Monthly Archives: March 2013

Saturday video break: Walk This Way

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Song #26 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Walk This Way”, originally by Aerosmith, and covered by Run-DMC. Here’s the original: I figure if there was ever a time to post a video with lyrics, this would be … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Saturday video break: Walk This Way

County disputes cheaper Dome demolition price tag

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s on. Harris County officials on Thursday disputed an estimate released this week showing it would cost $29 million to implode the vacant Reliant Astrodome and build a 1,600-space parking lot in two and a half years. The figure, calculated … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Heights-Northside Mobility Study

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You might want to put this on your calendar. The area defined as the Heights-Northside study area bounded on the east by US 59, on the south by IH 10, and on the north and west by IH 610. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Heights-Northside Mobility Study

Gambling interests narrow their focus

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is usually how it goes. Let Texans Decide, a pro-gambling organization that is fronted by former state Sen. John Montford, was aligned at the beginning of the 2013 legislative session with big casino interests in a call for full-scale … Continue reading →

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

Marfreless to close

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

They’re looking for a new location, but it can never be the same. Marfreless, Houston’s infamous make-out lounge, is closing after 40 years. Guests can have their last cocktails and smooches in the bar without a sign on March 30. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Friday random ten: Fifty states of random, part 1

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s take a musical tour around the fifty states, shall we? Or at least, around the states for which I have songs with a state name in the title. 1. Ant In Alaska – Liz Phair 2. Alabama – Neil … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Pauken for Governor

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We have our first official non-fringe candidate for Governor next year. Saying he hoped to reunite the “Reagan coalition of social and economic conservatives,” former Texas Workforce Commissioner Tom Pauken confirmed to the Tribune that he will file to run … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Student RFID bill gets House hearing

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We knew this day would come. Last fall, San Antonio’s Northside ISD began issuing radio-frequency identification (RFID) enhanced student IDs to help with its attendance records. Austin began a small opt-in RFID program last fall, and in 2010, two Houston-area districts began tracking … Continue reading →

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

Maybe it wouldn’t be so expensive to demolish the Dome after all

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, look! It’s another What To Do With The Astrodome study! Woo hoo! The Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo have commissioned a study showing it would cost $29 million to demolish the 48-year-old stadium and build … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

You can present that “Texas solution” any time now

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. John Zerwas takes to the op-ed pages to assure us that yes, the Republicans really truly do want to do something about the vast number of uninsured people in this state if only they are given the freedom … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on You can present that “Texas solution” any time now

Senate passes its budget

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Let the damning with faint praise for this jerry-rigged excuse for not adequately funding our needs yet not eviscerating them as badly as last time begin. The Texas Senate approved a $195.5 billion two-year budget Wednesday, with Democratic state Sens. … Continue reading →

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

HISD and KIPP debate North Forest’s future

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

HISD SUperintendent Terry Grier and KIPP co-founder Mike Feinberg meet with the Chronicle to discuss their vision for North Forest ISD. Under either scenario, students could face longer school hours to help them catch up academically, and some employees may … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HISD and KIPP debate North Forest’s future

The Lykos era officially ends

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That’s all she wrote. A grand jury scrutinizing former District Attorney Pat Lykos and her administration declined Thursday to indict Lykos regarding allegations of misuse of public resources. The Harris County grand jury’s decision to end its term without action … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Lykos era officially ends

Term limits measure approved by the Senate

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Coming to your ballot this fall, barring anything strange. State­wide elected officials would be limited to two consecutive terms under a proposed constitutional amendment approved 27-4 by the Texas Senate on Tuesday. Gov. Rick Perry, Texas’ longest serving governor, and … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Term limits measure approved by the Senate

Texas blog roundup for the week of March 18

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance has all its brackets ready as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of March 18

What other environmental groups think about “One Bin For All”

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, last week the city announced that it had won the $1 million runnerup prize from the Bloomberg Foundation that would enable it to begin work on a single-bin solution for solid waste and recycling. While this announcement … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

No increase in jail population as yet

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good to hear. When Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson toppled incumbent Pat Lykos in last year’s Republican primary, some county budget hawks got fidgety. The campaign’s central issue, after all, was Anderson’s opposition to a Lykos policy that treated … Continue reading →

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

Pushing back on Perry

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t really believe that Rick Perry is running for President again, and if he is I don’t expect he’ll be taken very seriously. I’m not even sure if he’s running for Governor again. But if he does run for … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Chronicle is very disappointed in you, Houston delegation

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Here they are throwing a hissy fit to express their deep sense of disappointment. Just shy of 6,000 bills were filed in the Texas Legislature prior to last week’s deadline. Nearly half of those came in the usual blizzard of … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

In case you didn’t have enough Supreme Court business to worry about

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s Texas Redistricting to give you more to worry about, in the form of Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona. Although the case has gotten far less attention than challenges to the constitutionality of section 5 of the Voting … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The prospects for increasing charter schools

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

According to the Trib, it’s trickier than it might look. Senate Bill 2, the centerpiece of Patrick’s plans for the session, is the most ambitious attempt to expand the state’s charter school system since it was established in 1995. To … Continue reading →

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

County redistricting lawsuit costing a bundle

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Redistricting is expensive, y’all. Harris County has spent nearly $1.3 million fighting a 2011 lawsuit filed by a group of Hispanic activists against the redistricting plan it adopted that year for its four county commissioner precincts. The plaintiffs, led by … Continue reading →

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

The drought is back

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And we’re gonna be in trouble if it doesn’t rain soon. Since the middle of August, the city has gotten just a foot of rain over a time period when it should get twice that. We also have recorded six … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The drought is back

The redistricting commission idea rides again

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Jeff Wentworth is no longer in the Senate, but his signature idea for a bipartisan redistricting commission still lives, now in an expanded form. State Rep. Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas) filed a proposed constitutional amendment Wednesday that would move responsibility for … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The redistricting commission idea rides again

North Forest still fighting closure

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know how successful they’ll be, nor do I know if I should wish them luck. Texas Education Agency officials on Friday made their final case for closing North Forest ISD, while district leaders countered that the school system … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on North Forest still fighting closure

An opponent for the Controller

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Big Jolly reports on a new candidate. There are two powerful elected positions in the City of Houston: Mayor and City Controller. So naturally I was curious when I heard that someone was going to challenge the incumbent Controller Ronald … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tell Rep. Culberson how you feel about rail on Richmond

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From RichmondRail.org: We’ve learned recently that US Congressman John Culberson is soliciting input regarding the planned METRO rail line on Richmond Avenue. While the Congressman has directed his request to property owners and occupants on Richmond Ave., rail transit on … Continue reading →

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

Weekend link dump for March 17

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Are we feeling a little green today? RIP, What Not To Wear. I hope by now we all have it figured out. Latinos love movies, and Hollywood has noticed. Need some good female role models from the world of fiction … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | Comments Off on Weekend link dump for March 17

No Dome referendum yet

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

If you’ve been waiting for a chance to vote on the fate of the Astrodome, you’ll just have to keep waiting. Harris County officials unveiled options for the future of the long-vacant Astrodome last summer, with some members of Commissioners … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Reciprocal discovery

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a bit of controversy brewing over one of the criminal justice reforms that have been proposed. The bill at issue was filed on deadline day. Senate Bill 1611 would enact uniform discovery requirements in criminal cases across Texas. It … Continue reading →

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

BeCoveredTexas.org

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The insurance exchanges are coming. Whether we get some form of “Medicaid” expansion or not, this will be a key part of bringing health insurance to many currently uninsured Texans. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, the state’s largest health … Continue reading →

Posted in Websurfing | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Saturday video break: Hound Dog

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Song #27 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Hound Dog”, originally by Big Mama Thornton and covered by Elvis Presley. Here’s the original: Okay, so 1) I had no idea Elvis’ version was a cover; 2) That was … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Saturday video break: Hound Dog

More time for redistricting advisories

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Redistricting: The San Antonio court entered an order late Thursday afternoon extending the time for parties to file map advisories through March 22 and the deadline for responses through April 5. The original deadline for the advisories had been today. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on More time for redistricting advisories

Two hot topics that stay hot together

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You got your Medicaid expansion in my Latino outreach efforts! For Republicans nationally, the big takeaway from the 2012 presidential election was that, as a party, they have to get right — or at least do better — with Hispanic … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Two hot topics that stay hot together