Monthly Archives: March 2013

Money in judicial races isn’t about partisanship

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Dan Patrick isn’t the only one seeking to change how we select judges in Texas. Freshman state Rep. Justin Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, is an attorney who has been frustrated for years by this state’s hyper-political process for selecting judges (and … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Talk the talk

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

In honor of the recent Senate talking filibuster, ten songs about talking. 1. Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love – Van Halen 2. Careless Talk – Billy Joel 3. Let Them Talk – Spoek Mathambo 4. Something To Talk About – Bonnie … Continue reading →

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Craft beer legislation advances

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Moving forward. Legislation authorizing the most significant changes in 20 years to the way beer is bought and sold in Texas passed a key Senate committee Tuesday with broad support. Under terms of the bills, Houston’s Saint Arnold and other … Continue reading →

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We have a budget

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It is what it is. The 15 members of the Senate Finance Committee unanimously voted on Wednesday for a $195.5 billion two-year budget that undoes some of the cuts from the 2011 legislative session. The budget, which now heads to … Continue reading →

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Houston’s health care cost problem

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a problem for which there’s no easy solution. Hoping to contain rising health care costs, Mayor Annise Parker recently hiked premiums and cut benefits for employees, a move union leaders said overburdens workers and some City Council members … Continue reading →

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Welcome to Houston, Lisa

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Remember that promotional advertising campaign for Houston that’s running right now in various national publications? The New York Times lets us know who the intended audience for those ads is. The new tack was prompted by the results of a … Continue reading →

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The redistrictor’s dilemma

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Some fascinating news from Texas Redistricting. Friday’s bill filing deadline in the Texas Legislature brought bills by State Rep. Drew Darby (R-San Angelo) – chair of the House redistricting committee – and State Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) to make permanent … Continue reading →

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Nine hundred million reasons why expanding Medicaid is a good idea

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all about the money. Expanding Medicaid could make available at least $900 million in state money that otherwise would be slated for health care as lawmakers work to pay for Texas’ priorities, according to an analysis released Tuesday. “More … Continue reading →

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The next step to closing the city jail

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The sobering center was Step 1. Step 2 is a joint processing center with the county, and that is now closer to happening. With backing from the city of Houston, Harris County is reviving a long-discussed plan to build a … Continue reading →

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Not everyone likes the One Bin solution

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Texas Campaign for the Environment vowed today to mobilize Houstonians against Mayor Annise Parker’s so-called “One Bin for All” proposal, saying that the scheme will take recycling away from the minority of residents who already have it, … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of March 11

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is always ready to spring ahead as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Houston wins $1 million runnerup Bloomberg prize

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the Mayor’s office: Mayor Annise Parker today announced that Houston’s One Bin for All idea is one of the five winners in the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge, a competition to inspire American cities to generate innovative ideas that solve … Continue reading →

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On African-American turnout in city elections

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Bill King makes an observation about Ben Hall’s chances in the upcoming Mayoral election. When Lee Brown was elected mayor in 1997, many pundits predicted that with Houston’s growing minority community, Houston had seen its last white mayor. That, of … Continue reading →

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Not so fast on the North Forest charter plan

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not everyone is convinced that the plan to allow a consortium of charter schools to take over North Forest ISD is a good idea. In interviews Monday, state Rep. Senfronia Thompson and Sens. Rodney Ellis and John Whitmire, all Democrats, … Continue reading →

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Where does the crime lab go from here?

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Now that there’s a plan in place to clear the longstanding crime lab backlog, the question is what should we expect from the crime lab going forward? “It’s sort of hard to build a house when you’re trying to dig … Continue reading →

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George P Bush is ready for his closeup

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You may now give him his due. Ending months of speculation, Fort Worth attorney George P. Bush announced he would run for the office of Texas Land Commissioner with a Twitter message, after confirming that current Commissioner Jerry Patterson would … Continue reading →

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TSTA polls about public education

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, via the TSTA: A strong majority of Texas voters support using some of the $12 billion in the state’s Rainy Day Fund to restore the $5.4 billion cut from the public education budget two years ago, and … Continue reading →

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Patrick files his own voucher bill

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I guess if you want something done right, you do it yourself. Ending speculation over when — or whether — his widely promoted school choice legislation would emerge, state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, has filed a bill creating a business … Continue reading →

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Sen. Sylvia Garcia

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sylvia Garcia has been sworn in to succeed the late Mario Gallegos in SD06. Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, took her place in the Texas Senate chamber Monday to succeed the late Mario Gallegos. “We have 31 members. We are complete,” … Continue reading →

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Driverless car bill filed

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to see it. Two weeks after Google showcased its self-driving car to local officials in Austin, a Texas lawmaker has filed a bill attempting to regulate the use of the futuristic technology. State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, filed HB … Continue reading →

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A word with Bird

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Observer interviews Jeremy Bird, the head honcho of Battleground Texas. Texas Observer: Why Texas? Why not Battleground Georgia or Battleground Indiana? Jeremy Bird: One reason is staffers from Texas, whether it’s organizers in battleground states who are from Texas … Continue reading →

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Charters apply to take over North Forest ISD

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. In a potentially groundbreaking move, three of Houston’s top-performing charter schools are making a pitch to run the long-troubled North Forest school district. The charter groups — KIPP, YES Prep and Harmony — are asking Texas Education … Continue reading →

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Treating rather than jailing the mentally ill

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Very good news. Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia and his medical staff wholeheartedly support a bill filed this week to reduce recidivism by the mentally ill who wind up in the county jail, a $5 million pilot program to transition … Continue reading →

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There oughta be an app for your auto insurance

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a no-brainer. Digging through a cluttered glove compartment to find proof of insurance while a police officer waits may soon be an antiquated frustration in Texas. Lawmakers are considering bills that would allow drivers in the state to … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for March 10

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

What self-inflicted crisis is next on the agenda? I’ve lost track. Ain’t no party like a toddler birthday party, ’cause a toddler birthday party don’t quit till everyone loses their pants and pees on their shoes. A Lego Hogwarts that … Continue reading →

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Straus wants someone to do something on Medicaid

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t we all, Joe. Don’t we all. Seeking to light a fire under fellow Republicans to provide health care to more uninsured Texans, House Speaker Joe Straus said Wednesday that it is time to “get our heads out of the … Continue reading →

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Jefferson pushes for judicial reforms

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Most of what Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson had to say to the Lege during his biennial address was good stuff that I hope the Lege will heed. Presenting his State of the Judiciary speech to Texas lawmakers, … Continue reading →

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More on sunsetting tax expenditures

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I say again, this is a good idea that really needs to happen. The Texas tax code is rich with tax breaks. There are tax breaks for industries relocating to the state and for anyone with an Internet connection. Tax … Continue reading →

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Who says you can’t park there?

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This story about parking in Houston is kind of fluffy, but this was something I didn’t know: Smaller developments like strip centers along frontage roads are moving away from dedicating parking to certain tenants, Hernandez said, realizing that opening spaces … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Wild Horses

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Song #28 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Wild Horses”, originally by the Rolling Stones and covered by The Sundays. Here’s the original: I’ve never been a huge Stones fan, but I like this song, and I love … Continue reading →

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Sobering center opens up

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Mayor Annise Parker joined council members on Thursday to unveil the innovative Houston Recovery Center, a place where people who are intoxicated can sober up instead of being arrested. Officials say there’s only one other similar facility in Texas. … Continue reading →

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I got those empty prison cell blues

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of excess prison capacity around the state, which is a big problem for a lot of communities that once thought building prisons, to be operated by private entities, would be a boon for them. Just over a … Continue reading →

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Still fighting the Waller County landfill

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve written before about a battle in Waller County over a proposed landfill that would be built there. While the landfill has moved closer to being approved, it’s not yet a done deal, and its opponents are still fighting against … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: The year in new music for me so far

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Because I had nothing else in the queue, here’s a sample of the music I’ve acquired so far this year, from various sources. 1. Dumbledore – Steve Goodie 2. This Thing Has Started – OK Go 3. Baby Got Back … Continue reading →

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