Monthly Archives: July 2014

More MLB-to-San-Antonio rumors

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Believe them at your peril. Could the Oakland A’s find a home in San Antonio? At least one Oakland elected official thinks so, but Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff says San Antonio sports fans shouldn’t hold their breath. “There’s nothing … Continue reading →

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What else is at stake in the redistricting trial

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s about more than just the maps. Efforts by the Obama administration to wring protections out of a weakened Voting Rights Act begin Monday in Texas over allegations that Republicans intentionally discriminated against minorities when drawing new election maps. A … Continue reading →

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The interim and non-interim Mayoral hopefuls of San Antonio

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Robert Rivard previews the sausage-making process in San Antonio. It takes six votes to win, a majority that will be harder to achieve if some of the announced candidates exercise their right to abstain. If all five abstain from voting … Continue reading →

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Believing in – and lying about – monsters

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This Chron editorial about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and the frenzied, fanatical opposition to it gets right to the heart of the matter. On its face, there is nothing controversial in the NDO. One could even claim that it … Continue reading →

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Is this really the end for Kinky Friedman?

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll believe it when I see it on my 2018 ballot. It’s been more than a month since he lost his bid to be the Democratic nominee for Texas agriculture commissioner, and the cigar-smoking author-musician can’t shake the loss — … Continue reading →

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Travis County pursues new voting machines

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Very, very interesting. With the nation facing what a January government report described as an “impending crisis” in voting technology, officials in Travis County are taking matters into their own hands by seeking to create a unique, next-generation system of … Continue reading →

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Palau catches a little heat for hiring John Bradley

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Hilarious. The president of Palau has defended appointing a US lawyer who left his previous role as Texas county prosecutor amid controversy over an innocent man who spent almost 25 years behind bars. President Tommy Remengesau confirmed former Williamson County … Continue reading →

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The Trib on the AG race

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

What do you do when you have an ethically compromised candidate on your ticket? Thank your lucky stars that you’re the majority party and hope like hell the challenger can’t get any traction. A political candidate’s troubles are supposed to … Continue reading →

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Studemont Junction

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Swamplot has an update and some pictures from the to-be-redeveloped Grocer’s Supply truck lot near Studemont and I-10, basically on the north doorstep of my neighborhood. SIGNS ARE UP at the soon-to-be-former Grocers Supply distribution center across Studemont from Kroger … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for July 13

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Same-sex marriage may soon be the law of the land, but you can still be fired for being gay, and you can still be discriminated against in a lot of other ways, too. Ted Cruz lies every time he opens … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

Could Astrodome Park actually work?

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Gray asks a good question about the proposal to turn the Astrodome into green space. Could that really be a park like Discovery Green? It’s easy to imagine that green space being useful, say, for a Super Bowl party, … Continue reading →

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Close enough for Greg Abbott

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

What more do you need to know? Attorney General Greg Abbott first stirred things up by saying the state would not release information about the locations and amounts of hazardous chemicals held by private companies, reversing nearly three decades of … Continue reading →

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CFPB makes its presence felt in Texas

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Texas-based payday lender ACE Cash Express has agreed to pay $10 million to settle allegations by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that it used harassment and other illegal tactics to push borrowers into a cycle of … Continue reading →

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Meet your first parklet

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s in the Heights, because of course it is. A parking space converted into Houston’s first parklet brought a mini-media frenzy — and fun street party — to 19th Street in the Heights, where New Living artisans, city officials and … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Centerfold

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure you’re familiar with the original, by the J. Geils Band: J. Geils was one part quality classic rock band, one part novelty act. This was probably their biggest hit, and it seems somehow fitting that my favorite cover … Continue reading →

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The Rodeo and the Texans would like to demolish the Dome now, please

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, I don’t know how well this will go over. County leaders said Thursday they are open to considering a $66 million plan devised by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the NFL’s Houston Texans to demolish the iconic … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Judge rules that the voter ID lawsuit will go to trial

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to the start of the redistricting trial, we have some news on the voter ID lawsuit front, and it’s generally good news for the good guys. Last week’s ruling, in which U.S. District Court Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos … Continue reading →

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Going where the payday lenders are

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The most frequent defense I hear of payday lenders it that there’s a demand for the kind of short-term low-dollar loans that they provide that aren’t provided by other financial institutions, and even if they were those institutions don’t exist … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: G whiz

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Back to the alphabet… 1. Blues Music – G. Love & Special Sauce 2. Behind The Lines – Genesis 3. Cloud 9 – George Harrison 4. Bad To The Bone – George Thorogood & The Destroyers 5. Rose Room – … Continue reading →

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One Bin For All RFPs

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday was a big day for the One Bin for All proposal. Thursday [was] the deadline for private companies to submit bids to the city to build and run the facility. The bid guidelines call for a 75 percent diversion … Continue reading →

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Diverting ReBuild Houston funds

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about this. Expressing impatience with the pace of street repairs under the Rebuild Houston program, City Council on Wednesday voted to siphon off some of the drainage-fee supported funds to speed up projects and help resolve smaller … Continue reading →

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We don’t need no (sex) education

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the state of Texas leading the nation in yet another unflattering category. In Texas and across the country, the rate of teenage births has declined significantly since its peak in 1991. Birth rates among teenagers in Texas dropped 43 … Continue reading →

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Next phases of redistricting lawsuit scheduled

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Part One takes place next week. The trial over 2011 House district boundaries begins July 14 in U.S. District Court, where a hearing Tuesday shed light on how the case could unfold. The proceeding are expected to last at least … Continue reading →

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Castro confirmed for HUD

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations, Secretary Castro! The U.S. Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the nomination of San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The nomination was approved 71-26 on a roll call vote. Sen. … Continue reading →

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Another pension-related lawsuit coming?

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a little blast from the past. The city of Houston may sue a company whose advice it relied upon in making changes to firefighters’ retirement benefits in 2001, saying the firm’s inaccurate predictions left the city on the hook … Continue reading →

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Utah will take same sex marriage fight to SCOTUS

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This could be the ballgame. The Utah attorney general’s office announced Wednesday that it will appeal the 10th Circuit Court’s decision last month upholding same-sex marriage to the U.S. Supreme Court. Wednesday was the deadline for the state to seek … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of July 7

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance has been driving around asking about incendiary chemicals as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Davis takes her attack on Abbott’s chemical info obstruction on the road

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Keeping it going. Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis on Tuesday recalled the deadly explosion just up the road in West as she lambasted her GOP opponent for governor, Attorney General Greg Abbott, over his decision restricting disclosure of information about chemical … Continue reading →

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The real reason we need border security

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

To protect us from these guys. Several anti-government groups – many of which participated in the standoff at Cliven Bundy’s Nevada ranch – are recruiting armed volunteers to travel to the Texas-Mexico border as a citizen militia to participate in … Continue reading →

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Students against voter ID

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A new front is opened in the fight against voter ID. Civil rights groups have spent a decade fighting requirements that voters show photo identification, arguing that this discriminates against African-Americans, Hispanics and the poor. This week in a North … Continue reading →

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White return flight

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some interesting demographic trends going on. Between 2000 and 2010, [Harris] county, like much of the U.S., saw a sharp decline of its white population, losing about 12 percent of Anglos or about 83,000 people. The drop mirrors demographic shifts … Continue reading →

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Dan Wallach: Home power analysis, 2014 edition

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Note: From time to time, I solicit guest posts from various individuals on different topics. While I like to think I know a little something about a lot of things, I’m fortunate to be acquainted with a number of people … Continue reading →

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Davis presses the attack on Abbott’s obstruction on chemical info

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I know, it’s a little lazy of me to do a post based on a campaign email, but this missive from the Wendy Davis campaign is the best roundup of the incendiary chemical disclosure issue and the potential fallout from … Continue reading →

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Charles Sebesta may finally have to face responsibility for his actions against Anthony Graves

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Very good news. It’s been eight years since the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals found that the DA who prosecuted Anthony Graves for capital murder had done something unconscionable : withheld favorable evidence and used false testimony to secure a … Continue reading →

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