Tag Archives: Houston

Race and runoffs and Turner

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Everyone agrees that Sylvester Turner will be one of the candidates to make it to the runoff for Mayor this year. But what happens then? Yet, to succeed term-limited Mayor Annise Parker, Turner, an African-American, will need to broaden his … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Changing term limits

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses City Proposition 2, which would change the current system of term limits from three two-year terms to two four-year terms. If our leaders know they’ll be judged by a six-year timeline, there’s little incentive to plan for … Continue reading →

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Interview with Marty McVey

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We continue with Mayoral candidate interviews. Marty McVey is making his first run for elective office, in Houston or anywhere else. A businessman, McVey is the founder and shareholder of private equity businesses in the Real Estate, Energy Services and … Continue reading →

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KHOU poll: Turner 19, King and Garcia 9

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Our third poll result in the past week. Sylvester Turner remains the front-runner, but Adrian Garcia has lost his once firm grip on second place and Bill King rises into the top tier of contenders in the race for Houston … Continue reading →

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Uber and Lyft versus fingerprints

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

They prefer to do their own background checks, which of course do not require fingerprint checks. Houston, San Antonio and Austin currently take different approaches to a key regulatory issue: whether vehicle-for-hire app drivers must undergo fingerprint background checks. The … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Did we mention that you should vote for HERO?

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reiterates its endorsement of the HERO. All’s fair in love and local politics, we presume, although a campaign of fear-mongering and false claims against Houston’s equal rights ordinance is unworthy of this city. HERO, Proposition 1 on the … Continue reading →

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Interview with Sylvester Turner

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We are officially down to the wire. The last group of interviews I have to do is with Mayoral candidates. I’ve got six of them for you, which will run through Friday this week plus Monday next week, in the … Continue reading →

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Chron race overview: At Large #4

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

With all of the Mayoral profiles done (*), the Chron turns its attention to the other open seat races. Here’s their profile of At Large #4. Laurie Robinson kicked off her campaign in December 2014, almost a year before Election … Continue reading →

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More focus on inequality

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good to see. As Houston’s mayoral candidates spar over the city’s largely agreed upon top issues – finances, infrastructure and public safety – a fourth policy concern is percolating: economic inequality. Concerns about disparity underpin discussions about the city’s revenue … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Going for Turner

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chronicle endorses Sylvester Turner for Mayor. Because there is no perfect candidate on the ballot, voters should look for someone who has the talents best suited to fixing the problems that currently threaten Houston’s long-term success: Sylvester Turner. For … Continue reading →

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Defining HPD body camera policies

Posted on October 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still a work in progress. Houston Police Department officers would activate body cameras when arriving at a crime scene, initiating a traffic stop and during an arrest or search, according to a long awaited proposal outlining use of the … Continue reading →

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Mimi Swartz’s Mayoral campaign rant

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here it is. What if they held a mayoral race and nobody came? That’s the question plaguing many people currently involved in Houston politics—even if no one else in town is asking it. This phenomenon isn’t entirely new: in 2009,* … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Gallegos in I

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses CM Robert Gallegos for re-election in District I. Two years ago we wrote that District I was the face of Houston’s future, filled with key landmarks, booming growth and changing neighborhoods. During his first term on City … Continue reading →

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HRBC poll: Turner 24, King 18

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like we’re going to see more polling than usual this cycle. This was sent as a press release from the Bill King campaign, which was kind enough to forward the full poll data to me when I requested it: … Continue reading →

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Finally, some coverage on the pension issue

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I kid, I kid. Like it or not, HERO or not, it’s what this race has been about. The top candidates for Houston mayor are talking far more about the city’s growing cost of retiree benefits than voters are, which … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Four for HISD

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the Chron endorsements for HISD Board of Trustees. The endorsements of incumbents Rhonda Skillern-Jones and Juliet Stipeche were expected and easily justified, so not particularly remarkable. The other two are worth comment. District III: Manuel Rodriguez Our choice … Continue reading →

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HAR poll

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

And some more good news here. With less than four weeks to go before the election, the Houston mayoral race remains “fluid,” according to a new poll commissioned by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR). The poll finds Adrian Garcia … Continue reading →

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30 day finance reports: Pro- and anti-HERO

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news here. Supporters of Houston’s contentious equal rights ordinance raked in $1.26 million during seven weeks of official fundraising, more than doubling opponents’ efforts and fueling a fierce and frenzied media campaign to court voters before the law … Continue reading →

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Chron Mayoral profile: Sylvester Turner

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is the seventh (and last!) in a series of profiles on the top candidates running for mayor in Houston. Sylvester Turner followed his mother’s wisdom like a beacon, through the University of Houston, where he graduated magna cum laude … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: HCC incumbents

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses the two HCC incumbents, in the two contested elections. District III: Adriana Tamez Voters should vote to give Adriana Tamez another term to continue fostering change at the Houston Community College system. Tamez, a Denver Harbor native, … Continue reading →

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Interview with Lou Weaver

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This week’s interviews are going to be about the referendum for the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which the Supreme Court ordered to be on the ballot. It is City of Houston Proposition 1, with a Yes vote being in favor … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Ellen

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses CM Ellen Cohen for a third term. District council members don’t usually make national headlines, but last summer Councilwoman Ellen Cohen got her 15 minutes of fame while questioning Pastor Betty Riggle’s opposition to Houston’s equal rights … Continue reading →

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Interview with Monica Roberts

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This week’s interviews are going to be about the referendum for the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which the Supreme Court ordered to be on the ballot. It is City of Houston Proposition 1, with a Yes vote being in favor … Continue reading →

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Mail ballot update

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Carl Whitmarsh forwarded me a breakdown of all mail ballot applications that have been received by the County Clerk’s office as of Friday, October 2. I saved the file here, but for ease of discussion here’s a screenshot: That’s a … Continue reading →

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More jail troubles

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s ugly, both in content and in timing for Adrian Garcia. Over the past nine months, the Houston Chronicle has reviewed more than 1,000 disciplinary reports provided by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Nearly half of those internal affairs investigations … Continue reading →

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Interview with Richard Carlbom

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This week’s interviews are going to be about the referendum for the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which the Supreme Court ordered to be on the ballot. It is City of Houston Proposition 1, with a Yes vote being in favor … Continue reading →

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The Woodlands versus its neighbors

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The Woodlands prides itself on being the best-planned community around, with tree-studded neighborhoods, miles of trails, sprawling parks and a town center with a distinctly urban feel. Across Montgomery County, however, some … Continue reading →

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Highlighting wages in the Mayor’s race

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Coalition Calls on Next Mayor to Raise Minimum Wage for Publicly Funded Projects Today, a coalition of community and labor organizations staged a tour of of sites that received tax dollars to tell the story of how … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: The way in J

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses CM Mike Laster for re-election in District J. This district has a deep need for important constituent services, and Laster has dedicated his office to providing them. From working with the Urban Land Institute on redesigning Richmond … Continue reading →

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Uber update, part 4

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the last installment of the Chron/Al Jazeera analysis of how Uber is operating in Houston. Most of the story is about what parts of town have better service from Uber – short answer, inside the Loop – and how … Continue reading →

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KTRU returns

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

On another frequency, with different call letters, and a less powerful signal. Other than that, it’s like it never left. After five years off the radio dial, Rice University’s popular college radio station KTRU Rice Radio will return to FM … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: A bad call

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sorry, I don’t get this at all. The race for the At-Large 4 City Council seat offers two of the most capable candidates running this fall. Amanda Edwards, a municipal finance attorney with Bracewell & Guiliani, and Laurie Robinson, … Continue reading →

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Interview with Dwight Jefferson

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We come to the end of our week of interviews with candidates to succeed term limited City Controller Ronald Green. Dwight Jefferson was appointed to the 215th Civil District Court bench in 1995, and when he won a full term … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Youth wins out

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses Philippe Nassif in At Large #5. You have to say this about City Councilmember Jack Christie: He’s a conscientious public servant. Holding the At-Large 5 seat, the two-term incumbent is, in his words, “a workhorse, not a … Continue reading →

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