Tag Archives: economy

More signage regulation coming

Posted on July 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

First, they came for the billboards. Then they came for the attention-getting devices. Now in the crosshairs: Roof signs and other potential menaces to Houston’s natural beauty. The city of Houston is poised to pass a major revision to its … Continue reading →

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Midtown not feeling the recession

Posted on July 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good to know some parts of town are still thriving. The recession seems to have forgotten about Midtown. A drive around the neighborhood reveals forgotten buildings undergoing restoration and new apartments being framed. This area between the Central Business District … Continue reading →

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Not everybody isn’t hiring, Part Deux

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Bad economic times are good times for Texas prisons to fill their vacancies. Texas has just 1,262 correctional officer jobs now open, compared with more than 3,700 openings just over a year ago. Officials say more people have become guards … Continue reading →

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RIP, Nerd Bird

Posted on June 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The economic slowdown claims another victim. When the Statesman’s business desk got a tip from a reader that American Airlines was grounding the Nerd Bird, I was more than a little dubious. The twice-a-day nonstop flight between Austin and San … Continue reading →

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Is there a problem with the stimulus funds?

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I hope not. The debate over whether Texas lawmakers can use federal stimulus money to boost education spending, including funding a raise for teachers, is heating up. The Obama administration warned states Thursday it may withhold millions of dollars if … Continue reading →

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From the “Math is hard” files

Posted on June 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Inside this article on the Astros’ poor home attendance numbers so far comes the following mathematical muddle. Through May 20, only 10 of the 30 teams in the majors were seeing an increase in average attendance over last year. Of … Continue reading →

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Still talking about a new jail

Posted on May 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We’re going to be having this conversation for awhile, I expect. As he attempts to secure a new jail for Harris County, Sheriff Adrian Garcia has hired nearly 90 more guards but still faces skepticism from commissioners about whether a … Continue reading →

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Mayor White’s final budget

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here you go. Faced with a dour economic climate, Mayor Bill White unveiled a $4 billion budget proposal on Tuesday that keeps the property tax rate the same and holds spending at what it was the current fiscal year. The … Continue reading →

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“Houston Have Your Say” on the economy

Posted on May 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Tune in to KUHT (Houston PBS channel eight) tonight at 7 PM for another edition of Houston Have Your Say. Tonight’s topic is the economy, about which I think we can all agree there is much to be said. Ree-C … Continue reading →

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Watch out for Medicaid

Posted on May 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

A wrench just got thrown into the budget reconciliation negotiations. Forecasts that more Texans battered by the recession will qualify for free health care under the Medicaid program will require that the program receive nearly $1 billion more in state … Continue reading →

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From the “Silver Linings” department

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The economic downturn plus the housing market crash means there’s never been a better time for local governments to bid out construction projects, with more contractors than usual getting involved and competing on price. The increased competition has cut costs … Continue reading →

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Senate passes budget

Posted on April 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is that the budget presented by the Senate isn’t a big step backwards, which was a real concern given the bleak financial picture and the huge obligation of the property tax cuts, which we continue to be … Continue reading →

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Stimulus package, Council-style

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

What to make of this? Houston is set to embark on a program to provide a boost to some of the city’s biggest developments, many of which have been put on hold amid the ongoing financial crisis. The plan aims … Continue reading →

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Women’s Professional Soccer

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Has it really been over five years since the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) closed up shop? Time does fly. In any event, if you’re a fan of women’s soccer and have been waiting for another professional league to come … Continue reading →

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Slowdown at the Mint

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

They’re not making as many coins as they used to. As falls the economy, so falls the jingle of coinmaking at the U.S. Mint. Production at the federal government’s coin factory in Denver fell a sharp 26 percent in 2008 … Continue reading →

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Chronicle cuts

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Brutal day at 801 Texas yesterday, with more today. I confess, I don’t understand how getting rid of the people who create the content helps make the product more viable going forward, but what do I know? I’m sure they … Continue reading →

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Good times and bad for museums

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Nice to hear that a couple of local museums are thriving in these hard times. Sadly, they’re very much the exception. On the heels of the March 14 opening of a seven-gallery addition to its Hermann Park-area building, the [Children’s … Continue reading →

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Not everybody isn’t hiring

Posted on March 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The downturn in the economy has created an opportunity for the Houston Police Department to bolster its ranks. A year ago, the Houston Police Department could barely muster enough recruits to fill a 70-seat academy class. Now with 1,000 applicants … Continue reading →

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The stimulus and the budget

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Jim Dunnam, who is the chair of the ad hoc committee that is charged with disbursing federal stimulus funds, gave an update on their proceedings. Among other things, the federal money may free up some state revenues. Normally, … Continue reading →

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They paid their taxes, too

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I really don’t understand the objection to using stimulus funds to expand unemployment insurance to help the larger number of people who are now out of work, and especially those who have the extra misfortune of not being eligible because … Continue reading →

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Downtown post office for sale

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We know that the Postal Service is looking to sell some of its properties around town. Now they have announced that the downtown location on Franklin Street is one of them. Real estate experts and downtown boosters envision the property … Continue reading →

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Will we or won’t we fix unemployment insurance?

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of money riding on the answer to that question. The lure of $555 million in federal stimulus money for additional unemployment insurance has Texas legislators mulling whether to expand unemployment benefits to more workers. To get that … Continue reading →

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A step forward for Houston-Galveston rail

Posted on February 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We know that Metro is hoping for some stimulus money to help build light rail lines. Galveston is also hoping for some rail-related stimulus funds. A commuter rail line between Galveston and Houston has been on the drawing board for … Continue reading →

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Stimulus for the schools

Posted on February 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Texas’ public schools are set to get some much needed stimulus money. Texas school districts can expect a jolt of more than $3 billion over two years under the $787 billion package ushered in by President Barack Obama’s administration. Under … Continue reading →

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So about all those stimulus funds

Posted on February 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Remember how Governor Perry had argued against states receiving federal stimulus dollars? Well, he still doesn’t want them, though he’s giving himself some waffle room. Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday he’s not sure the state should accept all of its … Continue reading →

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Tough times for local governments

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It’s gonna be a bad year. They’re not feeling the economic storm quite yet, but local governments across the Houston region are hunkering down anyway. Some have frozen hiring, others have stopped filling potholes. Planned purchases of police cars, golf … Continue reading →

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Will we get a piece of the stimulus?

Posted on February 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe, maybe not. Many states, running short of cash, may jump at the chance to spend federal stimulus money. In Texas, though, the executive and legislative branches may not jump in unison. Several Democrats and even a few Republicans are … Continue reading →

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The reason we need a credible Democratic candidate for Governor, in a nutshell

Posted on February 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In case you missed it, the far right wing Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina offered an amendment to the economic stimulus bill during all the sausage-making last week. Here’s what he proposed: o Permanently repeal the alternative minimum tax … Continue reading →

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A piece of the stimulus pie for Metro

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This would be nice. Houston Metro is due to receive as much as $180 million over the next 12 months from a huge economic stimulus bill to help jump-start construction of two light rail lines, a House committee chairman said … Continue reading →

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How much would you pay for that post office?

Posted on January 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The US Postal Service would like to make you a deal. The U.S. Postal Service is unloading as many as 200 facilities in an effort to offset some of its huge financial losses. In Houston, just two properties have been … Continue reading →

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So much for the wine bar

Posted on January 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The battle between Weingarten and its neighbors over the changes to the new River Oaks Shopping Center, which reached a resolution two weeks ago, may end up as having been over nothing. Houston restaurateur Tony Vallone said he’s canceled plans … Continue reading →

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We have the beginnings of a budget

Posted on January 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

And with it, some idea of how deep the hole is. Maintaining basic state services over the next two years will cost Texas almost $84 billion, $3.7 billion more in general revenue than the state expects to raise during that … Continue reading →

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When you look up “short-sighted” in the dictionary, this will be cited as an example

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

That’s our Governor, for whom the expression “penny-wise and pound-foolish” is a way of life. Nearly a year ago, Gov. Rick Perry trumpeted $90 million in savings to businesses by temporarily suspending some of the burden of paying unemployment insurance … Continue reading →

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Beware Lt. Govs. bearing gifts

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

On the surface, hearing that Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst now favors tuition re-regulation sounds like a good thing. A lot of people, Democrats especially, have been screaming about this for months. But as always, the devil is in the details. … Continue reading →

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