31 January 2005
Rumbo pushes smart, local, Spanish angles
Tom Kirkendall points to a New York Times article on Rumbo, the new Spanish-language daily newspaper that has been launched in four regions of Texas, including Houston.
At a time when the Chronicle has been redesigned and in some ways simplified for readers, Rumbo is betting that a smart newspaper with local focus will sell:
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/31/05 09:37 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (2)
Our MSM blogger can kick your MSM blogger's @#$%
Over the weekend, we called out Washington Post blogger Joel Achenbach for disrespecting Houston.
Today, the Chronicle's blogger Kyrie O'Connor storms into the middle of the fray:
Look, it's not my job to defend Houston. More to the point, I am defending open eyes. Your first editor at your first job should have explained to you how important it is to go into a situation with your senses poised and your mind alert. You can go in with a hypothesis, as my friend David Fink used to say, as long as you're willing to have your hypothesis overturned. I'm on the side of reporting, not on the side of Houston. You took the "easy figure" with your talk of Houston as an undifferentiated cell. It's just lazy, and if you worked for me, you'd be covering the sewer board meetings in the Virginia 'burbs for a while until you recalled why you got into this line of work in the first place -- to be the eyes and ears of the reader, not the spouter of preconceived notions.
Ouch! Bigtime brawl in MSM blogland! Round, O'Connor. Easily.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/31/05 08:51 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (16)
KHOU-11 takes its turn at toilet issue
Concern over downtown toilets seems to be a recurring theme among various Houston media outlets.
Today, KHOU-11's Doug Miller reports on the issue:
Seattle is one of the cities that recently installed public toilets. But unlike Seattle, Houston officials figure the cost is so high, the Bayou City's public bathrooms would have to become pay toilets.
Another big question: Where to put the public toilets? After all, if you own a restaurant or a bar downtown, do you really want your customers looking out of the window at a public toilet?
Until downtown boosters find the money for public restrooms, downtown pedestrians will have no relief in sight.
The Chronicle took up the pressing problem of inadequate public toilet facilities downtown back in July 2004, as highlighted on my personal blog.
The status of the story seems unchanged, so it appears that someone, somewhere finds the issue of downtown public toilets one that needs attention every six months or so.
At blogHOUSTON, we're sensitive to what appears to be an important issue to local media, so we'll do our part to boost downtown toilet development by suggesting Mayor White funnel revenues from his Loading Zone Tax into it. Given some of the expletives truck drivers have used for yet another of Mayor White's "new revenue streams," it seems appropriate for this one to fund downtown public toilets.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/31/05 07:31 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
Saavedra's challenge: which tests are necessary?
Today's Chronicle has a story about how difficult it will be for HISD superintendent Abe Saavedra to choose which tests to get rid of, in his quest to reduce the amount of time spent testing students.
A good part of the article is spent debating the merits of the Stanford Achievement Test and includes these quotes from a couple of experts:
"Testing is just a way to get information about students' learning, and we have far too much testing going on," said Thomas Haladyna, an Arizona State University professor specializing in standardized test research. "When it comes down to which tests are most useful, that would be the TAKS. The Stanford would be the least useful because it's not aligned with Texas' standards."
[snip]
It could be the Stanford has outlived its usefulness for Houston schools, said Dworkin, the UH researcher. School ratings in both the state and federal systems are based on TAKS performance, he said.
"As we move toward No Child Left Behind, TAKS becomes the measuring stick for Texas, and it may be feasible to drop some of the norm-referenced testing — Stanford is one — especially as TAKS becomes more rigorous," he said.
Any school district that receives federal money, for example through a program like Title I, must administer a nationally-normed test, and that is what the Stanford Achievement Test is. Saavedra often points out that 80% of HISD students qualify for federally subsidized, low income school meals. That means HISD probably gets a sizable chunk of Title I money and must adminster a test like the Stanford. It's not just about school ratings. HISD needs to keep Title I money flowing and must follow the rules to do so. Unless Saavedra can work out some special arrangement with the Feds, there's little he can do to get out of the Stanford.
The story also talks, generally, about the other tests HISD adminsters:
Most of the 22 standardized tests used by HISD would be difficult to discard. Some, such as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, are state-mandated. Others measure college-readiness, such as the PSAT, or identify gifted students, such as the Naglieri.
The story doesn't list all of the 22 standardized tests, but aside from TAKS and the Stanford test, most other testing is voluntary; some tests are not conducted every year; and some are specifically targeted, to identify gifted students or special education students. They aren't given to every student.
Gayle Fallon, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, said this:
"If you teach the curriculum," she said, "they should do all right on the test."
Yes, if the basics are taught, the testing wouldn't be as big a problem. Which leads to this excellent observation by a former HISD school board member:
[Don] McAdams agrees it's time for a re-evaluation of the tests taken by Houston's 209,000 students
"But I would not want to see the public fall into the trap of thinking that teaching and testing are somehow opposed to each other," he said.
If decision-makers in Houston and elsewhere are concerned with freeing up more instructional time, "The place to start is movies, field trips and other activities that aren't involved in supporting the curriculum and the learning process."
Hoo boy! As a parent, I am continually amazed at the amount of time spent on everything but learning!
Saavedra has a good idea, but no one said it was going to be easy. If it was easy, someone else would have already done it.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/31/05 05:51 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
Define cooperate
Here's an interesting excerpt from Mayor White's State of the City speech:
And I told you last year at my first State of the City Address that we had to get the stalled and wrecked vehicles off of our freeways faster, to relieve congestion and improve safety. And at that time I said that it would be a fight. Boy, was that right! Now our SafeClear Program is unclogging our freeways and making them safer. Drivers already have begun noticing a difference. And we are able to provide additional services at affordable prices, in cooperation with the MAP Program and with more efficient and accountable towing industry. Sure, it's been a fight to bring some order out of chaos, and we will improve the program based on performance, but Houston's future is worth that fight. You know we just can't build ourselves out of gridlock, so we must manage traffic better.
You have to admit he's a fine city cheerleader, but the part that caught my eye was where he says the city is working "in cooperation with the MAP program." I wonder how the mayor defines cooperate? A recent Chronicle story might have a partial answer:
Walter Wainwright, president of the Houston Automobile Dealers Association and one of the organizers of MAP, said Houston police showed no interest when invited to join in the fledgling effort in 1986.
Since then, he said, the city has cooperated with the program but has not helped to staff it or pay for its expansion.
Maybe "cooperation" means the city isn't using $AFEclear wreckers to run MAP trucks off the road.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/31/05 10:16 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (4)
We probably need a task force, right?
We certainly can't call Mayor White "Hop on a Flight White," because he is firmly planted in Houston, taking on yet another project to better the lives of city residents -- and I am not talking about his drive to get Houstonians in better physical shape. No, I'm talking about his "Flex Plan":
Could flexible working hours at your job ease the traffic nightmare?
According to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Houston is fourth in the nation for the longest delays per person spent in traffic.
Mayor White has long said he wants to get the city moving again and one idea, known as the Flex Plan, may add some muscle to that goal.
[snip]
"The reality is we want to continue to grow as a city. We aren't going to be able to widen and double the size of every major street and thoroughfare in town, so we have to manage the traffic on the existing streets and freeways better," says Mayor White.
The mayor will not talk specifics about how he plans to do that, but says he plans to meet with the major corporations and talk about a flexible work schedule.
Uh oh. If recent events ($AFEclear) are any indicator, we'd like to see some specifics.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/31/05 09:01 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (5)
Iraq: An editorial page survey
Although we've urged the Chronicle to focus its editorial pages -- and focus them on local issues - we were nonetheless surprised this morning not to find a mention of Iraq's elections on the editorial pages.
Elsewhere in the state, the two major newspapers that tend to maintain a worldly focus did editorialize on those elections (see the Austin American-Statesman and the Dallas Morning News).
True to form, two major state newspapers that tend to maintain a more parochial focus (the Fort Worth Star Telegram and the San Antonio Express-News) chose not to editorialize on those elections today.
Here in town, the Chronicle, whose editorials range from the politics of Swaziland to the efforts of one editorial member to give away her leftovers, chose to editorialize on the Heflin/Vo race and on a recent State Department alert regarding the Mexican border. It's disappointing that a newspaper that has covered Iraq with such interest -- often quite critically -- decided that Iraq's elections were not the news of the weekend, and worthy of Monday commentary.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/31/05 08:46 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (4)
30 January 2005
GM's Sequel will not appear at Houston auto show
Moving on from Washington Post columnists who criticize Houston, how about major automakers disrespecting Houston by declining to show some of their more innovative offerings at the Houston auto show?
John C. Roper reports that GM's hydrogen-powered Sequel will appear at several "major" auto shows, but not Houston's:
The 2005 concept car generating the most buzz in the auto industry, the hydrogen-powered Sequel from General Motors, is not appearing at the Houston Auto Show.
But in the not-too-distant future, it could have a dramatic effect on the energy capital of the world.
The car, which emits clean water vapor from its exhaust pipe, first appeared at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January and will make several stops at major shows in coming months.
GM won't say where it will appear, but the Houston show didn't make the cut.
I haven't been to the Houston auto show in years, but past experience has been that companies rarely rolled out their most innovative offerings for it -- which is why I haven't been in years. That seems unlikely to change this time.
Thanks to Laurence Simon for alerting me to this news.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/30/05 09:03 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (9)
WaPo blogger regurgitates tired Houston cliches
Washington Post blogger Joel Achenbach takes some shots at Houston in a recent post.
Criticism of Houston has become such a cliche that it's surprising to me that self-important national-media types even take the time these days.
Still, if they're going to do it, surely they can do better this:
Houston is the least vertical city in America. The land is flat, the buildings are flat, even the food is flat.
The land IS flat (he'll have to take that one up with the Almighty). The buildings are NOT flat (maybe he's heard of that guy who recently passed away, Philip Johnson, who had so much to do with Houston's beautiful skyline). And this is a GREAT restaurant town, not flat at all. Sorry, one for three is good in baseball, but not so good when it comes to blogging.
What's unfortunate about these sorts of columns/posts is that one great unstated reason we built a crash-prone light rail line down a busy, already dangerous Main Street corridor was so that we could impress national media types who came to visit (especially for the Super Bowl).
Obviously, it hasn't worked out that way.
Thanks to Eric Siegmund for calling attention to this one.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/30/05 08:40 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (11)
Katy Freeway reopens
The Katy Freeway has reopened after this weekend's construction closure:
Interstate 10 east- and westbound between Silber and Washington has been reopened after weekend construction crews shut it down.
The I-10 and Loop 610 connector ramps have also reopened.
The Katy Freeway Public Information Office announced the reopening about 1:30 p.m. today.
Closure of eastbound traffic, which began at 9 p.m. Friday, was reopened Saturday night.
Westbound traffic, which also shut down at 9 p.m. Friday, reopened ahead of its 3 p.m. deadline today.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/30/05 02:19 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
Ken Hoffman gets to the point
In his column today, Ken Hoffman tackles a pressing $AFEclear issue:
If keeping the freeways clear of stopped vehicles is such a priority, the city needs to prevent cars from parking on the freeway shoulders during fireworks celebrations.
I hope that the Safe Clear program would address this potentially very dangerous issue. It would make no sense to pass laws clearing the freeways while whole families are allowed to line up on the shoulder of the freeways on what is often the highest drunk-driving day of the year.
I like celebrations as much as the next guy, but freeways are for driving, not parking.
Vernon Guy, Houston
Just put some traffic cops holding ticket books on the freeway. That will keep the cars moving.
And helps a reader rate Houston's mayor:
I have lived in Houston since 1978 and have seen quite a few mayors come and go. As far as I'm concerned, our current mayor works 24/7 on the city's business. I admire and respect him, and though I don't always agree with everything he promotes, at least he is doing something. For that, the citizens of Houston will be better off down the road. I might add, I did not vote for him when he ran for mayor.
Tim S. Dupy, Houston
Then again, it's not like he had big shoes to fill.
The editors continue to under-utilize Hoffman. He's much better than any of the dinosaurs writing columns for that paper, and we can guess he would make a terrific blogger.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/30/05 12:14 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (1)
Do recent events signal McLane's desire to sell the Astros?
Tom Kirkendall has some thoughts about the future of Drayton McLane:
[...]I have suspected for awhile that Drayton is preparing to sell the Stros. Given that Drayton is the best owner in Stros' history, I have not heretofore considered rumors of him thinking about selling the club to be particularly good news. But based on developments over this past off-season, I am beginning to think that it may be time for Drayton to sell the club.
I, for one, greatly appreciate Kirkendall's ability to make the ins and outs of Houston's professional baseball team understandable and interesting.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/30/05 08:34 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
Chronicle publishes Saddam Hussein apologist on Iraq election day
Here's an eye-opening op-ed choice to run on the day when the people of Iraq are voting -- freely voting:
In defense of Saddam Hussein: Iraqi dictator has been demonized
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/30/05 07:44 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (8)
29 January 2005
Chronicle covers $AFEclear loophole
In typical Chronicle fashion, today we get some local "olds":
The city will try to revoke the permits of 30 wrecker drivers licensed under the Safe Clear mandatory towing ordinance after discovering that they have criminal records but will have to strengthen the ordinance to do so, officials said this week.
The city licenses about 250 drivers under the program, which gives 11 towing companies exclusive contracts to tow cars from freeways.
City Councilman Michael Berry said a summary of the 30 drivers' backgrounds by Houston police discovered crimes such as forgeries and drug offenses. Berry said he did not see any "hard-core violent offenders" or sex offenders on the list.
KPRC-2 covered this story last Tuesday, and we posted on it then.
One thing of interest is that the KPRC story said this:
Sources told Local 2 that a preliminary check uncovered drivers with criminal convictions, including a serial rapist and those with a history of other violent crimes. It also found a large number of drivers with convictions for DWI, drugs, fraud and theft, officials said.
And Councilman Berry says he didn't "see any 'hardcore violent offenders' or sex offenders on the list."
Hmmmm.
But to the Chronicle's credit, the reporter did include this important point:
In touting the ordinance, Mayor Bill White has said that by requiring background checks of contract drivers, it would help keep criminals in tow trucks from preying on stranded motorists.
He did not disclose until this week that the ordinance doesn't have the teeth to do that.
White said he recently became aware of a 1994 federal law designed to deregulate the interstate trucking industry that inadvertently weakened the power of cities to regulate the towing industry. Because of this law, White said the city needs an ordinance giving it power to deny permits to tow-truck drivers who don't pass criminal background checks.
It's not clear what "recently became aware of" means. Did the mayor become aware of the loophole last week or last month? I would argue that implementing such a devastatingly heavy-handed program, when some very important facts were not considered or known, doesn't put the mayor or his advisors in a very good light. How many other far-reaching programs (eminent domain, red light cameras, tasers, smoking ban) is the mayor undertaking where he doesn't have all the facts before him?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/29/05 11:40 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
28 January 2005
PDA-Friendly option added
We've finally set up a PDA friendly skin of the main page of the site.
It's also available on the main menu in the sidebar, under PDA Friendly.
The page contains a link to simplify setting up a custom AvantGo page, for those who use that service.
Please let us know if you experience any difficulties with the option.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/28/05 10:58 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
Dan Patrick comments on programming philosophy, recent ratings
The Brazosport News regularly posts updates on Houston radio ratings, and that recently prompted some discussion in our comments, including a request for blogHOUSTON commenter and KSEV-700 guru David Benzion to elaborate on their meaning.
Today, Dan Patrick himself takes up our request, in a blog post that attempts to shed some light on his programming philosophy at KSEV and how he views the ratings in that context.
Curiously, the original post contained links to both the original Brazosport News post and the discussion that ensued here, but those links are no longer in the post. Perhaps the LST crew is having technical difficulties.
Substantively, the post is an interesting glimpse at programming philosophy, but it would be even more interesting if Patrick had pasted in some raw ratings data excerpts for certain time slots. For whatever reason, that raw data seems closely held by programmers. Of course, that's the data of most interest to us laymen.
With format changes and people moving around the dial, the next few ratings periods ought to be entertaining for local media watchers. Here's hoping that Patrick -- and maybe someone from Clear Channel -- will offer further thoughts as new ratings are available.
UPDATE (01-29-2005): Banjo Jones weighs in with Talk radio slap fight.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/28/05 10:54 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (10)
Where's the $AFEclear wrecker going to leave a stranded driver?
Here are some $AFEclear questions: if a wrecker tows your car, how do you know that the driver is going to leave you in a safe place? What if you are in an unfamiliar part of town? Will you be able to call for help? Well, one Houston business owner is trying to provide answers to some of those questions:
For 25 years now, a family-owned business on the North Freeway has made signs. But of all the signs they've ever made, they've never made one advertising this. Atlas Signs has rolled out the welcome mat for stranded drivers towed off the freeway under the new Safe Clear program.
"We're just trying to give them a safe place. They'll have four hours to fix their car. They don't have to worry about it getting towed or somebody messing with their car," said Chad Foreman, the Sign Store manager. "They can go get gas if they need gas. If they need to borrow a gas can, we'll let them borrow a gas can."
Houston's controversial new freeway towing plan requires wreckers to haul stranded motorists off the road and leave the both the vehicle and its occupants in a safe place.
Now a council member wants police to draw up a list of specific places where wrecker drivers can drop off stranded drivers.
"My goal is to make sure that the spots that they are left at have been cleared by the police as a place that's safe for an individual to be," said Gordon Quan, Houston City Councilmember. "That there's adequate lighting, that there's a telephone so they can call for help, preferably restrooms."
The councilman says he's already found about 350 spots that could be designated as what he calls "safe drop" locations.
Again, can anyone think of a more poorly designed city policy? Goodness, this program is so bad, on so many levels. I still like Kevin's idea of keeping the Motorist Assistance Program's phone number handy, preferably on speed dial.
The very last sentence in this KHOU-11 story made me laugh, though:
Houston councilmembers are scheduled to vote next week on proposed changes to the Safe Clear program.
Right. We're not holding our breath anymore.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/28/05 07:30 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
Katy Freeway closure
KHOU-11 provides details of the Katy Freeway closure this weekend and how to get around it:
According to TXDOT, the main lanes of I-10 eastbound and westbound, including the HOV lanes, between Silber and Washington will be closed. The direct connectors from I-610 northbound and southbound to I-10 West will be closed from Friday 9 p.m. until Saturday 6 p.m.
I-10 Eastbound Traffic
Traffic will be detoured via the I-610 north and south direct connectors. Eastbound drivers can go south, exit Woodway and make a U-turn to access I-10 east by way of the I-610 northbound to I-10 east connector. Or, north on I-610 and exit 18th Street, make a U-turn to access I-610 southbound to the I-10 east connector.
I-10 Westbound Traffic
There will be four options for I-10 westbound travelers.
1. Exit Washington Ave. to Old Katy Road to re-enter I-10 westbound via the Silber entrance ramp.
2. Take I-610 north, exit 18th Street, make a U-turn to access Old Katy Road, re-enter I-10 westbound via the Silber entrance ramp.
3. I-610 southbound traffic destined for I-10 west will be detoured to Old Katy Road. Re-enter I-10 westbound via the Silber entrance ramp.
4. I-610 northbound traffic destined for I-10 west will be detoured to I-10 eastbound. Exit Washington and follow the detour to Old Katy Road to re-enter I-10 west using the Silber entrance ramp.
Once the mainlanes of I-10 eastbound are clean, the lanes will be reopened to traffic at or before 6 p.m. on Saturday.
RELATED: KTRK-13 coverage
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/28/05 03:53 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (3)
Chron byline policy draws more criticism
The Chronicle's policy of uninformative bylines is attracting attention from a couple of prominent blogs.
National Review's Corner links to Little Green Footballs, which criticizes the following byline from a recent op-ed:
Zappala is a part-time teacher in Los Angeles.
As Charles Johnson notes, that's not really the entire story:
A Google Search on Mr. Zappala’s name, however, reveals that although he may indeed be a part time teacher, he is also a full time peace activist from a full time peace activist family; in addition to the Houston Chronicle, Salon, and the Star Tribune, his articles appear regularly at sites such as “Occupation Watch,” Counterpunch, and the openly communist People’s Weekly World newspaper. He’s been callously exploiting the death of his brother to argue his anti-war agenda for months now, in many articles. Google has more than 3,000 hits for this guy.
That seems like useful background information that Chronicle readers might like to know.
We've been calling attention to the Chronicle's byline practices for a while now, and have been unsuccessful at getting an explanation for them. Perhaps the scrutiny of some prominent, high-traffic blogs will prompt a response from 801 Texas Avenue, although I'm not holding my breath.
Matt Bramanti previously criticized the op-ed in question on Lone Star Times.
RELATED: Can anyone explain the editorial policy?, The policy of uninformative bylines, Chron byline policy: anything goes!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/28/05 02:25 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
DMN, Chron updates on Southwest's IAH decision
Yesterday, Anne Linehan noted the Chronicle's coverage of Southwest Airlines' decision to end its operations at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Today, Dallas Morning News columnist Suzanne Marta provides the sort of detailed coverage that we'd like to see from the Chronicle on local stories.
NOTE: The Chronicle has updated its coverage from yesterday.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/28/05 10:20 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Do red light cameras reduce accidents or generate revenue?
Recently, Mayor Bill White convinced City Council to approve red light traffic cameras, ostensibly to improve safety. However, some of us think it's more likely a new way to generate revenue, kind of like $AFEclear.
With that in mind, here are the results of a study performed by the Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Transportation that shows injury accidents actually increased at intersections where red light cameras were installed:
Despite a distinct sympathy in favor of camera enforcement, the researchers found a "definite" increase in rear-end accidents and only a "possible" decrease in angle accidents. Most importantly, the net effect was that more injuries happened after cameras are installed. Camera proponents explain this away by asserting angle accidents are more serious, but this claim has not been scientifically studied according to this report. The rear end collisions caused by the cameras still produce injuries -- the original promise of camera proponents was that they would reduce accidents and injuries, not rearrange them.
This study agrees with long-term findings in Australia and North Carolina.
If this were truly about safety, the city might try to lengthen yellow light times first, to see if that helps reduce red light violations. Or how about the idea of programming the lights so all lights in an intersection stay red for one to two seconds? Or take some police officers off $AFEclear taxi duty and have them monitor the worst intersections? But, those ideas won't generate revenue.
Also on the subject of red light cameras, a Houston attorney writes that large municipalities are turning traffic tickets into civil cases, which he says is a revenue-generator:
A more recent example is the City of Houston's aggressive attempt to decriminalize red light tickets. Running a red light under Texas State law is a Class C Misdemeanor, a criminal offense. As such, it carries all the protections due an accused in a criminal case. In what many consider an unconstitutional move, the City of Houston passed an ordinance on December 21, 2004 to decriminalize some red light tickets at intersections where the City of Houston will be installing cameras to monitor traffic. The City of Houston, a political subdivision of the State of Texas, has usurped the power of the Texas State Legislature and changed running a red light from a criminal violation to a civil violation.
There will be two different standards in Houston for the same offense. Those accused of running a red light at an intersection without a camera will be charged criminally and those accused of running a red light at an intersection with a camera will be cited civilly. Under Houston's ordinance, the owner of a car cited with running a red light at an intersection monitored by a camera will be presumed guilty and owe a fine of $75 ($150 for a third or subsequent violations). To fight these tickets, the owner of the car will now have to go before an administrative hearing officer, not a judge or jury, and prove that he or she did not run the red light.
That's pretty enlightening, I think.
Mayor White is a shrewd guy. He knows that people are fed up with new taxes, so he masks these revenue-generating ideas in the guise of safety. Some members of the Texas Legislature have promised to deal with Houston's red light camera ordinance so maybe the mayor will get the chance to try out some of those alternative solutions really to reduce the number of red light runners in a safe manner.
KEVIN WHITED (SNARKILY) ADDS: I get the idea Anne purposely avoided using that term favored by those who like to expand government, "new revenue stream." Between the expanded downtown parking meters, red light cameras, and SAFEclear wrecker-oligopoly franchise fees, Mayor White has indeed created "new revenue streams."
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/28/05 08:35 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (8)
Dan Lovett to host new weekly tv sports show
David Barron reports that Dan Lovett will be returning to Houston television:
Veteran Houston broadcaster Dan Lovett returns to the airwaves with The Point After, premiering at 10:30 p.m. Saturday on KPXB (Ch. 49). Dan Pastorini appears on the first show.
Back before Dan Patrick decided to expand the Chronically Biased site into Lone Star Times, one of my "fun" duties as one of the editor guys over there was getting a sneak preview of Dan Lovett columns to edit and post. Lovett has a wealth of knowledge, and interesting stories to tell. I'm glad he'll be getting a bigger audience for them.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/28/05 08:04 AM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (3)
Rock radio returns to Houston
Those of us who were missing KLOL have something to smile about:
At noon Thursday, Cumulus Media flipped the former KRWP-FM Power 97.5 urban contemporary station to Rock 97.5. The first song played was AC/DC's For Those About to Rock (We Salute You).
The station is led by radio veteran Pat Fant, who managed KLOL in its heyday from 1983 until 1995, when he introduced the Buzz alternative music format at KTBZ-FM (94.5).
"This town is too big, too fast, too fantastic not to have a real rock station," Fant told an excited crowd at a launch party at the Fox Sports Grill.
Former KLOL personalities Jim Pruett and Dayna Steele Justiz were among those in the audience. Pruett said he is negotiating with the new station to helm a midday show.
Rumors were flying that the station hopes to sign former KLOL disc jockeys Outlaw Dave and the morning duo of Walton & Johnson when their non-compete clauses expire in the next few months.
Fant said no contact has taken place with the former KLOL DJs, but "when this talent is free to negotiate, my phone is always open, and I'm eager to talk."
[snip]
While the rock format is not nearly as popular as it was 20 years ago, it does well among men between the ages of 25-54, a hard-to-reach demographic.
"Why do you think beer companies pay so much to be on Monday Night Football?" Taylor said.
The first advertiser on Rock 97.5 was Budweiser.
All's right with the world again.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/28/05 06:59 AM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (9)
Food and drink roundup (01-28-2005 edition)
Houston's food and drink reviewers put out a fair amount of copy this week.
Robb Walsh continues his ongoing quest for Houston's best dim sum.
Alison Cook is off this week, but Dai Huynh returns to the Chronicle (after an absence) with various restaurant news, and an article on Indian chaat.
Ken Hoffman has the scoop on Pizza Hut's new dippin' pizza (among other things).
And Gracie Ochoa checks in on the Galleria's Fox Sports Grill, a bar with a fine decor that is, unfortunately, not enhanced by the uncomfortable couches, slow service, and expensive drinks.
That's it for another week. Enjoy your food and drink this weekend!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/28/05 12:19 AM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (0)
27 January 2005
Chron proposes remedial education as solution to prison crowding
The Chronicle weighed in today with a typical soft-on-crime editorial:
Texas prisons are filling up faster than state officials had estimated, with more than 150,000 inmates behind bars and capacity only a whisker away from a maximum 97.5 percent of beds filled. Because of the crunch, Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials are asking legislators to make an emergency appropriation of $62 million to provide more inmate housing, including contracting for space in county jails. With education funding reform and a revamping of the child and adult protective services system high on the legislative agenda, it's money lawmakers simply do not have.
It's also a crisis that didn't need to happen. Of the 77,000 offenders entering state prison in fiscal 2004, nearly half were incarcerated, not because they committed a new crime, but because of parole or probation violations. Such technical violations include missing a mandated meeting with supervisory officers.
[snip]
The system should work to make communities safer. Instead, it sets up arbitrary obstacles that block petty criminals' re-entry into productive society, all at an unduly high price to law-abiding taxpayers. Returning former offenders to a cell for minor technical violations wastes money that could be better spent on real anticrime solutions, such as substance-abuse treatment and remedial education.
Remedial education as a real anticrime solution? Ah, it's like a '70s progressive flashback.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/27/05 11:58 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (10)
Covering those wacky Republican lawbreakers
Chris Elam, blogHOUSTON's favorite safety expert, finds a strange headline on some AP copy in the Chronicle.
No doubt the first paragraph appealed to the editor who selected it for publication.
With Tom DeLay on best behavior of late, the Chron is apparently having to reach a bit to keep up that hard hitting coverage of those wacky Republican lawbreakers.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/27/05 10:27 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
HISD institutes hiring freeze
HISD Superintendent Abe Saavedra has ordered a hiring freeze for all non-teaching positions:
HISD’s budget has been cut more than $100 million in the past four years.
Dr. Saavedra’s order requires Texas’ largest school district to freeze hiring for all administrative, support, technical and other positions.
[snip]
HISD and other Texas school districts sued the state over the school finance system and won a judgment declaring the Texas system of finance unconstitutional. School districts are urging the Legislature to take action to replace the old finance system with a new one that is equitable and increases funding for schools.
The next fiscal year won’t begin until July 1, but HISD already is making plans for millions of dollars in additional cuts as it awaits action from the Legislature. Dr. Saavedra said he ordered the hiring freeze to stop any additional non-teacher hiring at a time when the district is planning to eliminate more jobs. The hiring freeze can only be lifted for a critical situation and only by the order of Dr. Saavedra.
“It wouldn’t be right for us to hire new people right now when we are probably going to have to eliminate jobs again this year,” Dr. Saavedra said. “That isn’t fair to our employees, and it doesn’t make good business sense.”
HISD, America’s seventh largest school district, has about 30,000 full and part-time employees. HISD’s budget has been cut from $1.4 billion in 2001 to $1.3 billion this year. The district has eliminated more than 500 jobs in the central administration in the last two years alone. For the most part, school budgets have not been cut.
In any large school district -- and HISD is a big one -- there are plenty of people who can be moved around, to fill needs. With that many schools, there are undoubtedly many jobs that are redundant and could be consolidated, even if only temporarily. But it would be nice to see HISD take this opportunity to become leaner, in some administrative and support areas.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/27/05 06:16 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
Southwest leaving Bush Intercontinental
Southwest Airlines will discontinue flights at Bush Intercontinental Airport in April:
Flights will continue as scheduled through April 2, and passengers with reservations after that will be offered flights out of Houston's Hobby Airport .
Southwest only operates half a dozen flights out of Bush Airport currently-- all to Dallas Love Field.
Houston Hobby, on the other hand, is Southwest's fifth-busiest airport, with 139 daily departures, including 29 daily flights to Dallas Love Field.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/27/05 11:11 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (4)
Packin' heat on the Danger Train
The Chronicle is reporting that Metro will allow riders to carry licensed handguns on board its trains and buses:
Metro board members are expected to vote this afternoon to repeal the restriction, which has been in effect since 1995 after the Legislature voted to allow licensed owners to carry concealed handguns in most public places.
State Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, who wrote the legislation as a state senator, has been a vocal critic of bans such as those adopted by Metro and many other government entities in Texas in response to the "right-to-carry" law.
He, the Texas State Rifle Association and four licensed Harris County gun owners sued Metro in 2003, seeking to overturn the ban. Now that Metro is dropping its policy, he said, he plans to challenge similar restrictions in other cities, probably starting with Austin's Capital Metro.
"They implemented these when there was collective hysteria from detractors, who said there would be blood in the streets and shootouts at every four-way stop," Patterson said. "None of that proved true."
[snip]
Patterson said the ban was essentially unenforceable and that many Metro riders already carry pistols.
"It was a prohibition against undetectable conduct because, by law, it is required for it to be concealed, to begin with," he said. "I have carried my handgun on Metro buses on at least three occasions because I knew it to be an unlawful restriction."
Metro doesn't even check to see if every passenger on the train has paid the fare, so it's not surprising Metro police haven't been checking for weapons.
I wonder if the "collective hysteria from detractors" included local media? Maybe we should keep our eyes peeled for a Chronicle editorial on this, although it is a local topic, so we'll need to give the editors at least a week to write one up.
("Danger Train" is what Kevin Whited has long called the light rail train on his PubliusTX blog.)
UPDATE: The Chronicle story now notes that the Metro board unanimously approved the policy change.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/27/05 07:26 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (28)
26 January 2005
Philip Johnson, RIP
Noted architect Philip Johnson has passed away.
Johnson was responsible for designing many of Houston's landmark buildings.
KHOU-11's Carolyn Mungo has a good report on Johnson, with links some of his notable buildings.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/26/05 11:24 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
Cause of light rail crash under investigation
KPRC-2 has updated an earlier story on this morning's light rail crash, and is running the ominous headline "Police Not Sure Who To Blame For METRORail Crash"
The driver contends that he entered an intersection on a green light, only to be sideswiped by the tram.
After previous collisions, Metro police rushed to the scene and lectured Houston drivers on safety.
This time, police aren't assigning blame so quickly:
[Motorist Robert] Oden said the cameras at the intersection and on the train would show what really happened.
"They have cameras up and down this route strictly for something like this," Oden said.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation. If Oden is ticketed for the accident, he will also be responsible for repairing the damaged train.
METRO told Local 2 that since the light-rail system began operating in November 2003, there have been about 70 accidents. They also said that out of those 70 accidents, only one train operator has been held responsible for the collision.
That would be 75, for those scoring at home.
UPDATE (01-27-2005): A Chronicle blurb indicates Metro is now blaming the motorist:
Two MetroRail passengers were taken to St. Joseph's Hospital complaining of minor injuries after a car crashed into the train they were riding in the Museum District Wednesday morning. Metro spokesman Ken Connaughton said the car was eastbound on Hermann just after 10 a.m. when it ran a red light and struck the southbound train on Fannin. It was the third collision on the Main Street light rail line this year.
It seems clear from other reports that the train hit the car, although it is unclear whether the car was in the intersection legally. Even if it were in the intersection illegally, writing that the car "crashed into the train" seems purposely backwards. The newspaper should not bend factual descriptions to fit its pro-rail agenda.
KHOU-11 posts a story and video of the crash here.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/26/05 02:15 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (8)
Chronicle talks style vs. substance
This is the headline across the top of today's "star" section:
Style Vs. Substance
At first I thought it was going to be a story about the Chronicle's redesign, which aimed for an easier-to-read format without actually improving the paper's content.
But, I quickly realized it was a story about the Oscar nominations announced yesterday. (The headline for the online story is not the same as what's in today's paper.)
It was a fun thought, for a brief moment.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/26/05 10:09 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (5)
Poe to observe elections in Iraq
While reading the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Rob Booth found the news that new U.S. Representative Ted Poe (R) will be in Iraq observing elections.
"For some reason," Booth deadpans, "the Chronicle didn't pick up the story."
The newspaper did, however, pick up three different "Chron Eye" AP dispatches on yesterday's execution of convicted murderer Troy Kunkle.
The editors do have their priorities.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/26/05 08:53 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (11)
25 January 2005
Chron byline policy: anything goes!
The Chronicle ran an op-ed on air pollution by Jane Dale Owen today.
Unfortunately, the newspaper apparently still has not solved its old problem with bylines.
Here is how Jane Dale Owen is described:
Owen, a Houstonian, is president of Citizens League for Environmental Action Now (CLEAN). She is granddaughter of Robert Lee Blaffer, co-founder of Humble Oil, and the only nonscientist member of the Federation of American Scientists.
While it's understandable that Owen might want to embellish her environmental credentials with something more substantive than her family's affluence, there's just one little problem with the bolded part of that byline: anybody who wants to spend $50 can join the Federation of American Scientists.
While we have not called to verify this, I think it's fairly safe to conclude Owen is NOT the only nonscientist member of the organization (since it counts "scientists and informed citizens" among its 2,000 members).
We've previously noted the Chronicle's policy (or lack of same) on uninformative bylines. Leaving out useful information is one thing, but at the very least, the newspaper should refrain from printing factually incorrect bylines.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/25/05 09:43 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (6)
$AFEclear loophole allows serial rapist to be tow truck driver
One thing I remember Mayor White saying when he was trying to sell $AFEclear, was that all tow truck drivers in the $AFEclear program would have to pass background checks. You know, since the city was basically forcing anyone with a broken down car to get in a tow truck with a stranger. Well, it sounds like that didn't go according to plan:
Sources told Local 2 that a preliminary check uncovered drivers with criminal convictions, including a serial rapist and those with a history of other violent crimes. It also found a large number of drivers with convictions for DWI, drugs, fraud and theft, officials said.
Wow! But don't worry, city officials are on the job:
Some council members said they still have a lot of unanswered questions about the Safe Clear ordinance. The city leaders also said they want to make sure the public is safe when dealing with the tow truck operators.
"Safe Clear is going to set the standard for what we insist on in tow truck operators," Houston Mayor Bill White said.
White said he will ask City Council next week to pass an ordinance tightening up a possible loophole in the background checks of wrecker drivers.
Why in the world would there be a loophole in these background checks? And now it is being addressed? The mayor says, "$AFEclear is going to set the standard for what we insist on in tow truck operators." I will assume the mayor is aiming for a high standard and not the standard that says a serial rapist is okay, but why didn't we have the high standard in place on January 1st? And next week (next week?) the mayor is going to ask City Council to close the loophole -- the same City Council that has been ignoring him for two weeks on $AFEclear changes.
The city needs to make available some other form of transportation for people subjected to forced towing. This concern was brought up again and again when $AFEclear was first being hashed out. People were very nervous about, for example, women and teenage girls being forced to get into tow trucks with men they didn't know. The mayor repeatedly gave assurances that there was no reason to be concerned, that every driver would have to pass a background check.
This is a big failure on the city's part.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/25/05 07:58 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
Is the Toll Road Authority taking control of the Grand Parkway?
Spring residents have lost a battle in the fight over the Grand Parkway:
Despite pleas from a group of Spring residents who oppose the road, Commissioners Court gave the Harris County Toll Road Authority permission today to spend $5.6 million to plot out a 52-mile section of the Grand Parkway in north Houston.
The county has yet to commit to building the section of the Grand Parkway, a 182-mile super loop around Houston that has been planned for decades. The Texas Department of Transportation will make final decisions on expansion of the Grand Parkway, and the county would need TxDot's approval before it could build the section.
The Spring residents say one proposed route for the toll road would divide subdivisions in their town, cut across a high school baseball field and provide no relief to congestion on local roads.
"The more I know, the less I like," said Connie O'Donnell, a member of United to Save Our Spring. "I think it is and always has been a developer's dream of a highway."
Commissioner Jerry Eversole, whose Precinct 4 includes Spring and most of the other areas where the section would be built, said the road is needed to provide solutions to the area's current and future traffic needs.
"It still goes back to I think it's the right thing to do. It has nothing to do with selling homes or building shopping centers," Eversole said. "The solution will be to build the road, to take the consequences and, if it means my defeat, then it means my defeat."
I am suspicious of Eversole's assertion that the Grand Parkway has nothing to do with new developments. (I should also disclose, again, that I live in the area that would be impacted by this segment of the Grand Parkway, and I am opposed to the project. Also, this topic is being discussed more in our forum.) It would appear that this project has quite a lot to do with selling homes and building shopping centers. Otherwise, why would State Sen. Jon Lindsay, a big proponent of the parkway, have held a private meeting with developers to discuss Grand Parkway plans?
Recently there was a rumor that a toll road might be built through the Heights area. The outrage that immediately followed had Harris County Judge Robert Eckels running for media outlets to declare his opposition to that idea. It is interesting to note that Judge Eckels is in full support of the Grand Parkway project. Spring residents and business owners are not getting the same consideration from Judge Eckels that Heights residents received.
It's clear that if the Harris County Toll Road Authority takes control of the project, no more public input will have to be considered and no more environmental impact reports will be done. The HCTRA does not have to meet the same requirements as TxDOT.
UPDATE: The Chronicle has a new story posted with more details, including some information about State Sen. Jon Lindsay that demonstrates not just his support of the project, but his efforts to get the project completed:
County officials rejected state Sen. Jon Lindsay's offer to work for the county as a consultant who would try to persuade north Harris County developers to donate land for the project.
Lindsay, a Republican who represents much of the area where the segment would be built, has long supported the Grand Parkway.
He said he met last year with 14 developers who own land between Texas 249 and I-45. About 10 of the developers agreed to donate land to the county for the toll road, Lindsay said.
With that land, the toll road could have been built without traversing as many Spring residential areas as called for under TxDOT plans, he said.
Lindsay said he met with Eversole and other officials in the fall and tried to sell them on hiring him as a consultant.
He would have asked the county to pay him about $5,000 or $6,000 a month for his services, Lindsay said.
"I told them I was not going to do it gratis. It was too much work," he said.
County officials balked at the proposal, saying it could appear to be improper for the county to hire a state senator to lobby developers who were his business acquaintances or friends and who would benefit from the highway's construction, Lindsay said. "I did not understand where the conflict of interest was, just because I was a senator," he said.
Phew! He's something.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/25/05 07:02 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (10)
Be wary of eminent domain
Following up on Mayor White's State of the City address yesterday, Owen Courreges has some thoughts on gentrification and Mayor White's plan to foreclose on tax-delinquent properties, and even use eminent domain if necessary, in order to build more affordable housing in six areas near downtown.
After our experience with $AFEclear, I think it's safe to say this is something to keep an eye on. A sharp eye.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/25/05 04:20 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (10)
City Council delays vote on $AFEclear changes -- again
City Council has again delayed a vote on Mayor White's proposed $AFEclear changes and, in fact, six councilors have offered their own plans, according to a KTRH-740 newsbreak.
(Kevin Whited foresaw this development.)
Once again, this means the original program is still in place. If you break down on the freeway, you will be towed -- for a minimum of $75.
I don't know what the problem is, or how many weeks the councilors feel they need to get a grasp of the problem, but they need to either pass the changes or shelve the program. This exercise in endless debating is costing Houston area drivers a whole lot of money.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Anne is exactly right that the obstructionist members of council either need to get on board with the proposed improvements or come up with the votes to kill this program. Mayor White has played VERY nice with council so far, working to build coalitions and trying hard to avoid the acrimony that surrounded the last mayor. However, I suspect if he decides to go public and blame the current, unacceptable towing mess on the obstructionists, they're going to suffer politically, not him.
UPDATE: Here's the Chronicle's story.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/25/05 03:15 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
Improving safety on Westheimer (and it's not about towing cars)
According to KHOU-11, left-turn cut-thrus are being eliminated on a section of Westheimer:
Westheimer's numbers help tell the story. They show the eastern section -- from the Loop to the Beltway -- had 2.5 times the number of wrecks per mile as the state average.
Even so, an improvement project under way since last summer was never about safety -- it was about mobility. Texans, it seems, don't mind dying. they just want to do it in a hurry.
The state, though, now believes it's found ways to speed up traffic and make it safer by getting rid of the cut-thrus.
"They're called conflict points," said John Bobo, who ran a study of Westheimer's problems.
He said the cut-thrus are the worst of the problems. They are the openings in the median for left-hand turns or U-turns. They often cause cars to back up into traffic which leads to collisions when people try to get past.
Most of those cut-thru's will now be disappearing and, some say, not a minute too soon.
The project is expected to be completed by the summer.
At least it's not a project to make Westheimer one-way.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/25/05 10:43 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (2)
LULAC opposes $AFEclear: now the mayor is in trouble!
Back before $AFEclear became such a hot topic, I did a post on the upcoming forced towing program and a very smart commenter saw a potential problem.
He was almost right, because today's Chronicle has the details of LULAC heading to Austin, with a group of tow truck drivers, to complain about $AFEclear:
"We've been at it since March," said Patricia Gonzales of the Houston-area chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "Mayor (Bill) White didn't hear us out."
That confuses me. The media usually hops to attention when LULAC heads to a microphone, so I don't know how we could have all missed LULAC's concern, beginning last March.
City Council is expected to consider White's proposed changes today.
But LULAC and the Houston Professional Towing Association are circulating petitions denouncing the ordinance. The groups claim to have collected 20,000 signatures from people who say the ordinance unfairly hurts low-income drivers and small wrecker companies.
The ordinance grants exclusive towing authority in 29 freeway zones divided among 11 wrecker companies, which together pay the city about $1 million a year for the contracts.
And that is one big reason the mayor is doing everything he can to salvage this program and get the public on his side: He does not want to give back the $1 million in franchise fee money.
Later in the story, Councilman Michael Berry provides some $AFEclear spin:
But Councilman Michael Berry, who chairs the transportation committee, said Safe Clear is a rare example of public policy that wasn't driven by industry, special interest, or even a true constituency.
He said the ordinance emerged from the need to address Houston's congested freeways and that the protesting drivers are unhappy that they didn't get contracts.
That's a bit of a whopper when Berry says $AFEclear "wasn't driven by industry, special interest, or even a true constituency," because there absolutely was "a very special" interest involved here: the city's coffers. And everyone, from drivers using Houston freeways to area tow truck drivers, have had to learn a new set of rules in order to make the city coffers happy.
The mayor said in his speech yesterday that he is hearing from drivers that the congestion problem is better and people are getting to their destinations faster. But anecdotal evidence does not prove anything. Show us the studies! Every day on the local traffic reports we hear of traffic backups related to things $AFEclear does not address. Do $AFEclear supporters have a plan for those problems, too? When a big rig breaks down, we know $AFEclear can't do anything about it, and what about road construction that ties up everything? And then there's the problem of debris on the road. Last Friday during rush hour it was a load of manure that overturned on a freeway. I'll bet that didn't get cleaned up in six minutes. But it did make for a great Debris Game!
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: At least the Chronicle is reporting the $1 million in fees, which is a fairly crucial part of the story that had been omitted from their reporting, until Bob Stein let it slip and a certain blog jumped all over it.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/25/05 08:54 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (4)
Local radio host secures supplies for troops in Iraq
KHOU-11's Doug Miller checks in on KSEV-700 morning host Edd Hendee, who has been reporting from Iraq as an embed.
Hendee apparently found troops lacking some machine parts, got in touch with a local Houston business, and said parts are now on their way.
Hendee has been checking in regularly on the radio, and his dispatches from Iraq can also be found on KSEV-affiliated Lone Star Times.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/25/05 08:15 AM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (0)
24 January 2005
A disappointing Chron eye
The Chron Eye for the Death Row Killer Guy has gotten off to a very disappointing start in 2005.
The newspaper, which was formulaic in its coverage of death row through the end of 2004, has been willing so far in 2005 to run AP coverage.
Still, today's AP story follows the Chron eye formula pretty well.
There's the attempt to highlight some redeeming quality of the killer:
One of his lawyers, Danalynn Recer, told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times that Kunkle is remorseful for the crime and is "anguished by the effect this is having on his family, particularly his mother."
"He's very concerned about how devastating it's going to be for her," Recer said. "And he's scared."
Then there's the troubled childhood:
Defense lawyers said Kunkle, born in Nuremberg, Germany, where his father was stationed in the military, was raised in a troubled home and left mentally scarred by parents who had been treated for depression.
There's no reference to the HPD crime lab and no cheap shots taken at the Harris County DA, since the original case was tried in Corpus Christi.
Maybe that's the key -- the Chronicle only dispatches its own reporters for the Chron Eye when it's a case that somehow attaches to the HPD crime lab and/or the Harris County DA. Or maybe the Chron just loses track of the executions. Who knows exactly how decisions are made at 801 Texas Avenue?
Mr. Kunkle's departure is scheduled for Tuesday. The execution of George Alarick Jones is scheduled for Thursday (his crime was in Dallas, so we may not get a staff Chron Eye for that one either).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/24/05 10:32 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
Still thinking about the Astrodome
The Dallas Morning News ran an article by Bruce Nichols on the fate of the Astrodome over the weekend.
The article breaks no new ground, but maybe Dallasites are as used to reading "olds" in their newspaper as Houstonians.
Nichols closed with this:
Taxpayers still owe about $50 million for Dome renovations in the 1980s and, so far, no one has talked seriously about demolishing what many still see as an asset.
But no one talked seriously about new baseball and football stadiums until Oilers owner Bud Adams told Houston it was time and hit the city with a symbolic two-by-four by moving his team to Nashville, Tenn.
He should read more blogs.
UPDATE: A very gracious reader (the author!) emailed that I cut off the end of the article, which I had done (inadvertently). I've pasted in the last sentence of the article, which should have been there from the start! Mea culpa.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/24/05 10:07 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (0)
Casey's SAFEclear solution: a new tax
Talk radio and blogs have done a really good job picking apart the SAFEclear program, examining alternatives, and critiquing various proposals to change the program.
However, Chronicle columnist Rick Casey, who seems to have missed most of the blog and talk radio discussion, did manage to come up with a new proposal in his Sunday column:
How could the Legislature help? It could authorize cities or counties to pass a vehicle-license fee to cover such traffic-control problems. To cover their political backsides, legislators could require that it be approved by voters.
[snip]
I'm not arguing for a new fee. I'm just putting this thing in perspective.
Perspective indeed! Leave it to reliable lefty Rick Casey to try to change the discussion from the Mayor's proposed revisions to the SAFEclear program (which will still leave the city ahead by $700,000 if the mayor's cost estimates are correct) to advocacy for a new tax.
City Council will take up the proposed changes to SAFEclear on Tuesday. The proposed changes were tagged by various councilmembers last week, keeping the current system in place.
RELATED: Houston wrecker drivers take their fight to Austin (KHOU-11).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/24/05 08:51 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
State of the City
Mayor Bill White will give his State of the City address today at a Greater Houston Partnership luncheon.
KHOU-11's blurb says one of the topics the mayor will likely discuss is the $AFEclear program.
UPDATE 1: The City of Houston website posts the text of Mayor White's address.
UPDATE 2: The Chronicle has posted a story focusing on one part of the mayor's address: tax foreclosures.
UPDATE 3: Matt Bramanti has helpfully translated the mayor's speech for us.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/24/05 10:25 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (6)
An IQ test that fails
Lucas Wall must have been light on material for his "Move It!"column this week because he wrote what he calls a MetroRail IQ test. It's a multiple choice test, basically, and he explains his reason for making this a column:
Our city recently marked the first anniversary of passenger service on the Main Street light rail line. It's time to test your knowledge of the trains that many Houstonians either love or hate. Most of the questions deal with our nationally publicized crash problem, which the Metropolitan Transit Authority won't be happy to see. But hey, I worked all year keeping this collision database. I gotta put it to use!
I don't know. Since Wall manages to squeeze in some Metro propaganda (the crashes are all stupid Houston drivers' fault; no one has been killed), I don't think Metro officials will be too unhappy. He also continues with this farce of saying there have been 63 collisions, when there were 67 (that we know of) in 2004. He justifies this by using the state of Texas' definition that says a collision can only be counted if there was at least $1,000 property damage or an injury. That's convenient for Metro, but John Gaver's Action America site doesn't look for handy excuses for Metro -- Gaver reports ALL collisions. What good is a watchdog media if it is the one providing the cover?
And if Wall is unable to find material for his column, he might want to get up from his desk and mingle with Houstonians, or listen to talk radio, or watch the local TV newscasts. There is plenty of transportation talk, all around.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/24/05 08:37 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (5)
23 January 2005
Planners map Upper Kirby/Montrose traffic improvements
Anna Marie Kilday has some interesting coverage of recent Upper Kirby/Montrose traffic planning developments.
As she notes in the Chronicle's "This Week" section, everything from returning West Alabama to four lanes to providing center-median barriers along Kirby is being discussed.
Here's one guess -- the Metro "trolley" being proposed for the Upper Kirby area won't be happening anytime soon -- not with Metro running a fiscal deficit and trying to cut costs right and left.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/23/05 10:43 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
Agenda trumps fact in recent Chron editorial
The Chronicle ran such a stunningly erroneous and misleading editorial last Tuesday that it's taken a while to prepare an adequate, careful critique.
The editorial and critique are so convoluted as to require something of a special approach. Rather than excerpt problematic sentences and correct them one at a time, I'm going to post the relevant portion of the editorial, with sections that are bolded and numbered (my numbering will be in brackets). I'll follow with numbered comments on each bracketed point below the excerpt.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/23/05 09:50 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (3)
A "forum for new ideas" or a platform for strawman attacks?
Last Wednesday, the Chronicle's cultural blogger Kyrie O'Connor responded to recent comments by Harvard president Larry Summers:
It's just not possible to have to go through this again. It's not possible that the president of Harvard would say this, is it? Oh, sure it is. The oldest trick in the book: Criticize a man for what he does, but criticize a woman for who she is. Anatomy is destiny? Apparently it still is.
The blogosphere had already been discussing the story, which appeared in Monday editions of the Boston Globe, for several days at that point. We speculated among ourselves that O'Connor's (liberal) conventional wisdom would probably find its way into a staff editorial, since the story had finally registered with the New York Times and had thus made its way onto one Chron editor's radar.
We were not disappointed by the Chronicle editorial page, which weighed in on the matter yesterday in just the manner we expected:
The offense comes this time from the man at Harvard's helm, University President Lawrence H. Summers, who served as Treasury secretary during Bill Clinton's administration. At an academic conference titled "Diversifying the Science and Engineering Workforce: Women, Underrepresented Minorities, and their S&E Careers," Summers suggested that there are fewer women than men on the engineering, math and science faculties at top research universities because of biological differences that give men enhanced math and science capabilities.
[snip]
Summers said his remarks were an exploration of theories besides discrimination to explain why there were fewer women in the physical sciences departments at the best schools. But there is a large irony in offering innate biological inferiority in lieu of discrimination as an explanation for the underrepresentation of women.
Studies do not bear out Summers' biological explanation, and his proposing it suggests he believes the very biased thinking he claims to reject.
Here, the Chronicle editorialists deploy a favorite tactic of twisting facts into a convenient straw man, and then knocking down that straw man.
The first bolded portion is where the Chronicle's misleading attack on Summers falls apart. Although no transcript has been released (since the seminar was supposed to be "off the record"), various reports seem to concur that Summers pointed to research on biological differences in men and women that might well be one factor in some discrepancies. He did not say it was the only possible factor, and he most certainly did not offer it "in lieu" of discrimination as a possible explanatory variable, as the Chronicle editorial asserts. As an economist, Summers is familiar enough with econometrics NOT to suggest a bivariate model to explain such a complicated social phenomenon (if only the Chron's editors were so familiar with quantitative methods of social science!). The Chronicle's attack on Summers is, therefore, rendered inaccurate and impotent. As for the last bolded portion in the editorial -- Summers reportedly did refer to specific studies. Can the Chronicle editorial board provide citations to back up their assertion that "studies" don't support Summers?
As we frequently concede, the Chronicle is welcome to adopt whatever position it would like for its editorial pages. However, we do not consider inaccurate, strawman attacks to be indicative of editorials "in their ideal state" (a standard that interim editorial page editor James Howard Gibbons has established).
Further, we would note that the Chronicle is running quite a few radio ads proclaiming that the newspaper "provides a forum for new ideas and debate." Since even the online version of the newspaper isn't particularly interactive, we don't see how it's much of a forum. And this editorial is hardly an example of new ideas.
For those who are interested in something besides the liberal conventional wisdom on the Summers affair (as told by the Chron editorial board and cultural blogger), here is additional reading from around the web: Sex ed at Harvard (Charles Murray, New York Times), Summers is right (Claudia Goldin & Lawrence F. Katz, Boston Globe), Gender Fender-Bender (Ruth R. Wisse, Wall Street Journal), Summers storm (Ruth Marcus, Washington Post), The truth about men and women is too hot to handle (Andrew Sullivan, Times of London), Don't worry your pretty little head (William Saletan, Slate), Mathematical virtues (Linda Chavez, Washington Times), Socializing Summers (George Neumayr, American Spectator), The First Amendment fights for its life (R. Emmett Tyrrell, Town Hall)
Further discussion is encouraged in OUR forum for ideas and debate. Just click on the handy "discuss" link below.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/23/05 02:26 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (8)
Saavedra proposes big changes for HISD
HISD superintendent Abe Saavedra has outlined some changes that would focus on whittling away at administrative bureaucracy and cutting back on standardized testing. As with any new proposal, it's the details that matter: the changes sound good in theory, but implementing them so the benefits are seen is often the biggest challenge.
Let's start with his proposed administrative shake-up:
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/23/05 11:35 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
22 January 2005
Trying to preserve that rural feeling in Spring
Here are a couple of stories from far North Harris County. The first is an update on the Grand Parkway, which may become a county project through the Toll Road Authority. Some residents in Spring who oppose this segment of the Grand Parkway, have fought TxDOT over where this section should be built. The current placement would put it through a rural area of Spring populated with family farms and older subdivisions that could literally be cut in half by the parkway.
State Sen. Jon Lindsay is in favor of the project along with Harris County and some developers, while state Rep. Debbie Riddle is working on behalf of residents to fight the current placement of the parkway. But if the county takes over the project from the state, then residents who oppose the project will be out of luck, because the county does not have the same requirements, as the state does, to do environmental impact studies or to hold public meetings to discuss projects, as this recent KHOU-11 story pointed out:
What many may not know is the Harris County Toll Road Authority, unlike TxDOT, can build a toll road anywhere it wants without public approval.
[snip]
The Toll Road Authority said even though it doesn't have open forums, it has never gone against public outcry to build a project.
Grand Parkway opponents may test the Toll Road Authority on that.
Full disclosure time: I live in this area and I am not in favor of the Grand Parkway, if it runs through our little community. But, the realist in me believes the parkway will be built, right through our quiet little area and we will say goodbye to that nice sleepy quality that makes this community so enjoyable. After it is built, commuters from The Woodlands will flood Gosling Rd. and Kuykendahl Rd. to get to the parkway and both roads will have to be widened. Then new businesses and housing developments will spring up all along those feeder roads and the parkway itself. Ahhh, progress.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/22/05 05:35 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (28)
Developers should make an effort to save trees
KHOU-11 has a story about developers leveling large areas of trees to build new developments and how Harris County might address the problem:
Trees don't stand a chance against progress, and they continue to be toppled by the thousands.
In many cases, acres of forests are being clear-cut to make way for new houses or strip malls.
In almost any development, some trees must die. But all of them? Out in the county, there are no rules whatsoever when it comes to destroying trees. But that may be about to change.
Harris County is in the process of drafting what could be its first-ever landscape regulation.
Officials say it likely will not prevent developers from cutting down existing trees, but will require them to replant a certain number of new trees.
But why do developers destroy perfectly good trees in the first place?
"Developers would like to save trees if we could," says Ed Taravella.
Taravella is a developer who's working with the county on the new regulation.
"What we've found is while we'd like to save the trees, it's just about impossible to do it when you're doing affordable or entry level housing," he says.
Why?
Developers explain that because Harris County is so flat, most new developments have to be built up a least a little bit, and that new soil, when heaped around old trees, usually kills them. They say saving trees is only affordable in high-dollar developments.
For example, there is a Kroger parking lot where great care was taken to save big, old trees by leaving the soil around them untouched, while building up the rest of the parking lot.
Kathy Lord wishes more developers did that.
"It's very depressing to think about how long it takes a tree to grow," says Lord, of Trees of Houston, a non-profit group that has already planted thousands of trees along streets and freeways.
I am with Kathy Lord, of Trees for Houston, on this. Developers should make more of an effort to save existing trees, which would add to the value of a home. I live out where lots of acreage is being clear cut for new housing and businesses, and it is heartbreaking. All those tall pines and oaks and whatever else are just bulldozed right over, then put in a big pile and burned. It's hard to watch.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/22/05 09:50 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (17)
21 January 2005
Clear Channel takes top spot in latest Arbitrons
The latest Arbitron radio ratings for Houston are out, and Banjo Jones analyzes them over at the Brazosport News.
The talkers at Clear Channel seemed mighty happy earlier. As it turns out, Clear Channel took the top spot in Houston radio, and their news/talk stations performed well also.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/21/05 11:43 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (4)
Food and drink roundup (1-21-2005 edition)
Houston's food and drink reviewers report on mostly good experiences this week.
Alison Cook seems to like Velio Deplano's Antica Osteria, located in the two-story structure that once housed the Detering Book Gallery.
Robb Walsh reports on hits and misses (some literal) at Le Fendee Mediterranean Grill in Montrose.
Gracie Ochoa visits the bar at Canyon Cafe.
And finally, Ken Hoffman checks out Dairy Queen's chocolate dipped strawberries blizzard, and its whopping 900 calories, 40 grams of fat, and 119 grams of carbs.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/21/05 11:30 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (4)
Municipal politics beat needs a boost
In December of last year, a California court ruled that Los Angeles city council members must pay attention during testimony by parties appearing before council.
The Chronicle's Kristen Mack, assigned to the municipal politics beat once covered by John Williams, devotes her column today to considering how that ruling might apply in Houston:
The California court has no authority over City Council behavior in Houston. And granted, the council is not always weighing heavy matters during its weekly public session, in which residents can discuss issues of their choosing, though speakers often comment about items on the council agenda.
But the City Charter requires "citizens of the city shall have a reasonable opportunity to be heard at any such meetings in regard to any matter to be considered."
It doesn't say how attentive members should be.
It's true that Houston's city council is not always as attentive as common courtesy ought to require, but this ranks pretty low in the universe of important political topics in this town right now. A good blogger probably would have knocked out a few sentences on the matter and moved on.
Last week, Mack devoted part of her column to this bit of Democratic politics:
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer held a fund-raiser in Houston on Thursday for his 2006 New York gubernatorial race. Houston attorney Mike Gallagher and others hosted the reception at Damian's. Spitzer, a Democrat, also raised money in Austin at the home of former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, who hosted a Wednesday event with Houston lawyer Joe Jamail, among others. With Democrats now shut out of much of the Texas political power structure, party faithful in the state are becoming major donors to Democratic candidates elsewhere.
Again, this seems more like fare for local Democrat bloggers than material for an engaged (and engaging) weekly column on local politics.
A newspaper serious about local coverage -- or a newspaper pushed by a more vigorous New Times weekly (which seems to have lost its own local punch with the departure of Tim Fleck) -- ought to strive for harder hitting material in its municipal politics column.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/21/05 11:04 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
Another Park and Ride bites the dust
Metro is closing another Park and Ride lot:
Due to low usage, METRO will close the Alief Park & Ride Lot at 8901 Boone Road and discontinue the Alief portion of the 262 Alief/Westwood route after Friday, Jan. 21.
The 1,373-space Alief Park & Ride lot has been underutilized since it was built in 1981. Based on parking space usage counts over the past nine years, the lot's highest average daily occupancy was 230 vehicles in Fiscal Year 1995, but usage has declined to its lowest occupancy of 120 vehicles in FY 2004 (less than 10 percent of capacity).
That's one less Park and Ride that will require surveillance cameras. And that's not all the good news:
In addition to the money METRO will earn on the sale of the property itself, the closure will provide an estimated savings of more than $100,000 in annual operating costs.
That should help with Metro's debt. What about those 120 or so drivers who were using the Alief lot? Metro lists some alternatives:
METRO patrons of the Alief lot still have at least four other Park & Ride lots in the vicinity from which to choose:
* Gessner, 9925 Westpark at Gessner;
* West Bellfort, 11415 Roark Road at West Bellfort;
* Westchase, 11050 Harwin at Rogerdale; and
* Westwood, 9990 Southwest Freeway (south of Bissonnet).
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/21/05 09:28 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (1)
Counter-inaugural parade fashion disaster
Rob Booth points out that the Chronicle covered a counter-inaugural parade in downtown Houston but failed to provide pictures. Courageous Rob dove into Houston's IndyMedia website to give us links (and a warning!) to pictures from the event.
The parade dress code was rather, uh, unique.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/21/05 08:38 AM | Houston Arts/Culture | Technorati | Comments (0)
Olds: Chron editorial board criticizes Brown administration
Yesterday, we briefly noted a Chronicle staff editorial criticizing the administration of former mayor Lee P. Brown.
Here is an excerpt from that editorial:
The indictment of another Brown administration official indicates influence peddling at City Hall might have been widespread.When Mayor Lee Brown finished his term-limited six years in office at the end of 2003, one of the best things that could be said about his sometimes rocky tenure was that it had been free of major scandals. With the indictment of a second high official in Brown's bureaucracy in recent months for accepting bribes to influence contracts, time is rapidly eroding the clean image the administration once enjoyed.
[snip]
It's unfortunate that it took a multi-year interstate federal investigation to begin unraveling misconduct among staffers close to the former mayor.
It's also unfortunate that the Chronicle neglected to mention its own role as Lee Brown cheerleader and booster during his tenure as mayor. The Chronicle editorial board endorsed Brown repeatedly in his races, and rarely leveled pointed criticism at his administration even as the city seemed to be falling down around us at times. It was almost as if the former mayor's championing of Chron causes like light rail got him a six year pass from the city's only newspaper. As it turns out, the administration didn't deserve that pass.
It's good that the Chronicle editorial board is now taking a more critical interest in the Brown Administration. It just comes a few years too late.
RELATED: Lee Brown legacy continues to grow, Pension plan revisionism at the Chronicle, Quite possibly the worst editorial page of 2004, The Dallas Morning News on the crime lab controversy, Memories ... of the way we were.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/21/05 08:05 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
20 January 2005
News changes around town
Ken Hoffman reports that KTRK-13 is bringing in some fresh blood for the anchor desk:
Channel 13 has hired a new anchor for its 4 p.m. weekday newscast.She's Ilona Carson, who's coming here from the Fox affiliate in Phoenix, where she co-hosted the morning news and did lots of entertainment reporting.
Carson is a University of Pennsylvania graduate, stands more than 6 feet tall, and owns two cats and one horse.
The horse's name is Pasquale. There's no word yet whether the horse will join Carson in Houston. It may depend on whether Pasquale can forecast the weather.
Carson will start at Channel 13 in March.
That Pasquale crack is great.
Also, a poster at the new Houston Architecture Info blog writes that KHOU-11 reporter Carolyn Mungo will be moving across town, to take over as a managing editor at KRIV-26:
[H]er impending departure from Channel 11 leaves broadcast journalism in Houston a poorer place. There are desperately few talented radio and TV reporters in Houston (though cubicle neighbor Nancy Holland comes to mind), and when one decides not to be in front of the camera anymore, we're left with a greater percentage of bottle blondes and slicked-back receding hairlines. Without her, Houston is another step closer to epitomizing the unfavorable view most Americans have of broadcast media. And nothing irritates Houstonians more than being a stereotype.The good news is that she's not going far. Mungo will take over as Managing Editor at KRIV Fox 26. If she's allowed to do her thing, we should see more real news our of the Fox outlet, and I, for one, find that reason enough to switch.
I wonder if really good managing editors (tv and print) aren't rarer than really good reporters. This town needs more of both.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/20/05 05:33 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (3)
$AFEclear inspires more memorable quotes
The Chronicle has a wrap-up story on city council's decision to delay voting on Mayor White's proposed $AFEclear changes. Just like yesterday's Chronicle story that had some off-the-wall councilmember quotes, today's story has a couple of doozy quotes, too. The first is from Mayor White:
"Our choice is whether we decide we're going to do some things to impact the safety and traffic on our freeways, or whether we do not," White said shortly after stressing that improving transportation is the No. 1 concern among Houstonians.
"I need you to respect me and do this," White said. "I don't think that if we have 10 different plans, or 14 different plans, we will get it approved. I will work to get consensus, but we won't have it with a moving target."
This has nothing to do with respecting Mayor White. As the $AFEclear plan shows, he has little respect for Houston citizens who are not blessed with lots of disposable income, never mind a citizen's right to determine how to handle a mechanical problem with his or her own car. If the mayor came up with a plan to ban cars from freeways, that would certainly solve Houston's freeway traffic problem, but I think we can confidently state that Council and Houston citizens would not respect the mayor and agree to the plan.
This is not about Mayor White, although he is intent on making it about himself, it seems. It's about a plan that is WRONG on so many levels. However, we do agree with Mayor White that councilmembers need to get off their duffs and make a decision -- preferably shelve the program -- because the longer a decision is delayed, the longer the punitive old plan is in place.
Today's second dopey quote comes from Councilwoman Toni Lawrence, who had this stellar profundity from yesterday:
"If you don't think you can come up with the extra money, your responsibility is to not get on the freeway."
Sounds familiar. According to the Chronicle, Sen. Whitmire read that quote in yesterday's paper:
He said the next time he reads about a Houston official saying indigent motorists should stay off the freeways, he will file a bill to end the city's Safe Clear program or "place it under the review of the Texas Department of Transportation."
Lawrence responded:
Lawrence was unmoved by the threat, saying, "John's gotta do what he's gotta do, and I've gotta do what I've gotta do."
Which must translate into, "I've gotta be an out-of-touch, uncompassionate elite politician, who's gotta fine people for flat tires and impound their cars if they can't pay the fine."
City council needs to shelve this program at the next meeting. As someone said yesterday during the public comments portion of the city council meeting, "The citizens of Houston cannot afford to be victimized by a work in progress." (The person who said that also commented in our forum yesterday.) The mayor and city council can work the bugs and kinks out if they must, but not while Houston-area citizens are guinea pigs.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: It's amazing to me that these councilmembers who CONCEDE there are problems with the original program still voted to tag the Mayor's proposed changes, which are at least an improvement over the current $AFEclear mess.
I just listened to Toni Lawrence on the Chris Baker program contend her statement was taken out of context. No it wasn't. The context is, she said what she said, as reproduced above. I don't think that sort of elitism is going to play very well, and some of these councilmembers seem to be confused about who was elected mayor (they seem to be looking in the mirror and letting their imagination get the best of them).
My preference would be for this program to go away altogether, but that doesn't seem likely. For a handful of elitist councilmembers to stall Mayor White's proposed changes hurts motorists, and also hurts the elitist councilmembers politically. I just don't get it.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/20/05 11:26 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (3)
An editorial page survey of inaugural commentary
The Chronicle's interim editorial page editor James Howard Gibbons made some curious decisions with today's editorial page.
The Chronicle chose not to devote a staff editorial to the second inauguration of President Bush.
Instead, one staff editorial noted that scandals continue to taint the legacy of former Mayor Lee Brown (more on this Chron "discovery" later), and the other staff editorial asserted that, "emotion aside, the United States and France have little choice but to cooperate on every level," while getting in a petty dig at Texans who chose to boycott French goods for a time.
Gibbons did decide to run a highly critical op-ed by Harold Meyerson that denigrates the President and the state of Texas, while extolling that Texan warrior on poverty and the north Vietnamese, Lyndon Baines Johnson. The piece originally appeared in the Washington Post, which had the good sense to run it yesterday, rather than on inaugural day. Meyerson is a staunch liberal who regularly writes for the American Prospect and LA Weekly.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/20/05 11:10 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (1)
McGilbra supervised construction of 911 call center
Here's an eye-opening paragraph in a Chronicle article about former Brown administration official Monique McGilbra:
The charges surrounded an energy contract she oversaw. As the head of the city's Building Services Department, she also helped supervise the construction of the new 911 call center. The developer who won that contract acknowledges that he hired the now-former boyfriend, Garland Hardeman, but said it was unrelated to Hardeman's relationship with McGilbra.
That was a $53 million center she was overseeing, and it is a mess.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/20/05 07:50 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (3)
19 January 2005
Council decides not to decide on $AFEclear changes -- yet
City Council has decided to delay voting on the mayor's proposed $AFEclear changes:
City Council tabled the measure and is scheduled to vote on the Safe Clear program next week.
"I have to have due diligence. I have to know why we're doing things," Councilwoman Pam Holm said.
"As you see from the comments by so many citizens, I think there's serious flaws with the process we're looking at," Councilman Gordon Quan said.
"The clock is ticking on our ability to act decisively," Houston Mayor Bill White said. "So, we have a choice. Our choice is going to be whether we decide we're going to do some things that have an impact on traffic congestion and safety on our freeways or whether we do not."
Before the measure was tabled, more Houstonians got their chance to speak out about the program, which started Jan. 1.
"The citizens of Houston cannot afford to be victimized by a work in progress," a taxpayer said Wednesday during the city council meeting.
You can bet Mayor White wants to get this wrapped up before state Sen. Whitmire gets the Legislature involved.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/19/05 05:22 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (3)
Chron SAFEclear editorial: Better late than never?
On January 9 (and in subsquent posts), we criticized SAFEclear advisor and political science professor Bob Stein's admission that one key assumption in the original SAFEclear program was that the cars of some motorists would be seized and resold by SAFEclear wrecker companies looking to recover the big licensing fees paid to the city.
That admission as much as anything sent talk radio hosts and irate citizens into overdrive, and Mayor White announced revisions to the program shortly thereafter.
Today, the Chronicle inveighs against Stein's admission, a full ten days after this blog criticized it and talk radio took the criticism to another level:
Bob Stein, one of the program's designers, said tow truck operators on the east side were likely to make their profit by impounding and eventually selling the cars of Houstonians too poor to afford the towing charges.
No public service should be predicated on the confiscation of essential property, perhaps leaving low-income workers no way to get to and from work. The revisions before council would reduce the number of occasions that would happen.
We understand from interim editorial page editor James Howard Gibbons that he is enamored with editorials "in their ideal state," but trailing blogs and talk radio by ten days on such a hot local issue doesn't seem ideal (or timely) -- especially when the Chronicle's own news staff originally reported the Stein comments!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/19/05 10:36 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (1)
Was expanding the GRB Convention Center worth it?
L.M. Sixel has a report on the lack of booming business the George R. Brown Convention Center has experienced since its expansion -- taxpayer-financed expansion, of course:
Houston celebrated with fireworks when it kicked off the expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center and construction of the attached 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston hotel four years ago.
The 700,000-square-foot addition, which nearly doubled the center's exhibit space, would finally make Houston a player in the lucrative convention industry. That, in turn, would create jobs and generate other economic benefits, city leaders promised at the groundbreaking.
But was the city's investment in the center really worth it — considering the increased competition from other cities that have made similar investments? Was it a wise move — considering, too, that conventions in general have waned in popularity?
You don't have to be a brain surgeon guess the correct answers. Sixel cites a study that shows business at the convention center fell 69 percent from 1999 to 2003. Of course, city officials have some excuses:
Dawn Ullrich, director of Houston's Convention and Entertainment Facilities Department, said 2003 was during the construction phase when it was difficult to attract conventioneers.
After a big expansion, it takes between three and five years to ramp up, she said. No one wants to be first to book at a new convention center because of worries that the work won't be completed on time.
Ullrich said convention business has been improving since Sept. 11, 2001. The fear of traveling is easing, and video teleconferencing still can't take the place of face-to-face conventions.
But it is a competitive business, more than it was a few years ago, she said.
That's because every town in America, it seems, has built a convention center. It's not hard to find articles that document the folly of cities building convention centers and other related projects at taxpayer expense, with the promised return of jobs and other assorted economic benefits. It never works out that way. Oh sure, some people see a return on the taxpayer investment, but it's never the taxpayers.
And the truth is, conventions just aren't what they used to be:
Improvements in communications technology, which have made conventions less necessary, and industry consolidation, particularly among hardware and home improvement stores, have also contributed to the decline.
As a result, attendance of the nation's 200 largest trade shows is about the same as it was back in 1993, Sanders said in the report.
In the meantime, the amount of convention space nationwide has more than doubled since 1990, according to the study.
Making matters worse, to remain competitive, cities invest additional public funds in lavish convention-center hotels, airport expansions and improved public transportation so visitors can get around easily, according to the study.
The bottom line, Sanders said, is that the promise of expanded economic development is not being realized.
However, a hospitality consultant thinks Houston will come out okay:
But Houston will probably do OK looking out to 2007, because it's taking conventions away from San Antonio and Dallas, Keeling said. But Houston has to build its tourist infrastructure to continue to be an interesting place to visit.
(Emphasis added)
At taxpayer expense, no doubt. And we can guess light rail is included in the tourist infrastructure that must be built.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/19/05 09:23 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
A little fun from Ken Hoffman
Ken Hoffman engages in some fun media criticism in his latest column:
I have never noticed that we're especially fat. I know I have trouble getting a tennis court at Memorial Park. And when I do, I can't find a parking space. So somebody must be exercising.But I'll tell you what is strangely fat about Houston — our TV newscasters.
I bet we have some of the chunkiest newscasters anywhere in the country.
In most large cities, TV reporters look insanely, unhealthily skinny, even with the 10 pounds the camera puts on you. Not in Houston.
When Men's Fitness made the news, I watched chubby people tell us that we're chubby. It made sense. These are the same people who tell us not to stand in floodwater — while they're standing in floodwater.
I hadn't really noticed the weight of our newscasters before. And to think we call ourselves media watchers here at blogHOUSTON! :)
Then there's Hoffman on SAFEclear and politeness:
Houston has its unique standards of etiquette. For example, it's considered polite to say, "Excuse me, sir, but I'll be your tow driver today. Would you like to pay the $75 in cash, check or charge? Or should I drop dead now and let you fix your flat tire?"
Hoffman should be the "cultural" blogger at the Chronicle. No doubt about it. He's interesting and funny (and underneath the humor, pretty pointed).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/19/05 08:17 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
Today's the big $AFEclear day
The Chronicle has a couple of must-read $AFEclear stories today. One is about the city of Houston (not) partnering with Harris County's Motorist Assistance Program and one is about the different plans city councilmembers are proposing, instead of Mayor White's revised $AFEclear program.
The MAP story is frustrating to read, because the city doesn't want to join MAP, and of course we all know why -- MAP won't make the city any money. Mayoral spokesman Pat Trahan offered this insight about why the city can't join MAP:
White's press secretary, Patrick Trahan, said MAP and Safe Clear are different programs. MAP focuses on getting motorists safely moving again, while Safe Clear aims to clear congestion caused by stalled cars and rubbernecking.
Aha. I'm sure Trahan makes nice money to come up with deep thinking like that.
The last paragraph pretty well sums it up:
Wainwright said MAP has assisted about 600,000 motorists since 1986, an average of 128 per day since the program is limited to weekdays, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Safe Clear has towed about 100 vehicles per day.
Welcome to Houston.
The second story details some different $AFEclear plans floating around city council:
White's spokesman Frank Michel said Tuesday that the mayor was conferring with council members who want the cost of the "free" tows to be paid instead by reducing the fees the contractors pay the city for the exclusive right to operate in specific freeway segments.
In effect, Michel said, this would pay for the free tows out of funds earmarked for the Safe Clear program, rather than out of general funds available for various purposes.
Council members Carol Alvarado, Ronald Green and Adrian Garcia said they support that change.
[snip]
Council members Mark Goldberg and Toni Lawrence, who support the program, suggested that instead of providing tows for free, the city should give motorists time to come up with the money.
"If someone can't pay — maybe they don't have the immediate means — they would get a citation which would require them to go to a municipal court within 30 days and pay," Goldberg said. "If they sent in the money before the 30 days, they would not have to appear in court."
Lawrence said: "If you don't think you can come up with the extra money, your responsibility is to not get on the freeway."
Councilman Mark Ellis agreed with giving drivers a grace period and suggested cutting the fee to $35 for short tows that would be free under White's proposal.
Councilwoman Pam Holm said it is "inappropriate" for taxpayers to pay because a motorist's car broke down.
"The city doesn't owe that to anybody," Holm said. "If you're able to drive a car, you ought to be able to maintain it."
Councilman Goldberg's idea is one that he discussed on air with Dan Patrick the other day. Patrick thinks it's a great idea, too. So if you break down and can't afford the punitive towing fee, you get a court date, but if you can come up with the money in 30 days you can avoid court. That's bizarre. A flat tire = a court date.
And, Councilwoman Holm (along with Toni Lawrence) is not going to win our compassionate politician of the week award with her comments. I wonder if Holm has ever had a tire blow out due to road debris that the city did not clear within six minutes?
(Dermatologist) Councilwoman Sekula-Gibbs wants the whole plan shelved. I strongly disagree with her smoking ban idea, but I agree with her on her $AFEclear opposition.
This morning the public has the opportunity to address Council and the vote should happen later today.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Hey, we get to go PowerLine style on this post!
That's the most coverage I've seen from the Chronicle on MAP. It might have been useful if they had run more on MAP earlier in the debate, like some blogs!
It's interesting that Goldberg, Lawrence, Ellis, and Holm have endorsed (in some fashion) Patrick's elitist notion that you shouldn't be on the freeways if you don't have $75 to spare. That should make for some useful opposition political research at some point. Even more interesting, though, is that it shows the extent to which Mayor White has sucked the air out of the old conservative council bloc that was so troublesome to the last mayor. We've seen stories suggesting Mayor White is politically wounded from this. I'd suggest otherwise.
It's also interesting that Alvarado, Garcia, and Green advocate making a change in the accounting of funds. While that makes sense conceptually, it sort of illustrates how little they've had to say about the substance of this matter.
Why in the world didn't the Chronicle story mention the difference between the estimated cost ($300,000) of the "free" towing and the SAFEclear fees collected from wreckers ($1 million, according to Bob Stein)? The story cried for those numbers, but they aren't there.
RELATED COVERAGE: Houston towing policy stalls (Bruce Nichols, Dallas Morning News), Vote on new SAFEclear program could be delayed (Reggie Aqui, KHOU), Interview with Councilman Michael Berry (KHOU, Windows Media video).
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/19/05 07:23 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
18 January 2005
Metro stops paying smart card developer
Metro has stopped paying the company who was supposed to deliver a working smart card fare system:
"We have spent $4 million so far. We have stopped paying," says Metro President & CEO Frank Wilson.
Now, Metro officials say the California contractor behind this technology hasn't delivered what it promised.
"We sent a notice of default to Cubic Transportation Systems ostensibly for failing to deliver a complete and timely smart card system," says Wilson.
This has been going on for a while now. Cubic was supposed to deliver a functioning stored-value card system when the light rail opened. Back in November, Metro hired a consultant to oversee Cubic, and perhaps the decision to stop paying Cubic is the result of the consultant's oversight work.
Hopefully Metro will be able to pursue Cubic to either fix the system that should have been working a year ago, or get back some of the $4 million Metro has already paid for the unfunctioning mess it is currently stuck with.
UPDATE: The Chronicle has more on this story.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/18/05 07:32 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (1)
Lee Brown legacy continues to grow
KHOU-11 reports that another staffer from the Lee Brown Administration is facing serious legal charges:
Another member of the former Houston Mayor Lee Brown's administration is in trouble with the law.
The former head of building services for the city of Houston, Monique McGilbra, has been charged with extortion and depriving the city of Houston with honest services.
She is the second in as many months who worked for Mayor Brown who is now facing charges.
Back in December Oliver Spellman, the former chief of staff for Brown, pleaded guilty in federal court to taking bribes in exchange for city contracts.
Spellman will be sentenced in March.
We'll give KHOU a pass on the instance of nearly incomprehensible prose in this story since they were the first online with it.
Perhaps later, another enterprising news outlet will reach the bumbling former mayor at the Endowed Dumpster for comment.
RELATED: Who is Nate Gray? (bH), Lee Brown: The legacy continues to grow (bH), Mayor to review city contracts for impropriety (KHOU).
UPDATE (01-19-2005): Additional coverage from the Chronicle, KTRK-13, and KPRC-2.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/18/05 02:15 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (1)
City Council to hear public's concerns about $AFEclear
Following up on Kevin Whited's post this morning about City Council taking up $AFEclear revisions this week, KPRC-2 has this notice on its website:
Houstonians will get the opportunity to voice their opinions about the city's new controversial Safe Clear program Tuesday night.
That's incorrect. I just called the City Secretary's office and was told there is no public session tonight; it will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) morning at 9:30, and councilmembers will vote tomorrow evening.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/18/05 01:48 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
Tow truck driver gets caught in $AFEclear's muddled details
I wonder if Mayor White and David Saperstein can admit that $AFEclear wasn't the most well-thought-out idea in city history. The fact that some major changes have been proposed a couple of weeks after the forced towing program was implemented would be one sign. Another sign might be that police and wrecker drivers are unclear on the technicalities of who can respond to a $AFEclear call and who can't, as evidenced by this KHOU-11 story:
Yun Gim was in his truck after midnight Wednesday when he heard the accident, then got the call.
He says Houston Police Officer wanted a nearby wrecker to clear a dangerous situation from the Katy Freeway.
Gim says that when he arrived, he told the officer that he was not a Safe Clear driver. The officer said that didn't matter and told him to hook up the car.
He towed the car to a lot on the city's northwest side.
A day later, he says another HPD officer called him back to the lot.
"I'm upset to get the ticket, so I wanna find out what's the deal for the ticket," Gim says.
He was stunned by the illegal tow ticket he received, that could cost him as much as $700. He also had a letter from the city that said any wrecker can tow off a freeway if an officer says it's an emergency.
"Whether he just got hung in a situation and did something that he shouldn't have, I really don't know," says Ken Ulmer of A-1/Safetow Towing.
Ulmer owns the rights to the stretch of freeway where the accident happened. He says his driver told him a different story.
"He was there, and that it was not an emergency situation," says Ulmer of his driver.
Yun Gim says he will fight what he sees as an unfair and aggressive maneuver; the latest skirmish in what could be a long battle.
It comes down to the question of whether or not the officer called the scene an emergency. An HPD spokesperson said the department is looking into it, but there was not an answer Monday afternoon.
Let's see...that $700 can pay for 14 $AFEclear tows!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/18/05 08:26 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (7)
Banjo Jones recounts "gonzo" journalist days
Banjo Jones of the Brazosport News is scheduled to be on the NPR program "Day to Day" later.
Banjo was interviewed yesterday about getting called down to 801 Texas Avenue a couple of years back, and being dismissed over his blog (following a telephone cursing from Jeff Cohen). He's been interviewed a number of times about the matter, but this is the first time he's provided a written account himself.
How much better would the Chronicle have been to put Banjo to work blogging? Instead, we have this.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/18/05 08:05 AM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (2)
Morning talk about SAFEclear
KTRH-740 just ran a report on the SAFEclear program today that included a blurb from "political scientist Bob Stein," who unsurprisingly spoke in defense of the program. He was not identified as one of the architects of the program, nor was it mentioned that his wife is an advisor to Mayor White. It should have been. Even better, the reporter might have found a more objective analyst. Bob Stein is not the only political scientist in town.
Elsewhere on the morning dial, KSEV-700 host Edd Hendee will be reporting live during the week via satellite phone from Iraq, where he is joining American troops as an embed. That likely means some morning studio time for Chris Begala (who is in today for Hendee, and conveying the Dan Patrick line that motorists without $75 for a tow should stay off the freeways).
Council takes up the Mayor's proposed SAFEclear revisions this week.
UPDATE: Lone Star Times posts Hendee's first dispatch from Iraq.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/18/05 07:43 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
17 January 2005
Chron "blogger" comes unhinged, imagines death wishes
Our little blog seems to have brought out the worst in the Chronicle's designated "blogger," Kyrie "MeMo" O'Connor today:
My don Dwight reports to me that people want me dead. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration. A couple of people on some dopey Web site (and no, I'm not giving them more traffic) have left postings saying that I should hang or, in one case, hang and "cook." Now all that sounds a little scary-Iraqi to me, but hey. I think it's weird to want someone to die merely because you hate her blog. Not like, oh, being an ex-roommate stuck with the phone bill. Hey, it's a blog. Don't read it if it makes you want me to die, OK? It's not good for you or your karma. Go back to faking the charitable donations on your income tax or cat-hoarding or corresponding with hot teenage Russian girls on the Internet or picking at that pesky boil or whatever else you do with your spare time. We clear on that? Good.
Wait, let me correct myself (try it sometime, Chronicle editors!) -- our little blog hasn't brought out the worst in MeMo, but rather some of our blog commenters in this thread seem to have enraged her.
Now, one would expect a bigshot "blogger" for a major media outlet to know the difference between blog posts, and comments left in response to said blog posts, but since MeMo's little column that masquerades as a blog doesn't allow comments or trackback, perhaps she doesn't. For that matter, one would expect a bigshot "blogger" and Wesleyan alum (as she reminds us again today, for no apparent reason) to know the difference between death threats and a little blog commentary hyperbole. We're all about free speech here at blogHOUSTON and about engaging our readers in a hyperlocal conversation, but we don't provide a forum for hate speech, and an actual death threat would not fall within our posted terms of use.
So, let's be clear that no blogger on this "dopey website" made any death threats against Kyrie "MeMo" O'Connor, and it's beyond "a bit of an exaggeration" to suggest that any commenter has done so. Indeed, dismissing her newspaper's critics as purveyors of hate speech seems more like a deliberate smear. Maybe she learned that trick from Rick Casey?
As for picking at "that pesky boil" -- you can bet we're gonna keep picking at the Chronicle! Ignore us or smear us as you will, but we're not going away.
We clear on that, MeMo? Good.
However, I would like to welcome our visitors who regularly drop in from Chron.com IP addresses and are referred by internal Chron email addresses. I realize that certain coworkers probably don't want you to be part of our hyperlocal conversation, but you must not be totally buying it since you keep visiting. We surely don't wish any of you to die, and you shouldn't believe any raging features page editors who shriek otherwise.
RELATED: Frequent blogHOUSTON commenter and nationally recognized cat blogger Laurence Simon comments.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/17/05 08:45 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (37)
Harris County's "honor system" voter registration
I've left comments on various blogs to the effect that I didn't think the Talmadge Heflin election challenge was going anywhere, mainly because I don't think Republican lawmakers want to be drawn into that fight, especially when it seems unlikely Heflin would win a new race, given the inept campaign he ran the last time.
However, I've also said that a side benefit to the scrutiny resulting from the election challenge might well be that we get a handle on all sorts of voting problems that aren't necessarily an effort to "steal" an election (as has been alleged in some quarters) but are nonetheless problems.
On Sunday, Joe Stinebaker wrote about one of those problems that need some sunshine:
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/17/05 06:26 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
The Chronicle and Metro celebrate one year of light rail
The Chronicle has had a successful year of promoting light rail, carefully following the rules laid out by the infamous pro-rail memo, which was accidentally posted on the Chronicle's website, and yesterday and today we have been treated to two stories and one interview celebrating the one year anniversary.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/17/05 12:58 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (3)
One-way Westheimer
Here's a fun question and answer in today's Move It! column:
Q: Has anyone ever considered making Westheimer one way outbound from about Loop 610 to Texas 6 and Richmond one way inbound for the same stretch? That would really speed traffic in the area. It would eliminate left-hand turns across traffic and allow many signals to be eliminated.
— Greg Staff, Cypress
A: David Saperstein, chairman of the Mayor's Office of Mobility, proposed doing exactly what you suggested last year. But the city will not ask the Texas Department of Transportation to make the one-way conversion because too many business owners along Westheimer objected to it, Saperstein said.
"They felt they would get killed with it," he said. "They worried that because of the large width of the street, if you were driving on one side of the street and then you see something you want to do on the other side, you couldn't switch over to make it."
Saperstein said he disagreed, but is honoring the retailers' request to let the two-way configuration remain.
Other efforts are under way to improve the flow on Westheimer, however. The city reprogrammed the traffic signals in this corridor last year, resulting in a 20 percent drop in travel times, according to its survey. Also, Saperstein notes, the city is posting "no left turn" signs at intersections without signals along Westheimer to discourage drivers coming out of side streets and parking lots from attempting to turn across several lanes of traffic. Instead, you should turn right and make a U-turn at the next signal.
Janelle Gbur, TxDOT spokeswoman, said changing Westheimer and Richmond to one-way streets has been discussed and studied for two decades. While the state has never concluded that is necessary, it is working on other improvements to Westheimer. A $1.9 million project is in progress to reduce the number of median openings and increase protected left-turn lanes. That work is scheduled to wrap up in April.
David Saperstein is full of great ideas to get traffic moving, isn't he? And it's very gracious of him to honor "the retailers' request to let the two-way configuration remain."
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/17/05 10:30 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (3)
16 January 2005
Chronicle dinosaur celebrates his ninth inauguration
Speaking of dinosaurs, Cragg Hines writes that this will be his ninth presidential inauguration. (Let's give the old guy a break and retire him, Jeff Cohen.) The column is typical Hines, as he frets that inauguration contributors are wealthy corporations and fat cats looking for favors (as if that's never happened before), with a Tom DeLay reference thrown in for good measure:
The fig-leaf explanation for all the largess is that somebody has to pay for the folderol, so better corporate treasuries and seriously overstuffed fat cats than the taxpayers. There's a point to that argument, but only if you're willing to throw out everything else we know about the generally corrupting influence of money on the political process (and remember that this is coming from someone who didn't think that McCain-Feingold was all that hot).The only thing worrying inaugural planners is that all the budgeted $40 million has not yet been wrung out of the wide swath of American business and industry whose bottom line has prospered over the last four years or whose prospects over the next four are entwined with government policy.
This is a case for Tom DeLay's maximum-extraction team, at least the ones who are not under indictment.
[snip]
Don't get me wrong. I like a party as much as the next person. And I will be out and about over the next week at a few of the better sort of soiree, which may have a corporate sponsorship. It will be, you must understand, solely in my inquiring-reporter role.
Hear the dinosaur ROAR -- as he's sampling the hors d'oeuvres.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/16/05 10:11 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (4)
Councilwoman says $AFEclear is socialized towing
Dr. Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs has an op-ed in today's Chronicle where she says the $AFEclear program, even with the proposed changes, is nothing more than socialized towing:
I understand the need to keep traffic moving, but I champion common sense and individual rights.
The Safe Clear Program is flawed. It is not uniformly enforced. Citizens have no idea how it works. Individual rights are run over. It is unsafe for seniors, women and children who may have to wait hours for a ride.
To make matters worse, state lawmakers have threatened legislative action against the city if we don't pull the plug. Why should we allow the state to fix problems created at City Hall? City Council members need to solve this problem, not the state.City Council should vote to repeal the program. We should send it back to the mayor for further study.
Only this time around, the process needs more transparency and public involvement. People should be informed well in advance so they know what to expect. A public information campaign should be put in place before the new program takes effect.
It sounds very sensible, so chances are it won't happen. But the Dr. Councilwoman has a few days before the city council vote, and maybe she can convince enough of her fellow councilmembers to repeal the heavy-handed program.
What strikes me, though, is the irony of the Dr. Councilwoman's position because she is in favor of a smoking ban in Houston bars and restaurants, so she wants a Big Government solution to what she says is a dire health and safety problem. The mayor wants to tow cars forcibly off Houston freeways, so he created a Big Government solution to what he says is a dire health and safety problem (albeit a safety problem that was previously unknown to anyone but himself, David Saperstein and Councilman Michael Berry. Oh, and Dan Patrick).
Personally I would love to see the Dr. Councilwoman succeed in getting the $AFEclear program shelved; I just find it amusing to contrast her opposition to $AFEclear with her enthusiasm for a smoking ban.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/16/05 08:26 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (8)
15 January 2005
A prime example of an irrelevant editorial page
At the start of the year, we tossed out some suggestions by which the Chronicle might improve a product clearly in decline (not to mention a business doing so poorly that it had to resort to massive layoffs and other downsizing in 2004).
A common theme of those suggestions was that the newspaper should embrace many of the concepts of open-source journalism inherent in blogging, and should focus resources on improving its local and state coverage. Specifically, we suggested that its out-of-touch editorial board should adopt a blog, in order to bring transparency to the newspaper and to head off ill-informed editorials that never should be printed by a quality newspaper.
Today, the Chronicle's "interim editorial page editor" James Howard Gibbons provides his response in the snide, dismissive, and ill-informed manner that characterizes too many staff editorials that appear in the newspaper:
Web logs, or blogs, are the hot new medium for commentary. So many have sprung up that one can only tend to a narrow selection or a digest of highlights.I have sampled a few blogs, but enjoyed fewer. Though reluctant to do anyone an injustice, I find that most blogs lack the elegance, wit and insight one looks for in magazine commentary and editorial pages in their ideal state.
Mr. Gibbons then goes on to post what he considers a "Webless log, or slog." His "slog posts" are, frankly, embarrassing. One feels for the dinosaur, thrashing about in his last days, painfully oblivious to the changing world around him.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/15/05 06:16 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (15)
Chron editorial board settles 1999 grudge
The Chronicle posts an amusing correction to a staff editorial (of all things!) today:
Mike Toomey is a lobbyist and former chief of staff to Gov. Rick Perry. An editorial on Page B8 of Friday's City & State section misidentified him.
Yesterday's house editorial erroneously referred to "Mark Toomey, a crony of then-Lt. Gov. Rick Perry."
Now, it's well known that Toomey is a longtime friend of Perry. But the Chronicle editorial board apparently couldn't wait to use the more pejorative term "crony," a not-so-subtle slap that a quality newspaper wouldn't have made. Then again, a quality newspaper would have gotten the man's name right, since Toomey has now served as chief of staff for two governors, is a prominent lobbyist, and is generally regarded (for better or worse) as a mover in Texas politics.
For that matter, a quality newspaper probably wouldn't have run such a misleading and incoherent editorial in the first place.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/15/05 03:31 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
Just don't call them illegal immigrants
Today's "Religion" section in the Chronicle has what can best be described as an advocacy-journalism piece. Yes, in the "Religion" section, of all places!
ALTAR, MEXICO - Along a northbound dirt road, a young couple clad in jeans and T-shirts jump out of an idling van and walk toward the path's edge, making for a white concrete box with an ornate, wrought-iron cross perched on top.
Dozens of candles — some lit, some melted, some broken — are crammed inside the 5-foot-tall makeshift altar, along with statues of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Jude, patron saint of lost causes.
As the couple kneel before the display with bowed heads, a little boy runs out of the van and kisses the ground.
The humble spot about 60 miles south of the Mexico-Arizona border serves as one of the last places where migrants worship before being shuttled to spots where they will attempt to slip illegally into the United States on foot.
In some circles, those migrants looking to make a better life for themselves are actually known as illegal immigrants. And I wonder if that shrine is on public land. I know it's in Mexico, but I wonder if Kay Staley needs to strike up a new cause, because if those "migrants" are coming to the U.S., they'd better learn how our system of religious tolerance works.
KEVIN ADDS: I don't have much to add substantively, but I did notice this was AP wire copy. It's always kind of interesting to see what sorts of wire stories the Chronicle editors pick for the print editions (and the editing they perform), given the huge amount of material out there that they might have run. A newspaper like the Chronicle doesn't have the resources or expertise to do many features (or national or international) of their own -- certainly not like the New York Times or LA Times. Thus, the newspaper will only be as good in those areas as the editors who sift through the wire copy and make the selections. As we've noted before, the Chronicle could stand to improve in this area.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/15/05 12:13 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (7)
Chronicle continues to enable Metro
In today's Chronicle, Lucas Wall writes up the story that KHOU-11 had a couple of days ago about Metro pulling security guards from Park and Ride lots. Unfortunately, Wall didn't appear to do much digging and instead relied upon Metro for all his facts:
Metro police Capt. Mike Raney said it was not cost effective to keep the guards when a video system can be installed for an up-front cost of about $2 million and be in operation for numerous years at little cost.
The surveillance system, which will be monitored by police at Houston TranStar, will be installed this summer.
Thefts at Park & Ride lots, where commuters catch express buses into the city center or meet car pools, are rare, according to Metro police. Raney said there were only six automobile burglaries reported in December and 16 in November. When there's a rash of items stolen from cars at a certain lot, police send undercover officers to watch for thieves, Raney said.
"I assure you if there's any type of spike in crime, we're out there," he said. "We've never been an agency that has let crime become an ongoing problem. People feel safe, feel their cars are safe, and we're going to make sure that continues to happen."
Metro police officers who patrol HOV lanes are now also cruising through the Park & Ride lots during the mid-day period.
I don't know that I would characterize 22 automobile burglaries in two months as rare. I suppose it depends on one's perspective, but if I'm one of those 22, I'm not going to be happy to hear that Metro thinks there's not a problem. And according to KHOU-11, actual crime incidents at Metro facilities are not rare at all:
An 11 News investigation uncovered thousands of calls for help from Metro transit locations. Many calls were for burglary of a vehicle or car theft but the cases also included assault, aggravated assault, sexual assault and even homicides.
So, Metro has decided to save some bucks, because money is tight with the massive debt light rail has caused Metro, and become reactive about crime. Instead of having a visible deterrent in security guards, Metro is going to fight crime on the cheap and respond when something is seen on a security camera. Wall should have taken this opportunity to fact check Metro police, like KHOU-11 did, but apparently he couldn't be bothered.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/15/05 08:35 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (4)
14 January 2005
Unfunny radio alert
MeMo's going to be on the radio tomorrow morning:
6. FYI: (shameless self-promotion) MeMo will be on her favorite radio show, Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me Saturday at 10 a.m. on KUHF 88.7 And Roy Blount Jr. is so funny he should get a special seat in heaven.
The last time she was on that show, some of us at blogHOUSTON made the supreme sacrifice and tuned in. If this is as "funny" as her last appearance, we will probably be busy tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/14/05 04:35 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (6)
Southwest Freeway closed this weekend
Here's a big traffic headache for the weekend:
If your weekend itinerary takes you on the Southwest Freeway near downtown, the Texas Department of Transportation has a suggestion for you ... change those plans.
The freeway will be closed in both directions starting at 9 p.m. Friday. That means you won't be able to use the old elevated section of Hwy. 59 between Shepherd and Hwy. 288.
Also, Spur 527 is being rebuilt so drivers will still have to navigate around that closure.
This is part of a complete overhaul of that stretch of freeway. Crews will take down the elevated structure and begin construction of the second half of the new depressed section.
This closure will remain in effect until early Sunday morning, although TXDOT claims that if the weather is good, they could be finished sooner than that.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/14/05 12:32 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (5)
Metro and Houston Marathon are living in perfect harmony
Here's a very entertaining press release from Metro, describing a new era of cooperation with Houston Marathon organizers and a new era of marathon-watching for spectators:
METRO and the HP Houston Marathon today announced that they will work together this year to incorporate the METRORail system into the popular annual event, aiming to enhance the experience for both racers and the public.
"METRORail is at the center of Houston, so it's not surprising that the Marathon course crosses the system," said METRO Chairman David S. Wolff. "But, working together, we've turned that from a possible problem to an advantage."
METRO has agreed to turn back rail service at the Main Street Square Station during Sunday's (Jan. 16) race. The HP Houston Marathon has agreed to move the course from Lamar to Rusk, which is north of the Main Street Station.
Wolff said fans can come downtown to watch the start, take the train to Hermann Park or the Medical Center to see the middle of the race, and ride it back downtown to catch the finish. "Working together, we think we've come up with a plan that will make the race a better experience for both racers and their fans," he said.
"This has the potential to completely change the experience for spectators and the general public," said Wolff. "Previously, spectators stood in one place and waited for their racer or racers to go by. Now they can see the beginning, middle and end."
The METRO chairman said he hopes the cooperation between the Marathon and METRORail will help turn race day into a public celebration, bringing many more people into the city to enjoy the event and the company of other Houstonians.
To mark the pact between the marathon and METRO, a METRO trolley will be the official pace car in this year's race.
You can't make this stuff up.
And be on the lookout for a glowing Chronicle story on this newfound cooperation, which apparently will lead to a big warm fuzzy feeling for all Houstonians, and some new riders for Metro.
UPDATE: Right on cue, Saturday's Chronicle has the story:
MetroRail is modifying its service Sunday for the HP Houston Marathon, allowing runners to safely cross the tracks and giving fans the option of viewing different parts of the race.
Transit and marathon officials say the adjustments will improve the atmosphere for race fans. Last year, they clashed over the race course.
"We've turned from a possible problem to an advantage," Metro Chairman David Wolff said in a statement announcing the agreement. "Working together, we think we've come up with a plan that will make the race a better experience for both racers and their fans."
[snip]
Steven Karpas, the marathon's managing director, credits Metro's new leadership for "the perfect compromise" worked out to minimize the disruption of train service.
"The changes that we have come up with jointly, we feel, will enhance our race," he said. "This will allow us to have a better finish by going further north in downtown."
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/14/05 08:35 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (9)
The mysterious EZ Tag
The Chronicle has the story of a woman who managed to rack up $17,651 in fines because she likes to use the tollways without the hassle and bother of an EZ Tag:
Adams has managed to amass $17,651.25 in fines and violations for misusing EZ Tag lanes since March 2003, Harvey said.
Adams was caught in a previous sting, Harvey said. The Harris County Attorney's Office has a judgment against her for misusing EZ Tag lanes, but Harvey said Adams not only never paid what she owed, "she kept on violating."
[snip]
Adams' prize Wednesday was a trip to jail, where she remained Thursday in lieu of $200 bail, according to court records. Her car was towed away and booted, Harvey said. To ransom her car, Adams must now try to work out a deal with Linebarger to pay off her fines.
This extreme story reminded me of an old Lucas Wall "Move It!" column where he dealt with this clueless question:
Q: I am a user of the Westpark Tollway. However, I see that I might need an EZ Tag. I have been unable to find out how or where I can get such a tag. There is no info on the new toll road about this. Can you help me?
— Catherine Burns, Houston
A: First, stop driving on the Westpark Tollway until you buy an EZ Tag, the electronic device that attaches to your windshield so you can pay tolls electronically. You'll notice there are no traditional toll booths that accept cash.
Every time you have driven on the Westpark your license plate has been photographed by the Harris County Toll Road Authority's automated enforcement system. The cameras recognize when a car drives through a sensor without a tag. You can expect to receive tickets in the mail soon.
Good grief!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/14/05 07:32 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (4)
There's still some $AFEclear opposition
State Sen. John Whitmire is not sold on Mayor White's proposed $AFEclear changes:
"I appreciate the city going back to the drawing board, but they need to stay there," said state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston.
"There is something wrong when people don't understand the plight of people who have zero money but could safely ... repair their automobile on the freeway shoulder," Whitmire said.
He said he is concerned that drivers who can neither pay towing fees nor qualify for free tows could lose their cars to storage yards, which would resell them. And he said police should not be providing a taxi service for the stranded passengers.
[snip]
Whitmire said there is support in the Legislature for requiring approval from the Texas Transportation Commission for cities' highway towing ordinances to ensure they are "reasonable and consistent with other jurisdictions."
"A high percentage of Houston motorists are from out of town, and as they pass through the different cities and the county there are different policies," Whitmire said.
Those last two paragraphs are interesting. It doesn't mean that $AFEclear would have to be shelved, but the Legislature might require Houston to have a freeway-clearing program that is in line with what other Texas cities do.
Councilwoman Addie Wiseman has her own concerns with the $AFEclear modifications:
Councilwoman Addie Wiseman, who voted against the ordinance, was skeptical of the proposed changes. "I fear that this latest knee-jerk move will only bring us additional legal problems. I don't think anything has been resolved here," she said.
Wiseman said she wants to see the exact language White will offer and where the money will come from. "Give us the numbers," she said. "When we looked through the budget last year, I didn't see a $300,000 slush fund sitting around. I want to know what will be sacrificed for this.
"Also, if vehicles on the shoulders present a safety hazard, then why are police vehicles allowed to sit there, with the officer standing behind them checking his radar?"
And Councilwoman Carol Mims-Galloway has asked Mayor White for a moratorium on the $AFEclear program until the changes are approved by city council. The old $AFEclear rules remain in effect until city council gives its okay, as one driver discovered:
Arlene Cuellar felt caught in the middle Wednesday when her disabled vehicle was towed from the South Loop and she had to shell out the fee. Under the current plan, she had to pay $78 -- $75 for the mandatory fee and $3 for extra mileage.
"I just don't think it's fair because I'm a single mother and really can't afford it. But what choice do you have?" Cuellar said.
Under the changes Houston City Council is expected to pass next week, Cuellar would have qualified for a free tow up to one mile.
"I saw on the news last night where it said they were going to try and do it up to a mile free and then you try to get your car fixed from there. But I asked (the wrecker driver) and he said, 'No, it's in the making but they're working on it,'" Cuellar said.
The Chronicle story also says that Councilwoman Galloway has asked Mayor White to have Houston partner with Harris County in the Motorist Assistance Program. That idea, of course, is loaded with common sense, but I would guess the mayor can't do that because of all the franchise fees the towing companies paid for freeway rights. The city does not want to give back that money.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/14/05 07:03 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
13 January 2005
Food and drink roundup (1-13-2005 edition)
Houston's food and drink reviewers are just plain ... nice this week.
Alison Cook plans on returning to Saffron, despite the weak wine list, inconsistent service, shortages of menu items, and other problems described in her review. The "moody" room and those $9 exotic mixed drinks must really be all that. Back in November, Robb Walsh wrote that the food really was all that. So maybe it is.
Walsh doesn't bother with that much detail in this week's review of Cajun Town Cafe, run by a Salvadoran-American who learned "Cajun" cooking by working his way through the Greek-American Pappas faux-Cajun chain. The snapper isn't Red snapper (but some fish that comes from somewhere, according to the restaurant), the red beans and rice with Cajun sausage were disappointing, and the gumbo was "wimpy." But Walsh liked the cafe's rendition of those Cajun mainstays, cornbread and fried catfish.
Ken Hoffman posts a review of Dunkin' Donuts' impressive "limited time only" Steak Egg and Cheese breakfast sandwich. The thing packs a massive 590 calories, 24 grams of fat, and 66 grams of carbs!
Finally, Amanda Orr posts a generic review of a generic English pub, Baker St. Pub in the Village.
Enjoy your food and drink this weekend, and watch out for those freeway tow trucks! (the mayor's changes do not take place until council approves them next week)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/13/05 10:50 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (0)
Metro pulls security guards from Park and Ride lots
KHOU-11 did some investigating and discovered that Metro isn't manning security booths at Park and Ride lots anymore:
Metro Park and Ride locations will no longer be watched over by security guards. Metro has decided to pull the guards, but increase patrols at the 26 Park and Ride locations.
Metro says it was spending $1.2 million on the full-time guards who didn't have weapons or the authority to make arrests. But they did provide peace of mind for daily riders like Debbie Moll.
"I don't like it at all," Moll said. "It's scary."
Metro says they didn't make the decision lightly.
"Well, the safety of an individual has never been a problem on a Park and Ride -- very few crimes on an individual," said Capt. Mike Raney with the Metro Police Department.
Diana Garcia would argue with that. She was attacked at a Park and Ride lot last year.
"They grabbed my sweater... and they pushed me back and said 'do you have any money?'" Garcia told 11 News. "They had a knife. A butterfly thing cause they swinged it. So I just got scared."
She's not the only one.
An 11 News investigation uncovered thousands of calls for help from Metro transit locations. Many calls were for burglary of a vehicle or car theft but the cases also included assault, aggravated assault, sexual assault and even homicides.
[snip]
Metro wouldn't say how many officers will patrol the lots. They also plan to add security cameras at each lot by the summer.
Metro has had previous problems with crime at some of its locations, and then there was that problem of a Metro police officer taking a snooze while supposedly on the job.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/13/05 01:27 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (7)
Chronicle beefs up circulation numbers with "freebies"
Banjo Jones notes that the Chronicle has made a New York Times top ten list:
In the shady business of newspaper circulation figures, the Houston Chronicle ranks 5th in the USA for the percentage of papers that are sold to "third parties" and given away.
The New York Times reports Monday that 8.2 percent of the Chron's 740,005 paid circulation is comprised of third party sales.
[snip]
Kudos to the Chron, which managed to miss being named in the body of the NYT story (whew!) but was listed at #5 in an accompanying graphic that lists the newspapers that take advantage of the new third-party sales rule.
We say kudos because when new management took over at the Chron nearly three years ago, a vow was made to craft Houston's only daily newspaper into one of the nation's leading periodicals, and ranking #5 in a NYT list is something to hang your hat on. As the saying goes, as long as the media spells your name right, any publicity is good publicity.
Here's the link to the graph that shows the Chronicle ranked #5.
Some of us have been suspicious of the Chronicle's circulation numbers for a while and there are many stories around Houston of people cancelling their subscriptions and still getting a paper tossed in their yard every morning. So, the Chronicle's publisher can spin like a top, but we know the Chronicle's numbers most likely aren't what the higher-ups say they are.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/13/05 08:07 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (4)
International festival returning to downtown Houston
The Houston International Festival will be returning to downtown, after a one-year stint on the parking lots of the Reliant sports complex.
Kudos to city leaders and festival officials for coming to agreement so that Houston's festival could return to the downtown streets and parks it has called home for most of its history. It never made sense for the festival to move to a generic parking lot given the renewal going on downtown.
This year's theme will be India, and the dates of the festival will be April 23-24 and April 3-May 1.
RELATED COVERAGE: KTRK-13, KHOU-11.
UPDATE: Here are further thoughts from prolific blogHOUSTON commenter Laurence Simon.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/13/05 07:58 AM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (2)
12 January 2005
Some thoughts on the SAFEclear revisions
As Anne Linehan noted earlier, Mayor White has announced changes to the controversial SAFEclear program that has been a hot topic on talk radio and blogs (especially this one) for over a week now.
The original, draconian program called for near-immediate towing of any disabled vehicle on Houston freeways regardless of the extent of the disablement for a non-negotiable fee of $75. Motorists without $75 would suffer vehicle seizure and accrue additional administrative and impound fees, in some cases for a simple flat tire. We later learned from advisor and Rice University Professor Bob Stein that towing companies actually anticipated seizure and reselling of vehicles as part of their incentive for bidding for SAFEclear permits, which he said netted the city $1 million in new revenues.
All along, Mayor White, traffic czar Saperstein, and Councilman Berry have contended that the SAFEclear program is absolutely necessary for reasons of public safety and to improve mobility. Conservative talk radio host Dan Patrick backed them on this contention.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/12/05 10:43 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (11)
Digging a deeper $AFEclear hole
Mayor White has proposed "free" tows, in the $AFEclear program, for minor breakdowns such as when a car has a flat tire or runs out of gas. But (there's always a but), it won't really be free. The city will pay $50 for each of those tows out of city transportation funds, according to a report on KTRH.
A car will be towed up to one mile or to the nearest gas station on the city's dime. If the problem is a flat tire, the tow truck driver will change the tire. If the problem is the car is out of gas, the tow truck driver will take the car to the nearest gas station. (It would be faster and cheaper for the tow truck driver to carry gas and put some in the tank.)
The immediate question is how can the city all of a sudden afford this? Chris Baker is saying Metro funds will be used, but Metro is already in a financial pinch. If the city is now going to subsidize tows, why doesn't the city help fund an expanded Motorist Assistance Program, instead? That program is already established and doesn't have all the problems that plague $AFEclear.
The reality is that towing companies paid franchise fees for freeway rights and they expect to get a return on their investment. So, the mayor could not shelve $AFEclear; he had to find a way to calm down the anti-$AFEclear uproar AND not have the towing companies go ballistic, which is why towing companies had to approve any changes to the program.
Of course, this whole mess could have been avoided if $AFEclear had never been enacted.
Here's some information from the city of Houston and here's the Chronicle's story on the changes.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/12/05 05:07 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (7)
A $AFEclear question
Something about $AFEclear has been gnawing at Rob Booth:
Back in 2003, a law went into effect that required drivers in Texas to move over one lane or slow down by 20 miles per hour when passing an emergency vehicle with its lights flashing on the shoulder. It was called the Move Over Act. There was an e-mail that made the rounds after Houston set up speed traps using this law as an excuse to write tickets.
Does anyone remember what the problem was that this law was designed to reduce?
According to officials at the time, people weren't slowing down when law enforcement officers were parked on the shoulder with their lights on.
[snip]
So now I'd like to know, which is it? Are we slowing down when we see cars by the side of the road or aren't we? Show me the studies.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/12/05 02:08 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
$AFEclear lives on
A KPRC-950 newsbreak just mentioned that Mayor White may propose that tows for people who cannot afford $75 should be subsidized by raising the towing fees for others drivers. Maybe the mayor reads blogHOUSTON.
And a Chronicle article has more from the mayor's traffic czar, David Saperstein, on possible program changes:
David Saperstein, the mayor's mobility chairman, said he's presented White with several options. One would establish a reduced charge for simply being towed off the freeway to the nearest parking lot for an insignificant repair.
Hardly anyone who has been towed under Safe Clear since a pilot project on the Katy Freeway began in March has voiced objections, he said.
"We handled two complaints from the Katy pilot," Saperstein said.
Any motorist short on funds should ask the wrecker driver to deliver the car to the nearest mechanic, Saperstein said, which likely will pay the wrecker and add the $75 to the repair bill.
Any changes to Safe Clear would have to be endorsed by the towing companies so the amendments could be added to their contracts.
Towing companies will now have a say in city policy! But, let's not forget, this is all in the name of safety.
UPDATE: All the local TV station websites have variations of the story about the mayor proposing some changes this afternoon. KHOU-11 has the most interestingly worded one:
That change will address one of the most widely-criticized aspects of the program -- what to do about drivers who can't afford the $75 tow fee.
Now those drivers, and anyone else who doesn't want to pay $75, will have a choice. They can be towed short distances free of charge, then be on their own to take care of the car's problem themselves.
Other drivers who don't mind paying the $75 can still have their car towed within 10 miles of the breakdown site.
That can't be right, because I imagine everyone would "mind" paying $75 for a tow.
I also like this quote from councilman Michael Berry in the KPRC-2 story:
"We are going to talk about dealing with people who can't pay, and we are going to be talking about providing a service so that all of society can move and be safe," Berry said.
Houtopia is right.
The mayor is expected to make his announcement at 1:30, so we should find out then how much more involved and asinine this program will become. I'm still rooting for Sen. Whitmire.
(See also KTRK-13)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/12/05 08:53 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (10)
HISD's breakfast program to be audited
It's been an interesting few weeks for HISD and new superintendent Abe Saavedra. Saavedra has had to focus on a cheating scandal and now it's time for an audit of the district's subsidized breakfast program:
The review begins Jan. 24 and is done every five years at school districts that participate in the free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs.
HISD and Aramark officials repeatedly have denied wrongdoing as reimbursements from the federally subsidized meals program have grown by 50 percent to $69 million since 2000.
District officials did not respond to a request Monday for financial documents that would show how HISD has profited from its food services operation.
About 80 percent of Houston's 209,000 students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The district is reimbursed $1.25 for every free breakfast and 95 cents for reduced-price breakfasts, Boyd said.
School officials attribute much of the increase in reimbursements to Aramark's Breakfast in the Classroom program, which serves students at their desks, whether they ask for it or not. Forty HISD schools participate in the program.
Last year, Aramark earned about $5 million from the HISD contract.
(Emphasis added)
Reimbursements are up 50% since 2000 to the tune of $69 million? That's a staggering amount of subsidized food. And some of that food is given to students who haven't even asked for it.
But, it's only taxpayer money and it's "for the children."
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/12/05 08:38 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Chronicle publishes more $AFEclear letters
Again, the Chronicle is running quite a few letters to the editor on the $AFEclear topic.
There is one from councilman Michael Berry who isn't happy that the Chronicle's editorial over the weekend characterized the mayor as one who creates public policy, in private, with his own advisors; and there's one from an HPD officer who says that we would all be safer if broken down cars were off the freeway (he doesn't say why a police car on the side of the freeway isn't just as big a safety hazard), and then he writes this at the end of his letter, "Wreckers [sic] drivers are just trying to make a decent living by doing what the city law has enabled them to do." I don't think that argument is going to sway public opinion. I am sorry the wrecker drivers are caught in the middle, but the city law is flat-out wrong.
The rest of the letters express opposition to the $AFEclear program, and three of them would like to see a program along the lines of MAP.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/12/05 07:56 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
11 January 2005
May the session (and Robison's news editorializing) begin
Here's a snippet from his (and R.G. Ratcliffe's) dispatch at the opening of the session:
The Texas Public Policy Foundation said Strayhorn's revenue estimate proved lawmakers in 2003 did the right thing by cutting the budget rather than raising taxes.
But the Center for Public Policy Priorities, which advocates for the poor, said lawmakers now are facing a budget that will require billions of new dollars to maintain current services and to restore cuts made in 2003 in programs for the poor.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/11/05 10:34 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (1)
Bad news: The Chron editorial board
Rob Booth calls attention to a staff editorial in today's Chronicle that is typical of an editorial board that needs to engage the news and new media more vigorously. The editorial condemns Armstrong Williams, a conservative commentator who took money to promote Department of Education initiatives without disclosing the fact. The story was broken on January 7 by USA Today, and much (timely!) conversation ensued for several days. So, now that the story is mostly "olds," the Chronicle comes along with an editorial that contains this revealing paragraph:
Right-wing commentators will charge that the "liberal media" is piling on Williams because he is a conservative, but they are wrong.
Rob Booth pointed out that he hasn't seen much in the way of that argument.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/11/05 03:53 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (1)
Four Houston companies make list of best employers
Which companies are rated best for employees? Fortune magazine's eighth annual ranking of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" is out and L.M. Sixel points out that four local companies are on the list:
Companies nominate themselves for a place on the list and four Houston-based companies got spots: David Weekley Homes (21), Sterling Bank (49), St. Luke's Episcopal Health System (69) and the Men's Wearhouse (85).
It probably didn't hurt that David Weekley Homes took 500 employees and their spouses to Hawaii for a five-day company paid vacation last year after meeting revenue goals.
No, that probably didn't hurt!
"We let our employees be great," said Wanda Dalton, executive vice president and chief human resources officer of Sterling Bank. "We just give them the room and the space to do the things they do best."
To celebrate the third year of making the list, Sterling employees can take their birthdays off this year.
This was the third year St. Luke's landed on the list.
"While other companies have values and vision and mission statements, our employees see that we are consistent about adhering to our values," said Irene Helsinger, senior vice president of St Luke's. "Even when it's easier to take another path, we always focus what our actions will mean to our employees and our patients."
It seems fairly basic, but taking care of the employees will generally take care of business.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/11/05 11:50 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
MAP: the common sense solution
The Chronicle has a great op-ed by Bob Lemer, chairman of Citizens for Public Accountability, where he advocates what blogHOUSTON has advocated -- the city should end this $AFEclear nonsense and contribute to an expanded Motorist Assistance Program:
Houston doesn't need Safe Clear, with its padding of the coffers of the city and favored tow truck operators.
All Houston needs is for the city government to join Harris County's Motorist Assistance Program, or MAP, as it should have done long ago.
MAP offers free assistance to motorists in Harris County from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday (except for Harris County holidays), on I-45 north and south, I-10 east and west, U.S. 290, Loop 610, and U.S. 59 north and south. If the city joined, other freeways could be added to the covered areas.
MAP's stated services, by specially trained deputy sheriffs, include:
• Assistance in changing a flat tire.
• Supplying fuel, water and air.
• Assistance with minor engine repairs.
• Jumpstarting vehicles with dead batteries.
• Providing traffic control at major and minor accidents.
• Removing stranded vehicles from the roadway by use of the push bumper or by summoning a tow truck.
• Providing use of mobile phones to notify relatives or employers, or to summon additional help.
• Providing courtesy transport of stranded motorists to a safe location.
• Rendering first aid and summoning medical assistance.Compare these free and citizen-friendly services to the expensive and heavy-handed Big-Brother-type Safe Clear alternative. The choice is crystal clear.
In answer to my inquiry, MAP advised me that it handled 2,486 requests for assistance last month and only 96 required a tow truck. Safe Clear's first month of operation has barely started, yet it already has had hundreds of vehicles towed, according to news reports.
Lemer points out some more facts -- that the fleet of MAP vehicles is provided, free of charge, by the Houston Auto Dealers Association (the group that initially started the program, before handing it over to Harris County), TxDOT provides MAP office space and pays for MAP's eight dispatchers, Metro funds the 18 sheriff deputies who work the MAP shifts and Cingular provides cellphones and free airtime to MAP vehicles.
Lemer also passes on the information that when Lee P. Brown was HPD chief, he declined to participate in MAP, and the city has continued to pass ever since.
Lemer writes that he carries the MAP phone number with him, on speed dial, as Kevin Whited suggested we all do. MAP's number is 713-225-5627.
One last point: on Chris Baker's program yesterday, a MAP driver called in and encouraged everyone to call MAP if they breakdown, for whatever reason. HPD and $AFEclear tow truck drivers cannot force MAP personnel to leave the scene; MAP takes priority over $AFEclear.
UPDATE: I need to clarify that last paragraph a bit. In the comments Kevin Whited points out that a MAP driver can help with the things listed in the Chronicle op-ed, but cannot call for a tow truck. If a tow is needed, $AFEclear takes over, fees and all.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/11/05 07:47 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (4)
Mayor White on Pat Gray's show
Mayor White will be on the Pat Gray show (KPRC-950) this morning. From what Gray is saying, the Mayor should be on just after 7:30. Maybe he'll share some $AFEclear news with Gray's listeners, since Chris Baker mentioned yesterday that a $AFEclear announcement would be forthcoming today.
UPDATE: It's over and the mayor did not have an announcement. In fact, the mayor appeared to be digging in his heels repeating the same old talking points -- $AFEclear is awesome, naysayers don't know what they are talking about.
Citizens who are opposed to $AFEclear should continue to voice their displeasure, politely and respectfully of course, to officials and media outlets, and encourage state Sen. Whitmire in his quest to outlaw this program.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/11/05 07:08 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (4)
10 January 2005
TEA announces a "zero tolerance" policy
The Texas Education Agency has announced a new effort to end TAKS cheating, like the cheating that seems to have plagued HISD:
The Texas Education Agency will begin analyzing schools' test scores for unusual gaps and swings, modeling the effort on a Dallas Morning News investigation that found suspect scores at nearly 400 Texas schools.
The state's education commissioner, Shirley Neeley, also announced Monday that the agency will hire an outside testing expert to improve the state's procedures for preventing and detecting cheating on the TAKS test.
"We will have zero tolerance for cheating," Dr. Neeley said at an Austin press conference called to address the News investigation.
Where do we even begin with that? Apparently it never occurred to the highly paid educational experts at the TEA that a school might CHEAT, to get all those bonuses for good TAKS scores? It never occurred to anyone at the TEA to analyze test scores for gaps and swings before this? Well, no, it didn't. We know this because of a Dallas Morning News story from last month:
"Typically, school districts police themselves," said Lisa Chandler, the TEA's director of assessment. "We trust educators to educate our kids."
[snip]
Ms. Chandler said she refuses to react cynically when TAKS scores improve by leaps and bounds.
"It may be an optimistic viewpoint, but it's also a necessary viewpoint," she said. "We can't afford to lose five years in a child's educational career. They have to have improvement. Can we expect quick turnarounds? We have to. We can't let those kids not be successful."
I was amazed at that quote last month. I am still amazed at the quote. Actual learning is not what's important. What's most important is high test scores, no matter how they are achieved.
I just heard Neeley, on a KTRH news break report, say that the TEA takes all allegations of TAKS cheating seriously. I don't think so. Chandler's quote above makes it clear that the TEA was not that concerned with the possibility of cheating, prior to the DMN's embarrassing investigation.
How much you want to bet that Neeley and Chandler will receive big raises and bonuses for coming up with this new idea of hiring someone to "improve the state's procedures for preventing and detecting cheating on the TAKS test."?
Don't laugh. It's not that far out of the realm of possibility. However, the taxpayers would probably be better served by letting the DMN handle this every year.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/10/05 04:42 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Good Samaritan aids woman who couldn't afford $AFEclear fees
The Chronicle passes on some good news: in the "Wrap-Ups" section, we are told that a Good Samaritan has paid all the fees on Yvonne Bess' car, so she can have it back. Yvonne Bess is the woman who was already changing her flat tire, and the tow truck driver, apparently working hard to give Houston the Unfriendliest City title next year, wouldn't help her or even let her finish. Nope, she was towed and she couldn't afford the tow. So her car went to the impound lot, and the bill starting going up. In fact, this story gives us an inside look at those impound fees (and it's not quite what the mayor has been telling us):
Under the Safe Clear program, which began Jan. 1, tows cost $75 for the first five miles and $1.50 for each additional mile. Storage is $48 for the first day and $15 for each additional day. Bess said she also was charged a $32 "notification fee."
Police Lt. Lori Bender said state law authorizes the fee to notify owners and lienholders by registered mail that cars are in storage.
Now, I have tried to pay careful attention; however, I don't remember the mayor or the traffic czar telling us that if a car was impounded, the first day was almost $50. And I don't remember that $32 "notification fee" mentioned, although a tow truck driver did mention the notification letter on Chris Baker's show last week, but he said it was $25. Is the city taking a cut on that letter, too?
Perhaps there is a good idea in here. Why don't all those $AFEclear supporters, who contend that this is the only way to improve safety and traffic flow, start a Good Samaritan fund for people don't have the funds to pay for a $AFEclear tow and impound? They can put their money where their elitist mouths are, and we wouldn't have the city crying poor-mouth, as it's busy fleecing drivers.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/10/05 08:40 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (9)
Sen. Whitmire working on legislation to end $AFEclear
State Sen. John Whitmire has told KTRK-13 that he is preparing legislation that will bring an end to Houston's $AFEclear program:
When the state legislature begins its new session Tuesday State Senator John Whitmire will work to outlaw Houston's controversial new Safe Clear towing program.
Senator Whitmire is preparing legislation that would outlaw the tow program altogether. Whitmire says the six minute rule to remove vehicles is too stringent.
Whitmire would like to see a policy in place like the one used in Bellaire where drivers have up to four hours to remove their vehicles.
"I saw a young lady on the West Loop frantically trying to change her tire before a wrecker truck got there. She was safely off to the side, so that ought to be the test -- can you do it safely and timely like they do in other cities?" said Senator Whitmire.
Let's hope he is successful. If you would like to send Sen. Whitmire a note of encouragement and thanks, here's the link.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/10/05 07:16 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
09 January 2005
Walton and Johnson to return February 15?
Matt Bramanti calls my attention to a note on the Walton and Johnson website, in which they promise a return to the Houston airwaves on February 15.
Walton and Johnson were left without a Houston station when KLOL-101 made its abrupt switch from album-oriented rock to Latino.
According to a commenter at the Houston Architecture Info Forum, a new adult-oriented rock station is in the works and will be W&J's new home:
Feb 15th is the date for Walton & Johnson to be back on the air in Houston. The station will be 97.5 till the new 103.7 tower is fully functional. The format for 97.5 will be Adult Oriented Rock. Alittle more upscale then the old Rock 101 KLOL format. Hope this clears things up. Looking forward towards the change.
My source is John Walton of the Walton & Johnson show.
If this truly comes to pass, it will be nice to have an adult-oriented rock station back on the air.
UPDATE (01-10-2005): DenimDoll notes the following in the comments:
While watching Fox26 News tonight, Jim Pruett confirmed that not only will Walton & Johnson end up on 97.5, Outlaw Dave will be the afternoon DJ and Mr. Pruett himself will be the midday jock. The new management of 97.5 did an on-camera interview but could not confirm any of these rumors due to non-compete agreements.
The rumors seem to be growing more substantive. Excellent.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/09/05 11:42 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (9)
Mayor's $AFEclear spin machine starts to wobble
Mayor White and supporters of his flawed $AFEclear initiative are starting to have a little trouble with their talking points.
On the Chris Baker program a few days ago, the Mayor himself denied the program was about generating revenues, then asserted later that the new revenues would be used for additional traffic cops and equipment (what new revenues?).
In the press release (pdf file) announcing the program, the Mayor's office asserted that $AFEclear is "modeled" on a New York program.
Thanks to some solid research from Chronicle reporter Rad Sallee, we now know that the Mayor's office didn't get any mandatory tow provisions from New York's program:
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/09/05 11:07 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (5)
Is HISD serious about ending TAKS cheating?
Rick Casey has an excellent column questioning HISD's seriousness about rooting out and then preventing TAKS cheating. He lists the bonuses given to district administrators and teachers for good TAKS results, including a fat $60,000 bonus for new Superintendent Abe Saavedra. Casey says the bonuses total up to about $7 million.
That should send up HUGE warning flags -- rewarding for good TAKS scores. Quite an incentive to fudge things, you know? Seven million dollars could be much better spent funding new textbooks, school supplies, quality teacher training, perhaps even TAKS cheating prevention. Rewarding administrators for good TAKS results when they aren't even on the front lines of teaching students is insulting to hardworking teachers.
In his column, Casey explores the reason for HISD's inability to effectively deal with TAKS cheating. He thinks it boils down to the massive size of the district and the lack of oversight:
But school trustees, part-time and unpaid, have only one source of in-depth information on the district's operations: the executive whose job, salary and bonus depend on their good impressions.
HISD is far too large and important an endeavor for a governing arrangement designed for small, 19th century communities.
He's right. This is where I would argue that the larger the school district, the more ineffective it is, except at being an employer. And that's not what a school district should be about. In my perfect world, large school districts would be broken up, so that communities could truly take back control of the schools in their own neighborhoods. Smaller communities understand the needs of their own students, and would have much fewer layers of bureaucrats sucking up valuable taxpayer dollars that should go to the students and the teachers.
But it's not my perfect world. So Casey suggests this idea:
And it may be that a change in state law would be required for trustees to set up a well-funded and well-staffed internal auditing arm reporting to them.
It would definitely be a good start.
UPDATE: The Chronicle has a terrific editorial on the issue of HISD's response to TAKS cheating:
Educational experts question whether a longtime district veteran with friendships in the bureaucracy is the right person to head up such an effort. The University of North Carolina's Gregory Cizek told the Chronicle's Jason Spencer that school districts who police themselves rather than hiring outside security consultants are setting up potential conflicts of interest.
The new superintendent says he does not intend to abolish the district practice of giving financial bonuses to teachers, principals and administrators for good student test performance. Some argue those cash incentives provide the motive for rigging scores.
While Saavedra promises real change in the district's efforts to enforce integrity in its testing, he said the same thing a year and a half ago when the focus was on Sharpstown High School. Back then he promised that the district would monitor accountability data more closely. According to HISD trustee Kevin Hoffman, "the board assumed that some of these controls were in place, and it's been made real clear to us of late that they are not."
Last week Saavedra explained the district's failure to keep that pledge with, "I wasn't superintendent then."
It's an excuse that he can only use once.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/09/05 08:20 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (4)
HPD babysits mayor's $AFEclear mess
The $AFEclear fun continues as HPD was called to handle a dispute between two tow truck drivers:
When Jerry Martins' car stalled he was told Lozano's wrecker service would be there in 10 minutes.
"About three minutes, maybe even less, this T&T Motors showed up and they said I had to use them," Martin said.
Lozano's wrecker service isn't part of the new Safe Clear tow program. It's not allowed to tow on that stretch of roadway, but it did.
"Yes I towed it because the owner requested me to tow it," said Ruben Lozano, wrecker driver.
Lozano may have towed the car to a lot, but he had company. The Safe Clear wrecker driver followed him and called the law.
"We called the police and the police come out here and now the police is fixing to give this other wrecker driver a pocket full of tickets," said Gaines.
"The freeways are not owned by the City of Houston. That's a state freeway there," Lozano insisted.
Police listened, but then wrote Lozano a ticket for $750.
Just when you thought the fines were over -- "They're telling me I that I have to pay them $75. They're even now telling me I still have to pay the $75, even though they didn't pick the vehicle up," Martin said.
This seems like a wise use of HPD's limited resources.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/09/05 06:17 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
Chron goes local this weekend
Anne Linehan pointed out the Chronicle editorial on the $AFEclear program that appeared in yesterday's print editions.
That editorial criticized the White Administration for its missteps in putting together the flawed $AFEclear program, and suggested there was insufficient input from citizens in the process.
Today's print editions carry an editorial criticizing the White Administration for failing to act as aggressively as the newspaper would like on the HPD crime lab. The editorial may overreach a bit, as I'm not sure that it's fair to say this remnant of the Lee P. Brown Administration's neglect is now about to "infect" the current administration, but it is fair to suggest what the Chronicle does suggest -- that Mayor White needs to jump start the process.
Further, the following criticism seems spot on:
In August 2004, [HPD Chief Harold] Hurtt suspended an internal investigation after discovering 280 boxes of mislabeled evidence in the police property room involving hundreds of cases that needed to be reviewed. Since then, retesting has called into question the results in up to 20 percent of cases in which defendants were convicted.Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, angrily rejected Hurtt's explanation that he hoped to have an investigator in place by April and was moving as fast as he could.
"You had feedback that you needed someone in there (in August)," the senator retorted. "That is a huge oversight that you have made."
Hurtt's efforts to find an independent investigator have not been as aggressive as circumstances demand.
On Friday, I gave the HPD public information office a ring to see if Chief Hurtt had yet achieved the necessary accreditation so that he may begin wearing the HPD uniform. He still has not, but the public information office informed me that under law, the chief has a year from when he takes the job to pass the exam, that he has been very busy overseeing the crime lab problems, and that he should obtain accreditation in March or April. No mention was made of his early priority of obtaining Tasers for HPD.
But, I digress. The point of the post is that the Chronicle has followed with strong editorials on local issues two days in a row now. I don't agree with every point and wouldn't expect to, but I do like the local emphasis. As we noted in our 2005 Recommendations post (#3), the city's only newspaper needs to focus more on local issues (instead of, say, Swaziland). Our community benefits from that sort of focus. We hope it continues.
UPDATE: It is worth noting that the Chronicle could have been more timely weighing in on $AFEclear. Talk radio and this blog have been blasting on this topic for a full week -- and now it's finally on the editorial board's radar. That's a slower reaction than one would like on a local issue.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/09/05 04:51 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
Is Bob Stein the only political scientist in town?
Last week, the Chronicle's Kristen Mack included this curious line in her mostly positive review of Mayor White's first year in office:
"He came into office with major problems that seemed intractable," said Rice University political scientist Bob Stein, whose wife, Marty Stein, is White's agenda director. "It's bad enough when you inherit an administration where things didn't go well. But this is a guy who pushed the envelope and did very well with it."
Mack did the right thing in identifying Stein's relationship with a member of the White Administration. But in so doing, she rendered Stein somewhat of a suspect analyst to be quoting. Do we really think he's going to have anything critical to say about the Administration? Indeed, it might actually be notable and worth quoting if he did say something critical.
It's not as if there aren't several universities in this city with academics who follow city politics, and even a few of us outside of academia who do so and have terminal academic credentials. Why not include some other analyst instead of Stein, since Stein clearly adds nothing to the story?
Today, Rad Sallee repeats the practice in an informative column on $AFEclear:
But Rice University professor Bob Stein, who helped design the program, predicted the numbers will decline as motorists ensure their cars are roadworthy or drive on surface streets.
"The very act of doing the program will change attitudes and behavior," he said, noting that the logjams predicted when Spur 527 was closed for repairs never materialized. Motorists simply found other routes.
Stein also responded to the idea of limiting Safe Clear to rush hour. "It won't work for the wrecker companies," he said.
With that remark, Stein — whose wife, Marty, is the mayor's agenda director — hit another of the critics' sore points: the idea that Safe Clear is just a revenue scheme.
That first bolded section is informative. In her column, Mack failed to mention that Stein, in addition to being married to one of the mayor's paid advisors, also served as one of the mayor's policy advisors himself.
So here's a question for Chronicle editors (if there are any such creatures): Why in the world would the newspaper print Stein's positive assessments of the mayor's policies, as if Stein is a completely detached, uninvolved, objective academic?
Surely such a creature can be found in town, but it's not Bob Stein in this instance.
We'll take up the substance of Sallee's column in a separate post.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/09/05 04:01 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (5)
$AFEclear, con't.
Tow truck drivers think they are getting a bum rap, with the uproar over $AFEclear, as Houston-area citizens express their displeasure with the program:
Houston's simmering ambivalence toward wreckers boiled over last week as Mayor Bill White's Safe Clear effort to free highways of disabled vehicles rolled into high gear. Talk radio and computer chat rooms hummed with disdain for White's program, dismissing tow-truck drivers as "vultures" and warning out-of-town motorists to avoid Houston.
As wreckers hauled away about 100 vehicles daily, one chat room visitor suggested that motorists taunt tow-truck drivers by parking their cars en masse in highway breakdown lanes.
"As soon as (the driver) starts walking up to your car, take off as fast as you can," he wrote. "If enough people agree to do this all at once, it would be hilarious."
Yes, the internet is humming with this. It's a nice outlet for people who previously were limited in how they could express themselves. Not every caller can get on a talk radio show and not every letter to the editor gets published.
Toward the end of the Chronicle article, the city's traffic Czar is quoted:
David Saperstein, the mayor's mobility chairman, credited the Safe Clear ordinance with ending the "craziness" of numerous and unnecessary wreckers responding to highway accidents. Officers now specify how many tow trucks are needed; the trucks then are dispatched by the wrecker company serving that stretch of highway.
The ordinance also allows police to specify the number of wreckers needed for incidents on city streets, but with multiple towing companies in each of the city's five towing zones, it does not preclude competing wreckers racing to the scene to be first.
Roving wreckers contracted to travel designated routes are responsible for removing disabled vehicles from highways — the ordinance's most controversial aspect.
"The fact of this ordinance is that it's improving traffic," Saperstein said, noting that statistics should show that in about three months. "No one is telling that story."
When the mayor was on Chris Baker's show last week, he also mentioned that $AFEclear has solved the problem of too many wreckers rushing to the scene of an accident. But is this highly punitive, forced-towing program the ONLY way the tow truck problem could be solved? Really? The city can pass a bill where a private citizen's car can be forcibly taken from him, but the city can't do anything to better control the wrecker chaos on the highways? What do other Texas cities do?
Then, of course, Saperstein starts in on the talking points, the same talking points the mayor likes to use, whenever possible. I heard Mayor White use this particular talking point on Dan Patrick's show last Friday (and he used it in his interview with Chris Baker, too). It's the talking point that says this ordinance is improving traffic. The mayor told Patrick that all the traffic reporters in town were telling him that traffic was moving better because of $AFEclear's forced towing. Saperstein says that no one is talking about the improving traffic situation, but also says the city should have the statistics in about three months.
Well then, how can the improving traffic story be told if the statistics aren't yet available?
The other question is, where are the numbers from the nine months of the Katy Freeway experiment? Are there any? If the city won't release them, the question is why? Did the numbers not show any improvement? Or did no one think to do a study?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/09/05 09:36 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
08 January 2005
Food and drink roundup (1-8-2005 edition)
Usually, we post a roundup of local food and drink reviews on Thursdays, but we got a little sidetracked by tow trucks this week.
Here's what our local reviewers had to say:
Robb Walsh visits west Houston tapas restaurant Rioja, and likes their combination of tapas, paella, and Spanish wines.
Alison Cook offers praise for the Strip House, which Robb Walsh also praised earlier.
Lance Scott Walker checks out the mysterious sounding Absinthe Lounge:
The Montrose-area establishment certainly doesn't look like a club: The gray stone exterior echoes office buildings of years past, and its name doesn't appear out front -- only an age-old dry cleaner sign the owners decided to leave in place.
That brings to mind the venerable Marfreless, whose unmarked door looks more like the side entrance to a warehouse than a hip, artsy, dark bar.
Finally, Ken Hoffman tries out the new Starbucks chocolate dessert drink:
The creamy texture is pure cocoa butter. The rich flavor is pure cocoa powder. The hefty price is pure Starbucks.
That's it for this week. Happy eating and drinking!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/08/05 11:40 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (0)
$AFEclear roundup
There is an abundance of $AFEClear-related items in the news and around the web. Here are some links:
HPD has released a list of $AFEclear frequently asked questions.
Here's the $AFEclear motorist bill of rights (which appears to be thin on motorist rights).
The Chronicle has an editorial opposing the $AFEclear program.
Friendswood lives up to its name!
The JazzHouston forum and the Houston MINI Motoring Society have discussion threads on $AFEclear.
JoeUser blog, Liberty's blog, Baboon Pirates (language warning), Darth Apathy, Uebelhart, and of course, Lone Star Times, all have posts and some have comments.
If you know of more forums or blogs discussing $AFEclear, please let us know, so we can add them.
UPDATE: Callie points us to this Galveston Daily News story about Friendswood's more flexible towing policy. I like this quote:
“We don’t have an active towing program,” said City Manager Ron Cox. “We work with the individuals and we are certainly are not going to indiscriminately tow cars away.”
Now I understand that Friendswood isn't the size of Houston, but it is a refreshing point of view, one that Houston appears to have lost, in spite of Mayor White's declaration that he wants a dynamic, customer-service oriented government.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/08/05 06:55 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
If it's good enough for Houston....
The Dallas Morning News reports that the $AFEclear program has caught the city's attention there:
"The Houston situation has spurred further interest and should make it easier to get things accomplished here," said Mike West, a retired traffic safety official with the Texas Department of Transportation, who also is participating in discussions about revising Dallas' wrecker ordinance by summer. "If they can do it, why can't we?"
Fortunately for Dallasites, their officials think a different system might be better for their city:
It isn't likely that the same program will catch on in Dallas, but city officials, Dallas police and representatives of other agencies already are talking about ways to improve response times.
Interesting. Many people and agencies seem to be working together to solve the problem of response time in Dallas.
Little did we realize having a world-class freeway monitoring system set Houston up for a program like $AFEclear:
Dallas also doesn't have the equipment to copy the Safe Clear program. Houston relies on a network of traffic cameras on all its highways to spot stalled vehicles or accidents. Officials watching traffic cameras are the ones who dispatch the wreckers and keep tabs on the six-minute window.
In Dallas, cameras cover only 35 percent of highways, Lt. Branton said.
Posted by Callie Markantonis @ 01/08/05 03:56 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (3)
Did HISD know about TAKS cheating prior to newspaper investigation?
The president of the Houston Federation of Teachers says a teacher tried to report instances of TAKS cheating last year, but was rebuffed by HISD officials:
The Key Middle School teacher told union representatives last year that a school administrator had given her and her colleagues advance copies of the 2004 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills for their students to use as practice exams, said Gayle Fallon, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers.
Key is one of 25 Houston Independent School District campuses under investigation because of uncharacteristically high scores on the TAKS.
[snip]
A union representative approached chief HISD attorney Elneita Hutchins-Taylor and offered to have the teacher give a statement in return for immunity, Fallon said. Hutchins-Taylor declined.
"As far as I know, nothing was done," Fallon said.
HISD spokesman Terry Abbott said district officials would not discuss the ongoing investigation, and Hutchins-Taylor did not return a call placed by the Houston Chronicle.
Fallon said the teacher and her colleagues thought the tests they received were copies of the previous year's exam. She said they didn't realize they were advance copies of the current test until exam day.
According to the Chronicle, this was not the first time allegations of TAKS cheating came to the attention of district officials:
HISD administrators have been accused in another case of not taking teachers' allegations of cheating seriously. Former Wesley Elementary teacher Donna Garner voiced concerns about cheating at her school during a school board meeting in 2003. District officials initiated an investigation at the time but failed to follow through until November, when Hutchins-Taylor suggested hiring an outside law firm to investigate.
On Thursday, Saavedra acknowledged the district dropped the ball on the Wesley investigation but stopped short of blaming his predecessor, recently retired Superintendent Kaye Stripling.
"It's unacceptable that we have not had quick responses," Saavedra said. "This thing should have been investigated a long time ago."
Yes, it is unacceptable that this was not investigated promptly, when it was reported. Teachers and other administrative support staff should not be taking the fall if their superiors instruct them to cheat, and HISD officials need to be reponsive when teachers and staff report problems. It is alarming that district officials had warnings about cheating, even back in 2003, and appear to have swept those concerns under the rug.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/08/05 10:14 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Mayor: it's voodoo and fraud (but he's not talking about $AFEclear)
Ken Rodgriguez, of the San Antonio Express-News has written a column about Houston's Fattest City designation. Kevin already covered the Men's Fitness "findings" perfectly, but there is one amusing part in Rodriguez's column that caught my eye:
White defended his city on NBC's "Today" program, called a news conference and blasted the magazine's methodology.
Honest. He really did that.
While residents were screaming about their cars being towed under a new clear-the-clogged-freeways program, White was charging the magazine with "voodoo" and "fraud."
With a "fat city" to defend and a new, highly unpopular forced towing program to sell, I would guess the mayor's a bit pooped after this week. As you might have figured out, we think the mayor should drop this $AFEclear nonsense and help fund an expanded MAP. If this really is all about safety, then that's the way to go.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/08/05 08:40 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (3)
07 January 2005
Chairman White oversees mandatory towing
All week long, Chris Baker has been alternating between referring to Bill White as Mayor "Boss Hogg" White or Chairman Mao.
We thought we'd close a strange week spent blogging about tow trucks with a little graphical tribute to Chairman White inspired by the Baker show (although we readily concede we're pretty lame photoshoppers compared to Mr. Matt Forge).
Baker's also been playing a funny parody tune, Mr. Tow Man.
We're serious in our criticism of the $AFEclear program, but one can only debate towing policy for so long without a little humor.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/07/05 09:58 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Big rigs excluded from $AFEclear program
KHOU-11 is reporting a rather large loophole in the $AFEclear program: 18-wheelers. The state regulates towing of big trucks and buses and only heavy duty tow trucks can tow a heavy duty vehicle:
Apple Towing of Houston is one of five local companies with a state contract for towing those larger loads that are too big for the lightweights.
"You need a Class A vehicle to tow a Class A vehicle, basically. And the light duty vehicles are not capable. They're not equipped and they are not legal to tow something larger than itself," says Mike Scully, president of Apple Towing.
[snip]
City officials also say that disabled 18-wheelers and trucks make up a tiny percentage of the traffic congestion on the roadways. So for now, Safe Clear program will focus on smaller vehicles.
The $AFEclear program suffers from an unbelievable lack of common sense and basic planning. If it is so darn crucial to get every vehicle off freeway shoulders, then why doesn't that include the big trucks and buses, too?
Of course, the mayor says they are working to get heavy towing equipment included in the $AFEclear program. And I would guess an 18-wheeler can't meet the six minute, flat tire requirement, so that could mean some nice dollars flowing into the city coffers. I'll bet the mayor is hustling to fix that big loophole.
I wonder how big trucking companies are going to take to a forced-towing program? I would love to see a $AFEclear heavy duty tow truck driver try to tell a big rig driver that his livelihood will be towed -- no ifs, ands, or buts. Oh, and cough up $1,500.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/07/05 08:00 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
Hotel has a new way to generate convention business
Since some employees at the Hilton Americas-Houston unionized, the hotel will now benefit from union convention business:
Q: Does this open the door for union conventions to finally come to Houston?
A: Not only union conventions but in general, union business.
We want to be recommending the Hilton to everyone within the AFL-CIO labor movement. We have small, medium and big union conventions. And there are a lot of them.
Q: Does the Hilton management elicit your help in attracting conventions?
A: Well that was part of the understanding from the beginning. Richard Shaw (secretary/treasurer of the Harris County AFL-CIO) made a presentation to the Convention Center Hotel Corp. and the city to let them know about bringing union business to the hotel and the city.
We presented some figures showing the potential of union business coming to the Hilton Hotel and put it up on our Web site promoting the Hilton.
We got letters from unions pledging to come to this hotel if it's union. We plan to utilize all the resources — Web sites, newspapers and direct mail communications — to reach out to all AFL-CIO affiliates and community organizations, religious organizations and political organizations like the Democratic Party and the NAACP to get them to come to the Hilton.
Which leaves me to wonder if Jordy Tollett is working on this convention-business-generating angle, since we already know he doesn't care for "Houston. It's Worth It."
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/07/05 09:55 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
Mayor cites more congestion-reducing success
Traffic light synchronization is reducing commute times, according to Mayor White:
Houston Mayor Bill White today announced the completion of the first phase of a $3.5 million program to synchronize more than 2,000 traffic lights across the city designed to improve traffic flow.
"This has been one of the most significant and effective things we've been able to do to improve Houstonians' lives," White said. "We've cut commuting times by as much as 20 percent in some corridors and that is valuable time we're happy to see returned to our citizens."
This is becoming a familiar refrain from the mayor. We would like to see the study that determined there was a 20 percent cut in commute times.
And, let's not forget that downtown traffic lights are synchronized to benefit the light rail trains, not cars.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/07/05 09:16 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (7)
Continuing $AFEclear absurdity
The Chronicle has a story this morning highlighting Mayor White's new idea of free towing for those who find $75 a hardship. This ought to be fun. Will the basic tow price now have to go up to pay for the free tows? How is hardship going to be determined by the side of the road? Will we all have to carry a W-2 with us? Or can the tow truck driver just make a determination based on the look of our car? If it's a klunker or a funky car, free tow! If it's a Lincoln Navigator, pay up! What a disaster this is.
Here's a helpful hint to Mayor White and other $AFEclear supporters: fund an expanded MAP program. Sen. Whitmire pointed out, in his confrontation with Dan Patrick yesterday, that Chicago and L.A. have programs similar to MAP and those cities use federal grant money to fund it. He said Houston received the same grant money and used it for something different.
That figures.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/07/05 07:59 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
06 January 2005
Mayor rides in helicopter, declares $AFEclear a success
KPRC-13 has a story about the mayor's helicopter ride this morning and the mayor gives this report on $AFEclear:
"We didn't see a major problem out there today," said Mayor White. "We looked at the corridors which are the most congested corridors. A lot of what we have been doing appeared to be working well."
Well, hallelujah! Praise be to Mayor White -- he has fixed Houston's freeway congestion problem! Gosh, who knew that the main reason Houston roadways were so jammed up was because of cars on the side of the road? Many of us assumed it was due to the sheer volume of cars on the freeways, especially at rush hour.
Rob Booth has written a smart post that meshes nicely with the mayor's quote:
It is alleged that cars by the side of the freeway slow down traffic. How do we know that? I've heard people assert it as a truism, but actually all I've heard is people's recollections based on personal experience.
[snip]
Release the numbers from the Katy Freeway test and let us know how SAFEclear affected travel times, including methodology and data, please.
That being said, I'm smelling a bit of Big Nanny statism coming from some of the SAFEclear advocates.
[snip]
I'm a grown, free man living in a free country. I can decide for myself if I think it's safe to change my own tire by the side of the freeway. If someone would like to follow me around and tell me how to live my life, they're welcome to enjoy a piping hot cup of "mind yer own dang bidness." I'll also say that I'm glad when people like this said, "Gee, we shouldn't throw the King's tea in the harbour, somebody might get hurt," everyone else ignored them.
So, the bottom line for me is, if you're a public official, don't just tell me "studies show" that such and such will work. I won't believe you. Put the study online, let me see it.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/06/05 07:22 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
Saavedra tackles TAKS cheating
HISD is addressing the TAKS cheating scandal:
Saavedra said he will ask the Houston Independent School District's school board at its meeting next week to approve the creation of the new Office of Inspector General and give it broad investigative powers to root out any test cheating, unprofessional conduct, or other irregularities.
The office is to be led by Robert Moore, currently HISD's assistant superintendent for internal auditing and a certified fraud examiner with extensive experience leading investigations. Moore will report directly to the superintendent.
Saavedra's plan also calls for hundreds of monitors to oversee TAKS testing when it is conducted in February and April. On test days, about half the new monitors would go to targeted classrooms, and half would go to randomly selected classrooms. Schools would get no warnings where monitors might show up.
Saavedra said the district will also tighten testing procedures and operate a hotline during testing cycles. Reports from the hotline will go straight to the Inspector General.
[snip]
Gayle Fallon, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, said she has seen Saavedra's plan and is encouraged that he will make it easier for teachers to report administrators who encourage cheating.
"Most teachers, if left alone, are not going to cheat," Fallon said. "The single most important thing we can do, along with analyzing test scores, is give teachers a safe way to report when they have a boss influencing them to cheat. ... He agreed those are practices that need to be stopped immediately."
Saavedra appears to be getting in front of this aggressively, now that the problems have been uncovered, which is to his credit. Also, the hotline to report problems is a great idea. Gayle Fallon is right -- most teachers are honest and need to have a mechanism to safely report any pressure to cheat or other concerns.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/06/05 06:21 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Dan Patrick interviewing Sen. Whitmire
Dan Patrick (KSEV-700) is interviewing state Sen. John Whitmire right now. Since Patrick is in favor of the $AFEclear program and Whitmire has expressed his concern and has called for a moratorium, this might be worthwhile.
UPDATE: Well, that was pointless. Patrick wasn't interested in any of Whitmire's concerns and said (as he has been saying for days now) that old klunkers that might break down should not be on the freeways. Nor their drivers who don't have a good supply of cash in their wallet. Whitmire tried to point out that other big cities use a program similar to Harris County's MAP program. Patrick wasn't interested in that idea. Patrick also tried to turn it into a property tax interview. I'm with Patrick on the property tax issue, but this interview wasn't the time or place for that.
Patrick said that for Whitmire it's all about money. But it appears that for Patrick it's all about money: he thinks that people who don't have money shouldn't be on the roads, and the city needs money and this provides a revenue stream, better known as a new tax.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/06/05 04:12 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (8)
Chronicle hatchet job on Texas medical community
Last week, the Chronicle ran a fairly egregious editorial slamming the Texas medical profession:
The outrageous saga of Houston surgeon Eric Scheffey is an indictment of the medical profession and those who are supposed to regulate it. It also undermines the argument that frivolous lawsuits are primarily to blame for high malpractice insurance rates.
That is typical Wasteland garbage.
According to the deep thinkers at the Chronicle, every single person involved in any way with the Texas medical community is bad, all because of one person who obviously is not representative of the entire Texas medical community.
The Texas Medical Association responded to the Chronicle's editorial and the ever-gracious Chronicle ran it as an edited letter to the editor, instead of a complete op-ed. What the Chronicle edited out of the response would have given the Chronicle editorial some context. We'll get to that in a minute.
The TMA response tried to provide some background on the Texas Board of Medical Examiners:
That is why TMA lobbied to create a licensing and oversight agency such as the BME as far back as 1837. That is why over the ensuing one and a half centuries Texas physicians have repeatedly boosted their licensing fees to fund a vigorous BME. Unfortunately, until the 78th Legislature in 2003, only 20 percent of physician licensing fees went to enforcing the rules set forth to weed out incompetent, ill, or downright criminal practitioners.
But with the help of Sen. Jane Nelson and Rep. Ray Allen, SB 104 passed. This bill included an $80 increase in physician licensing fees which we supported because the additional funds were dedicated to improve operations at the BME.
This bill also granted the BME new authority to immediately suspend the license of any physician whose continued practice constituted a real danger to the health of his patients.
Interesting. Up until 2003 only 20 percent of physician licensing fees went to enforcement. Wonder where the other 80% went? We can guess. So in 2003 the licensing fees went up again, the extra money was dedicated to improvements at the BME, AND the BME was granted new authority to deal with dangerous doctors. Sounds like there may have been some limitations to the BME's ability to take action against a doctor, prior to 2003. Guess what else happened in 2003, when that bill was passed? It's the context the Chronicle edited out of the TMA response:
The doctor in question lost his license to practice medicine Aug. 29, 2003.
The doctor in question is Eric Scheffey, the one who the Chronicle editors say indicts the entire Texas medical establishment. The Chronicle didn't point that out in the editorial.
The Chronicle editorial also made this assertion:
The truth about malpractice is that most patients harmed by medical procedures don't sue. Most of those who do sue get little or no compensation. As for frivolous lawsuits, the conservative, Republican civil district judges in Harris County say they encounter few frivolous lawsuits that merit dismissal.
Of course, as is par for the Chronicle-course, the editors offered not a single source to backup those claims. The TMA again attempted to provide some context:
There are no statistics to support the Chronicle’s position on how many patients who have been harmed do not sue. Statistics do show, however, that 87 percent of the claims brought against physicians in Texas are closed with no payment whatsoever to the plaintiff, only the physician’s payments to his or her medical liability insurer.
Obviously editorials express the opinion of the editors, but it would be much more responsible journalism if the editorials had some basis in truth, facts and logic. This editorial took an opportunity to bash, once again, the medical community and tort reform, which the Chronicle has never supported, and in fact, devoted much effort to defeat.
Please click Read More to read the full text of the Texas Medical Association's response to the Chronicle, the edited response the Chronicle ran as a letter to the editor, and the Chronicle editorial.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/06/05 03:45 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (3)
Assessing $AFEclear from on high
Apparently Mayor White and Chief Hurtt took a helicopter ride this morning to assess the $AFEclear forced-towing program. Wonder how helpful that was?
Maybe the mayor could use that helicopter for his daily commute and leave the rest of us alone.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/06/05 12:00 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
Men's Fitness: Houston fattest city once again
Men's Fitness once again has named Houston America's Fattest City, after our city "lost" that dubious distinction last year.
Mayor White reacted with his best John Kerry impersonation, attacking the ranking as "propaganda" while at the same time announcing a city initiative to attack the problem. Who knew our mayor relied on propaganda in setting city policy?
The Men's Fitness survey isn't propaganda. However, as Rob Booth points out, it's not really a model that truly measures what it claims -- how "fat" a city is. Here are the variables used in determining the model's rankings:
Gyms/Sporting Goods
Nutrition
Exercise/Sports
Overweight/Sedentary
Junk Food
Alcohol
TV
Air Quality
Climate
Geography
Commute
Parks/Open Space
Recreation Facilities
Health Care
Some of those variables are more easily measured than others. Some of the measurements are relatively subjective, to be sure. But those are limitations of most social scientific models. The big problem here is that an index of all of those variables really provides a better measure of something akin to "quality of life" or "general potential for wellness" than it does an area's "fatness." Indeed, one of the variables within the model purports to measure how overweight/sedentary an area is, which is what the magazine claims is being measured overall.
As a general measure of the potential for wellness or quality of life of an area, it's not a horrible model. One could quibble with some of the variables and construct a model that produces wildly different results. But the main problem with this model is that it doesn't measure what Men's Fitness claims.
And as quality of life goes, we think Houston has some advantages that aren't being captured by the Men's Fitness model. So have a laugh at it, and enjoy the fact that Houston is a great restaurant town with plenty of bars, AND plenty of opportunities to get fit.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/06/05 10:04 AM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (2)
$AFEclear: Mayor White's idea of customer-oriented government
Today's Chronicle has a perfect example of what is wrong with the $AFEclear program:
Bess said her car was towed after she had a blowout on Interstate 45 on her way to a doctor's appointment about noon Tuesday. Her friend, who was driving, pulled the car to the shoulder and was just preparing to change the tire, but a tow-truck driver arrived and told them he had to remove the car.
When Bess refused to have it towed, the wrecker driver called police. Two uniformed officers came and explained the new towing law to Bess. One drove her to her doctor's appointment in his squad car.
Now, her car is in storage and she can't afford to get it back. She and her mother, Norma Bess, 73, live together on a fixed income.
Under the Safe Clear program, which became effective Saturday, towing costs $75 for the first five miles and $1.50 for each additional mile. Storage, if applicable, is $48 for the first day, $15 for each additional day. About 500 tows were authorized by 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to Houston TranStar.
By Wednesday, Bess owed about $139. She doesn't know how she'll get enough money to get the car back and fears she and her mother will be forced to take the bus to the grocery store and their doctor's appointments.
"This is ridiculous, what they did," Norma Bess said.
Yes it is. Mayor White was on Chris Baker's show yesterday and if I had to hear him say one more time, "It's better than it was before" or "It costs less than it did before," I was going to scream. Mayor White, BEFORE $AFEclear someone didn't get towed and impounded for a FLAT TIRE. Someone didn't get towed as they got a gallon of gas. Mayor White said that before $AFEclear, when he was stuck in traffic backups, he became really annoyed as he realized it was because of some car sitting off to the side. Well, gee Mr. Mayor. So sorry someone's misfortune inconvenienced you. Those of us who drive cars need to expect to be inconvenienced by others who break down from time to time. We don't live in a perfect world, and if you want a perfect commute, Mr. Mayor, then live downtown and use light rail. Then pray light rail doesn't crash into something, or someone. And I find it very implausible that all Houston freeway congestion is caused by cars on the side of the road. I think it's more likely caused by numerous cars on the roads.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/06/05 07:37 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (5)
05 January 2005
KPRC poll: White policies not helping mobility
A new KPRC-2 poll suggests that Houstonians are not buying Mayor White's claims about improving mobility in the city:
In an exclusive Local 2 Flashpoll, SurveyUSA asked approximately 500 Houstonians, "if they think the mayor's SAFEclear program, along with synchronized traffic lights, has helped Houston traffic?"
Eleven percent believed the situation has improved. Fifty-nine percent said it has gotten worse. Twenty-nine percent said it is the same as before and 1 percent of the people polled were not sure.
I could not find the details of the poll on KPRC's website, so that result should certainly be taken with a grain of salt. Still, politicians generally aren't happy when they're on the wrong side of 60%.
The poll reminds us of this bizarre paragraph from Kristen Mack's glowing Chronicle review (more on that fine piece of journalism at some later time) of Mayor White's first year:
Other moves already are having real or perceived effect. White's first initiative, which he announced during his inauguration speech, was to synchronize traffic signals at 1,500 intersections by the end of the year to ease congestion. Before some intersections were complete, people were noting a difference, and White acknowledged that just announcing it created a placebo effect. It was an easy and early win.
I wonder sometimes if Kristen Mack even reads the copy she churns out. Either the initiatives have had an effect, or they have not. There's no "placebo effect" to lights being out of sync. Either you're stuck in traffic because of the problem or not. You don't sit at a red light and imagine it's green because Mayor White says so!
The KPRC poll -- if it is to be believed -- suggests that many Houstonians aren't buying the mayor's rhetoric on mobility. Local television news, talk radio and message boards suggest the mayor has taken a big hit from the $AFEclear program, and deservedly so.
Incidentally, Mayor White asserted on the Baker show earlier that the revenues raised from the newly created $AFEclear wrecker oligopoly will be reinvested in traffic enforcement. He specifically mentioned motorcycle cops. We here at blogHOUSTON have been citing the need for more cops for some time now, but the Mayor and his Council have made no moves of which we're aware in that regard. Unfortunately, Baker did not press White on his curious assertion about boosting traffic cops or on the amount of money the $AFEclear program has raised, so those questions remain. Indeed, quite a few questions remain, as the mayor pretty much stuck to his talking points and platitudes.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/05/05 10:55 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
Sen. Whitmire wants $AFEclear moratorium
State Sen. John Whitmire has called for a moratorium on the $AFEclear forced-towing program:
State Senator John Whitmire stated that due to the failure of city officials to consider all the negative consequences of the new Safe Clear program, they should immediately declare a moratorium on the towing of vehicles that are not impeding traffic and can safely be repaired at the shoulder of the freeway within a reasonable time frame.
He states that the plan does not adequately consider the well-being of passengers, particularly children, stranded after their car has been towed.
"It is unacceptable to take entire families to a fire or police station," said Whitmire.
Families could be safe at home or work if the City of Houston had a fair program similar to Bellaire or Harris County which allow motorists more time to secure reasonable aid. The public should not be expected to get into a tow truck driven by an unknown person. Whitmire said that, as a matter of public safety, criminal background checks should be performed on tow truck drivers. "To lose your car to an expensive storage lot should not be allowed," said Whitmire.
Whitmire stated the intended purpose is fine. No one has a right to block the flow of traffic, but common sense dictates that a safe repair on the shoulder should be allowed.
UPDATE: KPRC-2 has a bit more from Sen. Whitmire:
State Sen. John Whitmire said if the city does not issue a moratorium on the ordinance, he is prepared to take action at the state capital.
He said he is most concerned about residents who cannot afford the mandatory towing fee or who are not given enough time to fix their broken vehicles.
"They are implementing this policy without the common sense approach of allowing people, if they can (in a) timely and safe fashion fix their automobile, go on to work or go to school -- they're not being allowed to," Whitmire said.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/05/05 05:04 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
MAP: Citizen-friendly roadside assistance
Mayor White (who will be appearing on the Chris Baker program at 5:30 pm today according to Baker), Czar Saperstein, and Councilman Berry continue to spin their $AFEclear wrecker-service oligopoly scheme as a necessary solution to a "safety problem" that previously was not on anyone's radar.
One reason the so-called safety problem was not on anyone's radar is that for years, Metro, TXDOT, and the Harris County Sheriff's Department have been helping keep area freeways safe and clear by offering motorists free and friendly assistance via their Motorist Assistance Program (MAP):
It's here!
The Motorist Assistance Program (M.A.P.) is designed to help stranded motorists on most Houston area freeways. Since 1989, over 100,000 motorists have counted on M.A.P. to get them back on the road.
It's help!
The specially marked M.A.P. vans are equipped to handle minor automotive emergencies like overheating, flat tires, and jump starts.
It's simple!
Just CALL-M.A.P. (713-225-5627) to report a stranded motorist. For Cingular cellular telephone users, the call is free.
It's safe!
Don't worry about who will assist you. M.A.P. vans are staffed with experienced uniformed Harris County Sheriff's Department deputies.
It's free!
The Motorist Assistance Program is offered 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, free-of-charge. (If services are required beyond those offered by M.A.P., they contact the provider of your choice at your expense.)
MAP is an outstanding, citizen-friendly program that our community has been fortunate to enjoy over the years.
Fortunately, MAP is still operating, even in SAFEclear zones. According to a representative with MAP whom I spoke to earlier, if MAP gets to your car first, they can assist you with the basic problems that they've always handled for stranded motorists for free (jump starts, gas, flat tire, overheating). It is my understanding that they can no longer arrange towing, however; if the car is truly disabled, then the $AFEclear program enjoys towing precedence. So, Houston motorists should definitely put the MAP number on their cell phones.
Mayor White -- and politicians in general -- love to spin their policies as necessary to "safety" (another favorite is "the children"). If this were really about safety, however, then the city would have found a way to enhance this model program that's been operating on area freeways for years.
But that wouldn't have created a $AFEclear wrecker oligopoly, and that wouldn't have netted Mayor White a new revenue stream. It bears repeating that when politicians say it's not about the money, it's almost always about the money.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/05/05 03:47 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (6)
Some thoughts on $AFEclear problems
Over at Lone Star Times, Owen Courreges has some thoughts on the problems with $AFEclear:
[...]there is a pernicious belief going around that Safe Clear will actually reduce congestion by limiting the number of wreckers that come to an accident. There are numerous problems with this reasoning. First, Safe Clear applies to situations where no towing is required, namely cases where a person merely has a flat tire. Secondly, having several tow trucks firmly in the shoulder has a minimal effect on traffic flow (and as far as I know, rubber-neckers need little excuse to gawk).
And thirdly, Safe Clear has actually increased the time it takes to tow a vehicle in many cases (to as much as 90 minutes) because the wrecker companies contracted to handle the tows can't always handle the volume of cars. This means that the cars stay out for longer, possibly offsetting even the modest gains that result from having fewer wreckers respond.
There is one more sticky point here as well, namely that there is no hard, statistical evidence that Safe Clear will reduce congestion. It's the same with light rail -- Bill White tells us that it increases traffic flow, yet he provides no data to back this up. Safe Clear has already been tested, so the data is out there. Why hasn't White offered proof that it works? The answer is: Because it doesn't.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/05/05 01:32 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
AAA reimbursement policy
Houston Metroblogging points out AAA of Texas' reimbursement policy for the $AFEclear program. There are some limitations and catches:
Standard AAA members can be reimbursed up to $75 for the Safe Clear fee, which includes five miles of towing. Standard AAA members will not be reimbursed for any additional mileage.
AAA Plus members can be reimbursed up to $75 for the Safe Clear fee, which includes five miles of towing, plus $1.50 per mile for any additional mileage up to 100 miles.
AAA Premier members can be reimbursed up to $75 for the Safe Clear fee, which includes five miles of towing, plus $1.50 per mile for any additional mileage up to 100 miles (or up to 200 miles if the 200 mile towing benefit has not already been used.)
AAA members who have a valid membership and have not used all of their four (4) entitled Roadside Assistance calls in the same membership year are eligible for the reimbursement. AAA members are not eligible for reimbursement of storage or impound fees.
And let's not forget, this is reimbursement. The driver still has to pay up front and then apply for reimbursement.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/05/05 10:36 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
Downtown courthouse gets valet parking
KHOU-11 has a story about a new valet parking service at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse:
"The 90-day test service is a brainchild of Ampco System Parking.
"It's to provide a service to those trying to get into the courthouse," said Daniel Huberty, Ampco System Parking.
And motorists willing to pay the $16 for it say the time saved is priceless.
[snip]
Parking is at a premium in downtown. With the parking lot across from the criminal court house soon to be changed into an open public area, 150 to 175 cars will soon have to find another place to park.
[snip]The county also considers it a win. It gets to keep 83 percent of the profit.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/05/05 09:49 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
Mayor: drivers have no right to change a flat
The Chronicle has a story that includes state Sen. Whitmire's questions (noted in the post below) about the $AFEclear forced-towing program, and this from Mayor Bill White:
White also responded to complaints — voiced repeatedly on radio talk shows and in e-mails — that Safe Clear rules do not give motorists time to change a flat tire, instead forcing them to pay a $75 towing fee for a problem they could fix."Folks don't have the right to change tires on the freeway in the middle of rush hour," he said. "It's dangerous and it backs up traffic."
I didn't know that people don't have a right to change a flat tire on a freeway during rush hour. Learn something new everyday, I guess.
And then there's this observation from a dissatisfied towing customer:
"(The insurer) could have had someone out there within 20 minutes, but instead I waited for 90 minutes on a dangerously narrow side of the freeway," he said. "This sounds more and more like a sneaky legal way to make money to me."
Noooo. Surely not. This is all about safety.
UPDATE 1: In the forum, Kevin wonders, after reading Mayor White's quote, if the $AFEclear forced-towing program is only in effect during rush hour.
UPDATE 2: Mayor White is flying into action:
Mayor Bill White plans to ride along with a wrecker driver to get a firsthand look at his administration's new ordinance, Houston's SAFEclear program, which has been under fire since its inauguration.
[snip]
Despite the controversy, White is still defending the program.
"The new system will reduce congestion, will reduce deaths, get the vehicles out so that the traffic can move," White said.
We are still awaiting all those stats the city must have from the Katy Freeway experiment to show how this is going to reduce congestion, reduce deaths and get traffic moving.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/05/05 06:56 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (26)
04 January 2005
Who could have predicted that drivers wouldn't like $AFEclear?
In what is a surprising development, Houston-area drivers are less than thrilled with the new $AFEclear towing program. Well, it's surprising to some supporters of forced-towing:
James Kahig knows the tow truck industry isn't always well respected. He didn't expect such a backlash from Houston's new towing ordinance. "It just blew up in our face," he said.
Every stop he makes along the freeway is a challenge.
The Goffneys knew nothing about the Safe Clear program until they broke down on the Southwest Freeway.
"I'm a little shocked at having to pay $75 when I pay an annual fee to AAA," said Carolene Goffney, stranded motorist.
Motorists aren't the only ones questioning the mayor's new plan.
"I think it may be time for the State of Texas to put a dose of common sense into the enforcement. There are questions I have that no one seems to be able to answer at the city level," said Senator John Whitmire.
And:
It's been in effect for four days now, but the city's new Safe Clear towing program remains the talk of the town. There's growing frustation over the program and changes are already in the works.
[snip]
"I do believe it's a good system," said council member Pam Holm. "I think there are some definite issues that frankly, I wish we would have worked a little bit harder up front rather than reacting."
City lawmakers say they expect some studies to be done in the coming months about how this program is performing.
Aha. Now that the burdensome program is in effect, city folks want to do some studies. Since the Katy Freeway program has been underway for nine months, we should already have "some studies," with answers even. And that quote from councilwoman Holm, about wishing they had worked harder "up front" as opposed to "reacting," is just priceless.
Almost makes you think this idea was dreamed up in some back room by a group of out-of-touch city bigs looking to clear their commute path.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/04/05 09:52 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
Bush Intercontinental gets trial cargo inspection system
KHOU-11 is reporting that Bush Intercontinental will be receiving $4 million to fund a trial air cargo inspection system.
The KHOU story mirrors the information in a press release issued by IAH, which has more details:
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) awarded Ancore Corporation, a division of OSI Systems, Inc., $4 million in funding for an air cargo inspection pilot program at Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Houston Congressman John Culberson and Sugar Land's Tom DeLay, U.S. House Majority Leader, secured an additional $4 million in federal funding for the program to scan air cargo for dangerous agents that can be used for terrorist attacks.
[snip]
The program is an effort between TSA, the Houston Airport System, Continental Airlines and OSI Systems to develop a system for the inspection of containerized air cargo.
DeLay and Culberson intend to enhance the security of the Houston Airport System and improve air cargo transport. Initially, Continental Airlines will be the only cargo carrier in the pilot program and if the implementation is successful in Houston, TSA may consider installing similar equipment in airports across the country.
[snip]
During the screening process, Ancore’s patented PFNA™ (Pulse Fast Neutron Analysis) technology detects chemical threats by identifying the signature of the element’s composition. OSI Systems is working to adapt this technology to detect threats such as military-grade explosives, low level explosives, drugs, and hazardous material that can be shipped in cargo containers.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/04/05 08:19 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Awaiting $AFEclear's Katy Freeway statistics
Continuing with the $AFEclear program questions, here is what Councilman Michael Berry said recently:
Councilman Michael Berry, the chairman of the transportation committee, who helped White push the ordinance through in May, said motorists will notice an improvement in commute times.
"The public told us they did not want to be stranded on a freeway that became a parking lot because one car ran out of gas or blew a tire," Berry said. "What a difference this is going to make in the day-to-day lives of our residents."
Since the $AFEclear program has been underway in an experimental mode for nine months on the Katy Freeway, we are wondering if Berry has any statistical proof to back up the claim that this program will make a difference. Surely someone must have been keeping track of the Katy Freeway's improving numbers, so the public could see how $AFEclear will improve the lives of Houston-area residents.
Here is what Berry said in a Chronicle op-ed from November:
The pilot program for this quick-response, single-operator-on-the-scene concept debuted in March. By all accounts, the SafeClear Program on Katy Freeway has been a great success. I've ridden with tow drivers and police officers, interviewed them, and witnessed a positive response from drivers of disabled vehicles who appreciate the quick response to their vehicle becoming disabled. I've also seen the thumbs-up and thanks from drivers who proceed past the removed vehicles as mobility promptly resumes.
We would like to know by whose accounts the Katy program has been a great success? What is the backup for that claim? Is the backup just anecdotal evidence provided by $AFEclear cheerleaders/advocates? Why should we take Berry's word that Katy Freeway drivers think this program is a fabulous idea?
To the Chronicle's credit, it highlights an example of a tow that didn't go so smoothly yesterday, which required the intervention of the Traffic Czar, David Saperstein, to get straightened out. Is he going to be available every day? Is Berry going to be out touring the roadways looking to help? (Is Berry another elite country club conservative looking to make his commute easier?)
But most important of all, we eagerly await the hard statistical numbers that surely will be issued SOON, to show "what a difference this is going to make in the day-to-day lives of our residents." Because after nine months of Katy Freeway practice, those numbers should be available.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/04/05 09:33 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
SAFEclear, public safety, and revenue enhancement
Mayor White, Czar Saperstein, and Councilman Berry continue to insist that their new $AFEclear initiative is rooted in concerns of public safety, and not revenues for the city.
Interestingly, they ignore the fact that we have enjoyed several much more motorist-friendly programs designed to clear the freeways when there are problems.
There's the free program operated by the Harris Country Toll Road Authority on their roads.
There's Bellaire's motorist-friendly policy described in this story by Rad Sallee.
And there's the old Motorist Assistance Program operated by TXDOT, Metro and Harris County, which presumably is now barred by municipal ordinance from offering the level of assistance it once provided for free.
One can't help but wonder why this growing menace of a safety issue that was previously on nobody's radar couldn't have been addressed in a less intrusive manner by simply boosting these existing citizen-friendly programs. If the safety issue had really become as menacing as Mayor White, Czar Saperstein, and Councilman Berry contend, then certainly it's a public safety issue that at least is as deserving of public expenditure as Chief Hurtt's stun guns.
But that approach would have cost money, rather than creating a new wrecker oligopoly that would pay the city for the privilege. What a convenient arrangement -- aside from those pesky complaining motorists (otherwise known as taxpayers and voters) and the fact that the mayor's new wrecker oligopoly is not nearly as efficient as promised:
But Sugar Land mortgage broker Lee Farb and his son, Daniel, 7, spent an hour and 35 minutes on a narrow strip of dirt separating the roaring West Loop from its busy northbound frontage road near Memorial Park.
A tire, the "doughnut" spare, on Farb's Volvo blew at 10:05 a.m. "I just recently got a flat and hadn't changed it back yet," he acknowledged.
Farb has an American Automobile Association towing policy, but they told him that Safe Clear wreckers had priority on the freeway, which includes the dirt strip.
That segment of the loop is assigned to Allied Collision Center, but its trucks were handling other calls and could not respond immediately.
Two police cars and a sheriff's Motorists Assistance Program (MAP) truck showed up, along with a wrecker that is not part of the Safe Clear program. Its driver, Lazaro Martinez, said he offered to tow Farb for $125, but was refused.
At 10:40 a.m. the first Safe Clear wrecker arrived. After looking at the low-hanging air dam under Farb's front bumper, however, the driver decided he could not tow the car without damaging it.
That's when a frustrated Farb sought help from [Czar] Saperstein, who was riding the freeways to see how the program was working. He drove up after hearing about the problem on a police scanner.
What an unbelievable arrangement!
As in previous instances, when politicians say it's not about the money, it's almost always about the money. We're not particularly surprised that Mayor White is attempting to squeeze every dime he can out of the Houston citizenry without a formal tax increase, but it is disappointing to see former conservative councilman Michael Berry acting as the mayor's point man so frequently.
RELATED: Houston talkers focus on Mayor White's SAFEclear program
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/04/05 08:09 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (2)
03 January 2005
Houston talkers focus on Mayor White's SAFEclear program
With the New Year's festivities behind, Houston drivers took to the freeways today, and many of them were confronted with Mayor White's expensive and intrusive new SAFEclear program (which we've dubbed $AFEclear), by which an oligopoly of wrecker services patrol Houston's freeways at all times of the day, and are charged with the task of forcibly towing all disabled vehicles for a $75 fee (unless the car must be towed to a storage facility, at which point storage fees will begin to accrue). The Mayor's program makes it a Class C misdemeanor for any other wrecker service outside the $AFEclear oligopoly to tow vehicles within the $AFEclear zone. The program launched without any facility for those with insurance or auto club programs to be directly billed for this "service."
As one might expect, the $AFEclear program was a hot topic on Houston's political talk shows during drive time this afternoon.
Posted by blogHOUSTON @ 01/03/05 11:38 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (1)
Chron eye for the death row killer guy - cont'd
We got a little nervous there for a while, but the Chronicle didn't disappoint.
The paper came through today with the latest installment of Chron Eye for the Death Row Killer Guy.
Now, they did something unusual, in that they ran AP copy rather than putting one of their own reporters on it.
However, the AP reporter (inadvertently) did such a fine job adhering to the Chron Eye formula that apparently a Chron writeup wasn't necessary.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/03/05 11:17 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (1)
Another example of missing the local angle
We've argued previously that we think the Chronicle needs to improve its local coverage significantly, and that it needs to exercise much better judgment about the wire copy that it runs (and edits). That's because the newspaper is never going to have the resources to cover national or international news like major news organizations (say, AP or Reuters) and significant newspapers (like the New York Times) -- nor should it, with so much wire copy available. If savvy editors pull the best national and international stories from various news services and supplement stories that have a local angle, that frees resources to improve local coverage.
Unfortunately, the Chronicle seems to lack such savvy editors. The latest illustration is a New York Times news service story that the Chronicle chopped and ran yesterday, Libya using oil to entice U.S. executives. The full version, authored by Jad Mouawad, also ran in the New York Times yesterday. The Times version (Libya tempts executives with big oil reserves) contains approximately 1,810 words in 43 paragraphs. The Chron's chop job, on the other hand, contains approximately 210 words in 8 paragraphs. Important details are, as one might expect, missing from the Chron version.
The re-opening of Libya to American oil companies is an important story locally, since Houston remains the energy capital of the world. For that matter, all four of the American companies (Marathon, Amerada Hess, ConocoPhillips, and Oxy) originally granted permission by the Bush Administration to negotiate their return to Libya maintain either headquarters or E&P offices in Houston. And since the Bush Administration further lifted restrictions on American companies in general, other American firms with a major presence in Houston have shown interest in Libya's first bid round under EPSA-IV terms, due to close at the end of this month. American companies have been waiting for quite some time to get back to (relatively underexplored) Libya, and that's certainly important news for Houston.
One would think the Chronicle might have run the Times story in its entirety, or at least supplemented the chop job with some quotes from local explorationists and/or consultancies.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/03/05 10:03 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
Yes, we have a doctor in the house
Rob Booth notes this Chronicle story about the city trying to book medical conventions -- it appears Jordy Tollett actually spoke to a media person. Maybe he's trying to keep his job -- and the prominence the city's new light rail is given as a Houston selling point:
By the late '70s, when its convention facilities became outdated, Houston began losing business. It lost even more after the oil bust in the late '80s claimed thousands of hotel rooms among its casualties.
Besides traditional destinations such as Boston, Chicago, Washington and New Orleans, cities such as San Diego, San Francisco and Orlando, Fla., became top draws for medical conventions. Despite the world's largest medical complex, Houston was no longer a factor.
Now, with light rail linking the Medical Center to a revitalized downtown, with its 2,600 new hotel rooms and a doubled-in-size George R. Brown Convention Center, officials think the time is ripe to reclaim a top role.
That's some smart thinking on the city's part, because when someone gets walloped by the train during one of these medical conventions, there will be plenty of first aid experts around to tend to the victim.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/03/05 07:44 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
02 January 2005
Chron investigates HHS overhaul
Charles Kuffner calls attention to a Chronicle investigative report from R.G. Ratcliffe on potential conflicts of interest and improprieties within the Texas system of health and human services.
The article typifies the gap that will always exist between news organizations with actual resources, and pure bloggers, in that most bloggers would never have the time, resources, or expertise to compile such a report via numerous public information requests and analysis.
There's more anonymous sourcing than I would like to see, and the report (like most of Ratcliffe's dispatches) would benefit from some strong editing. But a more salient complaint is the one raised on Kuffner's blog -- this story comes awfully late in the game, despite the fact that some bloggers were calling attention to the issue some time ago.
Blogs are never going to replace some functions of mainstream media (see Hindrocket on this topic here), and few of us blog enthusiasts contend otherwise (despite the fact that some ankle biters continue to knock down straw men in that regard). Still, mainstream journalism would benefit from adopting a healthier attitude towards blogs, which are often buzzing about interesting stories and neglected angles to those stories well before mainstream media gets in on the action. Count this as a prime example.
UPDATE: Kimberly offers some thoughts at A Little Pollyanna.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/02/05 12:33 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
HCN says free archives too expensive
It appears that Houston Community Newspapers has decided to go the way of the Chronicle and build a pay archive wall:
News reports may be accessed free of charge for 21 days from the day the story originally appears on the HCN Web site, which is usually 24 hours after the publication date of the article. Thereafter, readers may access HCN's extensive archive of stories pertaining to the community through the new subscription program.
[snip]
"As the archives increase in data, the cost of maintaining the good service to our customer increases, so we thought a small charge would be appropriate to maintain the useful service for our customers," said J. Tom Graham, chief operating officer for ASP Westward LP, the parent company of HCN.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/02/05 09:14 AM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (0)
Houston: a Gemini city with a Gemini mayor
David Kaplan has an enlightening and entertaining article filled with predictions from Houston area business folks. Some of it's serious:
Dan Pickering, president, Pickering Energy Partners
The city will enjoy a slowly improving economy. Employment will rise slightly faster than the national average. There will be no significant impact from the weaker US dollar. Rising interest rates will slow the appreciation of residential real estate values.
Led by China, worldwide energy demand should rise 1-2% in 2005, creating an environment where OPEC and non-OPEC producers will produce near their full capacity. Identifying incremental sources of oil to meet future demand growth will compound in this tight market. High oil and gas prices will continue to be felt by consumers.
And some of it's more lighthearted:
Tonya Reed, owner, Uncle Funky's Daughter, clothing boutique and natural hair salon.
Small business owners will see a tremendous profit over 2004's numbers as our economy continues to recover from an employment slump.
The year will bring an increase in online shoppers in record numbers of over 35 percent.
The tight bell-bottom jeans and platform heeled shoes from the 1970s will be the retro fashion trend for men in 2005.
I think we can agree that while men dressing in tight bell-bottom jeans and platform heeled shoes might be good for Uncle Funky's Daughter, it probably would not be a welcome development for Houston in general.
It's interesting to note that Tilman Fertitta's prediction makes no mention of exotic animals.
But perhaps most important of all, the stars appear to be lining up favorably for the nation's fourth largest city:
Nan Hall Linke, astrologer.
Houston, a Gemini City, now has a Gemini mayor which is good. Gemini rules transportation, and Mayor White is going to fix our transportation problems.
Uranus in Aquarius supports a creative renaissance for our city.
[snip]
Nationally, anything to do with love and marriage and couples is a growth industry. With Saturn in Cancer, people are returning to traditional values and nesting, and there will be continued growth in home building and home services.
I didn't know that Houston is a Gemini city. Just for fun, here are the traits of a Gemini:
Traditional
Gemini traitsAdaptable and versatile
Communicative and witty
Intellectual and eloquent
Youthful and livelyOn the dark side....
Nervous and tense
Superficial and inconsistent
Cunning and inquisitive
I'm not sure how all that relates to transportation, but I'm also not well-versed in astrology.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/02/05 07:35 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
01 January 2005
Improving the Chronicle: Some suggestions for 2005
As promised in recent posts, the blogHOUSTON bloggers have been doing some brainstorming to come up with a list of suggestions to improve the Houston Chronicle -- because this great city deserves a much better newspaper.
Here are those suggestions, in no particular order:
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/01/05 11:01 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (3)
Closing 2004 with rail boosting and criminal rights
Yesterday's editorial page featured two fun house editorials.
The first was a celebration of light rail's first year in Houston, and praise for Metro in reducing accidents along the line. One expects no less from the pro-rail newspaper, although it's in character that the newspaper didn't bother even to print the most recent accident on its pages. Out of sight, out of mind?
The second editorial condemned certain parole provisions being enforced in Harris County, and is the latest example of the newspaper endorsing the "rights" of criminals over the rights of the public. Owen Courreges dismissed the "rights" argument fairly easily:
Parole is a privilege, and thus it is only right that the government place conditions on it in light of threats to public safety. And having drunk driving parolees on the streets tonight is more than society can bear in good conscience....
Certainly, the Chronicle can take whatever position it would like on its editorial pages. But these editorials -- and others we've pointed out recently -- are much weaker than a newspaper with the Chronicle's resources should be putting out regularly. In some cases, they're just erroneous.
We'll be following with some suggestions later as to how the newspaper might start to improve this mediocre editorial product in 2005.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/01/05 09:44 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (1)
Starting 2005 by editorializing on olds
The Chronicle editorializes today on Continental's purchase of Boeing's new 7E7 aircraft.
The editorial is much weaker than the blog post that Tom Kirkendall wrote two days ago on the topic.
It's good to see the Chron starting the new year two days behind the curve already.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/01/05 09:08 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
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