Tag Archives: Houston

Cities and counties push back on state meddling attempts

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve got their work cut out for them. The mayors of Texas’ largest cities on Monday pushed back against an initiative by state lawmakers to place new revenue caps on local communities as a way to answer conservatives’ demands to … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Nothing but not-so-good-times ahead

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe if everyone chants “This time is different than the 80s!” loudly enough it will have the talismanic effect we all hope it will. For five years, a domestic oil boom has created a bounty of high-paying jobs and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Nothing but not-so-good-times ahead

Sylvester Turner announces his entry into the Mayor’s race

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

What we’ve all known about for months is now official. State Rep. Sylvester Turner announced his candidacy for Houston mayor today, formally adding the name of an influential lawmaker with deep ties to the African-American community to the growing field … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

One point two million Obamacare signups in Texas

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not too shabby. McCarter was one of nearly 1.2 million Texans who signed up or were re-enrolled in health coverage before open enrollment ended Sunday. The newly released numbers show Texas ranking behind only Florida in the number of people … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on One point two million Obamacare signups in Texas

State of the county 2015: Please cooperate more

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett makes his eighth State if the County address. In his eighth State of the County address, Emmett had choice words for both Austin – which is weighing a reduction in property taxes that form the … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Should Lane Lewis resign as HCDP Chair to run for Council?

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the question some people are asking. “What I want is someone who is going to be, at least in the political world, dedicated 100 percent to the mission of advancing the ideals of the Democratic Party,” said John Gorczynski, … Continue reading →

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

Metro’s new rail station

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Houston Central Station is finally open, though in a much less impressive form than it might have been. Houston’s first new rail station in nearly 14 months [opened] Wednesday, but it won’t serve its main purpose – connecting riders on … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Metro’s new rail station

Texas Central chooses a corridor

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We have a single preferred route for the Houston to Dallas high speed rail line. Texas Central High-Speed Railway (TCR) today informed the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) that it recommends narrowing the consideration of potential high-speed rail corridors between Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas Central chooses a corridor

Remaking Allen Parkway

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’ll be different, but it makes sense. Next summer, after workers have spent months shifting lanes, adding crosswalks and planting trees, Allen Parkway will be a parkway again, at the cost of a slight slowing of vehicle traffic and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Remaking Allen Parkway

Losing our sports history

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is sad. The original championship banners for the Rockets and the WNBA’s defunct Comets remain on display at Toyota Center, as do banners saluting both teams’ representatives in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. After that, Houston’s legacy … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Losing our sports history

More candidate updates

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another Council hopeful tosses his hat into the ring, though we don’t know exactly which office he intends to seek just yet. Tom McCasland, who took over the Harris County Housing Authority after it suffered in scandal, will run for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More candidate updates

Another I-45 public meeting should be scheduled soon

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From Jim Weston of the I-45 Coalition: TxDOT will soon be holding another public meeting! TxDOT has been working for years to come up with a plan to ‘relieve’ the congestion on I-45. After several years, TxDOT is getting closer … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Another I-45 public meeting should be scheduled soon

On Council and charters

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Council continues considering charter changes. (Go ahead, say that five times fast.) The Charter Review Committee’s proposal would allow for six council members to add an item to the agenda for consideration by the full City Council. Under the current … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mixed jury verdict in HERO repeal petitions trial

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some Friday afternoon big news. A jury in the trial surrounding Houston’s embattled equal rights ordinance issued a mixed slate of decisions Friday, giving neither side the obvious upper hand as a district judge now uses those findings to decide … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mixed jury verdict in HERO repeal petitions trial

Metro board approves reimagining

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

On to implementation. Metro’s board gave unanimous, final approval to the so-called reimagining plan, authorizing agency staff to plan public meetings to explain the changes. Between now and August, Metro must replace every sign at every bus stop, revise every … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Metro board approves reimagining

Use less, pay more

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Ain’t utility deregulation grand? More than 70 percent of electric plans offered in the Houston area contain terms that may penalize customers who don’t use a certain amount of power, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of more than 300 … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Use less, pay more

A slowdown in construction would be good for school districts

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One potential upside to a weakening real estate market. Since the Houston Independent School District passed a historic $1.9 billion bond issue in 2012, the construction market has boomed, driving up costs and drying up labor. But now, with the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on A slowdown in construction would be good for school districts

HPD to get a pay raise

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Parker and the police union agree to a new contract. The Houston Police Department hopes a new union contract that targets raises primarily to younger officers will ward off recruiting struggles that have forced it to offer bonuses to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

System reimagining time

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Big day today, hopefully. A once-in-a-generation change to Houston bus service – shifting from a downtown-focused, hub-and-spoke design to a broader network reflecting new ways people move around – could receive final approval by Metro’s board Wednesday. Officials say the … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on System reimagining time

KTRU will be back

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Awesome. And unexpected. Rice University’s popular student-run radio station, relegated to the Internet when the university sold it in 2010, is returning to the airwaves. The Federal Communications Commission on Monday approved the construction of a low-power FM broadcast station … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on KTRU will be back

Opposition to the high speed rail line gets organized

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You had to figure something like this was coming. I was recently informed of NoTexasCentral.com, and I’ll let them introduce themselves: Texas Central Railway (TCR), a Japanese funded Texas-based private railroad company, is set to build and operate a high … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Where are the women?

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I have several things to say about this. The slate running to replace Mayor Annise Parker features a globetrotting sailor, a triathlete grandfather, a millionaire minister and no women. Despite the most-crowded pack of mayoral contenders in decades, no female … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Two city race updates

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Item one: We have another candidate for Comptroller. Jew Don Boney, who sat on City Council for three terms in the 1990′s, will run for City Controller, he told the Chronicle Wednesday. Boney joins Houston Community College trustee Carroll Robinson … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Two city race updates

2015 Mayoral manifesto: Quality of life and other issues

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Preliminaries Transportation Public safety A few quick hits on topics that didn’t fit elsewhere. Making Houston affordable again Remember when Houston was an inexpensive place to live? If you haven’t been here at least a decade – more like two … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

HERO repeal petition trial wraps up

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There actually wasn’t all that much testimony in the HERO repeal petition trial. On Tuesday, former City Attorney David Feldman took his turn on the stand. City Secretary Anna Russell originally found enough valid signatures but did not verify the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HERO repeal petition trial wraps up

2015 Mayoral manifesto: Public safety

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Preliminaries Transportation When I first started thinking about this series a couple of months ago, this section was all going to be about the budget. We’ve covered this ground before – public safety is about 65% of the total city … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Now what do we do with those body cameras?

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

KPRC addresses an important question. HPD has been running a pilot program regarding body cameras for more than a year. 100 officers are currently wearing a body camera. The department has yet to finalize a policy on the use of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Now what do we do with those body cameras?

2015 Mayoral manifesto: Transportation

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Preliminaries Please note that I have called this part of my manifesto “Transportation” and not “Traffic”. I agree that traffic sucks and that the Mayoral candidates ought to have some ideas for how to deal with it. It’s my opinion … Continue reading →

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

Mayor Parker testifies at HERO repeal petition trial

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Monday was Mayor Parker’s turn to take the stand at the trial over the validity of the HERO repeal petitions. You’d think this would be a momentous occasion of high drama, but since this whole thing is about technicalities and … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mayor Parker testifies at HERO repeal petition trial

2015 Mayoral manifesto: The preliminaries

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As you may have heard, we are electing a new Mayor this year. There’s already a large field of candidates in the race, and it is likely to grow before all is said and done. Each will have his own … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

On the seasonal return of term limits modification

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a fuller version of that earlier story about Council moving forward with a modified term limits proposal. You can almost set your watch by it. Mayor Annise Parker is in her third and final term, which means it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on On the seasonal return of term limits modification

Two more for At Large #4

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We know that At Large #1, one of two open At Large seats for this year, has already drawn a crowd. Now the other open seat, At Large #4, is drawing one as well. Laurie Robinson, Amanda Edwards and Larry … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

There’s more than one player in the Texas high speed rail game

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. A company that operates France’s national high-speed rail network is exploring possible involvement in Texas bullet trains. “We’re here to listen, learn and evaluate,” Alain Leray, president and chief executive of SNCF America Inc., said Monday during a visit … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on There’s more than one player in the Texas high speed rail game

First test for flex zones

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is worth watching. Though many Acres Homes dwellings and shops are in disrepair, a community still thrives here. Churches and some well-kept homes anchor corners and dot small, residential streets, all of which dead-end or loop back to Sweetwater. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on First test for flex zones