Tag Archives: budget

After school programs

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I see a lot of merit in this. After-school programs prevent crime, Councilman C.O. Bradford said, so some of them should be paid for by the police. “This sounds strange to hear a gun-packing, badge-toting, 24-year cop talking about this,” … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on After school programs

Some things are not easily replicated

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Harmony Public Schools appears to have cracked the code. The charter school system, with 38 campuses across Texas and more than 23,000 students, regularly produces students who excel at math, science and … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Once again on charter school facilities

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

David Dunn of the Texas Charter Schools Association writes another op-ed about funding for charter school facilities. The Texas Charter Schools Association has looked at the needs of public school students whose parents have chosen the option of public charter … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Once again on charter school facilities

“Collateral damage”

Posted on August 19, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

How’s that war on women going? In the year since deep cuts to family planning funding took effect, the impact has become apparent. An Observer review of state records has found that 146 clinics have lost state funds, clumped mainly … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Council approves funding for sobering center

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good. City Council agreed Wednesday to spend $4.3 million to outfit a warehouse at Star of Hope Mission and $353,000 a year to operate it as a place to take drunks instead of jail. City officials expect the 84-bed facility … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Council approves funding for sobering center

San Antonio’s pre-k referendum

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Houston is chock full of ballot referenda this fall, but the most interesting and potentially consequential one in the state is San Antonio. An initiative from San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro that would direct a portion of sales tax revenue … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

No, we can’t eliminate the property tax

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The latest wingnut economic fantasy is that we can completely eliminate the property tax and replace it with an increased sales tax. Debra Medina was a champion of this during the 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary, which should give you some … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Land Board throws the Lege a curveball on school finance

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. In the waning days of the 82nd Legislature, state lawmakers came up with a plan to help cushion the blow of $5.4 billion in cuts to public education. State Rep. Rob Orr, R-Burleson, proposed a constitutional amendment that he … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Spending a little to save a lot

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Remember HPD’s Chronic Consumer Stabilization Program, in which the police department attempted to deal with some of the people who interact with them the most often in a better, more humane, and more cost-effective way? Well, it’s been working. Since … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The working poor are pretty much screwed in Texas

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

These are the people that Rick Perry doesn’t care about. Jose Gallegos’ company eliminated employee health insurance to save money, so when his gut started hurting and his skin took on a yellow tinge, he resisted seeing a doctor. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Medicaid expansion isn’t just about hospitals

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Grits has an insight. At [last] Monday’s House County Affairs hearing, Chairman Garnet Coleman noted the irony in response to testimony by witnesses regarding the effectiveness of Veterans Courts, which are essentially mental-health courts aimed at current and former military members. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What will the excuse for austerity be now?

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We’re in the money, as it were. Comptroller Susan Combs on Wednesday released updated details of how much money Texas is expected to collect in taxes and fees in fiscal year 2013, which begins on Sept. 1. The report, prepared … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Medicaid expansion: Not as expensive as the state claimed it would be

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Remember last year when the state Health and Human Services Commission claimed that Medicaid expansion would cost the state of Texas $27 billion over ten years, causing every Republican in the state to have a fainting spell and a hissy … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Our high maintenance Governor

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Ka-ching! Texans have been billed $2.2 million in out-of-state travel expenses for Gov. Rick Perry’s security detail since his November 2010 re-election, including his failed presidential bid and other trips ranging from vacations to state business and political gatherings, according … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

No Medicaid expansion for you!

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. Texas will not expand Medicaid or establish a health insurance exchange, two major tenets of the federal health reform that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld last month, Gov. Rick Perry said in an early morning announcement. … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Harris County indigent defense costs trending down

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Via Grits, here’s an email from the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition that shows some good news for Harris County. New numbers from the Commission show that while total indigent defense expenses in Harris County increased by $4.7 million between 2007 … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A cheat sheet for the school finance lawsuits

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib has a useful guide to the six (so far!) lawsuits that have been filed over school finance. Texas’ latest round of school finance litigation adds some new players to the courtroom, with interests that are more varied than … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A cheat sheet for the school finance lawsuits

School finance lawsuit #6

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

And then there were six. The Texas Charter School Association announced Tuesday that it would enter the legal fray, arguing that the state has short-changed charter schools because it does not provide funding for facilities. “Just because a parent puts … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Culberson’s Univesity Line attack makes it through the House

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Great. Advocates of federally subsidized expansion of the Houston Metro light rail system lost a crucial round to Houston Congressman John Culberson on Friday, leaving dwindling opportunities to overturn spending restrictions on the Richmond Avenue project. The House adopted a … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Amazon starts collecting sales tax today

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We are in a new era. Beginning Sunday, Texans will see state and local sales taxes show up on their taxable Amazon purchases — the result of a deal with the state comptroller’s office that resolved the e-commerce giant’s past … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What will Texas do now?

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Now that the Affordable Care Act has been upheld by the Supreme Court, there are two big issues that Texas will have to face. (*) One is the health care exchanges, and the other is Medicaid expansion, now that there’s … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

TAB takes a hostage

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t say I’m surprised by this tactic. Leaders in the business community said Wednesday that they would not stand for increased funding for education if it came with any rollback of accountability standards in Texas public schools. “If we are … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Erica Lee: How to Keep a First Grader Off Death Row

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from a series of guest posts that I will be presenting over the next few weeks. It is the beginning of the school year and excitement is in the air. Children are looking for their classmates in … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council adopts strip club fee

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. Seeking a solution to the bedeviling problem of untested rape evidence that is in some cases decades old, council imposed a $5-per-customer fee on strip clubs Wednesday so it can buy speedier lab work. That simple solution, … Continue reading →

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

Yvonne Gutierrez: Republican support for women’s health?

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from a series of guest posts that I will be presenting over the next few weeks. We all know there is a lot at stake for the 2012 election cycle. All eyes are on Washington but the … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Steve Brown: The Grown-Up’s Platform

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The following is from a series of guest posts that I will be presenting over the next few weeks. Texas Democrats recently adopted a very progressive platform that addresses critical areas of need in our state. It also gives reasonable, … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

HISD will not raise the tax rate

Posted on June 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Instead, they will dip into their reserves to balance their $1.5 billion budget for this year. The amount is about the same as last year, when the district reduced spending by approximately 5 percent to offset unprecedented state cuts. Instead … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

STAAR pushback

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The House Public Ed committee gets an earful. Members of the House Public Education Committee on Tuesday questioned why the first batch of students who took the end-of-course exams scored so poorly. For example, 55 percent of ninth-graders met the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on STAAR pushback

Council defers on strip club fee

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Tagged for a week. Consideration of a $5-per-head fee on customers of strip clubs to pay for reducing the city’s backlog of untested rape kits has been delayed for a week. Council members Melissa Noriega and Al Hoang both tagged … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Here comes the pension fight

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Not looking forward to it. A day of reckoning has arrived in Houston, the city’s financial stewards say, to choose between pensions and pothole repairs. Days after voters in two California cities curbed public employee retirement benefits and voters in … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

All the budget amendments

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a Google doc upload of all of the budget amendments from Council members to Mayor Parker. All members except CMs Bradford and Hoang submitted at least one amendment, with some (Brown, Sullivan, Green) submitting more than others. I’ve given … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

MyPlates doing well

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Specialty license plates sales have generated $10.5 million for the state’s general revenue fund so far, and the program will likely exceed the $25 million five-year-contract guarantee from My Plates, a marketing company that provides Texans more … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Budget amendment time

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Now that Mayor Parker has formally submitted her proposed budget for fiscal year 2013, it’s time for Council members to submit their amendments for consideration. I’m going to start at the bottom of the story with the two proposals that … Continue reading →

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

New frontiers in cost cutting

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, you can cut costs by defaulting on your bills. Why didn’t I think of that? Councilwoman Helena Brown has submitted a budget amendment aimed at solving the city’s decade-old pension problem: Stop paying. Her amendment calls for defaulting on … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments