Tag Archives: Annise Parker

Going green to save some green

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Houston has made significant investments in energy savings. The U.S. Conference of Mayors named Mayor Annise Parker the winner of Mayors’ Climate Protection Award last year for green building initiatives that incentivize conservation and energy-efficient design features. … Continue reading →

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Here come the lobbyists

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s getting real in the United versus Southwest fight. Both sides have enlisted A-list lobbying teams. United’s includes Marty Stein, who until little more than a year ago was Mayor Annise Parker’s agenda director; former City Attorney Anthony Hall and … Continue reading →

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Collecting unpaid red light camera fines update

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall that when the city settled its lawsuit with red light camera vendor ATS, they agreed to pay a certain amount of money that would be generated by collecting still-unpaid red light camera fines. Ted Oberg has an … Continue reading →

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Council is skeptical of Hobby International

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Not so clear skies for expanding Hobby Airport into an international terminal. A consultant’s study that forecasts an economic boon for Houston if Hobby is made into an international airport came under fire from city council members Monday as “biased” … Continue reading →

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Re-Plant Houston

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Memorial Park is about to get some needed attention. As last year’s drought killed thousands of trees in Memorial Park, caretakers realized it was time to speed the pace of a long-planned reforestation. On Friday, Mayor Annise Parker announced that … Continue reading →

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We need a much fuller public conversation about the homeless feeding ordinance

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As Neil noted, some of us had the opportunity on Friday to ask Mayor Parker questions over lunch on Friday. Not surprisingly, the homeless feeding ordinance came up, and we spent quite a bit of time discussing it. The Mayor … Continue reading →

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State of the City 2012

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s getting better. Saying Houston has “rounded the corner” on the recession, Mayor Annise Parker on Thursday credited City Hall with providing incentives that businesses used to create or retain 13,000 jobs and invest $1 billion locally during the tough … Continue reading →

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Groundbreaking on the county’s new DNA forensics lab

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Harris County officials on Tuesday broke ground on a new forensic genetics laboratory, to open later this year, which will let county scientists test DNA evidence in a growing number of cases. The 15,000-square-foot facility, on Holcombe in the … Continue reading →

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Houston Airport System sides with Southwest

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Hot out of the inbox: In a memorandum to Mayor Annise Parker, Houston Director of Aviation Mario Diaz recommends the City of Houston work with Southwest Airlines (Southwest) to expand the federal inspection services (FIS) facility at William P. Hobby … Continue reading →

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Today’s the day for the airport report

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s the day when we get that report from Houston Airport System Director Mario Diaz that makes a recommendation to Mayor Parker and City Council about whether or not to expand Hobby Airport to include international flights. We will also … Continue reading →

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Catching up on United versus Southwest

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There have been a few news stories of interest since we first heard about the Southwest Airlines plan for international flights at Hobby Airport, which is being vigorously opposed by United, who wants to keep IAH as the only international … Continue reading →

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Homeless feeding ordinance, such as it is, passes Council

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. City Council outlawed feeding homeless people anywhere in Houston without permission of the property owner, voting 11-6 Wednesday after a month of protest that persisted even as the ordinance was vastly scaled back from its original form. […] Mayor … Continue reading →

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Homeless feeding ordinance, take three

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Parker does a third revision of the controversial proposed ordinance about feeding the homeless. Parker has whittled an original proposal that would have set rules on preparation, storage and server training down to a plan that mandates only that … Continue reading →

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Still waiting on the new density rules

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

With all that went on last year in Houston, one item that had been on the table was a revision of Chapter 42, to redefine the rules about density and other codes for developers. The planned revisions never made it … Continue reading →

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Bromwich on the Mayor’s crime lab proposal

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Michael Bromwich, the author of the report that laid out all of the problems with HPD’s crime lab, expresses his approval of Mayor Parker’s proposal for an independent crime lab. Mayor Annise Parker and her administration have proposed removing the … Continue reading →

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More details on the city’s crime lab plan

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s starting to come into focus. An independent crime lab could cost nearly 20 percent more than the current police-run operation, a high-level Parker administration official told a City Council committee this week. Andy Icken, the mayor’s chief development officer, … Continue reading →

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Hold it right there on the homeless feeding ordinance

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This is the right call. After a community outcry protesting what opponents call the criminalization of charity, Mayor Annise Parker announced this afternoon that she will not seek a vote Wednesday on her proposed regulation of the feeding of homeless … Continue reading →

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United versus Southwest

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I feel like I’m missing something in this debate. A proposal by Southwest Airlines to offer international flights from Hobby Airport has triggered an intense lobbying duel with United Airlines, which still wields considerable local clout as the successor to … Continue reading →

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Todd tells Riggle to tone it down

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Former Houston City Council member Rob Todd has a message for gay-obsessed Pastor Steve Riggle. During my days on City Council, I was considered an archconservative. Part of that reputation was a result of a lawsuit I filed against Mayor … Continue reading →

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Mayor tells Ashby foes it’s over

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Annise Parker told the attendees at that neighborhood meeting to discuss the proposed settlement of the Ashby highrise lawsuit that it’s a done deal. “We have exhausted all legal means to stop this project,” said Parker, reiterating her opposition … Continue reading →

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If you can’t specify it, it’s not wasteful

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

After reading this op-ed by Todd Clark, the chair of the Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund (that is, their pension fund), I have decided to adopt two rules for all future discussion of the city’s budget. Let me speak … Continue reading →

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Here comes NBC Sports

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Comcast SportsNet Houston, which is owned by NBC Sports, is coming to downtown. Comcast SportsNet Houston, the new regional sports network that will air Rockets games this fall and Astros games in 2013, plans to begin broadcasting in early October … Continue reading →

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City to meet with anti-Ashby forces

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure if they’re at anger, denial, or bargaining yet, but we’ll know soon enough. The city of Houston plans to meet with residents of the Southampton and Boulevard neighborhoods March 12 to discuss the Ashby high-rise settlement. In … Continue reading →

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

Feeding the homeless

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this. Mayor Annise Parker is asking the council to adopt rules that would require organizations and people who feed the homeless to register with the city, take a food safety class, prepare … Continue reading →

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Stimulate the economy with marriage equality

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

​If New York can do it… New York City made quite a bit of money on gay marriage — 200,000 bucks, in fact. Cash flow into the city’s marriage bureau shot up since August, when same-sex nups got enacted, according … Continue reading →

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Riggle continues his crusade

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Pastor Steve Riggle continues to be obsessed with gays and lesbians. Taking advantage of his mega-church pulpit on Sunday morning, Pastor Steve Riggle of Houston’s Grace Community Church advanced his crusade against Mayor Annise Parker’s public support for same-sex marriage … Continue reading →

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City to settle Ashby lawsuit

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Another saga draws to a close. Mayor Annise Parker has sent a letter to residents of the Southampton area saying the city has no legal basis to stop developers from building the controversial Ashby high-rise as outlined in their 2009 … Continue reading →

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Even the Mayor is allowed to have her own opinion

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Despite what some people might think. The pastor of one of Houston’s megachurches is asking Mayor Annise Parker to resign if she will not cease promoting the legalization of same-sex marriage. “Respectfully, if you cannot uphold the Texas constitution, then … Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Tag this

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Live by the pointless parliamentary maneuver, die by the pointless parliamentary maneuver. City Councilwoman Helena Brown’s colleagues, after weeks of frustration over her delays of what they consider vital city business, reached the limit of their patience Wednesday and twice … Continue reading →

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Sober up

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This seems like a sensible idea. City officials plan to open a “sobering center” at the Star of Hope Mission downtown later this year. It would be an 84-bed facility that would allow people whose only offense is being drunk … Continue reading →

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More fun with Helena

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

When I saw the headline about a clash between Mayor Parker and an unnamed Council member, I was pretty sure I knew before I clicked the link which Council member it was. I was right. District A Councilwoman Brown tried … Continue reading →

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Harris County GOP to harass Mayor Parker about gay marriage

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Bring it. The Harris County Republican Party is calling on its members to tell the mayor to back off on same-sex marriage. In an email blast sent out Monday, Chairman Jared Woodfill asks recipients to call or email the mayor … Continue reading →

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It’s always easier to talk in the abstract

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The city of Houston has been papering over multimillion-dollar budget deficits for nine years by borrowing money, tapping its rainy day fund, selling buildings and just plain putting off bills to the … Continue reading →

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Parker to sue pension boards for more information

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s pensions all the time around here. Mayor Annise Parker said Thursday that her administration is gearing up to sue the city’s pension systems to open their books and preparing a “road show” of pension reforms she will present throughout … Continue reading →

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