Tag Archives: Houston

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 →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Whither the University Line?

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Is the University Line in doubt? Some people think so. Over the last decade, METRO spent $71 million of your dollars to build a rail line. But the agency recently took that project off the table for at least another … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The 2013 campaign season has officially begun

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Sort of, anyway. Some of us received this email in our inboxes recently, touting the virtues of former Bill White chief of staff Terence Fontaine as a candidate for District D; incumbent Wanda Adams is term-limited out next year. I … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Metro

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron comes out in favor of another referendum. If you look closely at the weekday mix of traffic, you’ll finds lots of 18-wheelers inching along during rush hour. That makes congestion more than an annoyance for individual commuters. Along … Continue reading →

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Favorable poll for HISD and other bonds

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a good start. Most Houston-area voters plan to support $2.7 billion worth of city, public school and community college bond packages on the November ballot, according to a new poll. The results defy conventional wisdom that a crowded ballot … Continue reading →

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Roundabouts in the sky

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Imagine driving into downtown Houston on interstates 10 or 45, or U.S. 59, and having to merge with all other incoming traffic onto an elevated, one-way traffic circle around the cluster of … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On tickets and plea bargains

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting story about the municipal courts, but I’m a bit puzzled by the numbers cited. About 22,000 traffic tickets were dismissed in a single month in Houston this summer – nearly half the number issued during that span, according to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Making the case for the HISD bonds

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Bobby and Phoebe Tudor, the chairs of the Citizens for Better Schools campaign, lay out their case for the HISD bond referendum in this Chron op-ed. Study after study has shown that children have more difficulty learning in inadequate school … Continue reading →

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Ashby everywhere

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Nancy Sarnoff notes a trend. Homeowners in the Memorial area held a meeting last month in the lobby of a nearby medical office building to discuss what to do about a large apartment complex being planned in their neighborhood. They … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bring the USWNT to Houston

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’m in. If you love the beautiful game, you should want to help Jen Cooper. Cooper has been on a crusade for women’s soccer in Houston for almost two decades. She’s on a mission again. Cooper is one of the … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For HCC bonds

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, the Chron has decided to get into the endorsement business early this year, certainly earlier than I’d have expected them to get into it, as they come out in favor of the HCC bond referendum. “We can either train … Continue reading →

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Focusing on reading

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This sounds promising. When HISD Superintendent Terry Grier took charge three years ago, he quickly latched onto a troubling statistic: roughly 70,000 of the district’s students were not reading at grade level. Students who should have learned reading basics by … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Houston Tomorrow versus Metro

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

David Crossley: On November 6, you will be asked to vote on whether to stop expansion of light rail transit service in Houston. If you think that’s a terrible idea, you must vote No. If you do, you will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

What would you do with 136 acres near downtown?

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Something urban, mixed-use, and transit-oriented, one hopes. A rare opportunity lies in 136 acres just east of downtown Houston. The Buffalo Bayou-front parcel, a longtime industrial and office complex, went on the market earlier this summer – a move bayou … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Three for E

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There will probably be more when all is said and done, but at this time there are three candidates running for District E this November. The candidates are: Lonnie Allsbrooks – Former owner of Beer Island bar in the Heights. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More on carless commuting in Houston

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Greg adds on to my recent post about getting to work in Houston if you didn’t have a car. In the comments of this Kuff post, Robert Nagle actually beats me to the punch in answering the central question. Yes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

More Green woes

Posted on August 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe it’s the name. A 28-year-old nonprofit workforce training organization is teetering on the brink of extinction after four years under the leadership of Houston City Councilman Larry Green. Green left HoustonWorks USA in May by what he and board … Continue reading →

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The bid is in for the NCAA Champions game

Posted on August 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We are officially bidding on the new Champions Bowl, the 2014 replacement for the BCS Championship Bowl, for Reliant Stadium. We heard about this in July, and it makes sense that Houston was solicited for a bid and that we’d … Continue reading →

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City says No to some of CM Brown’s expense reports

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s always something. Councilwoman Helena Brown hired a private attorney to sit in on meetings with her publicly paid attorney, then tried to bill taxpayers for it. Records obtained by the Houston Chronicle reveal that Brown sought reimbursement for $850 … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

After school programs

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I see a lot of merit in this. After-school programs prevent crime, Councilman C.O. Bradford said, so some of them should be paid for by the police. “This sounds strange to hear a gun-packing, badge-toting, 24-year cop talking about this,” … Continue reading →

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Mills and Clemens

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Enjoy your paid time off, Brad Mills. General manager Jeff Luhnow and owner Jim Crane see no reason to wait until the season ends to begin the search for the next Astros manager after Brad Mills was fired and replaced … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Riding that (privately funded) train

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Another story on the vaunted high speed rail line for Texas. The leaders of Texas Central High-Speed Railway sound very confident for a company expecting to succeed where scores of state planners, elected officials and private interests have failed. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Women’s Equality Day celebration

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This seems like something we could all use right about now: The League of Women Voters of Houston Education Fund today announces Rising Stars of 2012, men and women who have made important contributions to the Houston community and whose … Continue reading →

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Dan Wallach: Energy pricing 2012

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This is a guest post that follows up on an earlier guest post. Last year, I wrote a guest article for Off The Kuff where I discussed the complexity of trying to get a good price on your electric bill. … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Green blues

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

First there was this. City Controller Ron Green, Houston’s top elected money manager and self-described watchdog, is seeking leniency for a five-time convicted felon and contractor who masterminded an elaborate real estate and forgery scam targeting the city’s historically African-American … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The ballot propositions we won’t have

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the 78th day before the November 6 election. That makes it the statutory deadline for ordering an election, as noted by the Secretary of State. They cite Sec. 201.054 of the Elections Code for this, which seems wrong … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

HISD takes another crack at ethics reform

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. Houston school trustees on Thursday renewed serious talks about tightening their ethics rules after failing to agree on new policies late last year. The proposed changes, meant to restore public confidence that the Houston Independent School District is … Continue reading →

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Metro board passes amended GMP referendum

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

More consensus this time. The board voted 8-1 for a measure that, if approved by voters, would continue the so-called General Mobility Program in its current form, allocating a quarter of Metro’s 1-cent sales tax to Harris County, Houston and … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council approves funding for sobering center

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good. City Council agreed Wednesday to spend $4.3 million to outfit a warehouse at Star of Hope Mission and $353,000 a year to operate it as a place to take drunks instead of jail. City officials expect the 84-bed facility … Continue reading →

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Les Alexander on the verge of buying the Dynamo

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I like the thought of this. Rockets owner Leslie Alexander is in the final stages of negotiations to purchase the Dynamo and secure the 30-year lease and development agreement on BBVA Compass Stadium, three officials with knowledge of the process … Continue reading →

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Regent Square gets off the ground

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This has been a long time coming. More than five years after announcing plans for the 24-acre Regent Square project off Allen Parkway, GID Development Group has begun construction on the first building, a 21-story apartment tower called The Sovereign. … Continue reading →

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Here come the city bonds

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

For your approval. Houston voters will decide in November whether local governments can borrow more than $2.7 billion for schools, parks, libraries and public safety. City Council OK’d its portion of that total Wednesday, a $410 million package of bond … Continue reading →

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

Gearing up in District A

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

And they’re off. It appears unlikely that former District A Councilwoman Brenda Stardig will get a one-on-one shot at a comeback from her 2011 loss to current Councilwoman Helena Brown. “It is my plan to run for District A,” Amy … Continue reading →

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Petitions to overturn homeless feeding ordinance submitted

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There’s plenty of signatures, but no guarantee that this will make it onto the ballot. Activists seeking to repeal a new law requiring City Hall’s permission to serve charitable meals on city-owned land turned in 34,000 petition signatures on Monday … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments