Tag Archives: Houston

Nancy and me on TV

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

If you missed it from last night, here’s a clip of Nancy Sims and me doing the pundit thing on KHOU: Among other things, it’s a rare opportunity to see me in a suit and tie. My thanks to Greg … Continue reading →

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The Controller’s race

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still somewhat amazed by this result. City Councilman Ronald Green led a three-candidate field in the race for Houston city controller Tuesday and will face Councilman M.J. Khan in a Dec. 12 runoff. Green, whose campaign appeared unharmed by … Continue reading →

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More thoughts about yesterday’s results

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

– I didn’t note it last night, but all 11 Constitutional amendments passed. No surprise there, they almost always do. – Looking back at my turnout projections, the right number to go with was the 30% scenario. As it happens, … Continue reading →

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Ashby’s developer defends his project

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Let me start by saying that I agree with Kevin Kirton, the CEO of Buckhead Investment Partners, also known as the developers of the infamous Ashby highrise, when he says that the “trip number” justification that the city used to … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Our air might be cleaner than we think

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This is a pleasant surprise. Houston, once considered the nation’s capital of dirty air, is on the verge of meeting federal limits for smog for the first time. If the numbers hold as the smog season draws to an end, … Continue reading →

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

Election results thread

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It’s gonna be a long night…Here are the early vote results from Harris County. Candidate Votes Pct ========================= Locke 17,183 28.76 Parker 17,169 28.74 Brown 15,387 25.75 Morales 9,451 15.82 Green 19,389 39.97 Holm 16,939 32.26 Khan 15,631 29.77 That’s … Continue reading →

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Twenty percent

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Turnout projections for this election, originally at 25%, are being revised downward as polling places report slow going. Richard Murray, political science professor at the University of Houston, said the 25 percent turnout estimate may be optimistic. At midday, he … Continue reading →

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Election Day

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

You know the drill by now. You can find polling locations here, and you can see a Google map and download a spreadsheet of voting locations in the open Council districts at Greg’s place. The Tax Assessor’s office would like … Continue reading →

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The Sports Authority responds

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

J. Kent Friedman, the chairman of the board of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, contributes this op-ed to counter the idea that taxpayers may be on the hook for some of its obligations. • • Up to $4 million per year … Continue reading →

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

White condemns anti-Green robocalls

Posted on November 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve heard from numerous people, including several in the comments here, who have received a nasty anti-Ronald Green robocall in the past week or so; at this point, I believe there are at least two variants on the call. It … Continue reading →

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Spending on voter outreach: District Council races

Posted on November 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve taken a look at spending on voter outreach in the Controller’s race and in the At Large Council races, and was working on a similar post for the district Council races for the 30 days out reports, but never … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Jewish Herald Voice and African-American News

Posted on November 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here are some last-minute endorsements, for those of you who plan to do your civic duty on Tuesday. First, from the Jewish Herald Voice: City of Houston, General Election Mayor Annise D. Parker Council Member, District A Amy Peck Council … Continue reading →

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More, so to speak, on the Council races

Posted on November 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s what there is to say about this Chron story that “covers”, loosely speaking, the five open Council races. It has 62 sentences in it. It names 31 candidates. You do the math. I mean, seriously. If you’re going to … Continue reading →

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Candidates’ personal financial statements

Posted on November 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to the campaign finance reports, candidates are required to file personal financial statements that disclose their income, investments, and other holdings so that any potential conflicts of interest can be identified. Texas Watchdog has been rounding them up … Continue reading →

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Enthusiasm, or lack of same

Posted on November 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron provides some decent anecdotal evidence to support the theory that voters aren’t all that engaged in this election. The deciding factor varied widely for many, according to interviews with more than 40 voters across the city during the … Continue reading →

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More on that KHOU poll

Posted on November 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

If you say so. Once considered a front-runner, support for Houston City Council member Peter Brown appears to be slipping in independent polling data released to 11 News. Rice University professor Bob Stein, who conducted earlier polls for KHOU-TV and … Continue reading →

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Bikers for Roy

Posted on November 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Mere words cannot adequately express the awesomeness of this: So you better vote for Roy, unless you want bikers to invade your neighborhood and point their fingers at you in a vaguely menacing fashion. Or something like that. Many thanks … Continue reading →

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The NYT on Parker and the Mayor’s race

Posted on November 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Our Mayor’s race is getting some national attention, as the New York Times gives it a writeup, with a primary focus on Annise Parker. Greg goes over the basics, so I’ll leave that to him, and I’ll just make note … Continue reading →

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Comparing Controller’s races

Posted on November 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In 2009, we have a Controller’s race that features an At Large Council member, a Council member from a high-turnout, mostly white district, and Council member from a low-turnout, mostly non-white district. In 2003, we had a Controller’s race that … Continue reading →

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Some info on the HCC Trustee District 3 race

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I mentioned before that I knew nothing about the HCC District 3 Trustee race, which is the only such contested race on the ballot. In response, Sergio Davila forwarded the following press release from a group called Concerned East End … Continue reading →

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City not paying toll road fines

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. The city has avoided paying county toll road fines using a defense it does not want motorists to use when contesting red-light camera violations. […] A city finance official claimed the toll fines are owed by the individual employees … Continue reading →

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

The new Saint Arnold brewery

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Opening today just north of downtown. [T]he 15-year-old craft brewery will debut to the public a new plant in a converted warehouse with fabulous views of downtown and easy freeway access. It’s the result of a $7.5 million renovation and … Continue reading →

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And we finally get some coverage of Council races

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has done a good job, as expected, of covering the Mayor’s race, and they’ve provided more coverage than I’d expected of the various HISD Trustee races. But their coverage of the Council races has been basically non-existent, and … Continue reading →

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Eight days out: Spending on voter outreach by At Large candidates

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As with the Controller’s race, I took a look at spending on voter outreach for At Large candidates in the 30 day out report. Given that some large number of people have no clue about who is running for these … Continue reading →

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HISD candidate spending

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

After all I’ve done detailing how city candidates are spending their campaign money, I’d love to be able to tell how how candidates for HISD Trustee are spending theirs. I’d love to, but unfortunately I can’t, because that information isn’t … Continue reading →

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County puts off vote on helping the city deny vehicle registration to red light camera scofflaws

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise. For the second time in a month, Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday postponed a vote on an agreement with the city to block vehicle registrations for red-light camera violators who do not pay their fines. Court members … Continue reading →

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Vote to bring the World Cup to Houston

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Bored with the Mayor’s race? Here’s something else you can vote on. As the USA Bid Committee puts together a proposal for the United States to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup to present to FIFA next year, it … Continue reading →

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Early voting: One more day

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Tomorrow is the last day of early voting. If you haven’t voted by 7 PM on Friday, you’ll need to show up at your precinct polling location on Tuesday to have a say in this election. Here’s a press release … Continue reading →

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Don’t mess with Bill

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As everyone expected, Mayor White has stayed the heck out of the race to replace him. So it’s a pretty big deal when he feels compelled to speak up about something that is happening in the race. Mayor Bill White … Continue reading →

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Spending on voter outreach: The Mayorals

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t take a look at the Mayoral candidates’ expenditures on voter outreach in the 30 days out reports, as this exercise is rather time consuming, but I figured I’d have a look at the 8 day reports, just to … Continue reading →

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“I don’t know” wins big!

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Just as the Chron poll also asked about the Controller’s race, so did the recent KHOU poll, which went it one better and also asked about the At Large Council races. Not that this told us anything useful. The poll, … Continue reading →

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No quorum for Lawrence’s Council meeting on 287(g)

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Three City Council members fell short of forcing a vote Wednesday on the city’s participation in a controversial immigration screening program after the rest of their colleagues skipped a special meeting. The city secretary counted only three members — … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Early voting: Two big days to go

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Yesterday and today were the two busiest days for early voting so far, with 7193 and 8684 voters showing up on each day. Both were better than the corresponding days in 2003, though thanks to the rain-induced slowdown on Monday, … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: HCC trustees

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses in the HCC Trustee races, which even I had forgotten they hadn’t yet done. In the westside District VI, Sandie Meyers is unopposed as the replacement for incumbent Robert Mills Worsham. In District III, which stretches from … Continue reading →

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