Tag Archives: Houston

Solar power for Houston

Posted on September 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Houston will go solar for some of its energy needs. Under a 25-year proposed agreement being announced today, the city of Houston will buy power for its buildings from the plant, which will be the largest solar … Continue reading →

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Kirby storm drain construction update

Posted on September 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Times are tough all over for retailers. They’re especially tough when the street you’re on is all torn up. The four-phase project to install new storm drainage along Kirby Drive started in 2004. The latest round peeled back the asphalt … Continue reading →

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So long, Savoy, soon (we hope)

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Swamplot brings an update about the impending, can’t-happen-soon-enough demolition of one of downtown’s great eyesores, the Savoy Hotel, as well as a doubly-puntastic headline. As that Hair Balls post notes, the Savoy has some historic significance, so under most circumstances … Continue reading →

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

If that’s your best, your best won’t do

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We may never actually comply with federal clean air regulations. Texas’ new plan to improve the Houston area’s famously dirty air may not meet federal limits for smog. The pollution-fighting plan that state regulators are rolling out today predicts marked … Continue reading →

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

If they can do it, why can’t we?

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Phoenix loves its new light rail line. The light rail here, which opened in December, has been a greater success than its proponents thought it would be, but not quite the way they envisioned. Unlike the rest … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Where some money for new spending will come from

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Now that we’ve all been warned about the dangers of new spending in Houston’s government, it should be noted that there is some money available for various projects, thanks to the stimulus package. Via City Controller Annise Parker’s September newsletter: … Continue reading →

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Parker’s first ad

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

And Annise Parker wins the race to be the first candidate not named Peter Brown to air a TV ad in the Mayor’s race. Here it is: And my reaction is…eh. That’s more about me than anything else, as public … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The end is near for hurricane season

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

One of the better things about the onset of fall is the threat of a hurricane greatly diminishes. To be fair, more than two months remain before the official end of hurricane season on Nov. 30, and the seas remain … Continue reading →

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Interview with Progressive Coalition candidates

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I know I said I was finished with Council candidate interviews, but I wound up with one more, and will have two more HISD Trustee interviews to run next week as well. Today’s interview is a bit of a departure, … Continue reading →

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The case for neighborhood presevation in a nutshell

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Garnet Coleman, speaking to NPR’s Steve Inskeep about the Third Ward: As for anyone who moves into neighborhoods like the Third Ward — and integrates what had formerly been a segregated area — Coleman says the main problem … Continue reading →

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

Interview with Council Member Anne Clutterbuck

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s interview subject is Council Member Anne Clutterbuck, who is serving her second term in District C. There’s been a lot of action in her district of late – the Ashby highrise, the rebuild of Kirby Drive, the Universities rail … Continue reading →

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The best idea you’ll hear for what to do with the Alabama Theater

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

How about turning it back into a movie theater? And not just any theater, either, but an Alamo Drafthouse theater. I wholeheartedly endorse the concept that ‘stina enunciates in her letter to the Alamo Drafthouse corporate office. I don’t know … Continue reading →

Posted in TV and movies | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Election tidbits for 9/22

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

More stuff that’s worth a mention. – The deadline to register to vote in the 2009 election is Monday, October 5. Towards that end, Texans Together will be holding a voter registration drive this Saturday, September 26, at various locations … Continue reading →

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Interview with Council Member Wanda Adams

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Next up is Council Member Wanda Adams, who is finishing up her first term in District D. Adams was an employee of the city who was the Go Green coordinator at the time of her election in 2007, and she … Continue reading →

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HOPE/SEIU poll of the Mayor’s race

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s another poll result, this time from Houston Justice for Janitors. Annise Parker leads her closest opponent by a 2-to-1 advantage in an initial vote preference for mayor. Parker holds a solid lead in the election for Houston mayor (28% … Continue reading →

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Monday election tidbits

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Just some news and notes that I thought were worth passing along… – KPRC had a longish story on the hoax email that was sent in the name of Christians for Better Government. Whoever pulled this particular dirty trick sure … Continue reading →

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Interview with Council Member Ed Gonzalez

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to spend some time now with incumbent district Council members who are running for re-election. First up is my own Council member, Ed Gonzalez, serving his first term in office after winning a special election runoff in June. … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Thanks but no thanks

Posted on September 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

UPDATE: It would appear that the email that purported to come from Christians for Better Government with the homophobic slam on Annise Parker is a complete fake. I have just gotten off the phone with the Rev. Willie Wright, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

White warns about new spending

Posted on September 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor White has a few words for whoever will succeed him. Houston mayoral candidates, read Mayor Bill White’s lips: No new spending. White, who has shied away from endorsing or even offering tacit support to those vying to replace him, … Continue reading →

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New light rail line begins service in Dallas

Posted on September 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I so look forward to the day when this story can be written for Houston. When the trains begin running today on the opening segment of DART’s new Green Line, the transit agency will unveil the longest expansion of light … Continue reading →

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EPA to tighten air quality standards

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Federal regulators signaled Wednesday that they would abandon Bush-era limits on smog pollution that scientists said didn’t go far enough to protect public health. Amid concerns that the current rules don’t adhere to the federal Clean Air Act, the … Continue reading →

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Did I mention that election season is officially underway?

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Why, yes, I did. Add to the Controller email shenanigans questions about who does or doesn’t support Peter Brown, which recalls his own curious dual endorsement from 2007; allegations about who is or isn’t a Republican, and allegations about Gene … Continue reading →

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Interview with Linda Toyota

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Completing the series of HISD Trustee candidate interviews for District I, today we have a conversation with Linda Toyota. Toyota is currently the Chief Development Officer at YWCA Greater Houston, and has been the Sr. Vice President of Development at … Continue reading →

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Metro should get a bigger piece of the pie

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This article is about Metro’s budget for the next year and its proposal to add a nickel to the bus and rail fares. What really interests me is this bit: Metro receives a 1-cent sales tax, but must set aside … Continue reading →

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All forumed out

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The three main Mayoral candidates are cutting back on the number of candidate forums they’re doing. Having logged more than 40 so far with just about every interest group or neighborhood imaginable, the campaigns of City Controller Annise Parker, City … Continue reading →

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Safe Clear reduces wrecks

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So says a study commissioned by the city. Houston’s mandatory towing program has continued to reduce crashes on the city’s freeways, according to a city-commissioned study released Monday. The study examined the effect of the Safe Clear program from 2005 … Continue reading →

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The bomb at the school, 50 years later

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. I’ve been in Houston over twenty years, and I’d never heard of this. First came the explosion, ripping through the playground with a sound like every school locker on earth slamming shut at once. Then came the carnage — … Continue reading →

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Interview with Anna Eastman

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Next up is Anna Eastman, also running for Trustee in HISD District I. Eastman is a community activist and former social worker who co-founded along with her husband the 11 ½ Street Foundation, which recognizes and provides monetary awards for … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: SEIU and HOPE

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Houston Organization of Public Employees (HOPE) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1 members have made their endorsements for the November elections. From the press release: Mayor – Annise Parker At Large 1 – Karen Derr At Large … Continue reading →

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Interview with Alma Lara

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Moving on to the HISD Trustee races, we start with Alma Lara, who is running for the open HISD Trustee seat in District I. Lara is retired after a 35-year career in HISD in which she was a teacher, principal … Continue reading →

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And the campaign season officially begins

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Mary Benton brings word of the first dirty trick of the campaign, a nasty email purportedly sent from a supporter of Controller candidate Ronald Green that attacks his opponents. I presume it’s a dirty trick and not a real thing, … Continue reading →

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Take the Washington Corridor survey

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

From the Public Works department: Washington Corridor Survey Dear Resident, The Quiet Zone program would like to hear your concerns regarding the proposed improvements presented at the 2nd public meeting on August 26, 2009. Improvements include: •Median work at TC … Continue reading →

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Pick a fare

Posted on September 13, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I was going to say something about Bill King’s latest treatise on Metro’s fare structure, but Greg sums it up pretty succinctly, so I’ll just refer you to him. I look forward to the next entry in this series, “Let’s … Continue reading →

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

A list of interviews so far

Posted on September 13, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As I said last week, I do not expect to do any more interviews with City Council candidates. This week, I will be publishing interviews with HISD Trustee candidates, to be followed by interviews with incumbent district Council members, then … Continue reading →

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