Tag Archives: San Antonio

What I’ll be looking for tonight

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder that I’ll be on KPFT tonight starting at 7 PM to talk about the elections. Here’s a preview of the things I’ll be looking for: 1. SD10 – Sen. Wendy Davis vs Mark Shelton: Easily the most … Continue reading →

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Draft Julian?

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Who wants to see Julian Castro run for Governor in 2014? His fellow Bexar County Democrats, at least. Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Manuel Medina launched a social media movement last week to draft Castro for the 2014 Texas governor’s … Continue reading →

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It was nice knowing you, Lockhart

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There’s so much that’s wrong with this. Community leaders believe the four lanes of Texas 130 will spur growth — despite what is expected to be a charge of about 15 cents a mile to drive on it. The tollway, … Continue reading →

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Castro’s road show

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, racking up the frequent flyer miles. On Saturday, Castro spoke to Democratic campaign workers at a strip mall near Fort Belvoir and to students at George Mason University in a coordinated effort by the Obama … Continue reading →

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Castro puts pre-K on the national stage

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to thrusting himself into the national spotlight with his DNC keynote address, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro also brought the discussion about pre-kindergarten education to the fore. Under the biggest spotlight of his political career, Mayor Julián Castro … Continue reading →

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MFU Houston

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Houston Mobile Food Unit (MFU) Collective will present City Council Members with stakeholder-driven Ordinance changes in September, which will further promote business growth and entrepreneurship in Houston. The proposed Ordinance changes will eliminate the 60-foot distance … Continue reading →

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Don’t forget Joaquin

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You can’t have a story about one twin and not have one about the other, am I right? When his minute-older brother gives the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, Joaquín Castro will be nearby, as he always is … Continue reading →

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Julian Castro is ready for his closeup

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your primer on the rising star, San Antonio Mayor, and DNC keynoter Julian Castro. I’ll let you take it in in all its hagiographic glory, but I’d like to highlight my favorite part, where the authors manage to find … Continue reading →

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San Antonio’s pre-k referendum

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Houston is chock full of ballot referenda this fall, but the most interesting and potentially consequential one in the state is San Antonio. An initiative from San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro that would direct a portion of sales tax revenue … Continue reading →

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Bike sharing to come to Fort Worth

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The Fort Worth Transportation Authority said Monday it’s raised more than $1 million, and plans to launch a central city bike-sharing program by next Spring that will include 30 stations and 300 bikes. The program will start … Continue reading →

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No term limits referendum this fall

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Much as I dislike our silly term limits ordinance, I think this is the correct term of action. A City Council committee on Monday killed a proposal to ask voters whether to give the mayor, controller and council members up … Continue reading →

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Local action on payday lending

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Patricia Kilday Hart reports on a promising movement. No one was particularly surprised a year ago when the Texas Legislature failed – once again – to pass meaningful regulation of the payday and auto title loan industries. After all, the … Continue reading →

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Why do we want to subsidize the creation of minimum wage jobs?

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a question some people are asking in San Antonio. Thankfully, the local debate over whether to grant Maruchan Inc. of Japan millions of dollars to pay people very little money to make noodles has transcended the mere question of … Continue reading →

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Henry Cisneros

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Express News bring us an update on former San Antonio Mayor and onetime rising star Henry Cisneros. Henry Cisneros still talks about housing and urban development with passion, about the future of cities and the ways in which immigrant … Continue reading →

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Solar’s bright future

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a long story in the Observer about the state of solar energy in Texas. The piece covers a lot of ground, including this bit about what’s going on in San Antonio. San Antonio has emerged as a city willing … Continue reading →

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Bike sharing is officially almost here

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From Citizens Net: Beginning Wednesday, May 2, 2012, Houston will be one of only 15 U.S. cities to launch a bike share program to make getting around downtown a whole lot easier. The bike share program, known as Houston B-cycle, … Continue reading →

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No, San Antonio will not be getting an MLB team any time soon

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You are right to be skeptical. It’s a development that has become as predictable as yellow pollen in the spring. A Major League Baseball franchise, struggling financially, seeks a new stadium deal, a new location, a new life. In the … Continue reading →

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San Antonio going for desalinization

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Another thing we’ll be seeing more of in the near future. The San Antonio Water System is now pumping salt water in southern Bexar County as it looks for new water sources for the city. Tuesday the utility gave a … Continue reading →

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San Antonio B-Cycle keeps on growing

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s very cool to watch. [B-cycle and city officials announced] plans to add three bicycle stations in April, at HemisView Village apartments, the San Antonio Housing Authority park on South Flores Street, and the 1221 Broadway apartments, said Cindi Snell, … Continue reading →

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Meet the new rail debate, same as the old rail debate

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I feel like I’ve heard all this before. Opponents of the planned downtown streetcar system said Tuesday that county officials broke a promise with voters when they agreed to use advanced transportation district funds to help fund the project. The … Continue reading →

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San Antonio chooses its solar provider

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Under a bright winter sun Wednesday, CPS Energy CEO Doyle Beneby introduced the companies selected to build one of the country’s largest solar projects and a solar manufacturing plant in San Antonio, an investment of more than $100 million. … Continue reading →

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Another Lone Star Rail update

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From the Statesman: Commuter rail between San Antonio and Georgetown, at least as a legislatively sanctioned policy goal, will have its 15th birthday this spring. The tiny government agency created later to make it a reality is almost 9 years … Continue reading →

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More on Bike Share Houston

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Chron story on the Council vote to get bike sharing in Houston off the ground. The plan for the so-called Bike Share Houston program is to intrigue residents and visitors with the technology, then raise funds to install … Continue reading →

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Compost recycling in San Antonio

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

And now that I’ve mentioned compost recycling, here’s a look at how it’s working in San Antonio. At New Earth’s composting site off Interstate 10 on the far East Side, it is easy to pick out the pile generated by … Continue reading →

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Food trucks

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The city of San Antonio is preparing to overhaul its regulations of food trucks. In San Antonio, strict mobile food vending laws make it difficult for food trucks to flourish. Acknowledging the need for change, officials are jump-starting a process … Continue reading →

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San Antonio moves forward with streetcar plan

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

San Antonio City Council has voted to approve funding for a five-year transit expansion plan that includes a streetcar line. The vote all but guarantees construction of the city’s first urban rail project since San Antonio ended its electric streetcar … Continue reading →

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Jazzing it up

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

A little plug for my alma mater. KRTU knows how to throw a public party. The Trinity University radio station kicked off a yearlong celebration of the arts in general and jazz in particular Sunday afternoon and evening at the … Continue reading →

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San Antonio B-Cycle expands

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Seven months after beginning, San Antonio’s bike sharing program has completed an expansion. B-cycle, San Antonio’s bike share program, now boasts 20 docking stations and 200 bikes. […] Yearly memberships for $30 are still available by visiting sanantonio.bcycle.com and using … Continue reading →

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Recycling water

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There’s more than one way to conserve water. The city of San Antonio recycles theirs to get the most out of what they have. “During wet seasons, the river functions like any other river would,” says Steve Clouse, the chief … Continue reading →

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Another Division I program in San Antonio?

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

That’s what the University of the Incarnate Word wants to be. UIW President Lou Agnese said Friday the Cardinals are considering joining the Southland Conference after less than two years in the Division II Lone Star Conference. UIW’s interest in … Continue reading →

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Keep an eye on El Paso

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

While we celebrate the advancement of civil rights in San Antonio, we must keep in mind that these fights are never truly over. The El Paso City Council voted to extend health insurance to domestic partnerships in 2009, but that … Continue reading →

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San Antonio City Council extends domestic partnership benefits to city employees

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. On Thursday, words like “abomination,” “sin” and “Satan” were commonplace in City Council chambers as the audience weighed in on a tiny portion of San Antonio’s $2.2 billion budget. The council listened to three hours of public … Continue reading →

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No grass, no problems

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Texas is in the midst of one its worst droughts ever, yet one of the more arid cities in the state is seeing no noticeable drop in its reservoirs. How is that possible? Simple: They got rid of lawns years … Continue reading →

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There’s more than one way to do it

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Really interesting story about the different approaches being taken by Austin and San Antonio to draw clean energy jobs to their towns. While Austin has taken the traditional route of offering various types of incentives to help create a market … Continue reading →

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