Tag Archives: deficit

It’s not so easy being green

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

For cities, anyway, at this time. College Station, the maroon-hued home of Texas A&M University, is finding it is not easy being green. Four years after launching an ambitious local effort to fight global warming, city leaders say their high … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Better budget news

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

For the city. The city of Houston may have $21 million more in income in the coming fiscal year than it had planned on before Wednesday. That’s when it got the news that the Harris County Appraisal District projects that … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Making a profit coming and going

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t comment very often on the business world, but I thought this Loren Steffy column from Friday about the El Paso/Kinder Morgan deal was noteworthy. Chancellor Leo Strine questioned the role of Goldman Sachs, which advised both El Paso … Continue reading →

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

Pediatric dental care

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s more important than you might think. While overall oral health care for adults and children has improved, tooth decay continues to be the most common chronic disease among children. It can have serious social and health consequences when untreated … Continue reading →

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Perry’s empty promise on the Women’s Health Program

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Our Governor talks big, but his words have no meaning. The state will find the cash to continue a women’s health program whose federal funding is threatened because of a decision to keep Planned Parenthood from participating, Gov. Rick Perry … Continue reading →

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

Still more dedicated funds not being dedicated

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I keep wondering when we’re going to discover the last dedicated fund that is not being used for its original purpose but for general revenue. All I know is that we keep finding more of them, in this case fees … Continue reading →

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A place to start

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

At least one elected Republican is feeling a bit angsty about the Republican war on women’s health. For some GOP lawmakers, the issue gets deeply personal, and the line between party loyalty, allegiance to anti-abortion politics and public health is … Continue reading →

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More frontiers in school bus advertising

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

This had not occurred to me. The rooftop of a suburban high school is not a location that companies usually consider prime advertising real estate. But in Humble Independent School District, it may be. The district’s high school is directly … Continue reading →

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Maybe we need more tickets

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Grits reads a story about the decline of traffic tickets in Dallas and does some figuring. What’s remarkable is not just this year’s drop but the overall 39% decline since ’06-’07. Wondering if the same trend is occurring statewide, Grits … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

We have a long history of screwing public schools in this state

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been meaning to post about this Texas Observer story about the current status of school finance, the litigation challenging it, and the story of how we got here. Here’s a little local angle to illustrate one of the many … Continue reading →

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It’s all about Helena

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, we have been living in Helena Brown’s world all this time. District A Councilwoman Helena Brown has voted against spending money on the renovation of a women’s shelter, a street’s reconstruction, the purchase of a police boat, payment to … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

How you can help support policies and funding for public schools

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, sent by Sue Dimenn Deigaard: Over the past week I have heard several legislators make the misleading claim that they increased funding for public education this past session.  As a parent with a child that is in … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More on uniform start times and other options HISD is considering

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, HISD is contemplating uniform start times as a way to save a few bucks for the next fiscal year. They do have some other ideas going, as well as a possible property tax rate hike, and they … Continue reading →

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HISD to contemplate uniform start times again

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

They’re back. Bleary-eyed teenagers in Houston ISD could sleep later, but not everyone is cheering a budget-cutting proposal that would change school hours and bus schedules next year. The school board last year rejected a plan to tinker with the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

School finance lawsuit #5

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The plaintiffs keep on coming. A lawsuit by a small group of parents claims Texas is not getting enough bang for its educational buck, and asks the state’s courts to address inefficiencies in how education funding is spent. Attorneys plan … Continue reading →

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Property tax revenues still a year away

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Getting better, but not quite there yet. Local governments should not expect an influx of property taxes to solve their budget woes this year, Harris County Appraisal District officials said Tuesday. Assistant Chief Appraiser Guy Griscom estimated the countywide tax … Continue reading →

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No, there won’t be a special session to help the public schools

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Someone managed to catch Rick Perry during the few minutes he was in the office this week to ask about about having a special session to appropriate some of the extra Rainy Day funds to mitigate the cuts to public … Continue reading →

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Let’s party like it’s 2007!

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good news: The improving economy and steadily increasing sales tax receipts may mean that we won’t have another budget apocalypse in 2013. Bad news: The Republicans in the Lege will use this as an excuse to avoid fixing the state’s … 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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

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 →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Calling for a special session

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It started with the Texas State Teachers Association. The Texas State Teachers Association today urged Gov. Rick Perry to call the Legislature into special session now to appropriate $2.5 billion from the Rainy Day Fund and head off another round … Continue reading →

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

Two views of pensions

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s Sunday op-ed pages were filled with pension-related discussion. Here are the citizen members of the Long-Range Financial Management Task Force, fresh off of their report release, taking to the pages to lay out what the city wants from … Continue reading →

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The Long-Range Financial Management Task Force report is out

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

A little light reading for your Sunday. The report generated criticism before the figurative ink was dry on it. Union leaders criticized the report before it was even delivered to the mayor, with Houston Organization of Public Employees President Melvin … Continue reading →

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

Another item for the city’s legislative wish list

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Loren Steffy brings up a familiar issue that has added salience now as the city tries to deal with its long term finances. Across the city, prime office buildings are selling for far more than their tax values, leaving billions … Continue reading →

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As always, the hole is bigger than we thought

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Remember how the Republicans in the Lege underfunded Medicaid by $4.5 billion, which they will have to tap the Rainy Day Fund in 2013 to deal with, in order to make the budget for this biennium appear to be “balanced”? … Continue reading →

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Help me, Long-Range Financial Management Task Force! You’re our only hope!

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Having some Jedi mind tricks available to deal with this probably wouldn’t hurt. About one out of every 11 dollars in this year’s city budget goes to cover pension costs. The $165 million the city plans to send to its … Continue reading →

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

Don’t go counting school finance lawsuit money yet

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The state of Texas is very likely to have to do something about school finance soon, but “soon” is not the same as “right now”. Houston ISD counsel David Thompson was exuding confidence Saturday that Texas school districts will prevail … Continue reading →

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Tough times for Texas parks

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Between the drought and the budget cuts, Texas parks are hurting. Dry weather and depleted lakes and rivers from the prolonged drought mean fewer folks are visiting parks or buying hunting and fishing licenses, the head of the Texas Parks … Continue reading →

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Anti-tax zealots plump for casinos

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Gambling yes! Grover Norquist, the nation’s most prominent anti-tax crusader, wrote a letter last week to Texas legislators to call for expanded gambling. “In light of the adverse economic impact that higher taxes would have, it is imperative that lawmakers … Continue reading →

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More thinking about growth

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Since I’ve been carping about not enough talk about growth as a long-term financial management strategy for the city, I am compelled to note this op-ed in the Chron by newly elected HCC Trustee Carroll Robinson and Todd Clark, who … Continue reading →

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Thinking outside the box on the city’s finances

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve seen the ideas generated by the Long Term Financial Management Task Force, which I thought lacked a certain amount of breadth to its perspective. Here’s a taste of what else might be out there to think about. Good Jobs … Continue reading →

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Area job growth in 2012

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve seen a prediction for job growth in Texas for this year, now here’s some soothsaying about job growth in the Houston area for the year. The Greater Houston Partnership predicts the Houston area will add 84,600 jobs this year. … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Job growth in 2012

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Depending on how you look at it, there’s good news, or fair-to-middling news for the Texas job market next year. Texas job growth in 2012 will reach about 2 percent for the third consecutive year, Federal Reserve Senior Economist Keith … Continue reading →

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