Tag Archives: Houston

New park protection rules

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the Mayor’s office: People Protecting Our Parks Mayor Annise Parker Announces New Fire Safety Campaign for City Parks Mayor Annise Parker, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) and the Houston Fire Department (HFD) announced People Protecting Our Parks, a new … Continue reading →

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Baby steps on water conservation

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I found this story about businesses finding ways to conserve water to be strange. I expected to hear about innovation and maybe new technology, but what I got was stuff like this: The 5-star Four Seasons Hotel recently began furnishing … Continue reading →

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Eating good in the neighborhood

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron rounds up a bunch of restuarant openings and soon-to-be-openings in and near the Heights; they hedge this a bit by declaring the area of study “Super Heights, which includes the Washington corridor and its fringes, where owners are … Continue reading →

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Lineup update

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron story that ran in yesterday’s news is now updated online to reflect the fact that CM Melissa Noriega does have two opponents, Brad Batteau and Chris Carmona. I emailed reporter Chris Moran yesterday to ask about that discrepancy, … 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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Interview with Eric Dick

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Next up in At Large #2 is Eric Dick, who is an attorney that runs his own firm after having spent time in the Attorney General and District Attorney’s offices. You’ve probably seen his campaign signs around the city; they’ve … Continue reading →

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Your 2011 electoral lineup

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There are many candidates running for office this year. Some of them have a better rationale for running than others, but thankfully for them that’s not a requirement. A flurry of late filings to run for city office Wednesday filled … Continue reading →

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League of Women Voters candidate debates

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The League of Women Voters of Houston Education Fund will hold a series of debates for candidates running for Council and Mayor, starting this evening. From their press release: The League of Women Voters of Houston Education Fund is pleased … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jenifer Rene Pool

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We now turn our attention to the last open seat for this year, At Large #2, where a diverse group of candidates are vying to succeed CM Sue Lovell. First up is Jenifer Rene Pool, a community activist and business … Continue reading →

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Filing deadline today

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the last day to file for the November 2011 election, which means that today is the day we separate the contenders from the pretenders and see which perennials will bloom on the ballot. There are no surprises so … Continue reading →

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Bandit signs

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

It’s campaign season so there’s a lot more of these around. Local and state laws long have outlawed the placement of signs on public rights of way – the land alongside roadways, including utility poles and the area around them … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Al Hoang

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

CM Al Hoang is serving his first term in District F. He was born in South Vietnam and emigrated to the US in 1975. An attorney by trade, Hoang is the first Vietnamese-American to serve on Council, and serves as … Continue reading →

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How many votes will it take?

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Nancy Sims has a lament about the upcoming city elections. What disturbs me most is the complete lack of interest I’m seeing and hearing from my friends, co-workers, students and people I encounter daily. Everyone wants to complain about the … Continue reading →

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The toll on the trees

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

CultureMap: Houston, a city long defined by its gigantic live oak trees and lush landscaping, is changing for the worse as the relentless, thrashing sun has taken a toll on all things green and growing. The ongoing drought, which is … Continue reading →

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The 70 Percent Solution

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Where have I heard this before? November’s election really is about 2013, said lawyer, lobbyist and blogger Robert Miller. He speculates that the mayor needs to win big against low-profile opponents in November to discourage stronger candidates from running against … Continue reading →

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Interview with Kathy Blueford Daniels

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Wrapping up my weeklong tour of District B is Kathy Blueford Daniels, who is a retired postal worker and lifelong resident of the district. She is also the founder of BLACMoM (Black, Latino, Asian, and Caucasian Mourners of Murder), which … Continue reading →

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Texas Watchdog followup on HCC reports

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

So after I published those HCC Trustee campaign finance reports, I got an email from Jennifer Peebles of Texas Watchdog, who asked me if I had redacted the files to hide the mailing addresses of the trustees and their donors. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Alvin Byrd

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

District B candidate Alvin Byrd is the Constituent Services Director for current Council Member Jarvis Johnson. He is a Navy veteran who has worked at numerous community organizations and was the first president of the Greater Fifth Ward Superneighborhood Council. … Continue reading →

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“Hire Houston First” passes

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

One of Mayor Parker’s signature policy items is now law. Houston City Council passed Mayor Annise Parker’s Hire Houston First initiative by a 13-1 vote Wednesday, allowing and sometimes requiring city departments to choose the second lowest bid for purchases … Continue reading →

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Interview with Bryan Smart

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

District B candidate Bryan Smart is, at age 24, the youngest candidate I’ve interviewed since I started doing this regularly in 2006. Smart is a graduate of Howard University, where he was the Executive President of the Howard University Student … Continue reading →

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On targeting public pension plans

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Texas could be gearing up for its own Wisconsin-style grudge match over public employee benefits. A group of high-powered Houston business leaders is starting a statewide campaign to overhaul retirement for future … Continue reading →

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Interview with Phillip Paul Bryant

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Next up in District B is Philip Paul Bryant, whose bio lists him as a Community Organizer, Television Talk show Host, and Businessman, among other things. Bryant is the son of Bishop Prince Earl Williams Bryant, Sr., who is the … Continue reading →

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Same old story: City wins, Hotze loses

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, they’re still litigating 2004 ballot propositions around here. The Texas Supreme Court has dismissed a six-year-old case against the City of Houston seeking to limit the city government’s annual income. Carroll Robinson, Bruce Hotze and Jeffrey Daily sought to … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jerry Davis

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

For this week, I have five interviews with candidates from District B, which like District C is open this year. First up is Jerry Davis, founder of the nonprofit organization Making It Better and co-owner along with his brothers of … Continue reading →

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At long last, HCC campaign finance statements

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, I had sent an Open Records request to the HCC General Counsel to get copies of July campaign finance reports for all HCC Trustees and candidates. I sent that in on August 10, and the reply I … Continue reading →

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Let’s share that toll road revenue

Posted on August 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Have you ever taken the toll road connector from the Hardy Toll Road to IAH? I have, many times. Being able to bypass the traffic on Beltway 8 and JFK Boulevard makes it worthwhile for me to take the Hardy … Continue reading →

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Harris County property appraisals dip a little

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is what counts as good news these days. The appraised value of property countywide has declined slightly, according to numbers released Thursday, but not nearly on the scale of last year’s 3 percent plunge that translated into tens of … Continue reading →

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Access to transit in Houston

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron’s Newswatch blog: Houston ranks third from the bottom among the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas in the number of households with no cars and no access to public transit, according to a new report from the Brookings … Continue reading →

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Mayor Parker campaign finance data

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, in my analyses of the campaign finance reports for July, I skipped over Mayor Parker’s report because it was just too damn big for me to plow through. Well, Sue Davis of the Mayor’s campaign heard my … Continue reading →

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A closer look at finance reports: Contributions, donations, and memberships

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

When you give money to a political candidate, you’re not just paying for their overhead and campaign-related expenses. You’re also helping to support the causes and candidates that they support. This last post in my series on campaign finance reports … Continue reading →

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RIP, red light cameras

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There they go. Houston’s red-light cameras are done issuing violations. This time, permanently. City Council dealt the controversial cameras a double death blow Wednesday, first ordering their immediate shutdown and then outlawing the use of cameras to catch red-light runners. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Mike Laster

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Our third and final candidate in District J is Mike Laster. Laster is an attorney and neighborhood activist who has also been active in Democratic politics. He ran in 2009 for District F, losing in the runoff to Council Member … Continue reading →

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Interview with Criselda Romero

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Next up in District J is Criselda Romero. Romero grew up in what is now District J, graduating from Sharpstown High School. She is on leave from her job in Council Member Ed Gonzalez’s office, where she has worked as … Continue reading →

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Interview with Rodrigo Cañedo

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We move now into District J, the other of the two new Council districts. Drawn to be a Latino opportunity district, it has in fact attracted two Latino candidates, one of whom is Rodrigo Cañedo. Cañedo is a small business … Continue reading →

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