assumes … Continue reading →

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Streetcars in San Antonio

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

San Antonio is looking to Portland for inspiration as it contemplates a streetcar system. In the 1990s, driven by a plan to infuse the inner city with new residents, transit advocates drew up plans to link several districts by streetcar … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Lawsuit over NCAA licensing practices

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Came across this the other day and have been meaning to give it a mention. Lawyers for the former U.C.L.A. basketball star Ed O’Bannon filed a class-action lawsuit against the N.C.A.A. on Tuesday, claiming former athletes should be compensated for … Continue reading →

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RIP, John Hughes

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

John Hughes, iconic 80s movie director, has passed away from a heart attack at the age of 59. A native of Lansing, Mich., who later moved to suburban Chicago and set much of his work there, Hughes rose from ad … Continue reading →

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Alabama Bookstop to close next month

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In June, I noted a Swamplot post that said the Alabama Bookstop would be closing soon, but that property owner Weingarten would not be demolishing the existing building. We now have a reported date for the Bookstop to close up … Continue reading →

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Interview with Amy Peck

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Next on the interview list is Amy Peck, who is running in District A. She is a UT graduate who got a ME.d in Counseling Psychology from the University of Houston at the age of 22. She works as constituent … Continue reading →

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Parker’s crimefighting plan

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Tis the season for Mayoral candidates to send out position papers on various issues. I’ve gotten a couple in my mailbox in the past few days and want to spend a little time examining them. First up is Annise Parker’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Gallup poll of partisan preference

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There’s been some buzz lately about this Gallup poll that shows 42 percent of Texans identify as Democratic or claim to “lean” Democratic, while only 40% are Republican or lean that way. Greg and Matt are optimistic, while The Contrarian, … Continue reading →

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Environment Texas scorecard

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Environment Texas scorecard (PDF) for the 2009 legislative session. A few points of interest: – There were seven scored voted for Senators, and eight for the House. For all but two, the “right” vote was Yes, which is … Continue reading →

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Your post office may close

Posted on August 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Look out. The Postal Service may register a loss of nearly $7 billion this fiscal year in spite of a 2-cent increase in the price of stamps in May, cuts in staff and removal of collection boxes. Post officials sent … Continue reading →

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Jack Christie to run in At Large #5

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The field in At Large #5, which currently includes incumbent Council Member Jolanda Jones and challengers Carlos Obando and Davetta Daniels, has just gotten bigger as Jack Christie has filed to run for the seat as well. Christie is a … Continue reading →

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Draft Kirk Watson

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Draft Kirk Watson – that’s pretty much all you need to know. If you’re at all interested in seeing Sen. Kirk Watson run for Governor, this is the place to let him hear about it.

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Kamrani not running for re-election as HISD trustee

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There are now two open HISD Trustee seats up for election this fall as District I incumbent Natasha Kamrani announces that she will step down after this term. HISD Trustee Natasha Kamrani, who is completing her first term on the school … Continue reading →

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Interview with Oliver Pennington

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Moving over to District G, my next interview is with Oliver Pennnington. Pennington is a retired attorney, a partner at Fulbright and Jaworski, whose practice focused on municipal law, and a Rice alumnus. Pennington has lived in District G for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Keller goes on the offensive

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We’re less than two weeks out from the judicial conduct hearing on Court of Criminal Appeals Chief Justice Sharon Keller, and it’s clear that her defense strategy will be to attack her accusers. Keller, facing potentially career-ending charges that she … Continue reading →

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HHSC sued over food stamp delays

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This will definitely bear watching. Legal services lawyers for the poor have filed a class-action lawsuit demanding immediate repair of Texas’ much-criticized eligibility screening system for health and welfare programs. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Austin … Continue reading →

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You don’t get what you don’t pay for

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

School buses. Who needs ’em? Homeowners in the Cypress-Fairbanks school district are able to keep their special tax break this year, but now thousands of students are left without school bus rides. To make a dent in a $14 million … Continue reading →

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Safe Passing bill still in the news

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The father of a driver accused of killing two bicyclists last summer recently urged Gov. Rick Perry to veto a bill that generally would have required motorists to give vulnerable road users more space when passing them. Cyclists believe … Continue reading →

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Tuesday Council roundup

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Council Member Sue Lovell, who is running hard for re-election after her close win in 2007, has added some fundraising muscle to her team. Houston Vice Mayor Pro Tem Sue Lovell announced today that Robert Miller would lead the Finance … Continue reading →

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Harris County jail passes re-inspection

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good news from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office: HARRIS COUNTY JAIL PASSES REINSPECTION (HOUSTON, TX) – Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia is proud to announce that the Harris County Jail has passed a reinspection by the Texas Commission on Jail … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments