Monthly Archives: January 2011

We get the college graduation rates we pay for

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Just a couple of related items of interest. First, from the man who would be Governor if we lived in a just world. In the last 30 years, Americans with only a high school diploma experienced a drop in average … Continue reading →

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A more suburban Metro?

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Another possible feature of the Census data, of which I had not been previously aware, could be characterized as Metro redistricting. The city of Houston could lose its majority control of the Metro board if the 2010 Census shows that … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Closing prisons needs to be on the table

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From Change.org: Texas’ prison population is shrinking. The state has made great strides in recent years to offer community alternatives to long sentences. But with a budget crisis looming, state prison officials are saying they won’t consider closing a single … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Alomar, Blyleven enter HOF

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations to Roberto Alomar and (at long last) Bert Blyleven for their election to the Hall of Fame. Roberto Alomar and Bert Blyleven were chosen to the baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday, in an election in which voters again … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

One person’s experience with deferred adjudication for DWI

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

After I posted about the bill to allow deferred adjudication for DWI, I received the following email from a reader, who gave me permission to publish it. Deferred adjudication (D.A) ….My brother had it because of a DWI in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Will the Lege change the rules about corporate campaign contributions?

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I think the answer to that question is probably “No”, but given the Citizens United ruling and the effect it had in the 2010 election, one cannot rule it out. Immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, the Texas Ethics … Continue reading →

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Petition for new HCDP Chair

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know how I feel about this, but it’s out there so I feel I should say something. The time has come for new leadership in the Harris County Democratic Party. After November’s defeat, we should look to new … Continue reading →

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

Garcia writes about the New Metro

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Metro Board Chair Gilbert Garcia wrote an op-ed for the Sunday Chron that outlined what Metro did in 2010 and plans to do in 2011. If you’ve already listened to my interview with Garcia and Board member Christof Spieler, what … Continue reading →

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Here come the nukes

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. Texas can import low-level radioactive waste from 36 other states, a commission run jointly by Texas and Vermont decided Tuesday in Andrews County. The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission vote was a decisive victory for Waste Control Specialists, … Continue reading →

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Still more on class size limits

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Real good article in the Press about class size limits and the possible effects of raising them, which I’ve written about before. A couple of points: A famous education study done in Tennessee in the 1980s shows class size matters. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

On county jails and treating mental illness

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s really only one thing that needs to be said about this op-ed, which was co-written by Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia and HPD Chief Charles McClelland. Texas ranks 49th in the nation in per capita spending on mental health … Continue reading →

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Warning: Speed trap ahead

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating story about a guy who likes telling people they’re about to encounter a speed trap. Three years ago, when Lakeway resident Lance Mitchell launched his website, SpeedTrap-Ahead.org, he didn’t hide his intentions. “Not a lot of people flash their … Continue reading →

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

Texas blog roundup for the week of January 3

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes everyone a happy and prosperous New Year as it brings you the first blog roundup of 2011. Off the Kuff took another look at the coming fight over class size limits. Who decides who suffers … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | 1 Comment

A very early look at the 2011 elections

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Texas on the Potomac lists 11 national races of interest for 2011. Well, of interest to some – outside of the Dallas Mayoral race, none of these mean much to me, and that’s only if incumbent Tom Leppart leaves to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Federal court denies stay in Texas’ lawsuit against EPA

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

No love from the Fifth Circuit. Texas’ bid to stop the federal government’s efforts to regulate greenhouse gases hit another roadblock today, when the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals turned down the state’s request for a stay of a move … Continue reading →

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These are only “hard choices” for some people

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I suspect that for too many members of the incoming Legislature, the decisions they’ll be making about the budget will be ones they’re not at all uncomfortable with. The Legislature’s Republican leadership will confront weighty questions, such as how many … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

NPR on LRT

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Nice story on NPR about the expansion of light rail around the country. Pretty much everywhere you look in large urban areas, there’s light rail, construction of light rail, or plans for light rail. Couple of points from the story … Continue reading →

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

Weekend link dump for January 2

Posted on January 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Am I the only one that thinks “the year 2011” still sounds like science fiction and not reality? I’m delighted to hear that Nancy Lieberman is back in basketball. I think she’d make a fine assistant coach in the NBA. … Continue reading →

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Vote on nuclear waste dump expansion temporarily halted

Posted on January 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A Travis County state district judge on Thursday sided with environmentalists and temporarily halted plans to allow a West Texas radioactive waste disposal site to accept waste from an additional three dozen states. The decision by Judge Jon Wisser … Continue reading →

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Where hippie bohemian attorney dreams go to die

Posted on January 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Via Swamplot, I see that the site of the never-was Sonoma development in the Rice Village has been sold to someone that plans to actually build something. Hanover’s project, called Plaza View, is scheduled to include 385 “high-end” apartments, 14,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Teach For America grants

Posted on January 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In other education and budget news, there’s this. Texas lawmakers have ordered a study of Teach for America to help determine if the Peace Corps-like program, which recruits top college graduates to work in needy schools, is worth the state’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Saturday video break: New Year’s Day

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Seems appropriate: Happy 2011! I suppose this is as good a place as any to mention that today is my ninth anniversary of blogging. I’ve been doing this so long I’ve forgotten how not to do it. I suppose I … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The mandatory furlough plan

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Happy New Year, city employees. Thousands of city of Houston employees will have to take six unpaid days off in the coming six months, one of a series of actions Mayor Annise Parker is taking to close a $29 million … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Recycle that tree!

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

If you live in the city of Houston and have a natural Christmas tree, you can simply put it out for curbside recycling. If you need to deal with it before then, here are your options: Those who don’t want to … Continue reading →

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