Tag Archives: Houston

Interview with Bill Frazer

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Next up on our list of candidates to succeed term limited City Controller Ronald Green is Bill Frazer, who is attempting to build on his respectable showing against Green in 2013. Here’s the 2013 interview I did with Frazer, and … Continue reading →

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Chron Mayoral profile: Marty McVey

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is the sixth in a series of profiles on the top candidates running for mayor in Houston. Standing in his sparse west Houston office this summer, Marty McVey traced his route to victory across a city map hung on … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Jerry

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron makes another easy call by endorsing CM Jerry Davis for a third term in District B. In this race Davis is the only candidate who understands how the system functions and how a council member can pull the … Continue reading →

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Interview with Chris Brown

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing with my interviews with candidates for Houston City Controller to succeed the term-limited Ronald Green, today’s subject is Chris Brown. The son of former City Council member and Mayoral candidate Peter Brown, Chris Brown currently serves as the Chief … Continue reading →

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Bad choice, Lance

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Very disappointing. Lance Berkman, former Houston Astros star and Texas native, has waded into the fight for LGBT protections, sharing his views in a new ad campaign this week. At the center of Berkman’s concern is Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance … Continue reading →

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Uber update, parts 2 and 3

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Driving for Uber is a tough way to make a living. One hundred job applications and still nothing. Jennifer Cantrell, 34, partway through a master’s degree in social work, had depleted her savings and needed a new plan. Through Facebook, … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Stardig

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m too lazy to think of a clever title for this one. Brenda Stardig is on the verge of completing her nonconsecutive second term as district councilwoman, and she has earned a third. Stardig, 53, came into office with a … Continue reading →

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Interview with Carroll Robinson

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We are coming into the home stretch for interview season. This week will be interviews with candidates for Houston City Controller, currently held by term-limited incumbent Ronald Green. First up is Carroll Robinson, who served three terms as At Large … Continue reading →

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Uber update, part 1

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron, in conjunction with Al Jazeera Americas, gives the first of what should be a four-part look at how Uber is doing in Houson. Less than a year after Houston began regulating so-called transportation network companies, questions persist about … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Our first twofer

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

My first clear misses, too. For our next controller, voters should look for a candidate who can refocus the distracted office on the straight and narrow of Houston’s financial picture. In our current straits, we don’t have the luxury of … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Let’s continue a success story

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses CM Richard Nguyen, first term Council Member whose win was a surprise in 2013 and whose service on Council has been easily deserving of a second term. A political neophyte when he stepped into office two years … Continue reading →

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B-Cycle expansion coming

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston area officials are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into widening Interstate 45, and they could be paying much more for even larger upcoming projects along the corridor. But a comparatively-paltry sum is about to boost bike sharing … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: A close choice

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses Greg Travis in a close call in District G. Attorney Greg Travis, 52, is going head-to-head against media consultant and current Houston Community College Trustee Sandie Mullins Moger, 50. Each candidate brought an excellent resume and knowledge … Continue reading →

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Get ready for the TV ads to begin

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Keep that DVR remote handy, because you’re going to have to start fast-forwarding through Mayoral campaign ads on TV soon. After nearly topping the July fundraising that put this year’s mayor’s race on track to be the most expensive in … Continue reading →

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Council approves inmate processing center deal with Harris County

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Very good news. An end is in sight for the inefficient process of shuttling prisoners in and out of redundant local lockups after the City Council on Wednesday approved an agreement with Harris County to build a long-discussed inmate processing … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: In my neighborhood

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses Karla Cisneros in District H, proving that while one can guess who they’ll endorse, one has no hope of guessing in what order they’ll print their endorsements. Karla Cisneros is the woman for the job. Cisneros, who … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: HERO ain’t everything

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I predicted that the Chron would endorse CM Kubosh, so I can’t say that I’m surprised that they endorsed him. That said, their logic is always a sight to behold. At a City Hall filled with lawyers, urban planners and … Continue reading →

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Interview with Dr. Adriana Tamez

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As I said last time, HCC Trustee races are a lot more important than you’d think from the amount of attention they get. Aside from the Dave Wilson problem, it’s an office with a six-year term, no resign-to-run requirement, and … Continue reading →

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JP Dale Gorczynski will not run for re-election

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not usually in the breaking news business around here, but today I have some: Judge Dale Gorcynski, who has served as Justice of the Peace in Precinct 1 since 1992, will not be running for re-election next year. I … Continue reading →

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GOP versus Hall

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Pass the popcorn. The Harris County Republican Party released a flyer Monday attacking Houston mayoral candidate Ben Hall for his Democratic ties and previous support for a nondiscrimination ordinance. Among top-tier mayoral candidates, Hall, a Democrat, is the most ardent … Continue reading →

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Interview with Eva Loredo

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Of all the downballot races in odd numbered years, HCC Trustee elections have the greatest disparity between their importance and the amount of attention paid to them. The farce of Dave Wilson getting elected in 2013 is the lesson we … Continue reading →

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Chron Mayoral profile: Bill King

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is the fifth in a series of profiles on the top candidates running for mayor in Houston. A fiscal conservative concerned with shoring up the city’s finances, [Bill] King would be Houston’s first Republican mayor in more than 30 … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Seeing the big picture

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like the Chron is going through the At Large races first, which means we’re up to At Large #2, and a repeat endorsement of David Robinson. You might as well pull out the popcorn when City Hall gets to … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM David Robinson

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I know I said before that I was done with Council interviews, but you know what? It’s my blog, and my prerogative to change my mind. Honestly, I had always intended to schedule an interview with first term Council Member … Continue reading →

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We’re (about to be) Number 3!

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

In population. By the year 2025. Suck it, Chicago! Hidden in the haze of the petrochemical plants and beyond the seemingly endless traffic jams, a Texas city has grown so large that it is poised to pass Chicago as the … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: What needs to be said

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s endorsement of HERO is both the most obvious call they’ll make and a pleasant surprise in terms of how they did it. Let’s be frank: The organized opposition to Houston’s proposed equal rights ordinance is mendacious, deceitful and … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Off to a good start, predictions-wise

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

First Chron endorsement of the season, and it’s one I called. When government is broken, who do you hire to fix it? For the Harris County Housing Authority, the answer was Tom McCasland. Plenty of candidates can tout their ideas … Continue reading →

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Business groups get into the HERO campaign

Posted on September 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome to the table, fellas. Three major local business and hospitality groups are warning voters that the city’s economy could take a hit if Houston’s embattled equal rights ordinance is repealed in November, boosting supporters’ attempts to cast the law … Continue reading →

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The MetroLab Network

Posted on September 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox. Rice University and the city of Houston will join forces with 20 other cities and 25 other universities from across the country to create MetroLab Network, a network of universities and city governments charged with collaborating on … Continue reading →

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Interview with Juliet Stipeche

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up our week of HISD candidate interviews with another incumbent. Juliet Stipeche is finishing up her first full term in District 8; she won a special election in 2010 to fill a vacancy left when then-Trustee Diana Davila … Continue reading →

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No decision on interim Superintendent

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The HISD Board of Trustees is still deciding how to proceed in the wake of Superintendent Terry Grier’s resignation. Trustee Anna Eastman said after [Tuesday’s board] meeting that she continues to have a lot of questions about how the job-order … Continue reading →

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Interview with Ann McCoy

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I have one more interview to bring you in HISD District 4, which is being vacated by Paula Harris. Today’s candidate is Dr. Ann McCoy, making her first run for elected office. Dr. McCoy serves as Director of Data Services … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jolanda Jones

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We move on to District 4, which is being vacated by incumbent Paula Harris. I trust that Jolanda Jones is a familiar name to everyone reading this. Attorney, activist, former Alief Elsik and UH track star, Olympic trials qualifier, Survivor … Continue reading →

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Packing heat at the zoo

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, this won’t cause any controversy. Houston Zoo officials have been forced to remove long-standing “no guns” signage from the city-owned property after a prominent gun rights attorney filed a complaint, marking the first visible local example of a new … Continue reading →

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