Monthly Archives: August 2013

RIP, Mike Anderson

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Very sad. Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson, who announced in May that he had cancer, died Friday, sources said. The Texas District & County Attorneys Association on Saturday posted the news on Twitter: “We have just learned that Harris … Continue reading →

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Abercia takes a plea

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Former Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Jack Abercia told investigators he performed illegal background checks to raise money, in part, for an elevator at his home, federal prosecutors said Thursday. Abercia pleaded guilty Thursday to 11 counts of exceeding … Continue reading →

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Redistricting and voter ID lawsuit updates

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From Texas Redistricting, a typically thorough look at where things stand with redistricting and voter ID litigation in the three courts – San Antonio, where the redistricting litigation has been ongoing and is likely due for some action; Corpus Christi, … Continue reading →

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

Ratliff and Patrick spar over CSCOPE

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds like fun. The state curriculum system known as CSCOPE — little known until recently — can now add two hours of lively and at times testy debate to a long list of public appearances that includes State Board of … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Millennium nostalgia

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

My inspiration this week is this Grantland playlist of the Top 64 Songs Of The Millennium. I presumed it was a decade retrospective thing, thus defined as the years 2000-2010, but it turns out that they just meant “since 2000”. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Brenda Stardig

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

My last candidate interview for District A is a fitting bookend for the first one. Brenda Stardig was elected to District A in 2009, leading the pack in November and cruising in the subsequent runoff. It’s fair to say that … Continue reading →

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We’ll have to wait a little longer for Wendy

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Take the time you need, Sen. Davis. State Sen. Wendy Davis, the Democrats’ best hope to run for Texas governor, said Wednesday she is postponing the announcement of her decision so she can help care for her sick father. “I … Continue reading →

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Just so we’re clear, cities don’t run the schools

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg does some fact checking. Houston Mayoral Candidate Ben Hall seems to have done his homework before he began claiming that, if elected, he’d have statutory authority over local schools. But he apparently didn’t check his interpretation of the … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed against Galveston County redistricting

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Expect more of this going forward. A Galveston County plan slashing the number of justice-of-the-peace districts from eight to four intentionally discriminates against minority voters and should be blocked, according to a federal lawsuit filed Monday. The lawsuit comes exactly … Continue reading →

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Interview with Ronald Hale

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The third challenger to CM Helena Brown in District A is Ronald Hale. Hale is a private security consultant, currently the Director at NZ Control Specialists. His biography page says that he has maintained a blog since last year, though … Continue reading →

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Who’s advocating for the Dome?

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Some old familiar names are getting back in the game. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on Tuesday after the Commissioners Court meeting name-dropped two former county judges — Jon Lindsay and Robert Eckels — who will lead the charge on … Continue reading →

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Heights-area bike trails to be linked

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. Houston’s expanding trail system will soon gain a new leg in the greater Heights area. The addition will be part of Bayou Greenways 2020, a $215 million project aimed at creating a continuous network of hike-and-bike trails and … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 26

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes everyone a happy new school year as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Interview with Amy Peck

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Two of the candidates that are running against CM Helena Brown in District A have run for this seat before. One of them is Amy Peck, who ran for District A when it was last open in 2009; here’s the … Continue reading →

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The 2013 lineup

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

So many candidates. More than 60 candidates have filed to run for city of Houston elective office this fall, many of them rushing in before the 5 p.m. Monday deadline. […] Atop the ballot, [Mayor Annise] Parker is challenged by … Continue reading →

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“Poopgate” is a big load of…

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Well, you know. Documents released Monday by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s provided no new evidence that officers found one jar of urine and 18 containers of feces at the Capitol before a July 12 debate on a controversial … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

On selling junk food in Texas schools

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Every session, there’s at least one bill that gets passed with little to no notice that has completely unforeseen effects. The Lunch Tray breaks a story about one such bill from this past regular session, which has to do with … Continue reading →

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Interview with Mike Knox

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There are four candidates seeking to oust first term CM Helena Brown in District A. The first one I spoke to is Mike Knox. Knox is a former HPD officer who helped create HPD’s first divisional gang unit. He later … Continue reading →

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No Early To Rise on the ballot

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Place your bets on the outcome of the litigation. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said Monday he would not place a 1-cent property tax on the November ballot intended to buoy area pre-schools, prompting a lawsuit by a local nonprofit … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Texas Supreme Court to hear gay divorce case

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That sound you hear is a big can of worms being opened. The Texas Supreme Court announced Friday that it will determine whether same-sex couples, legally married in other states, can be granted a divorce in Texas. The cases, involving … Continue reading →

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Texas cities embracing bicycles

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a good thing. In Fort Worth, the mayor hosts occasional bicycle rides called “Rolling Town Halls.” The Dallas City Council could may soon require new businesses to set aside space for bicycle parking. Over in El Paso, officials are … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Helena Brown

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We now enter the realm of district Council races, where in addition to two open seats there are two incumbents that face credible challenges. One of those incumbents is first term District A Council Member Helena Brown. If you’ve been … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments

More redistricting shenanigans on the way

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Galveston prepares to make like Pasadena. [Gulf Coast Interfaith], which includes representatives of the NAACP and others, sent a letter Thursday to the city of Galveston’s attorney also questioning the wisdom of the city seeking to make … Continue reading →

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Dems have a Comptroller candidate

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

BOR introduces us to Mike Collier. Earlier this month the Burnt Orange Report wrote about a “Mystery Houston-Area Democrat” who was building a statewide team, it turns out that man is Mike Collier, and he wants to be the next … Continue reading →

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Rape kit backlog eliminated

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

More good news. For the first time in its history, the Houston Police Department doesn’t have a backlog of rape kits that haven’t been tested. The backlog, which at one point totalled 6,600 untested rape kits, was eliminated by sending … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Weekend link dump for August 25

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

School starts tomorrow, y’all. Here are some photos of giant sinkholes. You’re welcome. “So, you know, in keeping with Newton’s Laws, every bit of grandiose idiocy is matched with an equal and opposite bit of grandiose idiocy.” How Twitter fights … Continue reading →

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Hall and the firefighters

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Ben Hall has the support of the firefighters’ union. He has also criticized Mayor Parker for not doing enough to deal with the financial stability of the pension funds. How does he reconcile these two seemingly contradictory positions? Not surprisingly, … Continue reading →

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Dallas County to sue state over voter ID

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The shoe is on the other foot. Democratic Dallas County commissioners narrowly agreed [Tuesday] afternoon to join a lawsuit against Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry over state efforts to enforce a controversial voter identification law. Democratic Commissioner Elba Garcia stepped … Continue reading →

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Farmers Branch still hasn’t learned

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There’s stubborn, there’s mulishly stubborn, and then there’s Farmers Branch. The City Council is not ready to give up its fight to ban immigrants in the U.S. illegally from renting in the city. The council voted 3-2 Tuesday night to … Continue reading →

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Food trucks going un-mobile

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a trend. Matti Merrell and Rodney Perry first parked their Green Seed food truck on a Third Ward street in 2011. Within a year Food & Wine named it the No. 9 vegan and vegetarian restaurant in the U.S. … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Hurt

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Song #5 on the Popdose Top 100 Covers list is “Hurt”, originally by Nine Inch Nails and covered by Johnny Cash. Such a powerful song, and you can really feel what Trent Reznor is singing. Now here’s the Man In … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The law and the Early To Rise petition process

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Much has been made about the obscurity of the state law that allows for the petition process that the Early To Rise folks have followed to put an item on the ballot that would raise money for pre-K education in … Continue reading →

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None dare call it Obamacare

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You’ve probably seen the Politico story by now. Gov. Rick Perry wants to kill Obamacare dead, but Texas health officials are in talks with the Obama administration about accepting an estimated $100 million available through the health law to care … Continue reading →

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City reaches settlement with developer over Woodland Park damage

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Mayor Annise Parker, the City of Houston Legal Department and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) announced the City has recovered $300,000 to restore recent damage to Woodland Park by a private developer. Woodland Park, located at … Continue reading →

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