Tag Archives: John Whitmire

Whitmire waffles on ICE ordinance

Posted on April 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Pathetic. And predictable. Mayor John Whitmire last week joined his City Council colleagues in voting to limit Houston police officers’ interactions with federal immigration agents, but now says the city must “correct” its policy after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to … Continue reading →

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Council passes ordinance to limit HPD’s interactions with ICE

Posted on April 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Houston City Council approved a proposal from three city council members limiting Houston police officers’ cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Wednesday, with Mayor John Whitmire in support. The proposal by Council Members Alejandra Salinas, Edward … Continue reading →

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Was the District C special election an inflection point?

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

An interesting hypothesis from Chron editorial page honcho Evan Mintz. Don’t be fooled by the fact that the race is going to a runoff — Saturday’s special election for City Council District C was a blowout. Houston progressives were the … Continue reading →

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We are still drowning in overtime costs

Posted on April 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s almost as if there’s no plan to do anything about it. Overtime spending at the city’s police and fire departments is worsening the budget gap Houston City Council must close this summer, with Controller Chris Hollins’ office now projecting … Continue reading →

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Council HPD/ICE ordinance mostly moves forward

Posted on March 28, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A proposal to change the way Houston police officers work with immigration agents looks set to move ahead with two of its three original provisions after the City Attorney’s office rejected one of them, saying it would have violated … Continue reading →

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Ordinance proposed to officially limit HPD’s interactions with ICE

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent. A trio of Houston City Council members are pushing a plan to change the way Houston police officers work with federal immigration agents, sidestepping Mayor John Whitmire’s authority a week after the mayor announced a more modest tweak to … Continue reading →

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So where are we now with HPD and ICE?

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start here, which I think frames the issue in the best practical terms. Mayor John Whitmire’s denials finally hit a wall. When he first took office, the mayor said the Houston Police Department wasn’t working with U.S. Immigration and … Continue reading →

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Mayor Whitmire finally says something about HPD and ICE

Posted on March 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Took him long enough. A day after a Chronicle report found Houston police officers in at least two instances arrested drivers and personally transported them to immigration agents, Mayor John Whitmire told Univision Houston the arrests violated department policies. Whitmire, who hasn’t responded … Continue reading →

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Whitmire “pay for play” accusation against Hollins goes nowhere

Posted on March 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We’re just now hearing about it. An investigation Mayor John Whitmire initiated into Controller Chris Hollins’ decision to solicit sponsorships for a city event was “not sustained” by the city’s Office of Inspector General, city records show. Whitmire in October … Continue reading →

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The 1940 Air Terminal Museum has closed

Posted on March 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This is a major bummer. The 1940 Air Terminal Museum, a longstanding tribute to Houston’s aviation history, has closed because it was no longer economically sustainable, according to its president. The museum is adjacent to Houston’s Hobby Airport. Karen Nicolaou, … Continue reading →

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Waymo arrives in Houston

Posted on February 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

As anticipated, and for a select group for now. Some riders can start boarding Waymo self-driving cars in Houston and two other Texas cities Tuesday, marking the latest launch for the nationwide fleet of robotaxis. The driverless vehicles debuted in … Continue reading →

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Council approves bonds for GRB renovation and expansion

Posted on February 18, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

More big construction on its way. Houston officials passed $2 billion in bonds to move forward with plans to expand the George R. Brown Convention Center. The bonds – worth $250 million, $150 million, $1.3 billion and $300 million – … Continue reading →

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The Evolve audit

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Some interesting stuff here. Frequent cancellations or missed rides. Long wait times. Limited days and hours of operation. These were among the concerns raised in an internal review of a microtransit pilot program overseen by Metro and formerly operated by … Continue reading →

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We’re still spending a lot on overtime

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good thing our Mayor is fixing our finances. Despite steps to improve staffing and management, the City of Houston is still on track to exceed its overtime budgets for Solid Waste and public safety operations by more than $54 million this fiscal … Continue reading →

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January 2026 campaign finance reports – City of Houston

Posted on January 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

PREVIOUSLY: Harris County There’s not supposed to be any city of Houston electoral action at this time, but between the At Large #4 special election last year and the upcoming District C special election, things are a lot busier than … Continue reading →

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Drainage, demolition, what’s the difference?

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all vibes, man. Houston officials on Wednesday authorized an eyebrow-raising deal allowing $30 million to be spent from the city’s stormwater fund to demolish blighted buildings. Council Members Edward Pollard, Sallie Alcorn, Abbie Kamin, Tiffany D. Thomas, Mario Castillo, … Continue reading →

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Council proposal to limit HPD cooperation with ICE fails

Posted on January 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m annoyed by this, but it’s not the end of the line. A City Council proposal that would have given Houston police officers discretion over calling federal immigration officials during traffic stops has officially met its demise. The policy change … Continue reading →

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Metro reverses course on Evolve for microtransit

Posted on December 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Insert record scratch sound here. Metro officials dropped plans to spend an additional $4.1 million on a microtransit pilot program overseen by Evolve Houston, a nonprofit organization previously led by Metro Chairperson Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock. The move was a sharp … Continue reading →

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San Antonio rainbow crosswalk appeal denied

Posted on December 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. The Texas Department of Transportation has denied the City of San Antonio’s request to keep the pride district’s rainbow crosswalks after Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to remove “any and all political ideologies” from Texas streets. In an Oct. 8 news release from … Continue reading →

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Whitmire resolution passes

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, it wasn’t close. Mayor John Whitmire will no longer be able to get endorsements from the Harris County Democratic Party following an overwhelming vote Sunday by the party’s precinct chairs, issuing what could pose as a debilitating blow to his … Continue reading →

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Finally some numbers on Evolv microtransit

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate that we got even this much, but there are still many questions about this service. After more than one year and $1 million of Metro funding, the shuttles – operated via Evolve Houston – have delivered fewer than 100,000 trips. … Continue reading →

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Metro to spend millions on microtransit

Posted on December 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I continue to have problems with this. Metro may boost its spending to $6 million for microtransit services managed by a nonprofit organization that didn’t have to bid on a competitive contract — and was previously led by Metro Board … Continue reading →

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Scooter curfew update

Posted on December 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

That was quick. Houston’s new ordinance prohibiting the nighttime rental and use of electric scooters, electric skateboards and similarly powered devices has already reduced late-night riding downtown, officials told the City Council’s Quality of Life Committee on Monday. The ban … Continue reading →

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On not endorsing Whitmire

Posted on November 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is going to make for a fun debate. And by “fun”, I mean the sort of thing that will make me want to gouge out an eyeball or two. The Harris County Democratic Party will vote on a resolution … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Salinas for the runoff

Posted on November 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Sometimes the Chronicle makes an endorsement in a race where there may be a runoff and their preferred candidate doesn’t make the cut. They then get to have a do-over for the overtime period. That’s what happened in the Houston … Continue reading →

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Scooter curfew enacted

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I guess I’m mostly OK with this. The Houston City Council voted Wednesday to establish a citywide curfew on electric scooter use and rentals between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., citing what officials called a growing public safety risk downtown. … Continue reading →

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Recall effort officially falls short

Posted on November 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They were not close. A much-hyped effort to recall Houston Mayor John Whitmire from office — the subject of multiple news stories and social media posts over the past year — fell significantly short of its goal as the 30-day … Continue reading →

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Whitmire finally admits that HPD is cooperating with ICE

Posted on November 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Goddamn it. Houston Mayor John Whitmire acknowledged Saturday that the city is cooperating with federal immigration authorities after denying for months that Houston police would get involved with immigration enforcement. Whitmire was a guest speaker at a conference Saturday hosted by former Kemah Mayor Bill King, a fellow at Rice … Continue reading →

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San Antonio and Dallas to fight the rainbow crosswalk ban

Posted on November 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them! San Antonio has formally asked the Texas Department of Transportation to approve an exemption allowing the city to keep its rainbow-colored crosswalks at North Main Avenue and East Evergreen Street, arguing that the intersection has become safer … Continue reading →

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The Ismaili Center has its opening

Posted on November 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I’m really looking forward to seeing it for myself. After nearly two decades of planning and construction, a vacant property near Buffalo Bayou has been transformed into a majestic, 150,000-square-foot Ismaili Center — a new cultural and religious landmark that … Continue reading →

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Metro restores signal priority to the Main Street line

Posted on November 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Thank prime. But what took them so long? Metro officials restored signal priority Wednesday to the Red Line light rail in downtown Houston following weeks of pushback from riders who complained about the sluggish pace of the route. “These adjustments … Continue reading →

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The secret plan to slow down the Main Street Line

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t believe we have to deal with this shit. Newly obtained emails show that Houston’s decision to remove signal priority for downtown MetroRail trains may have been fueled by politics, and that city officials made the change despite internal concerns about … Continue reading →

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Where the rainbow crosswalk ends

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is deeply stupid and deadly serious at the same time. At the intersection of North Main Avenue and West Evergreen Street just north of downtown San Antonio, semi-faded rainbows connect each street corner in place of standard, white crosswalks. … Continue reading →

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Metro makes its excuses

Posted on October 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Weak. Metro board chair Elizabeth Brock on Thursday stood by the agency’s decision to remove the Montrose rainbow crosswalk this week after a Houston resident asked why it was erased so quickly. “My primary concern is how quickly y’all allowed … Continue reading →

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