31 July 2006
Sallee: Best to mind your speed on Spur 527
The Chronicle's Rad Sallee ran the questions I emailed him last week in his transportation column today:
BlogHOUSTON editor and Midtown resident Kevin Whited recalled that Quincy Allen, the TxDOT engineer in charge of rebuilding the Southwest Freeway and Spur 527, had said the spur's previous speed limit would be restored once reconstruction was complete.
"I drive on the spur every day and haven't noticed any changes from 35 mph," Whited said. "However, as I exited on Louisiana today, guess what was waiting? An HPD officer with a radar gun."
(Photo added, 8-8-2006)Whited didn't get stopped, but the driver behind him did. "So here are my questions — what's the speed limit? Is HPD still enforcing 35?"
Allen says the new signs are on order and the speed limit will be returned to 50 mph on the spur within two weeks.
The exit ramps typically have 35 mph limits posted, but these are advisory, he said.
Drivers are supposed to exit at safe speeds, which can be a judgment call for police.
In other words, watch yourself at the Spur 527 exits, and slow down on the spur itself until they get the other signs changed.
UPDATE (08-01-2006): A reader emails the following:
I too drive the 527 Spur every day. Outbound in the morning and Inbound in the evening. A few days ago the cops had a radar trap setup right on the Outbound spur. Fortunately, I was going pretty slow and did not get stopped. The guy behind me did. Enforcing 35 MPH is ridiculous. There were 2 or 3 cops with their radar guns just waving them over. I already got caught in another of their radar traps a couple of weeks ago coming off the Pierce exit from I-45.
And Mike McGuff notes his experience with the Spur 527 Confusing Speed Trap Revenue Stream here.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/31/06 11:33 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (7)
Heights residents save two old oak trees
Look what some Heights residents did:
A group of homeowners in the Houston Heights district is claiming victory after it managed to save several 150-year-old oak trees.
The seed, you might say, was planted last April when a grass roots movement to save the pair of trees and its resident night herons confronted a developer over a double lot on Ashland Street destined for town homes.
The Houston Heights Association ended up buying the property. Over the past year, it carved out a contract to save the lot, but with a custom-designed set of deed restrictions.
"That would protect trees," said Joellen Snow with the Heights Association. "Those restrictions have been recorded and now we've found this wonderful young family to purchase the property and build their dream home."
Outstanding! Just think what a River Oaks association could accomplish!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/31/06 08:28 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (1)
Chron continues killing trees to print these editorials
This is Chronicle editorial number FOUR on the meanies at local school districts who don't feed children every single day of summer vacation:
The U.S. government pays for 100 percent of these meals. But school districts — among the few groups allowed to access this program directly — often waste their chance to keep students fed and healthy throughout the year.
By now it's a truism that ill-nourished children are less docile, less teachable. That's why the federal government bankrolls both breakfast and lunch for students in need during the school year. Commendably, HISD is taking the job further: This year it will offer free breakfast to its entire 208,000 student body.
Yet some school districts — HISD is one — cut off these same youngsters when summer school ends. It's fairly simple to switch from their own kitchens to contract vendors, or transfer their federal contracts to other nonprofits, as San Antonio schools do. But most Harris County schools just lock the door.
That not only turns away federal tax dollars that could be returned to the community. It also saps opportunities to make neighborhoods safer. "Kids don't just need to be fed; if their parents are working they need someplace to go where they are safe and supervised," Hagert said. "If a nonprofit with a budget of $1,000 for summer has to buy summer meals, it limits how much it can spend on other activities."
The editorialists helpfully point out that the U.S. government pays for the meals, as if the money just grows on trees in Washington D.C., and it's therefore free money. Hello! It's OUR money! Taxpayers' hard-earned money! And this taxpayer gets a little peeved that other parents out there are unwilling to feed their children, so the government uses my money to do it!
Recall the inability of many Katrina evacuees to do for themselves. They just wait for their government handouts. The Chronicle's editorial board is encouraging a whole new generation of people who expect government to do everything for them, including provide food.
I'm going to repeat myself: At Walmart, a loaf of bread costs $.60, a jar of peanut butter costs $1.70, a jar of jam costs $1.50, and a bag of fruit costs less than a couple of dollars. There are parents out there having kids who can't afford that, for a week's worth of lunches? Come on!
But on top of all this stupidity, the oh-so-enlightened editorial board is upset because HISD's program has ended two weeks before school starts. Do they think parents won't feed their children for two weeks? And if this two-week gap is that critical, why doesn't the Chronicle help facilitate a two-week feeding program? (Because they aren't do-ers, that's why.)
The thinking that goes on in that boardroom is absolutely mind-boggling.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/31/06 06:39 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
Chron reporter discovers Marfreless (eight days later)
The Chronicle runs one of those "it's not news until WE say it's news" stories today about the rumors surrounding Weingarten's stewardship of the shopping center at West Gray and Shepherd:
IN the recent controversy over the possible demolition of the River Oaks Shopping Center, including its classic art deco theater, the fate of one of the best-kept secrets in Houston has been overlooked.
Overlooked by whom?
Here's what I posted on July 23:
While it is not an architectural landmark, the mysterious Marfreless lounge also resides in the Shepherd/West Gray shopping complex, and would presumably be affected by Weingarten Realty's big plans.
In addition to being eight days late, the Chron version also contains an editing error.
To paraphrase a longtime blogger, Advantage blogHOUSTON!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/31/06 06:05 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (1)
30 July 2006
City of Houston Agenda 8-1-06
Once again, it's time to check up on our hirelings, and see what they're doing with the fine city we entrusted to them.
Readers are cautioned that I delete what I judge to be extraneous text, and often paraphrase in order to make the legalese a lot more readable; also that comments added are a mix of my own opinions, best guesses, snarking, and judgments, and therefore may not be entirely accurate. Such deletions may accidentally result in a key omission; if you wish to read the original text, please read the posted agenda on the city's website. Beginning with this week, I'm dropping the practice of including both the Tuesday and Wednesday date in the title; it's just confusing.
Public Comment, 8/1/06, 2 pm:
Citizens desiring to address the council must register in advance with the City Secretary.
This week, no fewer than nine people have signed up to speak to the council regarding the River Oaks Theater or shopping center. Nice to know that citizens understand what's important in Houston, and that preservation of old properties is definitely important. Even movie theaters and warehouses.
Action Meeting, 8/2/06, 9:00 am:
MAYOR’S REPORT - Charter Amendment Issues
I don’t know what this is about, but since the charter is essentially the constitution of the city, the most basic of laws governing Houston, we’d better pay close attention to this because it may mark an attempt to alter fundamentally some portion of the power balance in the city. Given the last few mayors' penchants for placing governance of the city into the hands of unelected and unaccountable boards and authorities, we should be watching this item. Given that it is at least two weeks before the minutes of any given council meeting appear, if the local media do not do their job of alerting citizens to questionable dealings at council, there's little chance most citizens will ever notice anything in a timely manner.
9:00 A.M. - Report from city controller and the city administration regarding the current financial status of the city including but not limited to, a revenue, expenditure and encumbrance report for the General Fund, all special revenue funds and all enterprise funds, and a report on the status of bond funds and a Quarterly Investment Report by the City Controller
Head below the fold for the rest. There are some interesting items in there, as always.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 07/30/06 11:34 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (4)
Alvarado fails to raise level of sanctuary debate
Councilmember and temporarily-former Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado decided to try her hand at blogging on Friday, and her post at Charles Kuffner's blog is quite a debut.
Here are a few choice excerpts from Alvarado's blog post criticizing those who favor ending the sanctuary directive issued by Houston's police chief in 1992:
The goal is not to make our city safe from the supposed scourge of illegal immigration, nor is to help the police solve crime. The goal is to increase turnout at the polls among this thin slice of voters - turnout that supporters calculate will benefit one political party over another.
I like to call this scapegoat politics. In scapegoat politics, you designate a certain group of people as somehow inherently evil and responsible for all the ills facing society. You then persuade your targeted voters that they must rush to the polls to support a ballot item that will eliminate this scourge and, while they're at it, vote for certain candidates who are on the right side of this pressing issue.
In 2005, Republicans did this with the Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage in Texas. To this day I do not believe the Republican leadership gives one whit about gays who might wish to enter into legally binding monogamous relationships but by scapegoating monogamous gays they were able to persuade numerous conservative voters to come to the polls who might otherwise have stayed home.
This year, in Houston, the scourge of the moment is the illegal immigrant. And, let's be honest, it's not the illegal Canadian or British or French immigrant. It's the illegal Latino immigrant (the one that doesn't sufficiently "look" American). There is no need to have a real debate about the issues facing our community when you can persuade people that our crime and our economic challenges are all a result of our tolerance of this evil group and if we just get tough on them our city will, once again, be the land of milk and honey.
For evidence of just how cynical this is I need only to look to my immediate left when I am sitting at the City Council table. There sits an elected city council member who has long been either neutral or even somewhat sympathetic to the city's immigrant population. Suddenly, she is one of the most ferocious supporters of this petition drive. It is merely a coincidence, she says, that her position radically changed at the same time that she was launching a bid for Congress the success of which requires the support of the very same people who will be inspired by this anti-Latino anti-immigrant effort.
So, folks who profess to want something done about illegal immigration are just intolerant, racist Republicans, akin to opportunistic homophobic Republicans! And one such Republican is a particularly naughty word!
After that nasty vitriol, Councilmember Alvarado (or whatever communications consultant who might have been the shadow writer) concludes:
I firmly believe our community should be engaged on the issue of illegal immigration and members of the community from all perspectives should be working together to discuss and debate it. But that is not the debate we have today.
Sorry, Councilmember Alvarado, but insinuating that those who support positions you oppose are racists, homophobes, and political opportunists isn't exactly raising the level of debate.
If Councilmember Alvarado were serious about a debate over the sanctuary directive issued by the police chief in 1992, then she could encourage Mayor White to bring the policy to Council for a conversation among our elected officials and interested members of the community. But neither she nor Mayor White appear interested in that, preferring instead to hide behind a directive crafted by the police chief in 1992 (which seems like a long time ago). Indeed, Mayor White actually seems to be channeling Councilmember Alvarado's rhetoric in an AP story posted at Chron.com today:
Mayor Bill White and police department officials deny Houston is a sanctuary city, saying officers will arrest anybody, including illegal immigrants, as needed. But White added that officers would be diverted from priority calls if they had to check the citizenship status of every person they dealt with.
"People are frustrated about the lack of a federal policy on immigration," he said. "But citizens should not allow their frustration on this issue to handcuff our law enforcement so they cannot respond to the complaints of citizens."
As explained several days ago when Councilmember Alvarado complained that ending the sanctuary policy would "tie the hands" of law enforcement, the more appropriate characterization would be that removing a ban on citizenship inquiries by police officers is untying their hands, or taking off the handcuffs. Whoever is crafting the rhetoric for these two Democratic nonpartisan municipal officials really needs to rework that comparison, which keeps falling flat.
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/30/06 11:04 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (38)
The CTC is standing tall for Greenway landowners
Last week the Chronicle's Tom Manning filed this story on the final Metro University line meeting:
Tuesday's third and final public meeting on the Metropolitan Transit Authority's revised options for the University Rail Line did little to bridge the gap between advocates for a Richmond Avenue line and its opponents.
[snip]
Metro has faced strong opposition to the plan from business owners and residents who live along Richmond west of Shepherd, most notably residents of Afton Oaks, just west of the Loop. While a crossover at Greenway Plaza or other locations would keep the line from traveling through Afton Oaks along Richmond, those opposed to having any portion of the line run along Richmond remained vocal Tuesday.
Metro plans show that eight properties along the route would be absorbed into the project, with 82 other instances of right of way widening.
Daphne Scarborough, who owns a business in the 2000 block of Richmond just east of Shepherd, said the Mobility Coalition for Quality of Life polled 204 residents and business owners along Richmond between Main Street and Shepherd, and that 200 of them opposed a Richmond line.
[snip]
Christof Spieler, a board member of the Citizens Transportation Coalition, a group that has supported the Richmond rail line concept, said that while a Greenway Plaza crossover may seem like a logical crossover spot, the line would better serve the Plaza if it remained on Richmond past it to the tracks.
"If you want to truly serve the Greenway Plaza area, you've got to go (along Richmond) to the railroad tracks," he said. "Landowners in the Greenway area want it on Richmond."
If that's the standard, then residents of The Woodlands should be able to overrule Heights residents, in the ongoing I-45 widening debate, right? And those who hanker for the Grand Parkway's F-2 segment to be completed so their trip between Katy and The Woodlands will be a breeze, should be given the final say over any objections Spring residents might have.
As for Metro's eminent domain plans, how many of those "right of way widening" opportunities will practically destroy the property? If the main part of the property is a business and Metro takes the front parking lot for "right of way widening," what does that do for the business's future?
Maybe folks who are outraged about what might happen to the River Oaks Theater could get a little worked up about what surely will happen to businesses along Richmond. And the trees, too.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/30/06 07:59 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (8)
Campbell: Acrimony between Chief, officers nothing new
Chronicle reader representative James Campbell expands on an earlier blog post in his weekly column for the Chronicle today:
LONGTIME residents of Houston have seen this dance before: Mayor hires a new police chief — Harold Hurtt — from out of town. On arrival, the new chief and the police union join hands for a brief chorus of Kumbaya and pledge cooperation in the interest of maintaining law and order and keeping the citizenry safe from the bad guys.
Then the honeymoon ends. Katrina happens and brings New Orleans' bad to mix with our bad. Crime seems out-of-control — or at least, in some areas. Manpower is lacking. The already sagging officer morale sours more when the chief issues a decree that has more to do with professionalism than fighting crooks. The backbiting starts. The union claims the troops have no confidence in the chief. The chief claims the union's charges are unfounded, and so on and so on ... To borrow a Yogi-ism, "It's déjà vu all over again."
The rest of the article recaps past tension between police chiefs and officers in Houston, with the implication that the current acrimony is nothing new.
The one thing missing from the column is any assessment of the past performance of the Chronicle editorial board, which has been strongly supportive of the current bumbling police chief and runs an editorial today that parrots Chief Hurtt's comments from a few days ago (it doesn't take into account the Chief's new babysitter, since that happened on Friday afternoon and "today's" editorial was surely written by then). Has the editorial board been as supportive of other police chiefs under fire? That would have been a handy addition to Campbell's column.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/30/06 04:36 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
How about a look at the Chronicle's property tax appraisals?
Today Rick Casey looks at Mayor White's efforts to get local refineries to pay more property taxes:
More than a year ago [Mayor White] came to the conclusion that refineries in the area were very undervalued and began discussing with appraisal district officials the reasons. He said he found them to be "hardworking and honest" but understaffed.
What's more, the big oil companies with virtually unlimited budgets had them outgunned in legal talent and testifying experts when disputes ended up in court.
White and Robinson worked out a strategy. Part of it was for White to arrange meetings with top executives of the companies.
"Top executives will meet with the mayor of Houston," Robinson said. "They send a lower level to meet with the chief appraiser."
[snip]
The appraisal district and Shell did come to an agreement last week. Shell refining facilities in Harris County will jump 64 percent in taxable value, from $586 million to $960 million.
Bettencourt estimated that will raise Shell's property taxes between $9 million and $10 million. He said if the other four companies reached similar settlements, local governments will receive about $50 million in new revenues.
Two notes:
1. Wouldn't it be great for local homeowners and small business owners if Mayor White was doing this to help relieve their escalating property tax burden? But we know that's not the reason for these arm-twisting meetings. Local little folks will not see any property tax relief, but Harris County/Houston will see more tax revenue.
2. For Casey's next column, he and his research assistant should check into the Houston Chronicle's property valuations. We've heard rumors for a while now that the Chronicle breaks out its big legal guns at appraisal time, and has been successful at fighting its appraisals. Maybe Mayor White can arrange a meeting with Jack Sweeney and Jeff Cohen to reach an agreement.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/30/06 11:15 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (7)
29 July 2006
Chron neighborhood section recaps crimefighting-by-acronym initiatives
Jennifer Friedberg's recent article for a Chronicle neighborhood section was inadvertently amusing for its recap of MayorWhiteChiefHurtt's various crimefighting-by-acronym initiatives:
The first phase of STOP began in early June and lasted about eight days. Uniformed overtime officers were in marked vehicles, patrolling the streets.
Phase two is now under way. Overtime officers patrol hot spots and run warrants on suspects.During a journey through some of the more dangerous apartment complexes in the area earlier this month, officer Edgar DeJesus of the Fondren Patrol Division said he has noticed the streets have been quieter since the programs started.
"It's zero tolerance to let people know we're out there and we're not going away," he said.
The problem, DeJesus said, is the programs are not a long-term solution.
"Once you clean up one side, they go to the next one," he said. "They just go elsewhere to do whatever mischief they're going to do and come back home."
The other three overtime programs that began earlier this year are the Crime Reduction Initiative, where uniformed and undercover personnel patrol the southwest corridor; a Neighborhood Enforcement Team Task Force, where patrol divisions deployed personnel to respond to calls for service; and a Unified Neighborhood Enforcement Team Task Force, where tactical teams worked with investigative personnel such as the homicide and robbery units.
The initiatives don't have an end date, Cannon said. HPD recently received $18 million in federal funding that will help pay for the overtime.
Let's not leave out the Fear Reduction Initiative or the Crime Van.
If MayorWhiteChiefHurtt don't exactly have the city's bad guys on the run with the acronyms, just wait till they break out Hooked on Phonics for the next wave of crimefighting!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/29/06 02:28 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
Local media ignore gaffe by Quannel the Tenth
One of the reasons we like KRIV-26 reporter Isiah Carey's blog is that Carey dishes out information as news is being made, instead of either holding it for his reports (not yet available online) or having it never see the light of day because of editing.
He recently posted on Quannel the Tenth, who consistently gets local media and law enforcement to jump when he snaps his fingers:
Phones in newsrooms all over the city rang as Quanell X hit his speed dial. He told news managers that he had the man wanted in The Acres Homes serial killings. Every major news operation headed over to the 6500 block of W. Montgomery where X said the man was supposed to be hold up in a church. Quanell said everyone should get there before he calls HPD to come and get the suspect. When The Insite arrived the man Quanell X had identified as the serial killer was sitting in the church with HPD, Pastor Chris Wright and X. Crime scene and more detectives later arrived. A reporter who was also on the scene then announced this wasn't the guy.
[snip]
X was wrong even though the man looked a whole lot like the sketch that has made its rounds in the area. But missing was the bald head and the scales of justice on the suspects arm. The man had a lot of tattoos but no scale of justice. Then when the detectives from HPD confirmed they didn't believe that was the man - the press conference by X changed. He said the man came forward because he and his family didn't want to be harassed by HPD anymore.
It sounds as if plenty of media types were there and could have reported on Quannel the Tenth's deception, which wound up wasting the time of media and law-enforcement professionals alike. However, the only reference to it I could find was this whitewash by KHOU-11's Jeff McShan:
Houston police have taken a DNA sample from another person of interest in the Acres Homes murders.
A crime scene unit with a camera and equipment for DNA testing arrived at an acres homes church late Thursday afternoon.
That’s where a man that police had been looking to question about the recent murders of six women agreed to meet with them.
The meeting was arranged by activist Quanell X.
“He understands that this sketch looks like almost his kissing twin brother if he ever had one, but absolutely this brother is saying its totally not him,” said Quanell X.
That's it. If a news consumer only saw that, and not Isiah Carey's background, it would change the impression quite a bit, no?
UPDATE: Jeff McShan emails the following:
Quannel X did NOT call our station to tell us he had the serial killer. He and Pastor Chris Wright told us that HPD had been looking to interview the guy for weeks and he was arranging the meeting. You called my story "whitewash" However - Isiah Carey's info about Quannel X calling KHOU to say he had the serial killer would be incorrect. I checked with HPD sources and they confirmed to me that they had been looking for this "person of interest." Unlike Isiah Carey at FOX26, we did not show the man's photo or mention his name to protect him. Just thought I would tell you what really happened. So Quannel X's statement that the man was most likely innnocent and wanted to talk with police to try and clear his name was correct. The man voluntarily gave up his DNA. In fact, to date, 24-men have come in and given DNA samples. No one has been arrested.
PREVIOUSLY: Who is Quannel X (Owen Courrèges, Chronically Biased).
BLOGVERSATION: Cigars, Donuts, and Coffee.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/29/06 02:08 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
Another FEMA deadline extended
Katrina evacuees enrolled in a program that pays their rent and utilities will now have more time to recertify for that housing assistance. As Houston Public Radio's Jack Williams reports, FEMA has extended a deadline three months in order to clear-up confusion.
The extension affects thousands of evacuee families in Houston who qualified for emergency housing assistance after last year's hurricanes. Typically, families have to prove that they're using the assistance money to pay their rent and utilities every three months in order to continue in the program. FEMA's Franchesca Ramos says many evacuees didn't realize they had to recertify.
"We understand that many people had July 31st and August 31st deadlines to recertify and we understand that this can create confusion for evacuee families on the different government programs, so we have provided this extended period to allow them time to provide to us the necessary documentation in order for them to recertify."
FEMA says thousands of evacuee families received letters informing them about the recertification requirements, but only about 10-percent responded. The agency feared that almost 30,000 evacuees would have to be recertified at the end of August, but because of the extended deadline, that's no longer the case.
(Professional sensitives should not read any further.)
Unbelievable. Evacuees were sent letters from FEMA telling them to recertify and 90% ignored the directives? So now they will get three more months to ignore more letters? How do they function if they can't follow basic directions?
Their rent and utilities will be paid through next February and we all know what will happen then -- another extension. How long will Houston have to provide a home for those who will not get jobs and support themselves? Even Mayor White's patience is running out (AP story via CBSNews.com):
Houston Mayor Bill White, standing beside newly re-elected New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, said evacuees could answer Nagin's plea to return home, or they were welcome to stay in Houston, if they got jobs.
And in Houston, finding a job just shouldn't be that hard:
Job counselor Ayodele Ogunye of WorkSource, the city's employment assistance program, said jobless evacuees complain about the overwhelming bus and rail systems that make navigation difficult, or the bureaucratic holdups like professional licenses that are invalid in Texas.
But some of it, Ogunye said, is in their heads.
The fear of a new hurricane season worried one of her clients so much that "it was like it set her back 10 months." Others do not know how to market themselves or lack confidence, which Ogunye thinks is traced to feelings of isolation in the "evacuee" corner of their apartment complexes, where no one socializes like their lifelong neighbors in New Orleans.
"I cannot help to wonder if (the unemployment) has anything to do with the uniqueness of the community," Ogunye said. "It seems like some have never had to make choices or decide for themselves."
This is what dependence on government will get you. It is not compassionate to continue to let taxpayers foot the bill for those who can do for themselves but refuse to do so. That is what fosters an entitlement mentality, and it does not promote self-worth.
Asked if there was any reason why a person who wanted a job in Houston could not find one, Ron Rodriguez, director of operations for WorkSource, said, "No."
That sentiment is shared at WorkSource's southwest office, where about seven of every 10 clients Ogunye meets is a Katrina refugee. The WorkSource building conspicuously stands out on a street of fast-food restaurants and strip malls, some with "Help Wanted" on the marquees.
Ogunye said "one does begin to wonder" why so many are still jobless after 10 months. Fellow counselor Melodie Lee was more blunt: "(Katrina) was awful, but let's move on. It is time you had a Plan B."
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/29/06 08:17 AM | Hurricane Stuff | Technorati | Comments (4)
28 July 2006
HISD's Reach Out to Dropouts effort is August 26th
HISD is gearing up for its third annual Reach out to Dropouts walk:
Called "Reach Out to Dropouts," this year's door-to-door walk will be held Saturday, August 26. For the effort to be successful, the district needs both volunteers to participate in the walk itself and to assist with making telephone calls prior to the event.
The Reach Out to Dropouts walk is part of a continuing effort to support "expectation: GRADUATION," a citywide initiative to increase area graduation rates by visiting students who have not yet returned to class to persuade them to complete their studies and graduate.
A number of dedicated people and organizations participate in HISD's walk each year including Houston Mayor Bill White and his wife Andrea, and Houston A+ Challenge, a nonprofit education organization and the district's partner in the walk since its inception.
[snip]
During last year's walk, more than 700 students committed to return to school, and of the 1,311 students recovered throughout the remainder of the school year, more than 200 graduated in May.
For this year's walk, HISD will again step up its effort by increasing the number of participating campuses from 16 to 20 and attempting to recruit more than 2,000 volunteers.
Follow this link to HISD's press release for more information on how to get involved.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/28/06 08:42 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Mayor gives Chief Hurtt, Union a babysitter
The bad feelings between Chief Hurtt and the HPD officers' union continue to manifest themselves.
As noted in an earlier post this week, Chief Hurtt lashed out at the union survey that found fault with his leadership, claiming bias and complaining about the city's recently enacted revenue caps.
The head of the police officer's union responded by sending a letter to Chief Hurtt, as reported by the Chronicle's Anne Marie Kilday:
A letter this week to Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt from the president of the Houston Police Officers' Union strongly suggests the chief should resign.
HPOU President Hans Marticiuc blasted Hurtt in the letter Wednesday for expressing doubts about the scathing results of a recent union survey of 2,200 veteran officers.
In an interview Tuesday with the Houston Chronicle, Hurtt questioned the survey methodology and suggested it had "some biases." He also said he'd like to see a second survey conducted by a disinterested party.
Marticiuc agreed to Hurtt's idea for an independent third-party survey in his letter. But he asked: "If an independent survey, by a mutually agreed party, corroborated the lack of confidence among supervisors and first responders at HPD, would you agree to resign immediately as chief and leave HPD to pursue career opportunities in a department more suited to your abilities?"
The sentence Kilday used to set up that excerpt isn't quite right, since the suggestion is that Chief Hurtt should resign if a followup survey confirms the first survey's finding.
The Chronicle's Kristen Mack followed with a column today that's worth reading in its entirety. Here are some key excerpts:
Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt is battling an increase in violent crime, open rebellion among union police officers and concerns surrounding his ties and commitment to the city [editor's note: a veiled reference to the Chief's trips to Arizona?]. The combination of the three has kept Hurtt in the cross hairs of his critics.
So far he still has the support of Mayor Bill White, at whose pleasure he serves, and the sharpest barbs are coming from the union, which not surprisingly is often at odds with police management.
Still, the appearance that the top cop is in conflict with the ones on the street can't help the chief's job security when residents are worried about their own safety.
[snip]
Speaking with the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday, [Union chief] Marticiuc also had a message for White: "The mayor, though I consider him a friend and ally, needs to pay attention. He has to take some responsibility."
[snip]
The union is part of the city political fabric. It gives campaign donations to city officials it deems "friendly incumbents," executive director Mark Clark said.
Hurtt, by contrast, is a bureaucrat who has not shown much political acumen under fire.
As if to prove the point, the conclusion of Mack's column is a quote from the Chief that demonstrates his lack of political acumen:
He said he is not going to address the union's survey specifically until he is furnished with a copy of officers' individual responses.
"I'm disappointed. I thought they would have been more professional. The character they displayed is not what I would have expected," Hurtt said of the union, while facetiously acknowledging, "when I was a police officer, I was a much better chief than I am today."
I'm not even sure what that last fragment means (feel free to interpret it for me in the comments), but it doesn't seem like a good idea to blast the rank and file because they filled out a survey honestly.
Finally, since the Mayor's press shop is adept at burying news that he prefers to avoid on Fridays, we learn today from KTRK-13's Miya Shay that Mayor White has appointed a babysitter for the Chief and the Union:
Now Mayor Bill White has stepped in to try to get Hurtt and the union to work things out. Some city leaders are calling the ongoing battle between the chief and the union a growing distraction. So in a move to try to bring both sides together Mayor White has appointed an independent liaison, hoping to find some middle ground.
"Mayor White called me, and asked me if I would help bringing a better understanding between Chief Hurtt and the Houston police officer's union," said Mike Nichols.
Nichols last worked on the police pension problem. The corporate executive says he believes he can effectively bring both sides to some sort of an agreement. The union is skeptical, but willing to try.
If Mayor White were really serious about appointing a babysitter who would scare the two sides into "better understanding," he might have considered Andrea Yates!
BLOGVERSATION: Isiah Carey's Insite (I, II).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/28/06 08:05 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
New director chosen for MediaSource
The Chronicle's Matt Stiles reports that Houston MediaSource has hired a new director:
Fred Fichman, who has experience in both public and corporate television, was selected last week to lead the nonprofit that manages the operation.
Scheduled to begin his new job Aug. 28, Fichman will inherit an organization plagued last year by complaints over a few programs with nudity and profanity. Channel officials also have seen cuts in their budget and decline in staff morale.
Fichman, 59, said Thursday he's eager to start the new job and isn't focused on past controversies.
"I'm looking forward to meeting everybody, all the stakeholders — the people who approve the budget and the people who have contact with MediaSource," he said. "I would like to see it used as a resource for them."
Stiles informs that he's working on a profile of Fichman for next week.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/28/06 07:08 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (1)
27 July 2006
Houston's a selling point for Austin's red light cameras
Austin city councilmembers are discussing how to get red light cameras operating in their city. Here's one selling point:
Council members say traffic enforcement cameras are being used in other Texas cities like Houston and Plano and are effective.
That's some high-quality journalism, courtesy of KXAN!
What's the definition of effective? How much revenue is generated, no doubt. And how long would a city's cameras need to have been operating for them to be called effective? Er, no longer than the trial run, apparently, since that's about all Houston's done so far.
I imagine someone in Austin (Austin's police chief, perhaps?) called someone in Houston (Houston's police chief, perhaps?) and Houston's go-to person praised the (trial run) cameras' effectiveness. Why, red light running is a thing of the past here in Houston, thanks to the (trial run) cameras!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/27/06 08:24 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (4)
Editing errors make reporters look bad
One of those pesky "editing errors" has reared its head again in the Chron's Corrections box:
The Metropolitan Transit Authority is considering routes along Elgin, Alabama and Wheeler for the eastern segment of its University light rail line. Because of an editing error, a story on Page B5 on Wednesday stated incorrectly that Metro prefers one of the routes.
The correction is for this part of a three-reporter story:
Debate focuses on whether the segment west of Main should run on Richmond or Westpark or both, and whether the eastern leg should be on Wheeler or Alabama. While Metro has not committed to any route, officials say they prefer using Richmond and Wheeler, which are different ends of the same thoroughfare.
Did Metro protest the story? Did Third Ward residents? What about the reporters? It certainly would not be the first time a Chron reporter has been on the wrong end of some editing "help."
UPDATE: The story to which the correction refers was incorrect in an initial version of this post. The reference has been updated.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: That's odd. The three reporters on this story are good ones, so it's hard to imagine them mischaracterizing quotes from METRO officials. This is another of those instances where the correction really doesn't shed much light on what was wrong.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/27/06 07:28 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
USA Today notices Chron's lack of Olympics coverage
Amusing: USA Today's On Deadline blog has a post about how the newspapers in cities contending for the 2016 Olympics handled yesterday's news:
[...]as articles in Chicago (Tribune story, Sun-Times story), Los Angeles (Times story) and San Francisco (Chronicle story, Examiner story) find joy over their 2016 Olympic bids advancing to the next round of consideration, papers in Philadelphia and Houston have bad news to report. Their bids are dead, failing to make the U.S. Olympic Committee cut.
The Philadelphia papers, the Daily News and the Inquirer, lead their joint Philly.com site with the story this morning. "Reading between the lines, it's clear that our international reputation was our main flaw," the cochair of the local organizing committee tells the Inquirer. "And it was the one thing we had no capacity to address in the time frame that was available." A sidebar talks to fans and finds them naming "crime, congestion, and lack of amenities" as reasons their city didn't go further.
[snip]
Meanwhile, in Houston, there's zero mention of the news right now of the Chronicle's link-packed homepage. The Chronicle's print-edition gives the story a tease at the very bottom of its front page.
The inside story takes a procedural tone: "Houston's elimination hinged on the fact that, based on the USOC's survey of 58 members of the International Olympic Committee and 42 leaders of international sports federations, it lags badly behind Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco as a perceived center for international sports."
That paragraph is one of only a few that ask why Houston lost out.
Ahhh, our beloved Chronicle. USA Today's blogger, Patrick Cooper, might like to know that the Chron doesn't rush into these things willy nilly. Editorial decisionmaking at Houston's Daily Information Source is like wine -- it needs to age.
And don't even get us started on the editorials. News isn't editorial-worthy until it's olds. Senior citizen olds!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/27/06 05:45 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (1)
26 July 2006
Chron headline writers strike again
The Chronicle is running an AP story with the following headline:
Here's the lede:
Allowing another Republican candidate to replace former Rep. Tom DeLay on the November ballot would promote voters' interest by giving them a choice, GOP attorneys argued today to a federal appeals court.
In short, the headline doesn't match the story. Republicans were arguing that the party should be allowed to replace DeLay on the ballot.
The erroneous headline must have been supplied by the AP, because other state newspapers ran with it. One would have thought an editor at the Chronicle might have caught the error, though, given the location of the district.
UPDATE (07-27-2006): Cheers to KPRC-2 for getting the headline right on their newly redesigned site, and cheers to the KHOU news blog for getting it right. Chron.com has not bothered to correct its erroneous headline.
UPDATE (07-27-2006, 2:40 pm): The Chronicle finally corrected the headline.
BLOGVERSATION: Texas Safety Forum.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/26/06 10:11 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
The Press likes Cohen
The campaign of Democrat Ellen Cohen must be very pleased with the fawning coverage Cohen gets in this Houston Press article (contrasted with the negative coverage of incumbent State Representative Martha Wong).
The article also includes a very positive assessment of Cohen's chances by none other than Houston bicyclist Bob Stein:
"Like the Spanish Civil War," Stein says, "this may be the race the people watch to see if Democrats can break through in Harris County."
"At the rate Cohen is going," he adds, "I think she has much better than a chance of winning."
It's an urban, largely inner-loop, swing district that could very well go to the Democrat, but it's not necessarily a barometer for Harris County.
Bicyclist Stein's political affiliation is not mentioned in the article.
BLOGVERSATION: Off the Kuff.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/26/06 09:33 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (5)
NYC has the solution to Houston's "explosive crime situation"
KUHF-88.7 ran a story yesterday about Houston Police Officers Union President Hans Marticiuc asking Mayor White and City Council to referee a meeting between the union and HPD Chief Harold Hurtt. This, of course, was a result of the union's survey which showed a large number of HPD officers don't have confidence in Chief Hurtt's leadership.
City Council members suspended the time rules and held a lengthy discussion over Marticiuc's request. Councilmember Shelley Sekula-Gibbs came to the chief's defense, saying the complaints from the officers are probably due to stress from difficult situations which started before Hurtt was hired.
"But now we're looking at having six new police cadet classes, we're trying to reinvigorate and reinfuse quality individuals into your department and take some of the stress off, because I can only imagine what's going on where you're having 300-400 too few officers to take care of this explosive crime situation that we have. So I can imagine that that would be also a morale buster."
You know, HPD's manpower shortage was not a secret. For years there have been warning signs that HPD was going to get hit hard with retirements -- warning signs that Chief Hurtt failed to act upon. Acting as though Chief Hurtt has had no time to address the problem is downright dishonest.
Whatever. The hot air that comes out of City Hall...
On a very related reading note: the latest City Journal has a very interesting story by Heather MacDonald about why New York City's crime rate keeps dropping. DROPPING!
The dimensions of New York’s crime rout are breathtaking. From 1990 to 2000, four of the seven major felonies—homicide, robbery, burglary, and auto theft—dropped over 70 percent. Crime fell across the country during this period, but in New York it plummeted at twice the national average. By 2000, New York’s crime profile looked more like that of a small suburb than a big city, notes University of California sociologist Frank Zimring, whose forthcoming The Great American Crime Decline is the only major study so far that acknowledges the significance of the city’s crime turnaround. Gotham’s homicide rate in 2000 was half that of the big-city average; its robbery rate, which started out 50 percent higher than that of other big cities in 1990, was 10 percent below the average.
The national crime decline flattened out as the new century began. Some cities that were darlings of the media and the criminologists in the nineties have seen sharp increases in murder. Boston, lauded by the New York Times and others as the kinder, gentler corrective to New York’s allegedly overaggressive policing approach, has suffered its highest murder rate in a decade this year. Milwaukee and Memphis had double-digit homicide spikes in 2005. Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, and Kansas City are also seeing their nineties crime gains erode.
Not New York. From 2000 to 2005, the city’s crime rate fell another 30 percent.
What accounts for New York City's success?
That difference is policing. Throughout the nineties, critics of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and the assertive policing that he championed [see here for description of Broken Windows policing] tried to explain away the New York crime turnaround as a mere reflection of the national crime picture. That effort wasn’t persuasive then and has been even less so since 2000.
Community policing is singled out as especially ineffective. And who's a big proponent of community policing? Houston's own Chief Hurtt, of course!
For once, maybe Houston SHOULD look to New York City. A continually dropping crime rate is very world-class!
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: The Chronicle reports that the increasingly befuddled police chief has tried to change the topic, with clumsy talking points:
Hurtt said questions still remain, however, about the manner in which the survey was conducted.
"I think there were some biases as far as the presentation," Hurtt said.
[snip]
The shortage of officers on the street, Hurtt said, is a major morale issue for the department.
"We realize that we need to hire new people. We started that process, and we're very aggressive," he said.
As the city continues to grow, however, Hurtt said HPD will be hard-pressed to continue adding officers under a 2004 cap that limits the overall increase in city revenue.
"You can't do that," Hurtt said. "I think we have legislated ourselves into a position that's impossible for us."
The presentation didn't seem to be a problem, but there may be some sampling issues. Very well. If the Chief thinks he has the money to commission another survey, then by all means commission another survey. Speaking of money...
As for the 2004 cap -- We know that the Mayor now opposes the revenue cap that he once thought was a very clever way to blunt a citizens' revenue-limitation referendum. As the city's top elected leader, he should make that argument himself, instead of sending his befuddled police chief out to scare citizens. MayorWhiteChiefHurtt's questionable priorities on spending/policing are much more of a concern than the revenue-limitation measures.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/26/06 08:09 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (13)
KTRH: No 2016 Olympics for Houston
KTRH-740 just reported that Houston's bid for the 2016 Olympics didn't make the cut.
San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago remain in the running.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/26/06 04:10 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (11)
Yates: Not Guilty
Andrea Yates was just found not guilty by reason of insanity.
This is an obligatory acknowledgment sort of post, because I'm honestly sick to death of this topic.
So, we'll have an open-comments thread. For those of you interested in and following this topic, what do you think?
Please play nice with each other, the blogHOUSTON way. :)
UPDATE: Dissonance seems tired of the media circus as well.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/26/06 12:08 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (35)
25 July 2006
KTRH: Councilmembers balk at Bromwich funding request
Back in June, the Chronicle's Matt Stiles reported that some members of City Council were balking at the latest request for funding from Michael Bromwich, who is heading the investigation of the HPD crime lab.
Today, KTRH-740's Brent Fuller reports that Bromwich has suspended his work while a City Council committee considers the request for funding:
The independent investigator looking into decades of problems at the Houston Police Department's troubled crime lab is asking for an additional $1.5 million to finish his work.
If approved by Houston City Council, that amount would roughly double what was first approved for Michael Bromwich's review. It would bring the total cost of the investigation to $5.3 million. As of today, Bromwich said he'd spent $3.6 million, and has about $200,000 left in the bank. That's not enough to finish the job, so Bromwich has temporarily stopped his probe of the lab.
"We decided the prudent thing to do would be to cease work for now until we could see where this was going, and make intelligent decisions about where to go next," said Bromwich.
Fuller's lengthy story goes on to note that some councilmembers continue to balk at Bromwich's request for funds.
While costs have certainly spiraled beyond initial estimates, the Bromwich team seems to be doing an extremely thorough job that needs to be done. The city ultimately isn't going to have much choice but to approve his final funding request, however much posturing is done in committee.
UPDATE (07-26-2006): Alexis Grant covers the story for the Chronicle.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/25/06 11:34 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
Pray if you like, but also put together a hurricane kit
The Chronicle's Alexis Grant reports on a Third-Ward community initiative to help prepare the community for emergencies:
It may have been fun, but the drill behind a community center in south Houston had a serious purpose: to let members of the Third Ward's Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, practice using a fire extinguisher so they would know how in an emergency.
More people are becoming familiar with the CERT acronym in Harris County, where the number of volunteers has doubled since last year, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and Hurricane Rita threatened Houston.
Through the federally funded program, neighbors organize into teams and attend a free, eight-week course to learn how to respond to emergencies.
"This program is about being able to take care of yourself and the people around you so you don't become a statistic or part of the problem," said Regina Chapline, manager of Texas Citizen Corps, which includes CERT and several other volunteer programs.
Professional fire and EMS workers teach members hands-on skills, such as basic first aid, light search and rescue and fire suppression. Volunteers also prepare mentally for man-made and natural disasters, and learn how to organize a group should a catastrophe strike.
The purpose is to make communities self-sufficient if they become cut off from emergency personnel and to teach them how to cooperate once professionals arrive on the scene.
A recent survey completed by researchers at Texas Southern University suggests that the city's African-American population isn't buying into such efforts:
Blacks living in Houston are far more likely to count on faith for protection this hurricane season than government agencies that most blacks see as dishonest and unprepared, according to a university study released today.
Eighty-three percent of blacks surveyed believe the city is only somewhat or poorly prepared to handle an ordeal such as Hurricane Katrina, the aftermath of which led Texas Southern University to conduct the telephone poll of 404 blacks in Houston.
Fifty-six percent of those polled said they don't trust the government to tell the truth about disasters, while 55 percent said they believe the government uses disasters as an excuse to remove the poor and minorities from their neighborhoods.
But when asked whether God would protect them from harm if a hurricane hit Houston, nearly eight in 10 of blacks surveyed said they believed that was true.
Not to downplay the role of God or the government, but neither one is a good substitute for a hurricane kit, planning ahead, and a little old-fashioned self-sufficiency.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/25/06 11:20 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
Alvarado defends sanctuary policy
Councilmember and temporarily-former-Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado was able to speak to reporters yesterday, instead of using her spokesperson, on the topic of the city's sanctuary policy:
Nearly a month after a Houston group announced a petition drive to require a citywide vote on whether city police should be able to question people about their immigration status, leaders in the Hispanic community gathered Monday evening to discuss how to thwart those efforts.About 200 elected officials, organization representatives and residents strategized at downtown's Communications Workers of America Union Hall under Councilwoman Carol Alvarado's leadership.
"I do find it very ironic that a group called Protect Our Citizens basically is trying to tie the hands of our police officers and make it less safe for all of us," said Alvarado, who asked the dozens of organizations represented there to pass resolutions opposing the change in policy.
Wouldn't the order of the police chief in 1992 (Sam Nuchia) that forbids officers from inquiring about immigration status technically be tying the hands of police officers? Wouldn't lifting the order of the police chief in 1992 be the equivalent of untying their hands, technically? Maybe temporarily-former-Mayor Pro Tem Alvarado should let her spokesperson handle her speaking duties full-time.
Substantively, if the order of the police chief in 1992 is good policy, then why shouldn't Mayor White bring it before Council to reaffirm it? Aren't those the sorts of decisions that elected leaders should be making?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/25/06 10:49 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
Third Ward residents oppose rail through TSU
Some Third Ward residents attended last night's Metro (New and Improved) Solutions meeting to protest Metro's desire to run light rail through the TSU campus (Rosanna Ruiz, Chronicle):
Dozens gathered around aerial maps at the Third Ward Multi-Service Center, which outlined the proposed paths of its University corridor rail line. Many were focused upon the plan to build a rail line from Wheeler to Scott, which requires reopening a portion of Wheeler on TSU's campus that was closed in 1984 and converted to a pedestrian mall, now known as "Tiger Walk."
"Wheeler was closed because students kept getting hit by cars," explained Gabrielle Green-del Bosque, a TSU student. "Students would have to cross the rail line to get to classes and I'm not too thrilled to have to wait on a train."
Wheeler is closed at Ennis, where the TSU campus begins, and reopens at Tierwester, on the east side, and continues to the University of Houston.
"The train line will destroy the sense of community that the closure of the street has generated inside the campus," TSU's acting president Bobby L. Wilson wrote in a letter to Metro President and CEO Frank Wilson. He also cited safety, noise and interference of ongoing campuswide renovation and landscaping projects as other reasons for the opposition.
Alabama and Elgin are also among the alternate streets also being considered for the east-west line, but only Wheeler, which becomes Richmond west of Main, would provide a direct connection.
Minister Robert Muhammad, of the Nation of Islam's southwest region and a TSU graduate, said a rail line would be beneficial to the Third Ward neighborhood, but he favors Alabama or Elgin as alternate routes rather than cutting through his alma mater.
After the new Metro Solutions plan was announced last year, Robert Muhammad wrote an op-ed for the Chronicle that denounced Mayor White and Metro officials for their arrogance in changing the original plan without consulting anyone in the affected communities:
Let me be clear, it is not just the revised rail plan, but the way the mayor and the Metropolitan Transit Authority communicated the rail plan changes to the community that opens them to criticism. The community's angst is rooted in what appears to be the arrogance of power.
The citizens of Houston elected White to be the mayor — not their father. The title of the popular television show was Father Knows Best — not mayor, congressman or transportation planner knows best. In his op-ed, Mayor White stated, in the future tense, that he and Metro will listen to the community and will explain the transit plan to them. If the listening and explaining would have been in the past tense, the mayor and Metro would not find it necessary now to be defensive about the plan.
Similar to the fallout from the implementation of the Safe Clear program, it appears that the community is a public policy afterthought with White's administration.
That's basically how Mayor White operates. When he wants something, he makes it happen, no matter what. It would appear from today's Chronicle story that Mayor White has smoothed things over with Muhammad, and if Metro takes Wheeler off the table, Third Ward opposition may fade away.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/25/06 06:30 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (10)
Is the city cranking up the Spur 527 revenue stream?
As Spur 527 was slowly re-opened, the speed limits were set at 35 mph on the road. Back at the end of May, project engineer Quincy Allen told the Chronicle's Rad Sallee that speed limits would be raised in short order:
Lee Hudman and Ed Truitt wondered about the 35-mph speed limits posted on the new Spur 527. Hudman said they are too low, and Truitt said the bus he was riding in had to "undertake some quick lane-changing to avoid a rear-end collision" when a driver ahead apparently saw the speed sign and slowed down.
The 35-mph limit was just for the construction period and new signs should be posted this week, said Quincy Allen, TxDOT engineer on the project. The initial plan was to set a 45-mph limit where the spur lanes exit onto Brazos and Bagby and a 55-mph limit elsewhere, Allen said, but that will be lowered to 50 mph for safety.
As far as I can tell (and I take the Spur almost every day), all of the old 35 mph speed limit signs are still in place, over two months later.
That's relevant, because immediately upon exiting the Spur onto Louisiana a little after 4 pm today, I encountered an HPD officer with a radar gun. I was going well under 50 mph at that point, but was probably somewhat over 35 mph. He didn't seem concerned, but he motioned the next car over. I thought about going back to take some photos, and then decided to leave well enough alone.
I've emailed Rad Sallee, who is very good about getting answers to these sorts of questions, and asked him if he can find out what HPD considers the speed limit there: the posted 35 mph limit, or the 50+ mph limit that the Chronicle publicized. Obviously, it's a confusing situation. I'll post any information that Sallee passes along.
In the meantime, if you travel that stretch of road, be aware that HPD is now watching speeds.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/25/06 04:53 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (11)
24 July 2006
City of Houston Agenda 7-25(26)-06
It's time for the weekly City of Houston Council Agenda post, and it's the first one to appear here at blogHOUSTON! There was no council meeting last week, so I was able to devote more time to the Danger Train outing, then goof off for the rest of the week (Sorry all, I got a little burned out, and still am). No rest for the weary though; I'm back with more!
Readers are cautioned that I delete what I judge to be extraneous text, and often paraphrase in order to make the legalese a lot more readable; also that comments added are a mix of my own opinions, best guesses, snarking, and judgments, and therefore may not be entirely accurate. Such deletions may accidentally result in a key omission; if you wish to read the original text, please follow this link to the posted agenda. For a permanent link to the backup, go here.
This week, the RCA and backup were not available on Friday, so this post was delayed considerably. The agenda length is also backed up a bit, possibly due to the extra week off, and the backup ran some 210 pages, which is another reason I'm late with it.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 07/24/06 10:38 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (9)
It took three TXDOT representatives to say that?
The Chronicle's Rad Sallee investigated a reader complaint at the end of today's Move It column:
Speaking of Richmond, Dave Waltrip and Tracy Ferguson wondered when work on the road near the West Loop will end.
"In March they put up concrete barriers blocking out the inside lane going west," Waltrip said. "This was supposed to be for a month, according to the electronic sign.
"So each afternoon the traffic going west must squeeze down to three lanes, and it backs up. Work started in earnest, and they did repave two turn lanes. However weeks went by and no work was done. Now it is like they work on this project periodically."Ferguson also had a safety concern. "They have turned four lanes into three, two straight-ahead and one left-turn. Those in the left-turn lane seem to ignore the arrow and go straight ahead," she said.
Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Janelle Gbur says workers were installing a water line at the site when they ran into a storm sewer line not shown in the plans. "The unexpected utility and the work associated with it did extend the contract duration," she said.
TxDOT engineer Doug Stephens said the intersection is being repaved and should be finished by mid-August.
As to safety, TxDOT spokesman Norm Wigington said a traffic study indicates that "additional signage and lane modifications may be needed to enforce the mandatory left-turn lane."
Interestingly, as of this morning, TXDOT's solution was to steal another lane from Richmond and exacerbate the problem described by Sallee's correspondent (see photo). That was a curveball we didn't see coming after the comments from Gbur, Stephens, and Wigington.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/24/06 10:14 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
Richmond/Westpark rail debate continues
Over the weekend, the Chronicle's Rad Sallee checked in on business owners along Richmond near Shepherd, who are opposed to METRO's plans to lay rail down their street (as opposed to Westpark, the street approved by voters in 2003). Here's an excerpt:
"According to the drawings Metro released last Tuesday, what you're seeing is an 86-foot right of way they will require — and that line is the edge of the street," said gallery owner Robert McClain.
He was pointing to a blue line on the driveway of McClain Gallery on Richmond between Kirby and Greenbriar. About 80 residents and business people from the neighborhood gathered there Friday for a rally and news conference.
If McClain was correct, construction of the line in the segment between Kirby and Main would not only take the median but also parts of some front yards, some trees, and some of the already reduced parking space in front of businesses, which owners say is needed for deliveries and customers.
"I can read a tape measure. All you have to do is measure the street, and (room to accommodate the rail) is not there," sald Daphne Scarborough, who operates the Brass Maiden, a metal design and fabrication shop.
When METRO officials assure Richmond stakeholders that all will be fine, and METRO has a plan that will preserve trees and existing traffic lanes and protect property owners, they are simply misleading the public, as these photos I took of the general area this weekend illustrate.
Of course, that's leaving aside the question of voters approving rail on Westpark, not Richmond. As Richmond rail critic Ted Richardson pointed out in an email over the weekend, that's an important question. Here is an excerpt of an email he sent to H-GAC (cc'ed to me and others) in response to recent rhetoric used by METRO to describe the METRO Solutions vote:
As I mentioned to you at the last TAC meeting on July 11, 2006, I take exception to [METRO executive vice president John] Sedlak's response to Mr. Crossley as recorded in the Minutes of the TAC, June 14, 2006, page 4, paragraphs 5 and 6.
In response to Mr. Crossley's question "about the mention of Westpark in relation to the University corridor"' in the ballot language, "Mr. Sedlak responded that the information on the ballot indicated the Westpark Corridor."
There is absolutely no support for that statement in the METRO NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION, nor in METRO RESOLUTION NO. 2003-77, nor in the EXHIBITS - including the PROPOSITION and the BALLOT, and I formally challenge METRO to identify specific 2003 election language that supports the statement attributed to Mr.Sedlak.
The term used in the Special Election documents was "Westpark", and METRO is obviously attempting to translate "Westpark" to mean "Westpark Corridor or "travel corridor" which then opens their door to study "Richmond Avenue" as being located in what the NOI describes thusly: "The University Corridor extends approximately 10 miles east to west and includes the Greenway Plaza, the Uptown/Galleria, the University of Houston--Central Campus, the Texas Southern University, and the St. Thomas University areas."
"Westpark" does not mean "Richmond Avenue" and it never will!
Richmond rail enthusiasts can continue to contort themselves with "corridor" rhetoric, but the fact remains that voters approved rail on Westpark (and on North Hardy) in the 2003 vote. Over the weekend, the Editorial LiveJournalists tried to gloss over that fact:
It's time to replace heated rhetoric and scare tactics with a review of the facts regarding how best to secure the greatest good for the greatest number of Houston residents.
[snip]
Against the opposition of some residents who don't want to endure the construction, the new line offers a $1.2 billion economic boom that directly and indirectly will generate 60,000 jobs over six years — fully 10 percent of the Greater Houston Partnership's target of boosting employment by 600,000 in the same time period.
So, holding METRO to the promises it made to voters in the 2003 referendum is "heated rhetoric and scare tactics" in the view of the Houston Chronicle editorial board? That's typical. "Experts" and elitist editorialists surely know much better than those pesky voters, especially the poor, transit-dependent voters who helped push the referendum to victory.
As noted previously, more meetings on the proposed Richmond/Westpark rail line will be held this week:
A second meeting is set for 5-8 p.m. Monday, July 24 at the Third Ward Multi-Service Center, 3611 Ennis.
From 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 25, Metro's open house will be at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 5501 S. Main St.
UBU ROI ADDS: Chairman Wolff opens mouth, inserts foot; accusing residents of "stealing" land from the city. Basically, rail opponents noted that the edge of the pavement was actually not the legal edge of the city's right-of-way:
...governments can take part of "your" front yard without either condemnation proceedings or compensation if it wasn't really yours to begin with. Some lawns, driveways and parking areas extend onto what is in fact city property....So of course the question arose whether Metro was measuring these swaths from the edge of the current sidewalk or from the actual property line, which can be a much bigger bite.
Spokesman George Smalley indicated that they were measuring from the property line, not the pavement edge. And Wolff kicked in with an appropriately diplomatic remark.
"No adjoining property owner has any right to usurp public right of way for private purposes, and if taking something under misrepresentation, it is stealing public property."
So remember, the next time the city doesn't build a roadway right up to the very edge of your property line, you are automatically a thief if your driveway crosses public land to connect to the road. And don't let any blades of your grass get on the city's land! Clearly, people who actually put, you know, landscaping in this publicly-owned territory need to be doing hard time up in Huntsville. They certainly don't have any right to any of Mr. Wulff's, er, the taxpayers' property.
"One of the things we have to communicate is that public right of way belongs to you, it belongs to me, it belongs to all the taxpayers," he told the audience.
(Emphasis added --Ubu)
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC, Houstonist.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/24/06 11:03 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (8)
Metro gives CEO Wilson undisclosed raise
This is what quasi-governmental agencies with unelected officials do:
The Metropolitan Transit Authority board voted Thursday to give President and CEO Frank Wilson a raise. But they wouldn't say how much.
[snip]
After the meeting, Wolff was asked why Metro would not reveal a matter of public record.
"I have to work out the final details with him," Wolff said. "The board authorized me to do that."
Asked whether a second vote will be held after the details are worked out, Wolff said it would not.
"It's pretty much done, but I can't give you the full details now," he said. "I will as soon as we have it."
Wolff noted that Wilson had been with Metro two years and did not receive a raise after his first year.
Before the vote, Wolff praised Wilson's "businesslike approach," noting among his accomplishments the cutting of unproductive routes in favor of better-used ones and his supervision of Metro's ambitious plans for light rail and transitway expansion.
Wilson earns $254,000 a year.
After the meeting, the Houston Chronicle filed a Texas open records request for details of Wilson's raise.
Do you think the Metro board talked with Terrence Wilson about Frank J. Wilson's "businesslike approach" to "cutting unproductive routes"?
Then there's Terrence Wilson, who was paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle accident 24 years ago. Wilson, 49, depends on Metro buses and his motorized wheelchair to get around.
Because many streets in his Acres Homes neighborhood lack sidewalks, Metro built a concrete slab on the shoulder for his wheelchair, he said. But over the years, his regular bus was replaced with a circulating shuttle, and then Metro shortened that route. It no longer passes his home, and Wilson said he now rides his chair in the street for a risky 1 1/2 miles to reach the bus stop.
All for the sake of world-class trains.
Thanks to the Chronicle's Rad Sallee for his perseverance.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/24/06 05:55 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (9)
23 July 2006
Quasi-governmental agencies laugh at public meetings
In the forum here, Neal Meyer comments on something that's been bugging me for awhile now: public meetings. What good are they, really?
We've all watched Metro go through the motions of public meetings, but with the exception of the Richmond Avenue line, Metro has shown no real inclination to adjust its plans to deal with public concerns. Will the poorer sections of town, that don't have the resources and influence of the Richmond Avenue property owners, be able force Metro to change its plans? Doubtful. And Metro probably isn't sweating those little blips on its radar.
At the Grand Parkway F-2 segment public meetings a couple of weeks ago, state Reps. Corbin Van Arsdale and Debbie Riddle demanded to know who in a decision-making capacity was present at the meetings. As they say, crickets chirped and tumbleweeds rolled by. The bigwigs who will determine what happens to the Spring neighborhoods scheduled for demolition weren't even there to hear the public's concerns!
And what about the public comments time at Houston City Council meetings or Harris County Commissioner's Court? Can you recall those elected officials ever actually listening to citizens' concerns and acting upon them?
I just fail to see the point of public meetings if officials can do whatever they want no matter what. Oh, you say, that's what the voting booth is for. But that doesn't apply to a quasi-governmental agency like Metro, whose officials are appointed, not elected. Same with the Harris County Houston Sports Authority. And the Grand Parkway's board is appointed by the Texas Transportation Commission (talk about out of reach!).
Something is seriously out of whack.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/23/06 07:54 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (15)
Northside residents aren't happy with their new rail alignment
Yesterday Metro held a public meeting for its proposed North Corridor rail line, and not unlike the other proposed rail lines, there were protesters who are unhappy with Metro's New and Improved Metro Solutions.
Let's recall what northside residents voted for in 2003:
1. NORTH HARDY
**A. UH-Downtown to Northline Mall
B. Northline Mall to Greenspoint
C. Greenspoint to Bush IAH Airport
And let's look at what Metro wants to build instead, courtesy of the Chronicle's Anitra Brown:
The North Corridor alignment, part of transit provider's MetroSolutions plan to link routes throughout the city with light rail and bus rapid transit, would began [sic] at Metro's existing rail line at University of Houston Downtown and then either head north on Fulton to the Northline Mall or veer east to take Irvington Street north, turn left onto Cavalcade and then right on to Fulton, where it would continue to Northline.
The problem?
"We voted for North Hardy," said Moses Villalpando, president of the North Lindale Civic Association. "It never said North Main. It never said Fulton. It's going in front of our school. It's destroying our businesses."
The North Lindale Civic Association is especially opposed to the North Corridor alignment because both possible routes would ultimately bring the line down Fulton in front of Roosevelt Elementary, 6700 Fulton, where they say children's safety would be put at risk.
Ah yes. They voted for one thing and are getting something else. That has a familiar ring, doesn't it?
Now, let's look at all the prominent bloggers and citizens groups who are standing up for these residents and their concerns. You know, the same bloggers and activists who cry foul whenever a road project upsets a neighborhood or community. The same bloggers and activists who are coming to the defense of Richmond Avenue folks (not!).
Obviously, the point here is that if property owners' concerns should be considered when a TxDOT or HCTRA project is proposed, then the same should be true for those affected by Metro's rail projects. Consistency helps maintain one's credibility.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/23/06 05:02 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (9)
Serial killer in Acres Homes area?
The city's news outlets have all been covering the story of a possible serial killer in the Acres Homes area, but KHOU-11 posted a particularly informative report on Friday:
During a press conference Friday authorities revealed more about the possibility a serial killer may be in the Acres Home area.
"This is a guy who seems like a decent man, on his initial approach and can be quite engaging. And then he'll turn it off very quickly and the encounter becomes quite brutal," said Assistant Police Chief Vicki King. The officer said, "The surviving victims have all described that he becomes like a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."
King said the suspect threatened his victims with a weapon, usually a knife, then either sexually assault them and or rob them.
[snip]
Since January, the bodies of six women have been found in the area.
“These deaths have some very striking similarities,” said an HPD detective.All of the women were found outdoors in secluded areas, not far from each other.
"It shows you that it's not in one particular area. This guy can venture out," said an HPD homicide investigator.
Investigators said the three who had been identified so far were known prostitutes.
[snip]
Police said there may be more than one suspect.
He's described as having a scale of justice tattooed on his left forearm, but police caution, since the crimes have been comitted at night, the tattoo may be something different.
"The suspect is dark complected and it may not be the scales of justice. It may be the zodiac libra sign, or it may be something that resembles that," said Assistant Chief King.
King said it appears women in high risk life styles are the main targets.
The KHOU report also links to video of the HPD press conference, and includes composite sketches of the suspect.
KHOU reports today that a man arrested on a different charge yesterday was questioned in connection with the serial killings, and released.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/23/06 03:00 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Officers end crazy Friday chase with spike strips
On Friday, law-enforcement officers from several jurisdictions were involved in a high-speed chase that finally ended when officers took out the vehicle's tires with a spike strip, and the vehicle eventually went off the road (on tireless front rims) into a bayou:
The chase began around 2:45pm after the driver allegedly robbed a dry cleaning business in Pasadena.. Police said the driver fired shots at authorities after the robbery and allegedly threw a gun from the truck during the chase. About 20 or more police cars were involved in the pursuit.
During the pursuit, the driver often veered into oncoming traffic lanes, forcing other cars off roads to avoid collisions. The fleeing pickup scraped several cars, including at least one police cruiser, and stopped only briefly after hitting a red pickup's passenger side.
A 24-year-old woman and her 7-year-old son in the red pickup were not hurt, police said.
The chase spread from south Houston to Pearland and back, with the driver alternating between Highway 288, rural roads and finally the Sam Houston Tollway south of downtown Houston. At one point, the driver turned off Highway 288 and sped through a golf course before returning to the highway.
The chase ended at about 4:30 p.m. when the driver, who was northbound on the tollway near the Houston Ship Channel, left the roadway and drove into a creek.
Minutes earlier, police had managed to throw down spike sticks as the driver zipped through a toll booth. Shredded rubber fell off the front tires and the driver kept going on the metal rims until veering into the creek.
Former officer Tom Nixon got himself in trouble for criticizing HPD's no-ram policy on high-speed chases. Does anyone know if HPD's chase policy allows the use of spike strips, or if those were laid down by some other law-enforcement agency involved in the pursuit?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/23/06 02:41 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (7)
Group: Three landmark buildings in danger of demolition
The Chronicle's Lisa Gray reports that several landmark buildings in the Shepherd/River Oaks area have been placed on a local preservation group's endangered list:
Three Houston landmarks, including the Landmark River Oaks Theatre and the Bookstop in the former Alabama Theater, have been declared endangered by the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance.
The alliance has learned, spokesman David Bush said Friday, that two buildings in the River Oaks Shopping Center could face demolition within two years.
The center is controlled by Weingarten Realty Investors, a Houston-based company that owns and manages about 300 retail properties in the southern United States.
A Weingarten spokeswoman would not confirm the company's plans for the shopping center.[snip]
But a half-dozen tenants of the River Oaks Shopping Center told the Houston Chronicle that a Weingarten's leasing agent informed them of plans to raze parts of the historic shopping center.
The first domino to fall, they said, would be the River Oaks Shopping Center building at the northeast corner of Shepherd and West Gray. Erected in 1937, the curved art deco building is "of national significance," architecture historian Stephen Fox said.
Three Brothers Bakery co-owner Robert Jucker said that when he confronted the leasing agent about rumors the building was to be demolished, she confirmed them, and told him that it would remain standing through the end of this year. "But she wouldn't give me that in writing," he said.
[snip]
A number of River Oaks Shopping Center tenants — including owners of Archway Gallery, Chase's Closet and Laff Stop — said that a Weingarten's leasing agent told them the Black-Eyed Pea building would be replaced with a multistory Barnes & Noble.
Archway is located near the River Oaks Theatre on the south side of West Gray. At a meeting with the gallery's owners in March, a Weingarten's leasing agent detailed the company's plans to tear down their entire building — including the theater — in early 2008, Archway co-owner Marsha Harris said.
Speculation (and it is important to stress that it is speculation at this point) is that if Barnes and Noble opened a two-story bookstore in a characterless revamped Shepherd/West Gray strip mall, then the corporation would likely shutter its Book Stop bookstore, an anchor of the Shepherd/Alabama shopping center that resides in the old Alabama movie theater, which would then endanger the survival of that landmark building.
While it is not an architectural landmark, the mysterious Marfreless lounge also resides in the Shepherd/West Gray shopping complex, and would presumably be affected by Weingarten Realty's big plans. Here's hoping that Weingarten can come up with some plan to preserve the character of these properties that still ensures a healthy return on their investment, because progress shouldn't always mean another lifeless strip mall.
BLOGVERSATION: Houstonist, Bayou City History, Off the Kuff, Mike McGuff.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/23/06 02:04 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
Premature infant gets innovative, life-saving procedure
Since the life-denying power of Houston hospitals has been a topic of discussion from time to time, it's nice to see a story on the life-saving power of those hospitals. Here's an excerpt from Eric Berger's story for the Chronicle earlier this week:
Born two months premature, and weighing just 2 pounds, 8 ounces, Kaylin [Baker] had two defects in her aorta, the body's largest artery, which carries blood from the heart to the body.
Two narrowings, one in a valve leading from the heart to the aorta and the other farther down the line, were forcing the heart to work overtime to deliver blood throughout her tiny body. Without surgery, her doctors said, the heart soon would pump itself to death.
Then, said first-time parents Nancy and Chris Baker of Austin, a miracle happened.
Instead of cutting her chest open — a difficult procedure from which Kaylin might never recover — physicians at Houston's Texas Children's Hospital devised a daring, almost certainly never-before-tried procedure in a baby so small.
The rest of the story is here. It's a good read.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/23/06 09:45 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
22 July 2006
Chron: Choose the symphony (over TMI)
The Editorial LiveJournalists today argue that great cities must have great symphony orchestras, lest we all lapse into sloth:
To compete against movies, television, video games and other forms of popular entertainment, the Houston Symphony has added screens on which to project images of the musicians during their performance. It has engaged in marketing programs to bring young listeners to its graying, arthritic audience. It has leavened its core curriculum of 19th century Romantic compositions with scores from contemporary composers, some of whom show an acquaintance with melody and harmony.
In order to succeed, however, the symphony's efforts must be matched by a commitment from every Houstonian who views the performing arts as an essential part of an educated person's life and learning and a refuge from this era's galloping coarseness and vulgarity.
Well, if they're arguing that the Houston Symphony is an escape from the Chronicle's galloping coarseness and vulgarity, we certainly agree with the Editorial LiveJournalists!
Interestingly, the Symphony under Christophe Eschenbach's direction really established itself as a serious, up-and-coming orchestra among the elitists who carefully analyze such things. However, Eschenbach's embrace of the atonality of the Second Viennese School probably didn't win the symphony many younger adherents (it certainly didn't win me over). If James Howard Gibbons and crew are suggesting that the Symphony since Eschenbach's departure has reacquainted itself with melody and harmony, that's welcome news indeed.
BLOGVERSATION: Isolated Desolation.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/22/06 09:04 PM | Houston Arts/Culture | Technorati | Comments (2)
Houstonist invites readers out for a beer
The crew at Houstonist wants to buy readers a beer:
We're working under the assumption that you haven't made plans for after work Wednesday, Aug. 2, yet (and that if you have, you're about to change them). Houstonist will be having our first happy hour that day — we're calling it "Happyist," because that's how we roll — and you're invited. Did we mention we're buying you drinks?
So, the details: Come by Poison Girl between about 6ish and 8ish, have a drink on our tab (until the tab runs out, that is) and meet us Houstonists.
Full details are on the Houstonist blog here.
We're thinking that Houstonist crew has the blog meetup marketing down. The Houston Metroblogging people have private blog meetups. We offer the possibility of the Danger Train crashing into participants. Houstonist will buy you a brew. We're guessing THAT may be the way to get folks out to these things!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/22/06 04:46 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (5)
21 July 2006
Chron: Free speech by Harris County GOP is "repugnant"
The Chronicle's Editorial LiveJournalists, who never shy away from offering an opinion on constitutional law (and sometimes create new treaties!), today have decided that it's wholly inappropriate for area Republicans to offer their opinion on constitutional law to the Fifth Circuit:
Unfortunately, some politicians seem to think an appeal to partisanship can influence how the federal courts rule.
A blatant example can be seen on the Harris County Republican Party Web site. It invites viewers to send a petition to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals jurists who will decide whether former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay must remain on the November ballot as the GOP candidate for the 22nd District. The petition declares, "Each day that goes by with Democrats perverting the process and denying the public their choice of candidates is a travesty of justice. This deliberate subversion undermines the will of the people and sets a horrible precedent for future elections."
The petition goes on to urge the justices to remove an injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks, a Republican appointee, keeping DeLay on the ballot. It also asks the court to declare the Republican ballot position officially vacant and allow district voters a fair choice of candidates.
The notion that judges can be influenced by a partisan petition is repugnant to the concept of an independent judiciary.
Apparently, the Editorial LiveJournalists have never heard of the "switch in time that saved nine" (we will spare readers a long digression about the majority's horrible decision, and Justice Sutherland's brilliant dissent, in West Coast Hotel v. Parrish). And, apparently, free speech is for the Editorial LiveJournalists, but not for Republicans, who might threaten the very existence of the American regime by expressing a political opinion! On a petition. The horror!
Honestly, efforts to influence the federal judiciary through political rhetoric (or other activism) have a long history, and this student of American political thought doesn't view it as any kind of particular threat to the regime. Indeed, political speech -- even political speech by people other than condescending newspaper editorialists -- is sort of a foundation of the regime.
That said, it's long been my view that the online petition is one of the least efficacious forms of political participation, because it's generally more about making the participant "feel" better than effecting some political outcome. For the Harris County GOP, though, such participation is highly efficacious, since it helps to build their contact list (for fundraising) and rile up the base. With their latest ill-informed venture into American constitutionalism today, the Editorial LiveJournalists inadvertently helped out the Harris County GOP, by directing even more Republicans to the Harris County GOP website (where they can get fired up, add their email to a list, and maybe even contribute to the GOP). Doh!
BLOGVERSATION: Isolated Desolation, Off the Kuff.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/21/06 11:19 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (3)
An incomprehensible tragedy
If you've followed the news the past couple of days, you probably heard about a terrible accident up here in Spring, involving five pre-teens, two of whom died. The accident happened one street over from where I live and it has hit our little community hard.
Nancy Holland and Reggie Aqui covered the story for KHOU-11, and Sarah Viren covered it for the Chronicle. I thought Viren's story today was especially well done.
It is so difficult to comprehend what happened, but Viren's story includes two quotes that provide some perspective:
"They were all good kids," said Lauri Korenek, mother of Bradley, 12, who along with friends Cory Willey, 13, and Clint Crouch, 12, visited the crash site to plant their cross Thursday afternoon.
"The only thing to learn from this is that all kids think nothing bad will happen."
[snip]
"They weren't up to any trouble," Holak said. "They weren't troublemakers. They were just being kids."
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/21/06 08:57 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (7)
East end-run? (updated)
The major advantage to the blogosphere is that it takes the news and adds value. By allowing people with expertise in many fields to comment, a greater and more in-depth analysis can be done than by any news organization, no matter how large. Furthermore, such coverage and analysis, even if not unbiased, is often quite clear as to where it stands on any given issue. Contrasting that with the actions of certain news agencies that profess neutrality but slyly bias their reporting, it becomes clear why fewer people than ever before rely on the mainstream media for all their news.
The major disadvantage to the blogosphere is that it is heavily (though not totally) reliant on those very same news organizations for the core coverage to expand upon. When those agencies "fall down on the job", they can take their blogosphere counterparts with them. And in a recent case, that may have happened.
While contributors and commenters here have been concentrating on the performance of Metro's Danger Train and the exact routing of the University Corridor, Metro slipped under the radar and approved the route for the East End transit backbone, according to
Metro spokeswoman Sandra Salazar says the panel unanimously selected Harrisburg Boulevard for a light rail line in the city's east end. Salazar says work can proceed on preliminary engineering studies, and alignment work can be refined.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 07/21/06 08:44 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (4)
Food and drink roundup (07-21-2006 edition)
The weekend is upon us. Time for a food and drink roundup.
Alison Cook loves the Middle-Eastern fare, which she deems is lovingly prepared, at Zabak's Mediterranean Cafe. She gives Joyce's Ocean Grill kudos for their fried foods.
Robb Walsh continues on his Greek binge with a stop at Alexander the Great Greek. He also continues his obsession with Szechuan peppercorns. Gaido's in Galveston gets a visit or two from him as well. And he sadly reports what most of us already knew about the place.
Peggy Grodinsky goes in search of the perfect baguette.
Mary Vuong checks out but a few of the ethnic bakeries in town.
Louis B. Parks spends a few evenings checking out the cinema grills in town and lets us know what to expect food-wise.
Ken Hoffman goes to Denny's to try their new Crispy Onion burger and gets almost a full day's allotment of calories in one meal! My goodness.
And Lance Scott Walker checks out The Corridor in Midtown.
World class, all of it. Enjoy!!
Posted by Callie Markantonis @ 07/21/06 10:48 AM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (3)
Should the conveyor belts go on Richmond or Westpark?
Michael Reed recently penned a fun column on Richmond-Westpark light rail for the West University Examiner. Here's an excerpt:
We’re beginning to think the fellow with the starry eyes and all those yellow legal pads we encountered a couple of months back had the right idea about all of this.
While speaking at one of about 10,000 identical public meetings on possible routes, he advanced the theory that the light rail should be scrapped in favor of interconnected conveyor belts that Houstonians could merely step on and ride to their destinations.
We thought at the time it was a very futuristic approach — very Jetsons, in fact, and not nearly as cartoonish as a lot of what had been offered by most of the well-rehearsed partisans or any of the elected officials present.
We noticed, at the time, Mayor White stood transfixed at the podium, probably either scared he would miss something or, maybe, just plain scared. Of course, he could have been lost in childhood recollections of how George Jetson used to get sucked under by his own conveyance system on a weekly basis.
He was probably thinking the city could never absorb the lawsuits, especially with the Downtown Danger Train being successful in so many of its seek-and-destroy missions.
Readers will have to pardon us this self-referential moment, but we're always amused when we see other writers using the "Danger Train" moniker.
Thanks to Banjo Jones for the heads up on the column.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/21/06 08:44 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (15)
Chief Hurtt responds to critics
KHOU-11 has Chief Hurtt's response to the results of the Houston Police Officers Union survey:
“This chief has handed out less discipline to officers than any chief in the last 20 years of the Houston Police Department,” Farrell said.
Hurtt also wants officers to understand why he doesn’t permit beards.
He says they interfere with gas masks which officers may someday be required to wear.
Okay! Will tattoos interfere with gas masks, too?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/21/06 05:44 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
20 July 2006
What happened in Texas City?
While Texas City isn't the usual blogHOUSTON beat, the nature of yesterday's explosion, the media interest that is sure to come, and the location of Texas City in the greater "greater Houston" area makes it of interest, I think.
Here is the Chronicle's coverage of the apartment explosion from yesterday:
A bomb squad is on its way to an apartment complex this afternoon after an explosion in one unit, police said.
Photo by Kevin Bartram,
Galveston County Daily NewsOne person is believed dead and another suffered minor injuries, Texas City Police spokesman Sgt. Curtiss Pope said.
The explosion, the cause of which was not yet known, occurred shortly after 3 p.m. at the Lakeview Apartments in the 8800 block of the Emmett F. Lowry Expressway, Pope said.
Pope said investigators would enter the apartment after bomb experts determine whether any other dangers remain at the scene.
And here is an early report from KTRH-740's website:
An experiment with liquid chemicals led to a deadly explosion in a Texas City apartment Wednesday afternoon.
One person is believed to have died in the blast at the Lakeview Apartments on Palmer Road.
A robot from the Houston Police Department Bomb Disposal Unit was called to the scene where more chemicals were reportedly found.
Police say the blast was not related to terrorist activity
That seems like an odd statement for police to make without a full investigation.
Today, authorities had to detonate further explosive materials found in the apartment yesterday for fears that the materials were too combustible to transport safely. And in the press briefing, officials seem to be backtracking a little from the earlier blanket denial. Here's KPRC-2's account:
"Basically, it's a peroxide-based explosive that could be made in somebody's tub. It could be made in somebody's garage. "It's a very volatile substance that's extremely sensitive to heat, shock and friction," FBI Special Agent Kasey Salway said. "We found a considerable amount."
[snip]
Officials would not comment about whether the men had any links to terrorism or what the substance might have been used for.
"We have to follow the facts and we don't have anything to lead us to, at this point, to come out and say what exactly he was doing," Texas City Police Chief Robert Burby said.
And here's the Chronicle's account:
The FBI refused to say whether it believes the men were preparing some kind of attack.
But Texas City Mayor Matt Doyle said: "If we thought this was a terrorist act, the action would be a lot different than we've seen here today. Certainly, the FBI would have raised the level of security inside the city.''
Salway described the substance as similar to TATP, organic peroxide and a primary high explosive. It takes the form of a white crystalline powder with a distinctive acrid smell and has been described as a weapon of choice for suicide bombers.
TATP can be easily prepared in a basement lab using commercially available starting materials obtained from hardware stores, pharmacies, and stores selling cosmetics, according to the Global Security Web site.
Why in the world is the city's mayor so nonchalant about the incident? TATP is suspected of being used in the London subway and other terrorist attacks. There's no reason (yet) to assume these guys were planning any kind of terrorist attack, but there's also no reason simply to dismiss the possibility.
While the authorities will do their investigation, this is also a chance for the local media to do some real digging and try to find out exactly what was going on in Texas City.
UPDATE: The Galveston County Daily News seems to be ahead of the "bigger boys" with this tidbit:
TATP is shorthand for triacetone triperoxide, which has been used by suicide bombers in Israel, and was chosen as a detonator in 2001 by the thwarted "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, according to website Global Security.org.
“It can be as or more powerful than military analogs. TATP is one of the most sensitive explosives known, being extremely sensitive to impact, temperature change and friction," the website that tracks military and terrorist issues reported.
Investigators said Rugo was possibly making explosives for a weekend "entertainment" activity where he and some friends liked to blow things up.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE: KHOU-11.
BLOGVERSATION: Houston Views, Houstonist, Texas Rainmaker, More Houstonist.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/20/06 06:53 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
19 July 2006
Darren Lyn to man "one-man Houston bureau" for ESPN
The Chronicle's Ken Hoffman checks in on former KTRK-13 reporter Darren Lyn, who has snagged himself a nice position with ESPN:
FOR former Channel 13 reporter Darren Lyn, a self-confessed "sports junkie and die-hard news nerd," it's the dream job come true.
ESPN has hired Lyn to cover hard sports news stories for SportsCenter, Outside the Lines and ESPN News.
This week Lyn is at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn. "learning the ESPN way of doing things."
And Lyn's dream job just got dreamier. He's been told he can continue to live in Houston.
"I'll be traveling around the country doing stories, but I'll be based in Houston. I'll sort of be a one-man Houston bureau," he said.
Congratulations to Lyn for scoring such a sweet gig.
In case anyone from Sports Illustrated is reading (unlikely), we know some guys who'd be more than happy to man a Houston bureau for you!
PREVIOUSLY: Isiah Carey, Mike McGuff.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/19/06 11:50 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (3)
KHOU: Parking Authority threatens crackdown on handicapped motorists
Yesterday, KHOU-11's Doug Miller ran a story on Mayor White's exciting new parking authority, which is apparently threatening to crack down on our city's handicapped motorists:
Houston’s new parking commission will talk about solving some parking problems for disabled drivers on Wednesday.
One of the ideas on the table is arousing controversy among activists for the handicapped.Feeding the meter’s a fact of life downtown unless you have a handicap parking permit.
“With a handicap tag or a handicap plate, you can park at any meter provided that it’s a working meter anytime,” said disabled parker Mike Heintzman.
A handicap hang tag is basically a free parking pass for any metered space.
Most of us can park at parking meters for only a limited amount of time. But if you have a handicap tag, you can park at a meter as long as you want.
Now, the City of Houston is talking about changing that and basically imposing a time limit even for people with handicap tags.
“What we want to do is create more turnover so that everybody has access to that particular parking space because most of the time their adjacent to particular buildings that are high in traffic, whether it’s for able bodies or disabled bodied citizens,” said Lilliana Rambo Houston Parking Director.
The handicapped in Houston have enough obstacles without now being targeted as a potential revenue stream by an administration that just LOVES new revenue streams. This proposal shows stunningly bad form and is offensive.
Someone downtown must have decided that media coverage of the City of Houston threatening handicapped people wasn't such a good thing, because Doug Miller runs a much different story today:
Disabled drivers are downright angry about people abusing handicap parking permits. And now, Houston is talking about getting tough on those able-bodied drivers.
[snip]
The abuse of these handicap parking tags to avoid paying for parking on Houston streets is just plain rampant. Nothing the city government has done has put a stop to it. Now, the city’s parking commission wants to take action.
Among the proposals: Clearing the way for perjury charges for lying on handicap permit applications, a process for confiscating illegal parking permits and educating doctors who certify patients for handicap parking permits.
Let me try to put this in language that maybe even the Parking Commission bureaucrats downtown (and surely Mayor White's press team) can understand:
Cracking down on Handicapped Permit abusers = Very Good Thing.
Cracking down on Legitimate Handicapped Permit users = Very Bad Thing (Offensive).
PREVIOUSLY: Parking Authority archives.
UPDATE (07-20-2006): Michael Berry passes along word that he'll be talking about this issue on his radio show today on KPRC-950 AM. Berry took us to task a little in the comments, so expect a different perspective from him.
BLOGVERSATION: Houstonist.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/19/06 09:09 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (10)
Chronicle, Express-News to merge Austin bureaus
The San Antonio Express-News announces a merger of sorts between its Austin bureau and the Chronicle's:
The Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News are combining their state government bureaus in Austin, effective immediately, in an effort to dramatically expand original reporting and investigative efforts -- in print and online.
The move combines the Chronicle's four statehouse reporters with the three reporters from the Express-News to create a seven-person bureau that will illuminate issues in state government, provide insight into how decisions are made in Austin and investigate the use of public money in Texas.
Chronicle Bureau Chief Clay Robison will serve as chief of the combined operation; Express-News Bureau Chief Peggy Fikac will become deputy bureau chief. Chronicle reporters R.G. Ratcliffe, Janet Elliott and Polly Hughes will also be part of the new bureau, as will Express-News reporters Lisa Sandberg and Gary Scharrer.
“We welcome the opportunity to align more closely with our sister newspaper,” said Jeff Cohen, editor of the Houston Chronicle. “This merger will allow us to effectively double the resources we use to report on state government.”
This is potentially a good move for both Hearst dailies, which should be able to deliver more comprehensive, focused coverage of Austin and Texas politics as a result. It would also have been a good opportunity for the Chronicle to move Clay Robison to the editorial page exclusively and let Fikac run the news operation in Austin. Now, both newspapers are in the awkward position of their Austin bureau chief serving as a lefty Sunday editorial commentator on the people he allegedly covers objectively during the week, a situation that the Chronicle's own reader representative has criticized.
Next, Hearst might consider consolidating its Washington, D.C. operations. The Chronicle's D.C. bureau manufactures news from Washington seemingly as often as it breaks news, but perhaps a merged, comprehensive Hearst operation in D.C. could produce better work. Who knows, the merged operation might even rank a more prominent position than the Chronicle's fifth-row seat in the White House briefing room (with other major regional papers, as Julie Mason put it).
UPDATE: KHOU-11 posts AP coverage of the move. The Chronicle still has no coverage that I can find.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/19/06 08:01 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (5)
Red light cameras increase accidents (con't)
Philadelphia, PA; Fort Collins, CO; Portland, OR; and Washington, D.C. are among the cities that have seen accidents increase as a result of red light cameras, belying proponents' claims that the cameras are all about safety.
Bakersfield, CA, is the latest city to discover the obvious:
After three years of use, red light cameras in Bakersfield, California have increased the number of injuries and accidents at the eight intersections where they are used. Overall, the annual collision rate increased 17 percent. This increase is caused by a shifting of accident types from T-bone, down 28 percent, to rear end, up 47 percent. The shift in accident type, nonetheless did not reduce the number of injuries.
"Overall, injuries have gone up at some intersections," Detective Ryan Paslay admitted to the Bakersfield Californian.
[snip]
Despite the disappointing results, the city is not ready to declare the system a failure. Bakersfield collects $381 for every red light camera ticket that Australian vendor Redflex is able to issue. More than $7,239,000 in revenue has been generated since 2003 from 19,000 citations. Of this amount, Redflex has taken $1,691,000 and the city $1,600,000 with the state and county governments pocketing the remainder.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/19/06 06:04 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (6)
18 July 2006
KHOU: HPD reaching out to Houston's homeless
The KHOU news blog posts this news about HPD:
Houston police are hitting the streets to reach out to the city's homeless population.
The move comes as temperatures in the area are on the rise and living on the street is becoming more dangerous.
Just BEING on the street is becoming more dangerous in Houston!
That's why we'd like to see more cops reaching out to the city's CRIMINAL population. And whacking them.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/18/06 11:21 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
A few people stand behind Chief Hurtt
Supporters of Chief Hurtt -- surely a dozen or so -- organized a press event today to press the case that they back the Chief, even if the rank and file of HPD as represented by its largest union have some problems with him.
Here is an excerpt from KHOU-11's coverage:
Members of the Afro-American Police Officer's League and several elected and community leaders came out in support of the Houston Police Department's chief.The move comes after a recent police union survey highly criticized HPD Chief Harold Hurtt.
The head of the league blasted the union, calling the negative survey a possible political ploy.
"The Afro-American Police Officer's League cannot stand quietly by and allow the chief to made the scapegoat for the union," Mitchell Ruffin said. "We acknowledge and respect the Houston police officer's league, we acknowledge and respect the union as the bargaining agent, but the union does not speak for everyone."
That's the best the Chief and his supporters could do in response to last week's damning survey results? Ouch.
The HPD rank and file aren't the only ones disrespecting the Chief. According to the Chronicle, a big rig forced him to take evasive action earlier:
Houston police Chief Harold Hurtt was forced to swerve into a traffic control barrel today to avoid being struck by an 18-wheel truck, police said.
Hurtt was in the 2300 block of the inbound Eastex Freeway about 8:30 a.m. when the driver of the big-rig truck suddenly pulled into his lane, police said.
Hurtt was not injured when his car struck the barrel. The driver of the truck was apparently unaware of what happened and did not stop, police said.
We're glad the chief wasn't hurt. We hate to say it, but it seems kind of lawless out there at times.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE: KTRK-13, Chronicle.
BLOGVERSATION: Lone Star Times.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/18/06 09:45 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (11)
Metro ducks and weaves down Westpark (updated)
Reader IHB2 pointed out in the comments (and Laurence mailed) that Rad Sallee has posted a new article with more information on Metro's plans.
The new map shows seven locations between Main and Hillcroft where the line could cross over from Richmond to Westpark. From east to west, these are Farnham, Buffalo Speedway, Greenway Plaza, Timmons, Southern Pacific rail tracks, West Loop and Sage.
The map also shows stations at Montrose, Dunlavy, Shepherd, Kirby, Buffalo Speedway or Greenway Plaza, Weslayan, South Rice, and Hillcroft.
Wilson said the stations would be similar to those on the Main Street line but would be spaced to avoid restricting left turns. Between Main and Kirby, he said, more than 80 percent of the intersections would continue to allow left turns.
Wolff said the Metro board is scheduled to vote on its choice of route Aug. 8.
It seems odd, given that they were talking about finalizing routes nine months ago, that we hear of these alternatives barely three weeks, three poorly-timed meetings, and a late release of information before the vote. That's not much opportunity provided for the public to review and comment.
One of the things we speculated about during the Danger Train Outing last Saturday was that Mayor White and Metro were worried that the plan was going to fail due to legal challenges from the Afton Oaks residents. An alternative explanation is that they might be seeking to drive a wedge between the Afton Oaks residents and other opponents of rail, such as those on Westpark or upper Richmond. Metro could be thinking of offering the carrot of routing around Afton Oaks, while using the stick of other opposition groups to suggest "if we don't get some support for this new plan, then we'll be forced by them to stick to the existing one." Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
Regardless, I don't think they'd be switching tactics if they were confident of victory under the status quo.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: KHOU-11 has posted a story, and METRO is doing some serious spinning:
[Daphne] Scarbrough and others said when they voted for rail in 2003 the line was dubbed the “Westpark Corridor”, so they thought rail would run along Westpark, not Richmond.
“This city wants light rail, this city wants transit and this is the way we have to work to make it happen,” said Metro Chairman David Wolff.
Wolff showed the likely route for what’s called the “University Line.”
It would run along a part of Richmond, which would take it in front of Scarbrough’s Brass Maiden business.
Metro doesn’t believe it engaged in deception.
“I do disagree yes. I think the mission that was discussed was to take to the Wheeler Street station to the Hillcroft Transit Center, and I think that’s exactly what it does,” said Wulff [sic].
Voters didn't approve a "mission." They approved placement of a "Westpark" corridor, not a "Richmond" corridor. The twin threats of litigation and Rep. John Culberson's disapproval seem to have forced METRO to backtrack slightly from ramming rail all the way down Richmond, but it's not clear if they've successfully neutralized either potential threat.
KHOU has also posted the routes (pdf) that METRO will consider before its August decision.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS MORE (07-19-2006): The Chronicle has updated its coverage. METRO officials still seem determined to bring litigation upon themselves:
The ballot in the 2003 referendum in which voters approved what was then called the Westpark Line described it as ending at Hillcroft, but Metro's previous maps of the University Line had shown it stopping just past the West Loop.
With an extension to Hillcroft, a route crossing over at Greenway Plaza would run for about two-thirds of its length on Westpark, Wolff noted.
That could strengthen Metro's argument that it is complying with the referendum if the issue ends up in court.
That editorializing should have been turned into reporting with the addendum "METRO officials contend."
Regardless of METRO's maps or duplicitous statements since, voters approved a Westpark corridor (not a Richmond corridor) in the 2003 vote, and that referendum clearly described that corridor as terminating at the Hillcroft Transit Center.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE: KTRK-13.
BLOGVERSATION: Is Full of Crap, Isolated Desolation
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 07/18/06 09:43 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (16)
Urban loft owners finally get trash pickup -- "for now"
Matt Stiles reported over the weekend that some new urban loft owners will finally be receiving basic trash services:
It took a year of complaints, two visits to City Council and a private audience with Mayor Bill White, but some frustrated Third Ward residents finally got their wish.
The city will start picking up their trash — for now, at least.
After hearing the complaints of Calumet Street Lofts residents earlier this week, White overruled his solid waste director, ordering that city trash bins be delivered to the residents.
At issue is whether the residents' townhouse development is excluded from garbage service because it has narrow, private drives — paths city trucks aren't permitted to navigate.
"We need some Band-Aid approach until we can figure out what to do in the long run," said White, who is also reserving the right to take back the bins should city lawyers recommend it.
The residents argued that they pay city property taxes on their single-family units, and therefore deserve basic city services. They say their homes are surrounded by public streets, where they could roll their cans for pickup, making the units eligible under the city's garbage ordinance.
The Mayor made the right call on this one, and it should be left at that.
That being said, it seems highly likely that the Mayor and his task force will eventually decide that a new trash pickup revenue stream is in order. The property taxes on expensive new urban lofts located on previously underdeveloped property surely aren't enough of a windfall for this administration.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/18/06 09:02 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
Weird Astrodome resort plan isn't dead yet
The idea is to create a convention venue that has all amenities under one roof -- a destination resort. Guests wouldn't have to leave the Astrodome for anything, which makes sense, because there isn't much to look at (or do) outside the Dome, something the Essence folks discovered.
Usually destination resorts include lovely surroundings, so guests can go outside and relax during scheduled free time. Is there really a market for a resort that has all its "outside" space inside? I guess that'd be a bonus during a Houston summer, but it's an unusual model (if not downright claustrophobic).
According to the Chronicle's story, the group proposing the Dome resort says it will follow the Gaylord Hotels model, which specializes in this type of hotel, apparently meaning everything is under one roof. But a quick glance at the Gaylord properties seems to show hotels that have nice surroundings.
Beyond all that, the real question is could this type of property be supported here in Houston, since Houston already has an excess inventory of hotel rooms. Are there that many convention opportunities out there (specifically wanting to come to this type of property in Houston) that the GHCVB hasn't already tried to nab? What occupancy rate would this hotel need to maintain to be profitable? Generally speaking, resorts are successful if they can maintain at least a 70% occupancy rate. Is that an attainable goal here in Houston, without taxpayer subsidies?
Color me skeptical.
BLOGVERSATION: Houston's Clear Thinkers, Isolated Desolation, Off the Kuff
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/18/06 07:44 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (12)
City tries again with municipal courts' computer system
Last week, the Chronicle's Matt Stiles checked in on the latest state of affairs with the new computer system that has been giving Houston's municipal courts so much trouble:
If you ignored a city traffic ticket or skipped a hearing at Municipal Court in recent months, don't think you've been forgotten.
Court officials just stopped sending warning letters in April, fearing a new multimillion-dollar computer system that went online then might make some initial mistakes.
But now they have a new message for people on the "delinquent" list: Start checking your mail.
The city plans to announce today that warnings soon will be sent to 45,000 people whose cases are delinquent. Those who don't respond could face jail.
"We could issue a warrant, and they could be arrested," said Richard Lewis, the courts' top administrator.
[snip]
Court officials had been working to input information for cases processed around the time of the conversion. They caught up recently. Lewis said court administrators now feel comfortable that notices won't be sent to people who have already paid their fines or made mandatory court appearances.
KRIV-26's man about town, Isiah Carey, reports that people he's talked to aren't as comfortable as Lewis:
[A]s FOX reported and The Insite learned possibly thousands of people got notices of warrants over the weekend for allegedly missing court dates that have not yet happened. The city says its human error but court insiders say it's the problem plagued computer system that the city paid millions for after council approval. This is just the latest in a long line of problems with municipal courts new system that was suppose to cut down on the paperwork and streamline the system. So if you get a notice for a possible warrant on a court date that has not yet occurred then call the city's 311 line to try and clear it up before the cops take you in...
This is probably not the last we've heard about the municipal courts' computer system.
PREVIOUSLY: New municipal court computer system plods along.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/18/06 08:47 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
17 July 2006
Westpark/Richmond/University rail corridor open house Tuesday
METRO will hold the first of three open houses on the Westpark / Richmond / University rail corridor on Tuesday. The Chronicle posted these details over the weekend:
Metropolitan Transit Authority has scheduled three open house sessions to review the University light rail corridor proposals with area residents.
The first upcoming meeting is from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, July 18 at the Holiday Inn Select, 2712 Southwest Freeway.
A second meeting is set for 5-8 p.m. Monday, July 24 at the Third Ward Multi-Service Center, 3611 Ennis.
From 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 25, Metro's open house will be at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 5501 S. Main St.
The University Corridor is being designed to ease traffic congestion and link the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, Houston Community College, St. Thomas University, Greenway Plaza, Lakewood Church and the Galleria area.
The story did not add, "and to boost real-estate development in the Galleria area." But it might have.
Rad Sallee provides additional coverage here.
PREVIOUSLY: KHOU runs strange story on METRO, Culberson, Richmond rail.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/17/06 10:59 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (6)
White vs. Tollett cage match in February?
After Jordy Tollett hired Rusty Hardin and proceeded to convince the GHCVB board to let him take an extended leave (including 12 weeks' worth of vacation time), we speculated that Tollett had managed to escape rather cleverly what seemed like a much too transparent effort by Mayor White to arrange his exit.
Last Friday, the Chronicle's Kristen Mack ran with a hard-hitting column that suggested the same. Here are some excerpts:
A KPRC (Channel 2) television piece catching Tollett on camera downing several drinks during the noon hour and Mayor Bill White's not-so-subtle suggestion that it may be time for Tollett to go, led the bureau's board to consider his future on Thursday.In classic Tollett style, he came to the board meeting at his request and left on his own terms — taking an extended leave to seek professional help starting next week for an unspecified problem.
City Hall and political gossips are wondering whether Tollett can withstand this latest storm, perhaps the strongest one he has faced.
Some of us have speculated that it was conceivable that the mayor's office was happy enough to see that KPRC-2 hit piece on Tollett run, since the mayor was, as Mack wrote, quick to suggest that Tollett's time might be up. Former Councilmember Carroll Robinson sounds like he might be buying that theory:
White's opinion is important because of his own political power and because the city provides the bulk of the bureau's budget.But he has no formal authority over Tollett. The board does.
It would have been setting a dangerous precedent for the bureau to let Tollett go based solely on the television piece, Robinson said.
"The circumstances have to be clear that he committed an egregious act," Robinson said, suggesting that if White wants to get rid of Tollett he should say so rather than using a television report about "Jordy doing something that is not illegal or immoral as justification."
Mayor White rarely picks fights that he stands to lose, but I'd put the odds even in this one. The February discussion of Tollett's contract ought to be entertaining for local political junkies.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/17/06 10:46 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (10)
Houston fails to make the top 100 list
Money magazine and CNN have released their Top 100 list of the best places in the U.S. to live. Somehow, world-class Houston failed to make the list again this year, while its (relatively) tiny neighbor, Sugar Land ranks third. Even when the subject is restricted to the top 10 "big" cities (300k+), Houston failed to make the list, unlike Austin, which was second, or New York, which came in tenth.
Suburbs were a common sight in the Top 100 listing, as they were close enough to big-city amenities to score high in those categories, while being distant enough to avoid being dinged for the crime rate of their bigger neighbors.
No other Houston suburb made the top 25, but three of Dallas' could be found there: Plano, Richardson, and Carollton. League City and The Woodlands came in at 65 and 73, respectively. Overall, Texas scored more cities in the Top 100 than any other state, with ten.
Houston, when compared to the median in the survey, did not compare very well in many categories.
S L median family income:$101,168
Houston's median income: $43,941
Best Places Average: $62,555
Sugar Land job Growth: 30.53%
Houston's job growth: 5.69%
Best Places Average: 10.46%
Sugar Land personal crime risk: 23
Houston's personal crime risk: 218
Best Places (100 is nat'l avg): 52
Sugar Land property crime risk: 31
Houston's personal crime risk: 204
Best Places (100 is nat'l avg): 80
Sugar Land median commute time: 29.5
Houston's median commute time : 23.4
Best Places median commute : 20.8
Oddly, for "the fattest city in the U.S.", Houston and Sugar Land both manage to score a 25 on the body mass index, while the "best places average" is 27. Go figure. But the part I really have an issue with is "Amount spent on vacations:" $6,523 per year for an average Houston household? And those consumerist Sugar Landers, with their huge SUV's spend $8,614 per year?
Clearly, I am not living right...
BLOGVERSATION: HouStoned.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 07/17/06 10:45 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
The Chron covers itself. Sometimes.
Newspapers are sometimes criticized for being obsessed with themselves, and we've seen some recent evidence to that effect from the local Hearst daily.
There was this story by Clifford Pugh that ran last week week on Chron.com's Houston/State section:
Houston writer Frenchy Falik, who for more than 20 years covered the city's party circuit with the tenacity of a police reporter at a crime scene, died Tuesday following an 8 1/2 -year battle with cancer.
She was 56.
"She was so incredibly passionate about what she did," said Holly Moore, editor in chief of PaperCity, where Falik worked since 1997. "It was like breaking news to her. She'd do almost anything to get her story."
UPDATE: Falik worked at the Post, but never the Chron so far as I know, which brings to mind this amusing excerpt in the story:
The Post ran the article and hired her to report on charity galas. She covered the party scene for the newspaper until it closed in 1995.
It's as if the newspaper just disappeared one day -- except that we know that the Chron reached a deal with Dean Singleton to shut down the Post months before it happened, courtesy of current Chron editorialist Tim Fleck, ironically enough! So in a way, Falik did work for the Chron. Sort of. END UPDATE.
More recently, Chron.com posted the following story by Allan Turner to its Houston/State section:
Marcia Lamberth Stanfield, granddaughter of Houston Chronicle founder Marcellus E. Foster, died Thursday at a Houston hospice of colon cancer. She was 75.
Stanfield, a third-generation Houstonian, lived most of her life in Houston, where she was known for her widespread charitable volunteer work. In her youth, she worked with her grandfather at the Houston Press, which closed in 1964, and she later enjoyed enlivening family gatherings with tales about one of the pioneers of Texas journalism.
"She loved life to the fullest, and she loved to talk about her life in Houston and the history behind the city," recalled her cousin Jon Aills.
Stanfield often recalled her childhood trips to the Chronicle building to see the newspaper's twin presses, which Foster had named after his daughters, Lee and Medora. By that time, Foster had left the Chronicle to assume the editorship of the rival Press.
Foster often treated Stanfield and his other grandchildren — Clare and Neil Masterson— to visits to what Stanfield remembered as "the pony place," a pony-powered merry-go-round in downtown Houston.
While we certainly offer our condolences to the grieving families, it's not clear that these stories merited coverage by staff reporters on the metro/state pages (as opposed to the obituary page) -- aside from the fact that they were somehow connected to the Chronicle (or at least local print journalism).
On the other hand, the Chronicle chose to run AP coverage of open-records litigation involving Travis County district attorney Ronnie Earle and ... the Chronicle. Apparently, covering some stories on internal matters isn't as important as covering others.
RELATED: Shelby Hodge invites herself to Ken Lay's funeral (but maybe not "with the tenacy of a police reporter at a crime scene"), Chron press release poses as news story on circulation.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/17/06 09:36 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
MetroRail's "ridership" numbers: 12 million passengers a year!
About one year ago, the Chronicle's Rad Sallee wrote quite a story on Metro, exposing how Metro has really hurt the riders who need Metro's services the most. Included in that story was a look at how Metro counts ridership:
Because Metro has no practical way to count actual riders, it instead keeps track of boardings — usually expressed on an average weekday basis and counted by electronic devices on buses and trains. A single trip involving transfers, like Villanueva's journey to work, is counted as several boardings.
Today Sallee takes up the topic again, showing how Metro's bookkeeping doesn't provide a clear picture, certainly not as clear as Metro would like us to think:
The measure that Metro watches most closely — the key indicator of how well it is performing its mission — is often referred to as "ridership." But this turns out to be a slippery concept. As with the elephant and the blind men, you need to examine it several ways for a complete picture.
As its primary measure of ridership, Metro uses bus and rail boardings, which are presented by transit category in its monthly and quarterly reports.
Unlike ridership, boardings are easy to grasp. When you step on board a bus or train, that's one boarding. If your usual route is changed and you must transfer to reach a destination, that's two boardings.
And therein lies the problem with boardings as a measure of success: The journey takes longer and is more trouble than before, but it shows up in statistics as an increase in service.
Former Mayor Bob Lanier, who chaired Metro in 1988 and 1989, demanded ridership data in the form of "linked trips." To Lanier — and probably most people — a ride to the dentist should count as one trip, no matter how many transfers are involved.
"A full disclosure would require boardings to be coupled with either trips or passenger miles traveled, preferably both," Lanier has said. "Each has its own nuances, and there's really no practical reason for not presenting all three."
And what happens when the bigger picture is presented?
Metro does not now collect data on linked trips.
The results show essentially the same trends that Metro has reported based on boardings. But some of the changes are more dramatic when expressed in passenger miles.
From 2000 to 2005, overall ridership on Metro's fixed routes declined 7 percent, measured in boardings, and 9 percent in terms of passenger miles.
Local and express bus service, by far the largest transit component, declined 13 percent in boardings but 21 percent in passenger miles.
And when Metro uses its fuzzy math, you get press stories like this from the Ottawa Sun:
MetroRail officials say they could easily use 15 more cars because Houston has reached its capacity, transporting about 12 million passengers a year. They didn't expect to reach that level of ridership for another 20 years.
Really. Twelve million passengers a year. Certainly what Metro did with downtown bus service has boosted MetroRail's numbers, but still, wouldn't you like to see the backup on that "ridership" stat? What would the number be using Mayor Bob's preferred method of counting ridership -- linked trips?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/17/06 06:02 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (9)
16 July 2006
Houston Citizens' Police Academy
Would you like to get the inside poop on HPD? Then sign up for the next Houston Citizens' Police Academy:
What is it?
The Houston Citizens' Police Academy presents a look at the internal operations, values, and philosophy of the Houston Police Department. The Academy is a 33 - hour block of instruction designed to give the public a working knowledge of the "how's and why's" of the department, and the citizens' role in their interaction with the police. If you choose to participate you will attend a series of classes, held once each week for three hours. The instruction is comprehensive, covering a different area of the police department each week. Officers, supervisors and personnel assigned to that particular division conduct each instructional block.The Objective
The Houston Citizens' Police Academy was created to provide enough information to the citizens who attend so they may make informed judgments about the police department and police activity. Students are expected to share this realistic view of the department with other citizens to improve the efficiency of law enforcement in their neighborhoods. The department, in turn, becomes more aware of the feelings and concerns of the community from the participant's interaction and input. It is a two-way learning experience.
The next session begins September 7th.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/16/06 08:49 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (8)
Supplementing Casey with his MSM sources
Just over a week ago, the Chronicle's Rick Casey penned a column that was basically a recap of a series of Chicago Tribune stories on a death penalty case in Texas, which (of course) Casey spun as a(nother) case of a questionable execution in Texas.
Unlike some of his prior efforts recapping the work of reporters at other newspapers, Casey doesn't appear to have lifted any whole phrases (just some quotes). He doesn't credit the Tribune reporters who did the work (Maurice Possley and Steve Mills), but that's apparently one of the niceties that can be foregone when you're a bigshot metro/state columnist. The fact that the prosecutors are still convinced the right man was put to death gets only a sentence in Casey's version. The Chron.com version of the story does not link to the Chicago Tribune series.
That series is located here (Part One, Part Two, Part Three). While the stories are certainly examples of anti-death-penalty activist journalism, at least the contentions of the prosecutors are presented in the stories, along with deep background and plenty of speculation as to what might have happened.
The newspaper of the future -- one whose editors truly believe in the mantra of "news as conversation" -- will be less hesitant to link to stories at other news outlets. And the newspaper of the future might just find that columnists who recap the work of other reporters and bloggers aren't nearly as important as they once were. Alas, we have not quite reached that stage just yet (although Richard Justice's heavy link-blogging to other news outlets of late deserves kudos).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/16/06 05:42 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
Chron neighborhood section looks at Hillcroft "microcosm"
The Chronicle's Tara Dooley has an interesting article on the Hillcroft area of southwest Houston. Local bicyclist Bob Stein even makes an appearance:
Hillcroft Avenue is pure Houston, created with dedication to the automobile and an aversion to zoning.
A string of strip centers broken by blocks of single-family homes, it connects cacophonous enterprises: the tires of an auto repair shop stacked near a florist's roses; a women in hijab at Jerusalem Halal Meat Market two parking lots away from the "adult novelties" at Bizarre Bazaar; manicured lawns and Dumpster-decorated parking lots.
It provides spiritual sanctuary under steeples and in tucked-away storefront temples and mosques. Just as it offers nighttime revelers refuge under twirling lights and Norteño music.
It's an avenue where a staple of life and culture is found under different headings: bagels, pita, naan, pan, bread.
"Hillcroft is disorganized but not necessarily unorganized development," said Bob Stein, dean of Rice University's school of social sciences. "It is what Houston is all about.
"When you go from one end of Hillcroft to the other end, you cross every ethnic and racial group in our city. As a result, I want to say it is a microcosm."
The full story is available here. It is an interesting read.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/16/06 03:56 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (0)
Farewell, Professor Lence
The Chronicle runs a story about the recent passing of Professor Ross Lence of the University of Houston. Lence was a master teacher and a true gentleman-scholar who profoundly influenced thousands of students over the years, including local blogger/attorney Tom Kirkendall, former Councilmember Orlando Sanchez, current Councilmember Michael Berry, and this humble blogger.
Here is an excerpt from the story:
In addition to the numerous teaching awards he received at UH, Lence was recognized in 1987 by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation for teaching excellence in the state of Texas.
He also taught for more than 20 years at the Women's Institute of Houston.
"Teaching was so important to him," said Lawrence Curry, professor emeritus in UH's Department of History.[snip]
Some former students said Lence was also known for his generosity, helping young people get money for their educations and attending funerals of their relatives.
Jim Tyler recalled that when his mother was ill with pancreatic cancer in 1975, Lence visited her in the hospital and taught her ancient Greek political thought. After she died, he said, Lence delivered a Socratic dialogue at her funeral.
"He was just a man who always cared about everyone and would give even when he didn't have more to give, whether of his time or his money," said Tyler, who took classes from Lence from 1972-75. "When there was somebody in need, Ross would be there."
Professor Lence will not soon be forgotten. Farewell, Good Doctor.
BLOGVERSATION: Houston's Clear Thinkers (I, II), PubliusTX.net, RAW360, Progressive Texan, Amandicon, Refuge for the Literate, Mikehon.com.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/16/06 02:54 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (1)
An old-fashioned Fisking, courtesy of a reader
Late in the week, reader Leslie Price forwarded along a Fisking of a Chronicle article that was so much fun we asked if we could reproduce it verbatim. Price's post is below, with minor formatting changes. Price's comments are in regular print, and the Chronicle excerpt is italicized.
Falling TVs pose a growing danger: Local girl's death highlights what one doctor calls 'a real public health issue' (Todd Ackerman and Zeke Minaya, Houston Chronicle).
Oh Good Lord! The TV is on my property so it's PRIVATE not public, and an ACCIDENT is not a health issue. Diseases are health issues.
The actual quote comes from a doctor:
"It's become a real public health issue," said Dr. Stephen Fletcher, chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital. "Who would have thought?"
So I'll give him some slack about not choosing his words exactly correctly -- if he's a good doctor I don't really care if he don't talk so good.
The next paragraph is terrific:
Experts say the problem, already the subject of at least three academic studies, is really more about inadequate anchoring of TVs than it is about their design or size.
Three studies? THREE FREAKING STUDIES ABOUT THIS? They could've just asked me, or, well, anyone with half a brain. Article continues...
One of the studies called for manufacturers to make available or include an inexpensive furniture-securing device, such as a strap, and to add labels warning of the potential danger of units toppling.
It also called for a public awareness campaign. The study noted that a similar strategy involving injuries caused by falling vending machines resulted in more units being secured to floors and walls.
OK, so add another warning label. We'll all be sure and anchor our TVs to the wall right after we get finished using them while bathing in a coma -- or am I confusing TV's with blow dryers? So many warning labels, I just get confused.
And, umm, the "success" of the public awareness campaign for securing vending machines REALLY had more to do with the threat of lawsuits I would guess.
Thanks to Leslie Price for the Fisking and for reading! Incidentally, it's worth noting that two Chronicle reporters contributed to that story.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/16/06 02:38 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
15 July 2006
Who needs Astroworld? We have the Danger Train!
Thanks to folks who came out today to participate in the Danger Train field trip.
We toured the entire length of the line and got some good photos of some of the more dangerous intersections, did a bunch of walking about, and thoroughly enjoyed the Cabo margaritas.
We'll resume our usual posting tomorrow. It just seemed like a good idea to put a quick note up lest anybody think the Danger Train took us out. We're pleased to report that no cars, wheelchairs, pedestrians, bloggers, or blind people were struck by the Danger Train on this field trip.
ANNE ADDS: That was fun! My family had a great time.
Several things struck me: When we were driving to the designated meet-up place, my husband said "turn right on Main Street" and I almost had a heart attack. I begged him to find a different street. Nothing doing. So, I turned right on Main Street and was amazed at how little room for error there was in turning. The light rail tracks are RIGHT THERE! It wouldn't have taken much for the bumper of my car to have been ripped off if a train had been going along there at the same time as I was turning!
Development along the Danger Train line is mediocre in the downtown, and already established around the Medical Center, but in between is this wasteland of abandoned buildings, trash, broken glass, etc. Blech. There was one building on the corner of Main and Berry that really caught my eye: a burned out/boarded up/graffiti-covered hacienda-looking thing. Nasty.
We stopped at the Dryden station in the TMC and saw where the cars and trains share a lane. SHARE A LANE! In each direction! And Metro Police Chief Tom Lambert runs around screaming at Houston drivers for being stupid??? Who the hell came up with THAT design??!! The signing is terrible, too. If someone is unfamiliar with downtown or the TMC area and that person is suddenly forced to comprehend driving lanes with tracks on them, crazy signs that do not make sense when you have a split second to figure them out, AND keep an eye on the traffic lights, well, that's just a recipe for disaster. As we have seen.
On a brighter note, Cabo's was very fun and the food was good. Then Callie graciously agreed to try to find the President George Bush statue that I have been wanting to see. It's in Sesquicentennial Park which is a lovely place (except for the lack of playground equipment, as my youngest noticed. How can a park be called a park if there aren't any swings or slides? Just kidding.) I don't understand why the Chronicle editors decided to compare it to the Riverwalk, because it is completely different. It IS very nice, but it should stand on its own merit.
After that, we walked down to the waterfall area behind the Wortham Theater, which my kids (and Matt Bramanti!) had fun exploring. And then we wanted ice cream. Do you know there's not an ice cream shop anywhere around the downtown area that we could see? That seemed odd. So, we called it a day.
(Thanks also to Isiah Carey for patiently trying to find us to say hello. The Insite is everywhere!)
UPDATE: Check out the photo Ubu Roi snapped. Ubu was sitting in the front of the train as it entered an intersection. The traffic light for the cross street was GREEN! Which means the train had to have run a red light! Unless Metro's special engineering design allows intersections to have green lights all the way around. =)
BLOGVERSATION: Isiah Carey's Insite, Houblog, Kevin Whited's Flickr page, Writeacher, Isolated Desolation.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/15/06 10:54 PM | Announcements | Technorati | Comments (44)
14 July 2006
KHOU runs strange story on METRO, Culberson, Richmond rail (updated)
KHOU-11 has posted a strange story from Dan Lauck on METRO and the Richmond light-rail route. Here's an excerpt:
Metro's plans to expand on Richmond Ave. may be in jeopardy.
That rail system would link Greenway Plaza, the University of St. Thomas and hundreds of restaurants and businesses.
From the beginning the plan was to run a rail line right down Richmond through Greenway Plaza on its way to The Galleria.
It’s called the University Line because it begins near the University of Houston and Texas Southern University and runs through the Med Center past Rice and the University of St. Thomas.
But that line has been in a precarious position for some time now and Thursday Metro officials went to Washington to sell the line to Houston Congressman John Culberson.
There is talk in Metro circles that the University rail line could be in jeopardy because of Culberson.
“Congressman Culberson has said repeatedly that he does not favor running the line down Richmond. He wants to put it on Westpark,” said David Crossley.
Culberson sits on the House Transportation Committee.
“John Culberson is supposed to bring home the federal funds for Metro’s expansion, not just the university corridor, but all the expansion lines,” said Robin Holzer .
Holzer, who heads a city-wide watch-dog group says Culberson, as a member of the House Transportation Committee, also has the power to kill any Metro proposal.
There are all sorts of problems with this story.
First, neither Rep. Culberson nor a member of his staff is quoted. No METRO official is quoted by name.
David Crossley is identified (later) in the story only as a transportation expert, when in fact he is an advocate for the Richmond rail route.
Robin Holzer is identified as heading a citywide watchdog group, which is not untrue, but writers on her group's website have endorsed the Richmond route (even as Holzer contends that her group will not formally endorse any alignment), which is relevant, since the only persons quoted in the story are those in favor of considering the Richmond route.
And Lauck is simply in error when he asserts that "from the beginning" the plan was to run light rail "down Richmond." Voters approved a Westpark corridor and, until recently, most people had every reason to believe that Westpark meant Westpark.
Those are quite a few problems in such a short story!
The bottom line is this: If METRO persists in attempting to ram rail down Richmond when voters approved a Westpark corridor, then there will almost certainly be litigation. Furthermore, that effort may well jeopardize funding from Rep. Culberson, who certainly has the political leverage to hold METRO to account for its Westpark ballot language. If the Richmond corridor is better than the Westpark corridor approved by voters (as Holzer and Crossley seem to think), then METRO should get the community on board and hold a new vote. Nothing I've seen from Rep. Culberson's office suggests he would stand in the way of that, and it's hard to imagine why truly democratic watchdog groups would oppose it.
UPDATE (07-14-2006): Since KHOU apparently didn't bother to ask Rep. Culberson's office for a comment, I emailed them a request last night. This morning, they were kind enough to forward me this statement:
"Yesterday afternoon I had a very productive meeting with Metro Chairman David Wolff and President Frank Wilson to discuss Metro's proposed alignments for a rail line along Richmond. I told them what I have told everyone who asks my opinion - my job description is representative and I will protect the quality of life of the people I represent. Therefore, Metro does not need to sell this plan to me but to the people I represent who will be most affected - the people whose homes or businesses or properties are on Richmond. I will decide whether to support or oppose rail on Richmond based on the opinions of my constituents, and the opinions that matter the most to me are those of the people who have the most at stake - the people who live or work or own property on Richmond. Obviously, I will listen to all of my constituents, but no fair minded person can disagree that I must give the greatest weight to the opinions of those people who have the most at stake.
"Metro claims that they are prevented from sharing the proposed alignments with the public until next Tuesday, so I have asked, and Metro has agreed to show the public their plans for rail on Richmond next Tuesday at the first of a series of public forums they will host where Houstonians will be able to ask questions and Metro can begin to sell their plans. Metro asked for two weeks from Tuesday to make their case to the people on Richmond, and I agreed to wait for two weeks before making a decision based primarily on the input I receive from Richmond residents and business and property owners. I also asked, and Metro agreed, to post the plans on their website so people can see them in great detail beginning next Tuesday.
"Metro has clearly listened to the public comments they have already received from neighborhoods and done their best to incorporate those ideas and suggestions into proposals for rail on Richmond. I have heard from a number of my constituents who are concerned about other possible alignments. Let me be clear, any proposed line stands on its own merits and must have community support. It is now up to Metro to convince the people on Richmond of the merits of their proposals. It is not my job to tell Metro where to build rail, or to help them sell it, but it is my job to protect my constituents when they tell me where they do not want Metro to build it. Any neighborhood in any part of my district can always count on me to protect their quality of life in the same way."
Thanks, Rep. Culberson, for the response. It's too bad KHOU didn't get one for their story.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/14/06 12:19 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (23)
Houston housing and your money
Several weeks ago, I started "translating" the City of Houston's council agendas for everyone's benefit over at Houblog. However, items do not "just appear" on the agenda for the first time immediately prior to a meeting of the full council. Like Congress, the City Council has thirteen committees responsible for considering matters before they come to the full council. (Some might consider it darkly humorous that the chair of the Ethics Committee is Carol Alvarado.) Unlike Congress, the chief executive -- that is, the Mayor -- has complete control over the agenda, so no item can ever be buried in committee.
Although they rarely draw any attention from the public, a lot of the nuts and bolts of governing the city goes on in them, as the committee members are supposed to investigate the motions, make a recommendation, and then the mayor puts the item on the main agenda. Recently, reader Tom Bazan brought my attention to the July 11th Housing Committee Agenda, which I repost in part below. There are just so many attention-grabbing items, it's hard to know where to begin. There are enough packed in this one agenda to raise serious questions about how our money is being handled; more than I can possibly handle in a single post.
This is a long post, especially for BlogHOUSTON, and it starts slowly. The payoff is worth it though, so head below the fold. And bring a snorkel... it's deep in there.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 07/14/06 12:12 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (18)
13 July 2006
A no-confidence vote for Chief Hurtt
As noted previously, the results of the Houston Police Officers Union survey are in and the rank and file don't support Chief Hurtt. KTRK-13's Miya Shay has the details:
Of the 13 questions, question number 3 is probably the most telling. It reads, "I feel confident in Chief Hurtt's ability to lead the Houston Police Department." Seventy five percent of the respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed with that statement.Houston City Councilmember Michael Berry didn't like what he saw.
"We have a serious crime problem right now and we've just been told by a vast majority, a representative sample of officers who are tasked with solving the crime problem, that they don't believe this department's leadership can get it done," he said. "That's as close to a crisis as I can see."
The twelve remaining questions range from discipline procedures to departmental morale. None of the answers painted a rosy picture of HPD. But Chief Hurtt says change is always difficult.
"I'm the person driving change in the organization along with my command staff," he said Thursday. "Any time you're coming to an organization, you're driving change, you expect some resistance."
Notice how Chief Hurtt assumes Houston must change to his way of policing. Apparently it hasn't occurred to the chief that what has worked for him in other cities may not work so well in Houston.
By the way, does anyone know how things were going for HPD (and Houston) when Joe Breshears was acting police chief? If he was doing a good job, why wasn't he named police chief?
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Mayor White is inexplicably sticking by his handpicked (and increasingly beleaguered) police chief. Here are some excerpts from his press release, as posted on KTRK-13:
Houston is fortunate to have an experienced and respected Police Chief who has been recognized by his peers as a national leader in law enforcement. Chief Harold Hurtt came to the department and inherited some difficult circumstances. They included a union contract which created an incentive for mass retirement of officers; a relationship with many neighborhoods in our community strained by two shooting deaths of juveniles; and longstanding problems in administration of the crime lab.
Houston is blessed to have the best trained, best educated, and best led police force in the nation. With the quality of officers up and down the line, I wouldn't trade the uniformed officers of the Houston Police Department for any other major city police force.
[snip]
HPD under Chief Hurtt's leadership has made major strides in restoring confidence in the professionalism of the Department. Widespread implementation of tasers has reduced the risks to both citizens and officers; all elements of a troubled forensics lab have attained national certification; and the Department, from its recruiting classes to its command staff, reflects far more of the rich diversity of Houston than ever before.
We all know diversity is beauty! We're not so sure what it has to do with HPD's core mission of fighting crime, though.
We agree with the mayor on one thing. We have no interest in trading HPD's officers for anyone. We'd just like to ship Mayor White's handpicked, ineffective police chief back to Phoenix.
UPDATE: As Sedosi noted, the Editorial LiveJournalists heaped tons of praise on Chief Hurtt several days ago, apparently trying to blunt the effects of this survey.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE: KTRK-13, KPRC-2, Chronicle.
BLOGVERSATION: Isiah Carey's Insite.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/13/06 09:44 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
Houston's bad guys grow more brazen
As HPD's presence on the street continues to decline, it seems as if the city's bad guys are growing ever more brazen. Here's a report from KHOU-11 on a recent repeat robbery in north Houston:
Police are looking for two stolen four-wheelers after a smash-and-grab burglary in north Harris County.
The suspects backed their pickup truck into the front of the store, which is located at Richey Road and the North Freeway.
[snip]
It happened at about 2 a.m. Wednesday.
“One guy got out and came and grab a 4 wheeler from this side,” said owner Francisco Solis.
[snip]
“This is the second time in one month,” said Solis.
But now it’s different. The thieves were caught on tape.
The cameras didn't do much to deter the theft or destruction of property. Perhaps Chief Hurtt will encourage Solis to form a neighorhood watch group!
KHOU reported on another repeat burglary on the Southwest Freeway:
A jewelry store was broken into for the second time in two months.
It's the second time the store has been hit in two months.
The Urban Jewelers store on the Southwest Freeway at Weslayan.
Thieves pried open the doors to get inside, and then they smashed into cases.
The other break-in happened June 28, and jewerly, watches and paintings were taken during that incident.
That's the Greenway Plaza area, not what most Houstonians typically regard as a high-crime area.
But crime has a way of getting out of control when the police department has a manpower shortage, and the Mayor and his handpicked police chief substitute gimmicks (acronyms, crime vans, Tasers, red-light cameras) for serious crimefighting policies.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/13/06 09:43 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Tollett takes extended leave of absence from GHCVB, avoids firing
KPRC-2 posts the news that Jordy Tollett will be taking a "leave of absence" from his post as President of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau:
The president of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitor's Bureau is taking a leave of absence, days after the Troubleshooters aired an investigation into his behavior while on the job, KPRC Local 2 reported Thursday.
A special meeting of the convention bureau board's executive committee was held Thursday morning.President Jordy Tollett asked for an extended leave of absence to address what he called "problems in his life."
The Chronicle's Kristen Mack provides additional details:
Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau President Jordy Tollett, under fire after a television camera caught him taking long lunches at a bar, will take extended leave to seek professional help for an unspecified condition.
Tollett met this morning with the bureau's executive committee, at his request, to discuss the report that aired Monday night on KPRC (Channel 2).
He left alone after about 15 minutes, and declined to comment.
"Jordy recognized that he had a problem," said Doug Horn, chairman of the visitors bureau's board. "He asked us to give him an opportunity to take extended time off to address those issues. We as a board decided we were going to do this because Jordy has done such a great job for the city."
Horn said he does know what type of help Tollett will seek and is not sure how long he will be gone.
Tollett has 60 days of vacation time, which he will use. Beyond that, he has requested a family medical leave.
As Sedosi notes, give Tollett's attorney, Rusty Hardin, credit. As it's become increasingly clear that Mayor White was engineering Tollett's departure, Hardin has gotten his client an extended leave from the board, presumably for medical reasons. Tollett avoids being fired, at least for now, and gets help for his "unspecified condition." Some lawyers earn their fees. Hardin is one of them.
Just out of curiosity, how many readers have 60 days of vacation time saved up? That would be 12 business weeks worth of vacation time, which sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
BLOGVERSATION: Lone Star Times.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/13/06 01:36 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (18)
12 July 2006
Houston hospital invokes Texas futile-care law (cont'd)
Over the past weekend, the Chronicle reported on another instance of a local hospital invoking the Texas futile-care law in an effort to terminate care of a patient. As Todd Ackerman writes, this latest instance raises concerns we've expressed previously about this ultimate authority over life residing with a hospital committee:
Texas' controversial futile care law is at the center of a drama at Memorial Hermann Hospital involving a patient who suffered brain damage after her breathing tube became disconnected.
Doctors invoked the law, which allows hospitals to remove life support in cases deemed medically futile, two weeks later, after deciding 29-year-old Kalilah Roberson-Reese was in a vegetative state.
"This case raises questions of whether the law might be used to bury mistakes," said Jerri Ward, an Austin attorney who this week asked a judge to stop Memorial Hermann from withdrawing life support from Roberson-Reese. "At the very least, there is an appearance of a conflict of interest that should preclude a futility review committee from making a life-or-death decision before an independent investigation is made."
Dr. William Winslade, an ethicist at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, said the case "raises questions about how quickly these decisions should be made in the face of potential litigation."
The story indicates that the hospital has said it will hold off on terminating Roberson-Reece for a time, while the family tries to find a facility willing to accept her. There is further coverage from the Associated Press.
We've expressed concerns about the Texas futile-care law in previous posts about Andrea Clark and Spiro Nikolouzos, and in other posts. There's no real need to revisit that debate, but it does seem that Houston, with its fine medical facilities, is likely to remain ground central in the debate over the Texas futile-care law.
BLOGVERSATION: Pro-Life Blogs, Brothers Judd.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/12/06 11:28 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
Houston Press launches group blog
Houston's main alt-weekly has finally embraced alt-media in the form of a blog.
HouStoned looks to be a group effort, with commentary from names familiar and not-so-familiar at the Houston Press.
So far, it has the features one expects in a real blog -- hyperlinks, comments (registration is required), RSS feeds, and a blogroll. The design is crisp, and the posts so far are nicely written. If the crew sticks with it and posts regularly, it looks to be a nice addition to the Houston blogosphere.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/12/06 10:57 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (13)
New faces at the little blog
It's time to introduce a few new posters at blogHOUSTON, although they should be familiar to Houston blog readers.
Ubu Roi will be posting here on the main blog about local affairs. He is the proprietor of Houblog. I've been pestering him to bring his insider's view of the City of Houston to bH for a while now (that's easier than linking all the time), and he's finally given in. I've gotten hooked on his Council Agenda analysis, so that should be a nice addition.
Laurence Simon is now posting on the Bad Sports blog. Laurence is the proprietor of This Blog Is Full Of Crap, and contributes to all sorts of projects across the web. He really needs no introduction, so I'll just leave it at that.
And last but not least, Evan will also be posting to the Bad Sports blog. Evan is a political junkie who posts at Perry vs. World and DeLay vs. World. I expect him to boost our Rice and Dynamo posts by several orders of magnitude. :)
Anyway, welcome aboard to all.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/12/06 10:29 PM | Announcements | Technorati | Comments (8)
Recapping the Grand Parkway F-2 public meetings
Last night and tonight were the public's opportunity to comment on the "new" route of the Grand Parkway F-2 segment, which will bulldoze its way through Spring.
Connie O'Donnell went last night and you can read her summary of events here. It sounds like quite a time was had, with some VIP appearances.
I followed up with a comment on tonight's meeting.
Big thanks go out to Jerry Thomas, of United to Save Our Spring, Connie O'Donnell, state Rep. Debbie Riddle, and state Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale for keeping the fight alive.
Big boos go out to retiring state Sen. Jon Lindsay for whining that it's taking too long to build the F-2 segment. Why doesn't he just go back to tree farming and leave the rest of us alone?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/12/06 09:51 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (20)
Danger Train field trip set for July 15, 2006
The blogHOUSTON Danger Train field trip has been set for July 15, 2006.
Laurence Simon has also suggested capping things off with the Astros that evening, for anyone who might be interested.
We'll be meeting up at Preston Station (downtown, not far from Cabo) at noon on Saturday. There should be plenty of free parking downtown around that time of day.
Feel free to come make use of YOUR light-rail "transit backbone," or just stop by later in the day for beverages at Cabo (always a good thing on a hot summer day).
UPDATE: I was joking in the comments about Chief Lambert's elite light-rail counterterror force being dispatched in response to our announcement. As it turns out....
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/12/06 12:27 PM | Announcements | Technorati | Comments (32)
Mayor, Council to get HPD leadership survey results next week
The Houston Police Officers Union management surveys are in and KHOU-11's Jeff McShan got a look at some of the results:
When Harold Hurtt was named Houston’s police chief on February 24 th 2004, the largest police union (HPOU) was optimistic about the department’s future.
But that has all changed.
More than 2,000 surveys sent out last month have been returned.
They were sent out by HPOU to basically see if its members still have faith in their chief.
“We’re approaching half the Houston police department responding to this, and took the time to add in comments to support what their evaluation was,” said Mark Clark, Exec. Director.
He says the final results will be presented to the mayor and city council next week.
But 11 News was allowed a sneak preview and had open access to the survey results for nearly an hour. It was difficult to find anything positive about HPD’s current management team.
“We’ve been asked ‘What are you trying to do, get the chief fired?’, and all we’re trying to do is to communicate to the mayor and council that it was important to the mayor when he was first elected what officers with the Houston Police Department thought. It should be just as important today,” said Clark.
Some of the comments we came across when asked if HPD leadership is doing a good job were:
“The chief is not a leader, he is a dictator”.
“He is heavy handed”, meaning that the person believes Hurtt has fired too many people.
Another one read, “Chief Hurtt is focused only on his image”.
And technology. Lots and lots of technology. Chief Hurtt has got a thing for cameras.
UPDATE: The Chronicle runs an op-ed by Houston Police Officers Union head Hans Marticiuc on this topic today.
BLOGVERSATION: Lone Star Times.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/12/06 06:00 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (9)
11 July 2006
Mayor White names assistant for multifamily housing
Last week, Mayor White named a former Democratic party operative and real-estate executive as his special assistant for multifamily housing. The Chronicle's Mike Snyder reports:
Mayor Bill White has named lawyer, real estate executive and civic leader David Mincberg as special assistant for multifamily housing, responsible for coordinating the work of local low-cost-housing agencies.
[snip]
Mincberg is a native Houstonian and a former Harris County Democratic Party chairman.
He and his wife, Houston Chronicle marketing director Lainie Gordon, have five children.
The connections among the city's elites are always kind of interesting to see, when the local media actually report them.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/11/06 11:54 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
A different kind of Chron eye
In the past, we've made fun of the Chron Eye for the Death Row Killer Guy, in which Chronicle writers go out of their way to profile cold-blooded killers in the best possible light.
Yesterday, the Chronicle posted a different kind of Chron Eye, with some pretty strong quotes from family members of victims of the cold-blooded killer:
"I hope the son of a bitch rots in hell," Ertman's father, Randy, said last week. "He deserves it."
and
"Don't say time makes things better," Peña's father said. "It never goes away. It's never going to go away. The hurt is still the same. I still find myself crying just out of the blue."
Prior Chron Eyes talked about the prison poetry or art or troubled childhoods of the killer guys, instead of focusing on the victims, so this is real progress.
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/11/06 11:42 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
Earle sues to block Chronicle information request
The Chronicle posts an AP story about... the Chronicle:
Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle is suing to keep secret the details about his investigation of indicted former House majority leader Tom DeLay.
The Houston Chronicle filed a request under Texas' open records law in March seeking vouchers, hotel and airfare receipts, budget documents, memos and e-mails describing the expenses for the DeLay inquiry and related investigations.
[snip]
Earle, in his attempt to keep details of his investigation out of public view, appealed to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, arguing that releasing the information could compromise the prosecution.
The state's lawyer, who reviewed examples of the information, generally ruled that Earle didn't have to disclose secret information related to grand jury investigations. But the attorney general noted that the public records law requires disclosure of "information in an account, voucher, or contract" relating to the expenditure of public monies, the Austin American-Statesman reported Tuesday.
Earle sued last week to overturn the legal opinion.
So, will the Chronicle's Editorial LiveJournalists come out in favor of or against Earle's position? Or will they write about something much more important, like Andrea Georgsson's leftovers or favorite cabaret singers?
Stay tuned.
UPDATE (07-12-2006): Chronicle metro/state editorialist/gossip columnist Rick Casey opines on the matter today. The Chronicle does not supplement his opinion column with a lengthy straight news column of their own (just this blurb), however, which still seems bizarre. Casey offers this explanation:
[Chronicle D.C. bureau reporter Michael] Hedges was notified of the lawsuit last week, but editors decided not to publicize it for competitive reasons.
They hoped eventually to break the story of how much Earle was spending to get DeLay.
But Laylan Copeland, a reporter for the Austin American-Statesman who has covered the DeLay investigation, learned of the lawsuit and reported on it Tuesday. He quoted Earle as saying the opinion would make it harder for his office to protect the public.
Fine, but why didn't the story merit (non-trivial) straight news coverage today?
Laylin Copelin's story for the Austin American-Statesman is here.
BLOGVERSATION: Houston's Clear Thinkers.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/11/06 11:29 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
KHOU profiles Gordon Bethune
Last week, KHOU-11's Dan Lauck checked in on retired Continental Airlines executive Gordon Bethune. Here is an excerpt that illustrates Bethune's moxie:
Bethune concedes times have been tough. Continental has lost money two straight years. But some analysts expect a profitable year.“You’re not going to win every day. Not going to win every flight. But you ought to be able to beat the other guys. Why? Cause you only have to beat American, United and Delta, and you should be able to do that. You know, I mean what the hell. That’s easy,” Bethune said.
I'm a huge Gordon Bethune fan (and may well be the only person who knows who he is when I occasionally see him having breakfast at the 59 Diner on Shepherd). When Ken Lay and his crew were getting all sorts of credit for making Enron into a huge company that showed up in all those surveys of "best places to work," all Bethune was doing was making a profit in an industry where it's rare after turning a bankrupt airline into one with a young fleet, energized staff, great customer-loyalty program, and growing traffic. I don't know that Bethune has ever gotten all the credit he deserves for the work he did at Continental.
It's worth noting from time to time, especially as we continue to see news of Bush Intercontinental's ongoing growth. That growth would have been more difficult if Bethune hadn't turned around Houston's hometown airline, and it had instead folded.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/11/06 08:45 AM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (9)
Shelby Hodge invites herself to Ken Lay's funeral
Tom Kirkendall has the keen eye that caught the Chron woops. What was Hodge (or her editor) thinking??
BLOGVERSATION: Lone Star Times.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/11/06 06:22 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
Another radio station shake-up!
Mike McGuff has details of an "extreme makeover" taking place at KLDE-107.5 :
So they haven't changed the music format, nor have they gotten rid of all the DJs. Basically they just had an extreme makeover.
But they did apparently get rid of the KLDE Ed and Jackie Morning Show. Too bad, Ed Chandler and Jackie Robins were nice people. Jackie used to be on the 93 Q Morning Zoo with the legendary John Landers.
Now for the 104.1 KRBE connection. The Houston Business Journal reports that longtime afternoon DJ Scott Sparks is now the new morning guy on 107.5 The New K-HITS
Which station is next?
UPDATE: KHOU-11 covers the story.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/11/06 05:06 AM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (2)
10 July 2006
Volunteers could monitor downtown surveillance cameras (updated)
HPD has told City Council that its approval isn't needed for downtown surveillance cameras, according to a local media outlet. I'd link to the story, but since we have been informed that we can no longer link to or excerpt from this particular news outlet without written permission, I'll have to forego it.
But here's a KHOU-11 story on the topic, where we learn that volunteers could one day monitor the video from the surveillance cameras.
VOLUNTEERS! Oh my!
UPDATE (07-11-2006): Here's a Chronicle story with more:
The project does not require council approval because the management district is paying for the cameras, which will be installed at sites on and around Main Street.
The Houston Police Department will work with the Management District to use the cameras in law enforcement.
The department hopes to secure federal funds to expand the surveillance program to other downtown locations, said HPD Executive Assistant Chief Martha Montalvo. That would require council approval.
What Chief Hurtt is counting on is that once the first set of cameras are up and running, Council won't put up a fuss about approving more cameras.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/10/06 09:22 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (8)
Opposition to Metro's east University Line and East End plans
It isn't just Richmond Avenue folks who are upset with Metro's proposed rail alignments; residents in the Third Ward are not happy with Metro's plan to run light rail through TSU, according to a recent Chronicle story:
"It shouldn't have even been an option," said Ed Banks, who describes himself as a community activist and said he has lived in Third Ward for 50 years.
Banks said traffic disruptions have long been a concern for the TSU campus.
"Fifteen years ago, it was agreed to close Wheeler Street to through-traffic on the campus. Now Metro wants to run a rail straight through the middle of the thing," he said. "The rail is not an option that Third Ward residents are going to put up with. This is not just me talking."
Which city council member represents this district and is that person sticking up for his or her constituents? He or she would have to cross Mayor White, though, so that might be uncomfortable. Still, that IS the job of a city councilor.
Then Rad Sallee tells us today of concerns about the proposed East End Bus Rapid Transit line (that was originally supposed to be a light rail line). There's too much meat in the story to excerpt -- you really need to read the whole piece to get a grasp of the varied options and concerns.
What is very clear is that Mayor White and Metro officials have more work to do selling their new and improved Metro Solutions.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/10/06 07:47 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (4)
09 July 2006
Houston's got cameras coming out its ears (updated: KTRH link removed)
Last week City Council approved spending $200,000 on license plate-reading cameras to make life easier for HPD's depleted police force (item 7 on the agenda, courtesy of Houblog):
7. PIXELPUSHERS, INC dba CIVICA SOFTWARE for Automated License Plate Reader System for Houston Police Department - $209,374.00 - General and Grant Funds
Here is the company the city is contracting with for the cameras.
Let's not forget that the city already has a truck-mounted camera system that checks for unpaid parking tickets. Other cities use that type of system to confiscate cars.
Plus Houston's getting red light cameras, and downtown's surveillance cameras are installed and awaiting Mayor White's approval. What else will Chief Hurtt dream up?
Frankly, I'm surprised Houstonians haven't raised a stink about all of this.
EDIT NOTE: This post originally included a link and an excerpt from a KTRH-740 story. Today we received a note from KTRH News Director Bryan Erickson stating that we cannot link to or excerpt from their news stories without written permission from Clear Channel.
Needless to say, this is very disappointing. We have been big fans of KTRH's news operation, especially Brent Fuller. However, there are those who do not embrace new technology and share in the excitement of the internet. That's a shame. But it's more KTRH's loss than ours.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/09/06 06:00 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (19)
More bad press for Jordy Tollett? (updated)
It's not a secret that Mayor White isn't Jordy Tollett's number one fan, as Richard Connelly told us a couple of years ago (via Kevin Whited's personal blog):
White is annoyed and is looking to oust Tollett, the rumor mill says.
Tollett has legendary survival skills -- he is to Houston mayoral administrations what cockroaches are to nuclear Armageddon -- but the mayor offered a noticeably tepid endorsement of him when given the chance to dispel the gossip at an August 25 meeting with the Houston Press.
Tollett is "colorful," the mayor said, not in a way that indicated he thought "colorful" was a key attribute for the job. "I want the [convention] bureau to book citywide conventions…and if they don't, there will be personnel changes. If they do, then that's results.
Then we had the Essence Festival criticism from last week.
Now KPRC-2 is teasing a story that will run Monday night which apparently has undercover video of the Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau chief at (what appears to be) a bar. Over the footage, KPRC anchor Dominique Sachse says (I'm paraphrasing here):
What is the head of Houston's Convention and Visitors Bureau doing when he should be drumming up business for the city? Would this get you fired from your job?
The story is set to air on Monday at 10 p.m.
It will be interesting to see how much longer Mayor White is willing to put up with Tollett.
PREVIOUSLY: Jordy Tollett, special hunter with very special shoes
BLOGVERSATION: Isiah Carey's Insite.
UPDATE: Robert Arnold had the story for KPRC which included undercover video of Tollett taking two hour lunches at a bar, showing off his "funky" shoes, and driving off in his Corvette. Arnold pointed out that Tollett makes almost $200,000 per year. Arnold talked with Mayor White at the end of the piece and the mayor said it could be time for a change at GHCVB.
If Mayor White follows through, Tollett will have more time for his lunches, without any pesky journalists keeping tabs on him.
UPDATE: The KPRC story is posted here.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/09/06 11:57 AM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (44)
08 July 2006
Essence Festival organizers disappointed with Houston, Tollett
As KRIV-26 reporter Isiah Carey noted on his blog before anybody else really picked up the story, Essence Festival bigwigs and visitors were apparently not very happy with Houston's hosting of the event out at the Reliant complex.
Complaints focused on transportation to/from the Reliant complex area, and lack of nightlife there.
Apparently, Jordy Tollett and the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau learned nothing from the disastrous experience of the Houston International Festival moving out to the parking lots of the Reliant Complex. The festival that thrived downtown nearly went under after the Reliant experience (despite the world-class light-rail transit backbone!), and quickly made plans to move back downtown. Perhaps planners didn't have enough time to secure downtown facilities for the Essence Festival, but they certainly should have foreseen the complaints that were going to come about hosting such an event at the Reliant Complex, especially from people used to walking around New Orleans during the event. Who knows, maybe Tollett and his fellow planners actually believe all the Houtopian nonsense about the light rail.
Today, the Editorial LiveJournalists seem stunned that world-class Houston didn't quite satisfy some Essence Festival folks:
However, Houston knows how to throw a good party, as it did for the Super Bowl in 2002 and the National Basketball Association All-Star Game last February. Many who attended the Essence Music Festival enjoyed themselves. Houston deserves another chance to host the festival after having a full year to plan for it.
How did they not love us?! We're world class! Really! We had the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game! And also the Danger Train (they did not add)!
It is unlikely that Houston is going to get another chance to host this festival, as its organizers seem to prefer New Orleans (the festival's home). Indeed, Sedosi suggests the organizers are simply using Houston to get a better deal in New Orleans. That wouldn't be surprising.
Laurence Simon is correct to note that Houston is a city built more around people who work and live than around tourists who shop and play. In other words, it isn't New Orleans or Las Vegas or even Seattle. To most of us -- but not all -- that's a feature, not a flaw!
Still, it seems like Jordy Tollett and crew at least dropped the ball a little bit on this one, especially with regard to the location of this event. And Tollett's defensive tone in every story suggests that he knows it. Since Tollett is never held to account for anything, though, expect the Essence Festival to move, and everyone to ignore the fact that Tollett and his planners didn't do as good a job as they might have. I don't pretend to understand why Jordy Tollett enjoys a job-for-life in Houston free of accountability, but it does seem to be the case.
UPDATE: Matt Bramanti points out that Houston hosted the Super Bowl in 2004 and not 2002 (as the Editorial LiveJournalists erroneously asserted). Whoops!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/08/06 11:12 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (13)
07 July 2006
KRBE says goodbye to its morning team
Local radio personalities Atom Smasher and Maria Todd have been ousted from their posts as hosts of 104 KRBE's morning radio show.
Citing market research and "evolving market conditions," Cumulus Media Partners Market Manager Patrick Fant says a new morning team will greet listeners on July 24. Atlanta-based Cumulus Media (Nasdaq:CMLS) owns KRBE.
Smasher, previously the afternoon radio host for the popular station, took over the morning slot last year when radio personality Sam Malone left the station to pursue a morning position at rival station 96.5 KHMX.
"We are taking steps to ensure KRBE's continued market dominance, in pursuit of an audience that will reflect the vibrant personality of our city while serving the needs of our advertisers," Fant said in a statement. "Our decision is based on research and a review of evolving market conditions, and we are confident that our new, world-class morning show lineup will take the station to even greater heights while engaging an even bigger audience."
In Houston, even our radio folks must be world class!
UPDATE: Be sure to check out Mike McGuff's post on all the changes at KRBE lately. Anyone employed there should keep an updated résumé handy!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/07/06 06:21 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (4)
If only twentysomethings would believe we're world class...
A Chronicle story by Mike Snyder that ran on Thursday got really close to being insightful before veering off in a sadly predictable direction. The money excerpt begins with the lede:
For years, the thought of living in Houston was distinctly unappealing to native Texan Brit Davis.
"Houston, to me, was kind of the armpit of Texas," said Davis, 36, an information-technology professional who spent part of his childhood in Dallas and has visited Houston often for business.
But when Davis returned to Houston recently in response to a job offer from an energy company, he found that his attitude had changed.
He appreciated the stately live oak trees, the diverse ethnic restaurants, the friendly people and other aspects of life in Houston that he'd previously failed to notice.
Davis and his girlfriend, Melissa Milios, 30, will move to Houston from Los Angeles later this summer.
As college graduates young enough to be open to new experiences in new places, they are part of a group that's being aggressively courted by employers in Houston and other major cities.
"These people are more mobile. They take more risks. They have less to lose," said Carol Coletta, the president of CEOs for Cities, a national coalition of urban leaders that commissioned a recent survey to gauge the attitudes and preferences of these coveted workers.
These people?
A guy who's 36 and married is typically someone who is thinking about settling down, and maybe even starting a family. They are the sort of people for whom quality of life tends to be defined more by a good housing market, a solid job market, public safety, well-maintained roads, quality schools perhaps, and affordable utilities than really cool downtown bars and nifty sidewalk cafes and zippy light rail trains.
Lo and behold, the married 36 year-old in the story who used to think Houston was an armpit suddenly changed his tune when he got a job offer from the armpit (and compared home ownership in the armpit and in LA).
But that's not really the lesson the author or editors of this story want readers to take away:
To encourage more young workers to give Houston a shot, the city's leaders are working on several fronts to raise and improve Houston's national profile, with an emphasis on qualities that appeal to young professionals.
This is particularly evident in green space initiatives such as a planned downtown urban park and the Sabine-to-Bagby Promenade that opened June 10 along Buffalo Bayou.
One rather doubts that large numbers of twentysomethings are going to change their minds about Houston based on the latest gimmicks from Mayor White and Jordy Tollet.
Quality jobs and housing, on the other hand, are likely to remain the mainstays of the city's growth and health. But even though jobs are a big attraction (as this story illustrated before veering off into "world class" cheerleading territory), it's going to be hard to attract sensible people to a city with a skyrocketing murder rate thanks to HPD's manpower shortage (and questionable leadership at the very top of HPD), no matter how many gimmicks (like the new downtown urban park/hobo hangout, the new better-than-the-riverwalk bayou park, muni wifi, etc.) that Mayor White continues to throw out there, with the help of the Chronicle, in the hopes that Houston may one day be "world class."
BLOGVERSATION: Isolated Desolation, A Blog a Day.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/07/06 12:59 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (9)
06 July 2006
Strange priorities at the city pound
Forum member Hou-nerd called our attention to a KPRC-2 story that takes a hard look at the city's animal shelter. Here's an excerpt:
Dozens and dozens of animals are stuck in the city's shelter and most will never leave there alive. Now, some say there is a bigger problem at the pound that's causing more and more pets to be put down.
KPRC Local 2 Troubleshooter Stephen Dean has more on the money concerns that could be costing lives.
These dogs were up for adoption as our hidden cameras went inside the city of Houston dog pound.
A city task force reported nine months ago that only 20 percent of the animals that are brought in ever make it to these cages. The rest are put down.
Michelle Haberland euthanized hundreds when she worked at the pound and she blames the way money is being spent by pound leaders.
"They just seem to want to pour their money down the drain," she said.
She says families who are adopting new pets from the city are often bringing them back, dying after a few days in their homes.
"They come back and they return them because they have distemper or parvo, and you have to look those people in the face and say, 'I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. The city is not giving us the money that we need to buy the drugs that we need to treat these animals,'" Haberland said.
But here's what the city does have money for -- new cement sculptures in the lobby and contemporary pet artwork worth nearly $2,000. The city says the money comes from another account. The goal: to make the pound seem friendlier for those who want to adopt.
"I'm sure that it does have a warming effect when people come in. But if there are no animals there to adopt because they're all dead of their upper respiratory infection or because we've had to euthanize them because they're sick, the artwork gets us nowhere," Haberland said.
This city does have the strangest priorities.
The story goes on to analyze the city's contracts with one Sean Hawkins and the fact that city vets are now banned from doing some procedures on animals that Hawkins' company now performs.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/06/06 11:33 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (9)
Local smart guys discuss Ken Lay
I mentioned in the forum here that Dan Patrick had an interesting (and enlightening) interview with Professor Gerald Treece yesterday, discussing what happens now that Ken Lay has died. It's really a shame the interview wasn't recorded or transcribed, since Prof. Treece explained clearly and in detail what the law says, what the government's options are, and what could happen with Lay's estate.
Since Prof. Treece is also KHOU-11's law expert, I had hoped to see a story or interview on KHOU's site, covering some of what he discussed on air with Dan yesterday. Unfortunately, I can't find anything.
With that we move to Tom Kirkendall who has posted his thoughts on Ken Lay and the Enron Myth:
By now, we all know the myth -- Enron was merely an elaborate financial house of cards hidden from innocent and unsuspecting investors and employees by a deceitful management team led by the greedy and lying Mr. Lay.
[snip]
The Enron Myth conveniently serves to obscure that which most people do not want to confront. Loss, fear, and anger expose our essential human insecurity -- Christians sometimes refer to it as our "brokenness." The vulnerability that underlies such insecurity is scary to behold, so we use myths and the related dynamics of scapegoating and resentment to distract us. Therefore, a wealthy and powerful businessman who is easy to resent becomes a handy scapegoat. We rationalize that he did bad things that we would never do if placed in the same position and thus, he is deserving of our punishment. That the scapegoat is portrayed as greedy and arrogant -- just as we are -- makes the lynch mob even more bloodthirsty as it attempts to purge collectively that which is too sordid for its members to face individually.
As they say, read the whole thing.
RELATED: Isolated Desolation, John Wagner
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/06/06 08:06 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (10)
A Fox 26 website?
Isiah Carey had better not be toying with us:
In preparation for FOX 26's soon to come website all of the anchors and reporters are taking new publicity photos.
Well, it's about time! Although, as Mike McGuff points out, the site still needs a bit of work.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/06/06 07:04 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (2)
City Council to vote on grease-trap revenue stream
Back in April, Kevin Whited wrote about (temporarily only a) Councilwoman Carol Alvarado's grease trap revenue stream. Today, KTRH's Brent Fuller has more on what is obviously a pressing issue:
City Council has approved about $55,000 for what are known as fat-trapper bags and bag holders, which will be distributed at some local apartment complexes later this year. The Public Works Department says its an effort to get people to think about where they're discarding greases and oils.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bill White's administration is proposing a new law which puts tighter controls on restaurants and other businesses who use grease traps. The specifics haven't been nailed down yet. But Council Member Carol Alvarado, who's been working on the plan, says it will require those businesses to clean out the traps four times a year, and pay a $50 permit fee. "We would raise about $700,000 from those permit fees, and that would go to hire 12 inspectors to enforce the program", said Alvarado.
Alvarado said the proposal could also include requirements that new apartments would also have to install grease traps. However, officials say they can't find another city in the U.S. that regulates disposal of greases and oils at apartments.
The plan is expected to come before city council for a vote in a couple of weeks.
Punishing Houston restaurants for drain-clogging grease from apartment complexes seems unfair. In a KHOU-11 story from April, Councilwoman Sue Lovell admitted that this problem stems mostly from entities other than restaurants. Yet with Alvarado's plan, restaurants will have to foot the bill!
Nice work, Councilwoman. What next? How about charging all Houston kennels a fee to fix the city's dog poop problem? How can Houston deal with its air pollution problem? Fine businesses that sell cigarettes and gasoline? Tax ranchers with gassy cows?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/06/06 06:52 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (7)
What does incest breed?
Rich Connelly takes the Chronicle to task for recent spin over some reporting in the vaunted features section:
As we've noted before, newspapers love to brag when staffers win journalism awards. The Houston Chronicle has taken it further.
The paper's features section had a story June 29 about Texas Monthly writer Mimi Swartz winning the John Bartlow Martin award. "Imagine being the victim of medical malpractice -- and never finding a lawyer to represent your case. Journalist Mimi Swartz unveiled this disturbing problem," the story began.
It went on to note that Swartz "had worked as a staff writer for Talk magazine and the New Yorker. Her articles also have appeared in The New York Times, Slate, Vanity Fair and National Geographic."
One thing the story didn't get around to mentioning: Swartz is married to Chron managing editor John Wilburn.
So is that why the Chron decided to help Texas Monthly's already aggressive PR machine? "Conspiracy? Favoritism? No. Seek if you like, but this is not it," features editor Kyrie O'Connor says. "Mimi Swartz is a local writer of long standing with a national name, and it was a very big-deal award. That was the consideration. It sure didn't come down from John."
Funny, when Houston Press writer Bob Burtman won the award in 1998, the Chron didn't do a story.
O'Connor wasn't around then, to be fair. (Also, Burtman wasn't married to anyone at the Chronicle.)
And just for the record, one of the finalists for this year's Very Big-Deal award was the Press's Josh Harkinson, who is "a local writer" but who was not mentioned in the story. He also is not married to anyone at the Chron.
Take your pick: Kyrie O'Connor's features section either was so selective in its reporting on "local writer" Mimi Swartz as to raise suspicions that the selectivity might have something to do with one Chron editor's relationship with Swartz, or it was so incompetent in not reporting that another local writer had fared well in those Very-Big-Deal awards as to render the rhetoric about the Chron simply trying to highlight a "local writer" as mere spin.
Neither is very flattering.
Not long ago, features writer Kristin Finan took time out from impersonating Katrina refugees to write a profile on Texas Monthly's Evan Smith. Slampo noted the peculiarities of that at the time.
We're sure that was just a coincidence too.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/06/06 12:53 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (4)
Editorial LiveJournalists advise on meatpacking
On Wednesday, the Chronicle's Editorial LiveJournalists used one of their two chances to comment on the issues of the day to... advise us all on how meat should be packed (commenting on a story that first got media attention MONTHS ago).
Matt Bramanti gave the editorial the smackdown it deserved at Lone Star Times, and Isolated Desolation piled on.
We can't help but wonder if Editorial LiveJournalist Georgsson penned this one. In the past, for example, she documented her quest to keep her own London Broil from spoiling and going to waste, in the form of the infamous Editorial Journal. For that reason alone, this one would seem to have her fingerprints on it.
And so the summer silliness continues.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/06/06 12:24 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
05 July 2006
Houston IS world-class!
Houston is ranked as one of 11 U.S. world-class cities by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network.[5] The city has a vibrant visual and performing arts scene as Houston is one of the five U.S. cities that offer world-class, year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.[6]
Awesome! Although it's a shame the Danger Train didn't get a mention.
(World-class thanks to Matt Bramanti for the heads up.)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/05/06 07:27 PM | Houston Arts/Culture | Technorati | Comments (6)
Chief Hurtt's surveillance cameras are installed and ready to go
All that's needed now is Mayor White's approval:
Houston has never proposed using cameras to monitor everyday street traffic, but Police Chief Harold Hurtt says five cameras, purchased by the Downtown Management District, are set to be installed along Main Street. Hurtt says the devices may send video feeds to a police substation.
Houston Mayor Bill White has said he must give the final okay before such cameras are used.
See, these are baby steps. Let's recall that Chief Hurtt has big plans for surveillance cameras:
Chief Hurtt believes it would be cheaper to have the cameras than to hire enough police officers and have them at every street corner. He's even suggesting that those homeowners who have too many calls for service to their homes be forced to install the cameras as well.
Chief Hurtt also wants apartment complexes with too many service calls to install cameras as well -- cameras that HPD will monitor. And he says that as long as you're not doing anything wrong, you shouldn't worry about the cameras.
Did Chief Hurtt approach the Downtown Management District initially about this program? Is that how he's getting around all the ins and outs that would be needed to get this approved? He can say the cameras are paid for and installed, so why not let HPD watch the feed?
It's very underhanded and sneaky, and Mayor White should shut down the idea. But he probably won't.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/05/06 06:07 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
Ken Lay
So, I get on a plane for a few hours, and Ken Lay dies.
Everything is supposed to stay quiet when I'm away for a few days!
Anyway, this isn't exactly "news" by now, but feel free to discuss among yourselves.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/05/06 04:39 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (8)
04 July 2006
Chronicle reports on METRO's fare planning
We commented on METRO's plans to increase transit fare revenues back on June 27, thanks to a heads up from Laurence Simon.
Yesterday, the Chronicle's transportation reporter Rad Sallee wrote about the possible likely fare increase. Here is an interesting excerpt:
Houston's transit fares are among the lowest of any big U.S. city, [METRO President and CEO Frank] Wilson told the board. But Metro riders really pay much less per ride than even that fare.
Dividing total fare revenue by passenger boardings works out to just 43 cents per boarding.
That's partly because Metro offers a bewildering array of discounts — 65 different fares, varying with who you are, where you go, and how you pay, and various combinations of these. There are peak and off-peak fares, zone fares, student fares, senior fares, senior-over-70 fares, fares for the blind and disabled, local, express and Park & Ride fares, tokens, 7-day passes, 30-day passes, 365-day passes.
Then there are losses caused by cheating. Metro doesn't know how big these are, but they are sizable, said chief financial officer Francis Britton.
It might be possible to hold the base fare at $1, Wilson said Thursday, if the 43-cent recovery per rider could be increased enough through a revised fare structure, better enforcement and more riders.
Revising the fare structure to make it less convoluted seems like a good idea, but it might not boost ridership or fare-revenue per rider. The city has never been very serious about enforcement of fares on the light rail, or it wouldn't have designed the system the way it did, so that's not going to produce a significant increase in fare revenue. And attracting more riders is hard to do when METRO keeps cutting bus service (even though METRO Solutions promised a 50% increase in bus service), and altering bus routes to inflate light-rail ridership even though the forced transfers are less convenient to riders.
Fare simplification AND increases seem imminent for METRO riders, even if that promised 50% increase in bus service does not seem to be.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/04/06 04:30 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (13)
Manufacturing "news" the D.C. bureau way!
The Chronicle ran a story by White House correspondent Julie Mason over the weekend that began as follows:
President Bush's sustained outrage last week about newspaper reports on a program tracking terrorists' financial records may have seemed odd considering how urgently the administration once publicized the program's broad concepts.
What a "gotcha" lead! The impression is that President Bush's criticism last week of the New York Times was phony and hypocritical, since the administration once touted the program. How outrageous!
And after Ms. Mason carries on for nine more paragraphs developing that line of thought, she finally offers this:
The difference between disclosures in the Rose Garden and in the newspaper is that the Times and others are reporting operational details, according to the White House.
Classified operational details, she did not add.
So, in Ms. Mason's editorial view, apparently touting the broad contours of a program is equivalent to publishing classified operational details of a program even after administration officials and critics (like Rep. John Murtha) asked the New York Times not to do so!
This wasn't really a news story, and wasn't even a very good "gotcha!" editorial. Unfortunately, it's fairly typical of the Chronicle's D.C. bureau, which rarely (if ever) produces work that can't be found in other sources. Maybe it's time for Hearst to consider consolidating its D.C. coverage, and letting the affiliate newspapers redeploy their resources for local/regional coverage (the Chronicle's regional/state reporting could use the boost). Articles like this, which try too hard to manufacture news out of nothing, help to make that case.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/04/06 03:40 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
Editorial LiveJournalists rage at Culberson, sanctuary-policy critics
The Chronicle editorial board really likes Houston's sanctuary directive, issued by HPD's police chief in 1992 (even if they don't like it being called what it is), and they don't much care for criticism of that directive.
It took them longer than anticipated (maybe the spittle fried a keyboard or two, or maybe they were just waiting to see Charles Kuffner's opinion before offering their own), but the Editorial LiveJournalists came out raging today about Rep. John Culberson's amendment aimed at sanctuary-city policies, which won approval in the House several days ago.
The editorial is heavy on name-calling, and takes special aim at Culberson and "local activists" who oppose Houston's sanctuary directive. But the editorial doesn't take up our ongoing questions: If the sanctuary policy is such a good one, then why are Mayor White and Council hiding behind a 1992 directive issued by the police chief (who is not an elected official at all)? Why not have a public debate on the policy, and let our elected officials reaffirm, reformulate, or rescind it?
If the Chronicle is going to shriek about the alleged "boredom with authentic representation" of U.S. House members debating immigration policy, then shouldn't they also criticize local elected officials who refuse to hold a public debate on this subject, but instead hide behind a 1992 directive issued by the police chief? Why are Sam Nuchia's views on this topic in 1992 more relevant than Rep. Culberson's in 2006 (other than the fact that Culberson is a favorite Chron editorial board "bad guy")?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/04/06 03:12 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (3)
03 July 2006
HPD will stick with original red light camera intersections
This KTRH-740 story made me laugh out loud:
Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt says the city will stick with its initial plan to install red light cameras at ten local intersections, despite getting approval to put those devices on state-owned roads which the department admits are more dangerous.
Hurtt said last week he doesn't want to delay implementation of the cameras, scheduled for mid-July, while HPD waits for Tex-DOT approval of its selected intersections.
Show Chief Hurtt the money!
In related red light news, a stupid driver ran a red light and crashed into a pickup truck. Rescue crews had to use the Jaws of Life to rescue the driver of the truck, who is now in critical condition.
How, pray tell, would a red light camera have prevented that accident? Idiot drivers are idiot drivers and cameras won't stop them.
(But now police will have pictures to share with local media.)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/03/06 06:49 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (10)
City funding for African American Library
City Council is set to approve something for "the African American Library":
23. ORDINANCE approving and authorizing Professional Services Contract between the City of Houston and SMITH & COMPANY ARCHITECTS for the African American Library, GFS E-0144-03-2 - $89,000.00 - Grant Fund - DISTRICT D - EDWARDS
Is this related to the African American Museum the city is working on? And is that plan still to hand over $2 million to an undisclosed group of people who are supposed to create the museum? It would be nice to know some details.
It's a good thing Mayor White isn't whining about the city's lack of money lately, since he's finding more and more projects to fund. Maybe there's another bridge and ditch fund the mayor is raiding to pay for the African American Library.
Thanks to Tom Bazan and Ubu Roi for the heads up.
PREVIOUSLY: blogHOUSTON archives -- African American Museum
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/03/06 06:35 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (8)
Truck takes on Danger Train, loses
It must be a slow day for news, as both KHOU-11 and KPRC-2 are actually reporting a light-rail collision (usually, we have to wait for monthly public information requests for updates on collisions). Here's KHOU's report:
Seven people were injured Monday when the Metro rail they were riding clipped a pickup truck.
The accident happened on Main Street and St. Joseph's Parkway.
A Ford F-150 pickup truck was going north on Main Street when it tried to turn left in front of the light rail at St. Joseph's Parkway, officials said.
The light rail clipped the truck.
Two people were transported to the hospital for neck and back injuries, and five other passengers were treated at the scene.
No one in the truck was injured.
KPRC reports that the truck driver was cited for an illegal turn.
Won't it be fun when METRO lays those new at-grade tracks down busy Richmond?
UPDATE: As it turns out, the truck AND several train passengers (who were transported to the hospital) were the losers, but the truck's passengers were not injured.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/03/06 12:16 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (19)
02 July 2006
Pulitzer winners must be indulged
After watching Chronicle cartoonist Nick Anderson's new animation several times, I still don't quite know what to say. It's like something a child might throw together, albeit a child with some serious computing resources as his disposal.
Still, one supposes that the Chronicle's only Pulitzer winner must be indulged (even if the Pulitzer was won elsewhere, Jeff Cohen can now tell his golf buddies that he has a Pulitzer winner on staff), so we can probably expect more of these efforts.
Lots of people get thanks from Anderson for helping with the production, including the Chron.com crew (perhaps that explains why they couldn't maintain Dwight Silverman's whimsical link blog on the editorial page during his two-week vacation -- they were busy breaking new ground!). Maybe next time, someone will help out on the musical side.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/02/06 09:17 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
Is Mayor White searching for a Richmond-line compromise?
Last week Tom Bazan forwarded a KTRH-740 story that said Mayor White may seek a compromise on Metro's University Line-Richmond leg in response to the threat of a lawsuit:
As public hearings on the controversial "University" or west Houston rail line begin this week, Mayor Bill White says he may be looking at a compromise plan to head off the threat of a lawsuit over the proposed line.
[snip]
A citizens' group made up of west side residents, mainly from the Afton Oaks area, have hired attorneys and say they're considering a lawsuit if the line is placed on Richmond. The group says a 2003 rail referendum, which was approved by city voters, showed maps that included rail on Westpark, not Richmond.
White admits Metro's in something of a quandary: "I'd be very, very surprised if there's any final plan to put rail through that (Afton Oaks) neighborhood. Now, there's other parts that are on Richmond, but very close to main street, for example the University of Saint Thomas and all of its students who strongly support rail."
White says its going to be a balancing act to appease both groups. The "balancing" could include plans to put part of the rail line on Richmond, then shift the other part south toward 59 and Westpark. Metro's board has to approve any final routes. However, Houston's mayor has a disproportionate amount of influence on Metro because he appoints five of the nine board members which oversee the transit authority.
Mayor White doesn't like public embarrassment, and anything that might derail (sorry!) HIS new and improved Metro Solutions plan must be stopped. You can bet he's searching for a way to save face on what has turned out to be a PR disaster.
(I'd provide the link to KTRH's story, but it's no longer available, having been replaced by another story. It is incomprehensible that KTRH cannot see the value in having an archive of their terrific local news stories, especially Brent Fuller's.)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/02/06 12:40 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
Just because the Chron missed the story...
On Friday, the Chronicle's featured metro/state editorialist and gossip columnist moved on from the topic of former Rep. Tom DeLay on to redistricting. Specifically, Casey addressed State Sen. Jeff Wentworth's longtime efforts to pass legislation that would reform redistricting. Casey had this curious observation:
But in a development that drew no media notice that I could find, the Texas state Senate last year passed a bill that would remove the drawing of congressional lines from the Legislature and give the task to an eight-member citizens' commission.
No media notice? Has Jeff Cohen taken away Casey's research assistant?
The Dallas Morning News covered the Senate passage of Wentworth's bill in 2005, and so did the Austin American Statesman (which also blogged about it just before it passed).
It's true that a search of the Chronicle archives turned up nothing. Austin bureau chief Clay Robison must have been too busy working on a Sunday editorial to get that bit of news in the newspaper.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/02/06 12:33 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
01 July 2006
KHOU says goodbye to "Best Local TV Personality"
Fans of Scotty Kilmer's popular Saturday Crank It Up auto show on KHOU-11 likely got a surprise this morning: June 30 was Kilmer's last day at the station, which he recently announced on the busy message board devoted to the show.
Our own Catherine Athearn spoke to Kilmer, who says the split was not amicable. Basically, KHOU management told Kilmer, named the Best Local TV Personality by the Houston Press, that it would no longer pay him for his services. So, Kilmer decided to walk from the TV show and from the related message board (which apparently is under attack from spammers now).
Earlier this week, Kilmer posted that he was working on potential local and national deals with Fox television. Here's hoping he makes it back to the air soon.
In the meantime, perhaps blogHOUSTON should set him up a temporary car-repair forum!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/01/06 10:47 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (3)
Smalley: METRO required to consider Richmond rail
The Chronicle's Tom Manning reports on Thursday's light-rail scoping meeting held by METRO:
As was the case with a series of public forums held in April and May, residents on both sides of the Richmond vs. Westpark debate were vocal.
In 2003, voters approved a Metro referendum that included a Westpark rail line between Wheeler Station and the Hillcroft Transit Center. [METRO VP George] Smalley said Metro is required to study a variety of options for the corridor to determine the maximum potential ridership and cost-effectiveness of the project.
Another possibility for the line, Smalley said, is to use a combination of both Richmond and Westpark, with potential changeover locations being proposed at Edloe, Weslayan or the Union Pacific railroad tracks west of Weslayan. Since Westpark Drive begins at Kirby and heads west, the possibility exists that the line could run along Richmond east of Kirby, then change over.
"The two biggest things are ridership and cost," Smalley said. "We've got to prove in order to get funding that this is going to be a cost-effective exercise and that we're going to put this where the most people are going to use it."
With Richmond being north of the Southwest Freeway and closer to such major population centers as Greenway Plaza and the Galleria, pro-rail advocates say running the line along Richmond makes the most long-term sense.
But some residents of communities along Richmond, most notably Afton Oaks, have said calling the line Westpark on the referendum led voters to believe that the line would be placed on Westpark.
Westpark meant Westpark to voters. What a concept!
The notion of at-grade rail along traffic-heavy Richmond -- especially west of Kirby -- would boggle the mind if it weren't being seriously considered by the same people who designed the Main Street line that actually shares some left-turn lanes with cars and has been a bumper-car (and wheelchair and blind-man) derby since it opened. Maybe they will come to their senses before it's too late.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/01/06 10:15 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (9)
HEC: another Lee Brown success story!
Never, never, never believe it when some government official says a new way to save money has been found. Government ALWAYS costs more.
Case in point: Houston's Emergency Center. KTRH-740's awesome Brent Fuller did some digging and discovered that HEC's budget is a bit fudged:
Houston City Council has approved more than $21 million to run the city's combined emergency dispatch center over the next year. But a NewsRadio 740 KTRH investigation has revealed the cost of operating that center is actually more like $40 million.
The emergency center, often called the HEC, has employees from at least five different city departments working under its roof. They include the Houston Police Department, the Houston Fire Department, Houston Emergency Center staff, the Office of Emergency Management, and the Building Services Department.
It seems some of the salaries for those employees, who work every day at the HEC, were put in other sections of the city budget and not included in the center's total operating cost.
Here are some of the items that were not included in the HEC budget:
$8.1 million in salaries for 92 civilian dispatch positions and 27 classified police officers. That's in the police department budget.
$4.1 million in salaries for about 80 fire dispatchers and 13 administrators. This was included in the fire department budget.
$750,000 for dispatcher overtime Also in the fire department budget.
$893,000 for eight full-time workers and one part-time employee at the city emergency management office. This is included in the city Finance and Administration budget.
$2.5 million for an interest payment on the HEC property at 5320 N. Shepherd. Under the "debt service" portion of the city budget.
That brings the total spending on the HEC center to $37.5 million, without the cost of building maintenance staff and a contract to provide security guards for the center. Some of that cash comes from local taxes, the rest from 911 fees charged to phone subscribers.
Estimates given to City Council in 2003 on what it cost to operate separate police, fire and 911 dispatch centers during former Mayor Lee Brown's administration were under $20 million.
Brown once promised that the combined dispatch center would save taxpayers about $7 million a year, but that savings has never materialized.
Just for fun, let's flash back to December 2004, when the Chronicle's editorial board told us the HEC mess was completely predictable. Unfortunately, I can't find the editorials in the Chron's archives that predicted HEC problems. If you can find them, please let me know.
In the meantime, Houstonians can rest easy knowing that their $20 million $40 million yearly investment is providing such a fine public service.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/01/06 02:53 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
Houston takes "real-world action to reduce pollution"
Showing that he multi-tasks very well, Mayor White has announced that Houston is joining an environmental group:
Mayor Bill White announced today that the City of Houston will join ICLEI, the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives. Working with ICLEI, the City will address the issue of greenhouse gas reductions by conducting an emissions analysis, adopting emissions reduction targets, developing and implementing an action plan to achieve the reductions, and monitoring the progress toward the targets.
“ICLEI will help us take real-world action to reduce pollution -- not just talk about our good intentions to do so,” said Mayor White.
An example of Houston's real-world action to reduce pollution is here.
“ICLEI membership gives the City an important tool in its commitment to protect the environment,” added Karl Pepple, the City's Director of Environmental Programming. “The technical support and training offered by ICLEI has real value for the City.”
Hey! It's an appearance by Houston's own highly-qualified environmental dude!
Joining ICLEI and developing a greenhouse gas reduction plan will formalize and advance other projects already under way in the City that reduce greenhouse gases. These programs include:
Brace yourself...
* Reduction of roadway congestion through programs including SafeClear, subsidy of employees' use of METRO, vanpools and carpools, and promotion of flex-time in the city and the corporate community
* Increased purchase of renewable energy (20% of total purchases)
* Implementation of the Houston Consumer Choice program to encourage residents to take initiative in their consumption of electricity
* Weatherization of 600+ homes in Pleasantville to reduce energy consumption by residents
* Reductions in NOx and VOCs in city activities through a 9% fleet reduction, replacement of old vehicles with 283 hybrids, retrofitting of heavy construction equipment, and upgrading of facilities at wastewater treatment plants and Intercontinental Airport
* Use of TexLED and Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel on a voluntary basis
* Revitalized curbside recycling program
* Adopting the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program for all new City buildings, and ten city projects are currently in the LEED program
* Development of 40 additional miles of bikeways
* Creation of a master plan for a 13-acre downtown park surrounded by residential, commercial and retail development.
Should Houstonians expect more SAFEclear-like programs?
Subsidizing Metro? Why bother? If city employees ride MetroRail, there's no charge anyway.
And weatherization of homes in Pleasantville? Who's paying for that?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 07/01/06 10:52 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (3)
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