Monthly Archives: January 2014

Interview with Damian LaCroix

Challenging Sen. John Whitmire in SD15 is attorney Damian LaCroix, who as noted before had been a candidate for judge in 2010. LaCroix is a Houston native and graduate of Texas A&M and SMU law school. As Sen. Whitmire touted … Continue reading

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Rick Perry doesn’t want people to get health insurance

There’s really no other viable explanation. On a White House conference call on Monday, Texas Democrats criticized Gov. Rick Perry and other Republican state leaders for “getting in the way” of implementing federal health care reform. During the call, which … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

End of year B-Cycle report

B-Cycle has been in Houston for nine months, having launched in early April. So far, it’s done pretty well. The B-Cycle system’s 29th station was christened earlier this month in front of Clayton Homes. Officials said they hoped to provide … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How Greg Abbott enabled the payday lenders

The Lone Star Project kicks it off: Abbott’s Green Light to Predatory Lenders Key AG document provided payday lenders a loophole to bilk Texans Greg Abbott’s office issued the key document that has allowed payday lenders to operate outside of Texas usury … Continue reading

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Judicial Q&A: Sandra Peake

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading

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Fifth Circuit pretends to hear HB2 appeal

We’re all sure what their decision will be, right? Appellate judges on Monday challenged lawyers over provisions of Texas’ new abortion law and whether they have unduly caused the closure of about a dozen abortion clinics. The three-judge panel of … Continue reading

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

Kinky and pot

The Trib talks to Kinky Friedman, making another run for Ag Commissioner as a Democrat, and his new signature issue. Friedman, 69 — a singer, humorist, novelist and hawker of tequila — has tried, frequently, to add “elected official” to … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

SCOTUS halts same sex marriages in Utah, for now

Bummer. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday put same-sex marriages in Utah on hold, granting the state’s request for a stay while it appeals a ruling that laws banning such marriages are unconstitutional. The court said the stay would be … Continue reading

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Interview with Sen. John Whitmire

There’s never much of an offseason for campaigns. The city elections are finally behind us, and believe it or not we’re six weeks out from the start of early voting for the 2014 primary elections in Texas. I was busy … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Stockman and Bitcoin

Somehow, this doesn’t surprise me. U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, a Friendswood Republican with a history of flouting campaign finance laws, entered a new legal gray area this week when he announced his campaign can now accept donations in Bitcoin, a … Continue reading

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Would he be “Mayor Bun B”, or just “Mayor B”?

Rocks Off looks at the field of Mayoral candidates for 2015 and asks “Why not Bun B?” So to whom might the Bayou City turn for leadership through the latter half of this decade? The field is literally wide open, … Continue reading

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It’s now officially OK to be gay in the Boy Scouts

Progress. Slow and incremental, but progress nonetheless. The Boy Scouts of America will accept openly gay youths starting on New Year’s Day, a historic change that has prompted the BSA to ponder a host of potential complications — ranging from … Continue reading

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Weekend link dump for January 5

Anyone know how to quit bringing auld acquaintance to mind? Anonymizing data is pretty much an oxymoron. We may yet have Anthony Weiner to kick around again. The Jon Swift Memorial Roundup for 2013. Would six Californias be better than … Continue reading

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 2 Comments

Who are these people on our ballot?

The filing deadline is long past, and campaigning for the primary and general election is well underway. Democrats in Harris County have a fairly full complement of legislative candidates this fall, some of whom are better known than others. I … Continue reading

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Center Street recycling facility is closed

So says Swamplot. Multiple emails to a couple of Heights neighorhood mailing lists sounded the alarm as well. This has been a long time coming. Originally, it was supposed to have been closed at the end of 2012, but I … Continue reading

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

A brief history of gay marriage legislation in Texas

From TM Daily Post. Gay marriage supporters have made massive strides in a very short amount of time. Less than ten years ago, gay couples couldn’t get married anywhere in the United States. While the progress they did achieve shortly … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: For old times’ sake

Have you ever wondered what the lyrics of “Auld Lang Syne” mean? Well, wonder no more: More than one verse, too. Hope 2014 is off to great start for you.

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City benefits for same sex spouses back on

For now, at least. A federal judge ruled Thursday that same-sex couples legally married in other states can keep health and life insurance benefits that were extended to spouses of city of Houston employees in November. […] [Noel] Freeman’s husband’s … Continue reading

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Wilson swears himself in

Of course he does. Days after a Harris County judge signed a temporary restraining order barring Houston Community College trustee-elect Dave Wilson from taking the oath of office, the perennial candidate submitted notarized documents to the state showing he has … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Murder by numbers 2013

The beginning of the new year means a look back at the homicide count for the previous year. Homicides are up in unincorporated Harris County, where the Sheriff’s Office is reporting a nearly 20 percent uptick in 2013, preliminary year-end … Continue reading

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Friday random ten: All is quiet on New Year’s Day

I’m pretty sure I’ve done a list of “New” songs for the new year, but it’s another new year and I’ve got no better ideas, so. 1. New Blood – Robert Cray 2. New Blues – Joe Satriani 3. New … Continue reading

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Parker 2018

It seems pretty certain that a statewide candidacy is in Mayor Parker’s future. LSQ: What’s next for you after your term expires at the end of 2015? There’s been a lot of talk that you will run for statewide office … Continue reading

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Time to talk term limits again

The subject keeps coming up, though it never seems to get anywhere. As the inauguration of Houston’s elected leaders begins Thursday morning, supporters and spectators gathered at the Wortham Center downtown will see six new City Council members walk across … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Raising the minimum wage in Texas

It’s all the rage elsewhere, but so far I’ve not heard anything about a movement to raise the minimum wage in Texas. While most of the increases amount to less than 15 cents per hour, workers in places like New … Continue reading

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The fox has always guarded the henhouse

News item: Rick Perry appointee says something obnoxious and privileged about the people his company fleeces for his fortune. The official who oversees Texas’ consumer watchdog says payday-loan customers — not the lenders — are responsible when the loans trap … Continue reading

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Judge grants TRO halting Dave Wilson’s inauguration to HCC

From the inbox: A state district judge has ordered David Wilson to refrain from taking an oath of office to serve as trustee of Houston Community College System District II until a court can determine the issue of his residency. … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2013 | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

The Marshall legacy

The Chron has a story that looks back on the long career of outgoing HISD Trustee Larry Marshall. No question, Marshall was a star as an educator, and left an indelible mark on HISD thanks to the well-regarded magnet school … Continue reading

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Utah appeals to SCOTUS

This was inevitable. Utah took its fight against gay marriage to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, asking the high court to suspend same-sex unions that became legal when a judge struck down the state’s voter-approved ban. The heavily Mormon … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of December 30

The Texas Progressive Alliance bids farewell to 2013 and wishes everyone a happy and healthy 2014 as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Twelve years

Twelve years ago today, I started this blog. That was on blogspot – believe it or not, it still exists; truly, the Internet is forever – and a few months later I had my own domain. I don’t do retrospectives, … Continue reading

Posted in Administrivia | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Wendy Davis is our Texan of the Year

From the Texas Progressive Alliance press release: The Texas Progressive Alliance, the nation’s largest state-based association of online and netroots activists, today named State Senator Wendy Davis recipient of its Texan of the Year Award for 2013. “Senator Davis’ actions … Continue reading

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Adios, Arrow

One less rock station on the air in Houston. So instead of Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy on 93.7, from now on you will probably hear Holy Grail by Jay-Z featuring Justin Timberlake. Just whatever you do, don’t let … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments