Tag Archives: Paul Bettencourt

The state is starting to feel the squeeze

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Things are tough all over. The state is facing big problems affecting vulnerable populations that will take significant money to fix at the same time that a slump in the energy industry is chipping into its revenues, House Speaker Joe … Continue reading →

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

What kind of ruling might we expect in the school finance case?

Posted on March 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

KUHF explores the possibilities. Four major scenarios to watch for: The Texas Supreme Court could not rule at all. Instead, it could send the case back to the lower court to see if the latest $2.5 billion dollars to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council members complain about open records requests

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, please. Councilmen Michael Kubosh and Dave Martin on Tuesday blasted a records request from a D.C.-based nonprofit to those council members who voted against the Houston equal rights ordinance, known as HERO, last year. The Campaign for Accountability’s request … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Senate committee whines about ballot language

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Give me a break. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, cited the wording of recent Houston referendums to lengthen term limits and on a controversial equal-rights ordinance as two examples, both of which he said could have been more clear. The … Continue reading →

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Auditing HCDE

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see about this. Later this summer, state auditors are expected to release their final report on the Harris County Department of Education. They’ve been examining the agency since last December. Superintendent James Colbert told lawmakers about it at a … Continue reading →

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Senate belatedly addresses one voter ID concern

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Better really late and at least mildly coerced than never, I guess. The Texas Senate, with scant attention during an early morning vote, gave its unanimous answer to a lingering question the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals posed about … Continue reading →

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Senate passes Metro board expansion bill

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) today applauded the unanimous approval of transit legislation by the Texas State Senate, that is designed to enhance Board stability, provide for an orderly transition of Board members and … Continue reading →

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Three bad bills

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Bad bill #1: State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, has been trying for months to pass legislation that would make it tougher for local entities to bring in more tax revenue by taking advantage of rising property values. On Thursday, he … Continue reading →

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Council’s pension meeting

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It was about what you’d expect. Many City Council members who attended a special meeting Friday to discuss Mayor Annise Parker’s controversial deal with the city’s firefighters pension called the gathering a success, despite two members walking out and breaking … Continue reading →

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

The revenue cap has already hit

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Lovely. Houstonians will see their first property tax rate cut in five years as the city runs up against a revenue cap imposed by voters a decade ago. The modest rollback works out to $12.27 a year for the owner … Continue reading →

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

Abbott’s voter registration persecution

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Now this is what a partisan witch hunt looks like. On an overcast Monday afternoon, officers in bulletproof vests swept into a house on Houston’s north side. The armed deputies and agents served a search warrant. They carted away computers, … Continue reading →

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

Endorsement watch: Belatedly for Whitmire

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Chronicle makes its recommendations for the State Senate. Senate District 15 (D) In 1973, a 23-year-old college dropout named John Whitmire hopped aboard a wave of voter disgust with ethically challenged incumbents and won a seat in the Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

January campaign finance reports for Harris County legislative candidates

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This could take awhile, and that’s with me limiting myself to contested races. First, the Senate. SD04 Brandon Creighton Steven Toth SD07 Paul Bettencourt James Wilson Jim Davis SD15 John Whitmire Damian LaCroix Ron Hale SD17 Joan Huffman Derek Anthony … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Patrick is in for Lite Gov

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

And then there were three challengers to David Dewhurst. Citing the need for “authentic conservative leadership” in Texas, state Sen. Dan Patrick announced on Thursday that he would run for lieutenant governor against incumbent David Dewhurst. “Today begins roughly 18 … Continue reading →

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More on Hall’s announcement

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the full Chron story from the weekend about Ben Hall’s announcement that yes, he really is running for Mayor this year. “Hall is a formidable challenger but is a long shot to unseat the mayor,” University of Houston political … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Martin and Sullivan

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron can’t quite believe that Steve Stockman is on the verge of being foisted on us again as a member of Congress, so they do what they can by endorsing his opponent, Max Martin. Max Martin is a credible, … Continue reading →

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

30 Day finance reports, Harris County candidates

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a look at the 30 day campaign finance reports for Harris County candidates. All reports can be found by going to the Harris County Clerk campaign finance reports page. Candidate Office Raised Spent Loans Cash ========================================================== Garcia Sheriff 192,670 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bond concerns

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Early reactions to the HISD bond proposal that was unveiled last week. “I think in the long run any anti-tax opposition will make it a close race,” said state Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, predicting that Hispanics could swing the vote. … Continue reading →

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

I got those can’t get my car registration done on time blues

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. The Harris County tax office is paying 32 clerks overtime on weekends to eliminate a large backlog of unprocessed auto registrations, a potentially serious problem that could force some motorists to drive … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Houston area transit preferences in 2012

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The 2012 Houston Area Survey is in the can, and though the data has not been published to their website yet, there have been a few preview tidbits tossed out to whet everyone’s appetite. One of them has to do … Continue reading →

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

Adjusting to the new Council

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is kind of a fluff story about the new Council – apparently, having two more seats at the table could cause some problems – but I couldn’t pass this up: “This infusion, effectively of new blood – of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Precinct analysis: The 2011 Mayor’s race

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I finally have a draft canvass of the 2011 Harris County vote. You know what that means. Here’s the breakdown in the Council districts for the Mayor’s race: Dist Simms Ullman Wilson Herrera Parker O’Connor ===================================================== A 4.41% 1.28% 16.31% … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Drainage madness

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. A year ago, Taxpayers for Financial Accountability campaigned against Houston’s Proposition 1, which called for a pay-as-you-go fund to shore up the city’s drainage infrastructure in part through a monthly fee on … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

“Hire Houston First” passes

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

One of Mayor Parker’s signature policy items is now law. Houston City Council passed Mayor Annise Parker’s Hire Houston First initiative by a 13-1 vote Wednesday, allowing and sometimes requiring city departments to choose the second lowest bid for purchases … Continue reading →

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City wins again on Rebuild Houston lawsuit

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, shortly after the Renew Houston proposition passed last fall, the usual suspects led by Paul Bettencourt filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the result on the grounds that they believed the voters were too stupid to know … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Lawsuit filed against Harris County redistricting

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Hot off the presses, here’s a release from CM Ed Gonzalez: Today, Council Member Ed Gonzalez joined as a plaintiff in a lawsuit versus Harris County over the proposed Commissioners Court redistricting map. “The proposed map cracks communities of interests … Continue reading →

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

Look at me! Look at meeeeee!

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I have one thing to say about this. With three months until election day, attorney Benjamin Hall still hasn’t declared whether he’s running against Mayor Annise Parker. “I have not taken myself out of the contest,” Hall told me late … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Those darned propositions

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Houston voters can be forgiven if they feel a bit confused. They voted down red-light cameras, but the cameras are on. They may have heard the mayor say that voting for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Eight, not five

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Mayor Parker says that initial estimates of how much the average homeowner would pay for the new drainage fee were understated. Mayor Annise Parker acknowledged Tuesday that her administration erred in telling voters that the average homeowner’s monthly Proposition 1 … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

More on that Rebuild Houston push poll

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Remember that push poll on Rebuild Houston? The results are out and they’re pretty much what you’d expect. A state district judge could decide this week whether to hold a trial on the validity of November’s election in which voters … Continue reading →

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

Mayor Parker officially kicks off her re-election campaign

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We were out of town over the weekend, so I missed this. An Easter weekend campaign event replete with rousing speeches, dogs of both the hot and four-legged variety and a kids’ Easter egg “scramble” kicked off Mayor Annise Parker’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bettencourt and Hotze lose in court again

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

If there’s a lawsuit against the city over a matter of how money is raised or spent, you can be sure that Bruce Hotze and Paul Bettencourt are involved. Thankfully, they have a lousy record of getting what they want … Continue reading →

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Locke and Lanier endorse Parker

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

More support for Mayor Parker’s re-election bid. Mayor Annise Parker on Wednesday scored the endorsements of her 2009 opponent Gene Locke and former Mayor Bob Lanier, two of Houston’s most prominent power brokers, as she prepares to ask voters for … Continue reading →

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The “Dan Patrick thinks you’re too stupid to know what you’re voting for” bill

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. A bill that would remove churches and schools from the drainage fee Houston voters narrowly approved last November as part of Proposition 1 is scheduled for a public hearing Wednesday before the Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee. Dubbed Rebuild Houston, … Continue reading →

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