Tag Archives: Houston

Jus’ what?

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the stupid lawyer tricks department: Heights-area restaurant Jus’ Mac, which boasts a variety of gourmet macaroni-and-cheese dishes mixed with anything from jalapenos to pineapple to Doritos, is in a trademark disagreement with the McDonald’s Corp. McDonald’s claims the “Mac” … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jones saga comes to a close

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

At long last. A three-member panel led by Mayor Annise Parker has found insufficient cause to believe Councilwoman Jolanda Jones breached council ethics violations documented in a city investigation. In a four-page report, the panel also criticized the Office of … Continue reading →

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

“How to Choose a Texas Electric Provider the Wrong Way”

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Recently, my friend Dan Wallach wrote a guest post here about how to find the best deal on electricity in Texas. Robert Nagle, another friend of mine, took issue with some of the things Dan wrote and penned a response … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Litter on a stick”

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I think the saddest thing about this story is that it’s basically the only mainstream media coverage the At Large #2 race has received. Houston Mayor Annise Parker announced a crackdown on so-called bandit signs Wednesday, pledging to issue fines … Continue reading →

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On spending and jobs

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

What exactly was the point of this story? About 600 workers already are on the job building the North, Southeast and East End lines, according Metro. “This is an opportunity for Metro to create thousands of jobs in Houston for … Continue reading →

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Interview with Laurie Robinson

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Concluding my interviews with Council candidates is a newcomer, Laurie Robinson, who is running for At Large #5. Robinson is a businesswoman and regulatory compliance expert in the health care industry. She has worked in the Department of Health and … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Trouble with the trees

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The drought gets more expensive for the city of Houston. The drought is about to claim yet more of Houston’s green – this time $4.5 million in tax dollars to remove trees that have died of thirst. Houston’s driest year … Continue reading →

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

Interview with Jack Christie

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Next up in At Large #5 is a familiar face, that of Jack Christie, who is on his third run for this office. Christie came very close to winning in 2009, ultimately falling by 1500 votes in the runoff. He … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Jolanda Jones

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Our last look at a Council race is the most interesting race involving an incumbent, as once again CM Jolanda Jones faces some tough competition in At Large #5. If you follow Houston politics at all you are surely familiar … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Bike sharing comes to New York

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You’d have thought – or at least, I’d have thought – that New York City would have been a very early adopter of bike sharing. Turns out they’re just getting started now. At a press conference [last Wednesday] afternoon, the … Continue reading →

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Hempstead commuter rail update

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a look at how commuter rail along 290 might work. Commuter trains from Hempstead to Houston could start running by 2019 if the Gulf Coast Rail District can secure $300 million and if Union Pacific Railroad lets passenger cars … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Where the congestion is

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the On The Move blog: Dallas motorists suffer the most highly congested road conditions in Texas, says a recent report from the Texas Department of Transportation. The state’s top three bottlenecks are all located in Dallas County, according to … Continue reading →

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Interview with Amy Price

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Also running in At Large #4 is Amy Price, who is running under the auspices of the Green Party. Price is a violin teacher and professional musician who has performed with such bands as Gordian Knot, The Buddhacrush, and Orange … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Interview with Louis Molnar

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Moving over to At Large #4, one of the candidates hoping to unseat CM Bradford is Louis Molnar. Molnar is a small business owner and realtor who also teaches law, ethics, and urban planning at the Spencer School of Real … Continue reading →

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Trader Joe’s makes its move

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Alabama Theater, here they come. Trader Joe’s is officially considering the historic Alabama Theatre for its first Houston outpost. The proposal is on the agenda for this week’s meeting of the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission, which would have to … Continue reading →

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DA won’t bring charges against CM Jones

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Houston Politics: Harris County prosecutors who reviewed ethics complaints against City Councilwoman Jolanda Jones have concluded that criminal prosecution is not warranted. In a letter to the City Attorney David Feldman the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said it had … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Interview with Don Cook

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Also running in At Large #1 is Don Cook, who does not currently have a website. Cook ran for this office in 2009 as a member of the Progressive Coalition. He was also the Green Party candidate for Harris County … Continue reading →

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Interview with Scott Boates

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This week I will run interviews with some candidates who are challenging Council incumbents, some of whom entered their races more recently in the cycle. I will finish the Council races with At Large #5 next week, then the Mayor … 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 →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Metro officially back on track with the FTA

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The “Buy America” nightmare is now history for Metro. In September 2010, the FTA announced that the process Metro had used to award a rail car contract to CAF USA, the U.S. subsidiary of a Spanish company, violated federal law … Continue reading →

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Dallas-Houston high speed rail update

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The people working on this sure do sound optimistic, even if what they’ve got is still basically vaporware. A trip from Houston to Dallas could take travelers 90 minutes if former Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, president of Lone Star … Continue reading →

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Mayor extends burn ban in parks

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Mayor Parker Extends Parks Burn Ban to Include Smoking Mayor Annise Parker today signed an executive order extending the City’s temporary burn ban to include smoking in City parks.  The smoking ban applies to lighted cigars, cigarettes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

My overview of the 2011 election

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Note: I was asked to write a guest post at BOR to summarize the 2011 Houston elections. I figure if I’m going to put all that effort into something, I may as well use it here, too. It’s mostly familiar … Continue reading →

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On getting the best deal with variable electric rates

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Note: The following was written by my friend Dan Wallach, who thought I might be interested in sharing it here. He was right. My thanks to Dan for putting this together. Everybody in Houston has the ability to select any … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

City may ban smoking in parks

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Um, yeah. Mayor Annise Parker said she is considering banning smoking in the city’s 380 parks because of the fire dangers presented by discarded cigarettes. “This drought is a crisis situation,” Parker said.  ”I am leaning toward a ban on smoking cigarettes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Interview with Kristi Thibaut

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We conclude our tour of the At Large #2 field with Kristi Thibaut, who was the State Representative for HD133 from 2009 to 2011. Thibaut has worked for Continental Airlines and as a fundraiser for non-profits such as the American … Continue reading →

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No tax rate increase this year

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise. Mayor Annise Parker has officially proposed not raising taxes this year. Through her finance director, the mayor is asking the City Council at its Sept. 21 meeting to adopt the existing property tax rate of 0.63875 per $100 … Continue reading →

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

HuffPo on the Grand Parkway

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Huffington Post take a look at that great boondoggle in northwest Harris County, the Grand Parkway Segment E extension from I-10 to 290. Texas faces a transportation funding gap of $315 billion over the next 20 years, according to … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Our education gap

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, we have one in Houston. The Houston area doesn’t have enough educated workers to fill all the jobs that local industry creates, according to a study released today by the Brookings Institution. That education gap, in turn, pushes up … Continue reading →

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Interview with Bolivar Fraga

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Next up for At Large #2 is Bolivar “Bo” Fraga, who is the son of former City Council member Felix Fraga. Fraga is a graduate of the Air Force Academy who spent more than six years on active duty, including … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Another overview of the candidates

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has another overview of the lineup for City Council and Mayor. This time, as far as I can tell, the slate they provide matches exactly the candidates listed on the City Secretary’s page. It also has a bit … Continue reading →

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Interview with David Robinson

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We continue our tour of At Large #2 with David Robinson, who is an architect and neighborhood activist. Robinson has served on the Houston Planning Commission and is currently an Advisory Board Member on the Hermann Park Conservancy. He is … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Car charging stations coming this week

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Houston became the first major U.S. city to announce an electric vehicle charging network in November with the launch of NRG Energy subsidiary eVgo. Now it’s finally getting the chargers to match the announcement. A number of electric car owners signed … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

FBI investigation of HCC

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Any time the FBI comes to town to investigate possible corruption in your business, it’s not a good thing. The FBI is investigating possible corruption at Houston Community College, an inquiry that appears to involve its former chief financial officer … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment