Monthly Archives: March 2015

Uber’s lobbying efforts

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Cry havoc, and let slip the lobbyists of, um, lobbying! After spending months securing a spot on Houston’s roadways, Uber is stepping on the gas in Austin: hiring at least 23 lobbyists and paying them as much as $700,000 to … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uber’s lobbying efforts

Saturday video break: Flashdance

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Tear up your sweatshirt and put on your leggings, it’s time to go back to the 80s with Irene Cara: You know my motto: There’s no cheesy 80s hit song that Big Daddy can’t take to completely unexpected places: Someone … Continue reading →

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

The pension deal

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure yet how I feel about this. Mayor Annise Parker and Houston’s firefighter pension trustees have reached a deal that would lower the city’s payments for three years, a move that would mark an abrupt reversal for the mayor. … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

McVey announces his candidacy

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another day, another Mayoral hopeful. Private equity executive Marty McVey said Thursday he would reinvigorate Houston’s international business ties if voters elected him mayor this fall. McVey said at the formal launch of his campaign he would usher in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on McVey announces his candidacy

Uber and Lyft will leave San Antonio

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The second time was not the charm. The revisions to the vehicles-for-hire ordinance, approved in a 8-2 vote, eased regulations the council had originally adopted in December and were meant to persuade Lyft and Uber to continue operating in San … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Uber and Lyft will leave San Antonio

Ezra Charles

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Great story about a local music legend. The Ezra Charles Band was playing tighter than ever in its decades-spanning history when its leader decided to pull the plug. Charles – a remarkable pianist from Beaumont – received a lifetime achievement … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ezra Charles

Friday random ten: Parenthetically speaking, part 5

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You know the drill by now… 1. Holy Lamb (Song For Harmonic Convergence) – Yes 2. HOOPS Yes! (FC Dallas) – The Polyphonic Spree 3. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – James Taylor 4. I Am … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Friday random ten: Parenthetically speaking, part 5

Menendez sworn in

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’re back at full strength in the Senate. José Menéndez became San Antonio’s newest state senator in a ceremony Monday that featured the Alamo City Democrat taking the oath of office and urging his new colleagues in the upper chamber … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Statewide non-discrimination ordinance filed

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the Inbox: On the 179th anniversary of Texas Independence Day, Senator José Rodríguez (D-El Paso) filed Senate Bill 856, a bill that would prohibit discrimination in the areas of employment, public accommodation, housing, and state contracting based upon sexual … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Statewide non-discrimination ordinance filed

An Uptown BRT skeptic

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s one guy who doesn’t like the idea. Ridership models developed by the Uptown TIRZ board project that the new bus route will carry 10,000 riders per day in 2018. This estimate is outrageously inflated, given that the more than … Continue reading →

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

Chron covers R Kelly controversy

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the story. Free Press Houston and concert promoter Pegstar are deciding what to do about the inclusion of R&B performer R. Kelly at the 2015 Free Press Summer Festival after a local protest began to draw national attention. Kelly … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Chron covers R Kelly controversy

BGTX’s self-assessment

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Monthly has a good overview of where Battleground Texas stands – and where the people inside it think they stand – two years and one electoral beatdown into their existence. Still, it’s the winners who write the history books. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on BGTX’s self-assessment

Revised SA vehicles for hire ordinance not good enough for Uber

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

That would be a nope. With an impending council decision, efforts by the city to revise its vehicles-for-hire ordinance to convince the ride-hailing companies Lyft and Uber to remain in San Antonio appear to have only left both sides in … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Revised SA vehicles for hire ordinance not good enough for Uber

Wilson’s legal fees

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, come on. The ongoing legal battle over Houston Community College Trustee Dave Wilson’s residency is poised to pit one source of taxpayer dollars against another, as the college may be on the hook for his legal fees and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Wilson’s legal fees

Texas blog roundup for the week of March 2

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance thinks the dress is blue and black and that the llamas should get their own TV show as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of March 2

Simpson files pot legalization bill

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Texas State Representative David Simpson (R-7) introduced a bill Monday that would strike all language pertaining to marijuana from Texas Statutes, thus abolishing marijuana prohibition in the state. Representative Simpson’s HB 2165 harkens back to a time … Continue reading →

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

Ethics Commission rejects Bell’s complaint

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

No go. The Houston Ethics Commission has ruled against mayoral candidate Chris Bell’s complaint that City Hall was letting Rep. Sylvester Turner start the race with a $900,000 head start in fundraising. […] Bell argues that Turner’s legislative account should … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

One sticker for all has begun

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hope it wasn’t too confusing for you if you had to deal with it this week. On Monday – the first full day under the new system for registering cars, trucks, trailers and motorcycles in Texas – drivers trying to … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on One sticker for all has begun

Why is R Kelly in the Free Press Summerfest lineup?

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe this wasn’t such a hot idea. Music fan David Hayes has attended the Free Press Summer Fest every summer since 2010, and was planning to go this year as well—that is, until he saw that one of the headliners … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Why is R Kelly in the Free Press Summerfest lineup?

King makes his official entry

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Add Bill King to the “made his official announcement” list. In the middle of a noisy, torn-up west Houston street that he said epitomized Houston’s crumbling roads, Bill King launched his campaign for mayor Monday morning, pledging to return the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Republicans demand something for nothing on Medicaid

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Um, okay. Leading Texas Republicans on Monday asked the Obama administration for greater flexibility to administer Medicaid — a move that has gotten little traction in the past — while reiterating that they would not participate in an expansion of … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cleo and Nicole

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You should read this Texas Monthly feature story on Cleopatra de Leon and Nicole Dimetman, two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit to overturn Texas’ ban on same sex marriage. But it is children— their children—that prompted Cleo and Nicole … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Society and cultcha | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Cleo and Nicole

System reimagining is hard work

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Jarrett Walker, who consulted with Metro on bus system reimagining, wants you to know that it was harder than it looked. These no-new-resources restructurings always involve cutting some low-ridership services to add higher-ridership ones, and these can be incredibly painful … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on System reimagining is hard work

From the “Be careful who you vote for” department

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Because you never know when the consequences of your voting actions will directly affect you. Erin Meredith, a fifth-generation Republican who lives in Austin, was no fan of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which she considered just another wasteful government … Continue reading →

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

Revenue cap will stay in place

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Boo, hiss. Houston voters will not be given the option this fall of passing a property tax hike after a City Council committee on Thursday unanimously recommended leaving the city’s much-maligned revenue cap alone. […] The topic has received less … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Economic segregation in cities

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Wonkblog: Concentrated poverty is one of the biggest problems facing cities today, as more of the urban poor become isolated in neighborhoods where the people around them are poor, too. Growing economic segregation across cities, though, is also shaped … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Waller County approves landfill lawsuit settlement

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this when it first came out. After two fraught years of legal battle, the lawsuit over a proposed Waller County landfill came to a quiet close Friday with a deal that ensures the civil case against the county will … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Waller County approves landfill lawsuit settlement

Weekend link dump for March 1

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

If this were next year, it would still be February. Everything you ever wanted to know about Alex Rodriguez. Unless you didn’t want to know anything about him, I guess. The prospect of Hillary Clinton running for President is helping … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | Comments Off on Weekend link dump for March 1

More thoughts on the special election results

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There has been very little news about the four legislative special elections that were decided last week, other than the brief hubbub over what the result in SD26 meant. Among other things, I’ve been looking for any kind of reporting … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More thoughts on the special election results

More pre-K bills filed

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Observer has the best reporting on the latest pre-k bills that have been filed in the Lege. There’s widespread support around the Capitol for more state spending on pre-kindergarten programs, and much less agreement about how to do it. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More pre-K bills filed

The NFL would like us to spruce things up for the Super Bowl

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s only $50 million. What else do we have to spend it on? Before Houston hosts Super Bowl LI in 2017, NRG Stadium needs upgrades, including Wi-Fi installation and improvements to suites and club seats, according to Peter O’Reilly, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The NFL would like us to spruce things up for the Super Bowl

Reimagining Richmond Avenue

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Remember the Richmond Strip? If you were here in the 90s you probably do. You also probably haven’t been out there since the 90s. Now there’s a plan to restore some of the luster to that part of town. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Reimagining Richmond Avenue