Tag Archives: Houston

The voter ID effect

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The conventional wisdom is that we’re unlikely to see the full effect of the voter ID law until next year. The true test of how voter ID will affect voters — and whether it will sway elections — won’t come … Continue reading →

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Faith and business leaders rally for immigration reform

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: PROMINENT HOUSTON FAITH & BUSINESS LEADERS URGE REP. TED POE TO SUPPORT COMMON SENSE IMMIGRATION REFORM Pressure Continues to Build as Congress Returns to D.C. (Houston, TX)- On Thursday, September 12 at 11am, prominent clergy leaders and respected members … Continue reading →

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Interview with Anthony Robinson

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

If you’ve followed the news at all in Texas over the past decade or so you’re familiar with the large number of convicted inmates who have been subsequently freed after being exonerated by DNA evidence. That’s the story of District … Continue reading →

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Interview with Christina Sanders

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Next up in District D is Christina Sanders. Sanders is a political and civic activist, and community organizer. She is the state director of the Texas League of Young Voters Education Fund, an affiliate of the League of Young Voters … Continue reading →

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The Mayor’s race in three numbers

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

1. Turnout In the 2009 runoff, there were 155,670 votes cast for Mayor. Annise Parker got 82,175 and Gene Locke got 73,495. In the 2011 general election, there were 118,414 votes cast for Mayor. Annise Parker got 60,135 and the … Continue reading →

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Hall’s five point crimefighting plan

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Houstonians do not feel safe in their homes and their communities. Houston’s crime numbers remain dangerously high and criminals are victimizing us daily. The only thing we hear from the Mayor’s office on this issue is silence. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Dwight Boykins

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We move now to District D, which is open with the term-limited end of CM Wanda Adams’ tenure. It’s easily the biggest field for any race, with 12 declared candidates. I’m not going to be able to interview them all, … Continue reading →

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How city candidates have voted in past primaries

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is great to see. The Harris County Democratic Party does not endorse candidates in the non-partisan City of Houston elections; however, in an effort to keep you informed as to which candidates are Democrats and which are not, we … Continue reading →

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Yes, but why is traffic so bad at these places?

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Two things that aren’t mentioned in this story but need to be. Two adjoining stretches of U.S. 59 in downtown and west Houston fared the worst regionally on an annual list of the 100-most congested freeways in the state, compiled … Continue reading →

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City and county make a deal on airport toll road revenues

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good. After two years of negotiations, the Houston City Council approved an agreement Wednesday that provides toll revenue from the airport connector to the city for the first time – 24.5 percent, to be precise. Officials at Harris County, which … Continue reading →

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Six new B-Cycle locations announced

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the B-Cycle monthly newsletter: 6 NEW B-stations coming this month! We are happy to announce our new locations! When we launched our pilot program in May of 2012 we were anxious and excited to see how Houston would respond … Continue reading →

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Key Maps

Posted on September 7, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, if this doesn’t inspire a wave of nostalgia, you either haven’t lived in Houston for long or you’re under the age of 30. Jen Marie Rau, the mapmaker’s daughter, is not a big fan of global positioning satellites or … Continue reading →

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More on Metro’s bus strategy

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The anticipated “re-imagining” of Metro’s bus service is underway. The “new” Metro is still prioritizing things in an old way, splitting its priorities evenly between ridership growth and coverage to areas where officials know the bus provides the only viable … Continue reading →

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Interview with Michael Kubosh

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We circle back one last time to At Large #3, with Michael Kubosh. Kubosh is a bail bondsman and political activist. He ran for the State Senate as a Democrat against Dan Patrick in 2006, but is best known for … Continue reading →

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Hiram Clarke TIRZ

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I think this will be a good thing. The Houston City Council and the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court approved a plan this month to boost development in Houston’s southwest corner with the creation of a tax increment reinvestment zone. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Kathy Daniels

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Challenging CM Jerry Davis in District B is Kathy Daniels. Daniels, who had also run in B in 2011, is a retired postal worker whose family has deep roots in the neighborhood. Like CM Davis, she has lost a family … Continue reading →

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Uber in Dallas

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A possible preview of things to come, courtesy of our neighbors to the north. Uber pulled into Dallas in one year ago, offering residents a ride with a few taps of an app. Drunk or stuck or just not sure … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Jerry Davis

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We move now to District B, where CM Jerry Davis is in his first term. Davis is the CEO of the non-profit Making It Better, which works to improve literacy, leadership, and life skills for disadvantaged children. He is also … Continue reading →

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Ballot order and the HCC lineup

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The ballot order has been determined for the November city elections. You can click over and see them, I’ll just use this opportunity to once again say how ridiculous it is that in the year 2013 we are still drawing … Continue reading →

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The Uber debate

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

In case you missed it over the weekend, the Chron’s op-ed pages featured a point/counterpoint on Uber and its push to enter the Houston market, which would require changes to various city ordinances. Here’s the pro-Uber piece: Imagine it’s Friday … Continue reading →

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A new day in North Forest

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I’m really really rooting for this to work out well. [Maria] Cortez used to teach at Burbank Elementary in the Houston Independent School District but agreed to follow her principal to a tough new assignment – and to transfer her … Continue reading →

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Not pissing off your neighbors is generally a good thing

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the message I get from this story about one developer who is trying to not piss off the people who live near his proposed development. Oak trees along the sidewalks? Check. A push to build a dog park? Check. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Brenda Stardig

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

My last candidate interview for District A is a fitting bookend for the first one. Brenda Stardig was elected to District A in 2009, leading the pack in November and cruising in the subsequent runoff. It’s fair to say that … Continue reading →

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Just so we’re clear, cities don’t run the schools

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg does some fact checking. Houston Mayoral Candidate Ben Hall seems to have done his homework before he began claiming that, if elected, he’d have statutory authority over local schools. But he apparently didn’t check his interpretation of the … Continue reading →

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Interview with Ronald Hale

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The third challenger to CM Helena Brown in District A is Ronald Hale. Hale is a private security consultant, currently the Director at NZ Control Specialists. His biography page says that he has maintained a blog since last year, though … Continue reading →

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Heights-area bike trails to be linked

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. Houston’s expanding trail system will soon gain a new leg in the greater Heights area. The addition will be part of Bayou Greenways 2020, a $215 million project aimed at creating a continuous network of hike-and-bike trails and … Continue reading →

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Interview with Amy Peck

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Two of the candidates that are running against CM Helena Brown in District A have run for this seat before. One of them is Amy Peck, who ran for District A when it was last open in 2009; here’s the … Continue reading →

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The 2013 lineup

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

So many candidates. More than 60 candidates have filed to run for city of Houston elective office this fall, many of them rushing in before the 5 p.m. Monday deadline. […] Atop the ballot, [Mayor Annise] Parker is challenged by … Continue reading →

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Interview with Mike Knox

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There are four candidates seeking to oust first term CM Helena Brown in District A. The first one I spoke to is Mike Knox. Knox is a former HPD officer who helped create HPD’s first divisional gang unit. He later … Continue reading →

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Texas cities embracing bicycles

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a good thing. In Fort Worth, the mayor hosts occasional bicycle rides called “Rolling Town Halls.” The Dallas City Council could may soon require new businesses to set aside space for bicycle parking. Over in El Paso, officials are … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Helena Brown

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We now enter the realm of district Council races, where in addition to two open seats there are two incumbents that face credible challenges. One of those incumbents is first term District A Council Member Helena Brown. If you’ve been … Continue reading →

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Rape kit backlog eliminated

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

More good news. For the first time in its history, the Houston Police Department doesn’t have a backlog of rape kits that haven’t been tested. The backlog, which at one point totalled 6,600 untested rape kits, was eliminated by sending … Continue reading →

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Hall and the firefighters

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Ben Hall has the support of the firefighters’ union. He has also criticized Mayor Parker for not doing enough to deal with the financial stability of the pension funds. How does he reconcile these two seemingly contradictory positions? Not surprisingly, … Continue reading →

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Food trucks going un-mobile

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a trend. Matti Merrell and Rodney Perry first parked their Green Seed food truck on a Third Ward street in 2011. Within a year Food & Wine named it the No. 9 vegan and vegetarian restaurant in the U.S. … Continue reading →

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