31 August 2006
West Houston residents blast MayorWhiteChiefHurtt on crime
MayorWhiteChiefHurtt were grilled by West Houston residents on Wednesday night, as 1,700 people turned out to a public meeting on (what else?) violent crime and inadequate policing. Here is an excerpt from the Chronicle's reporting:
Katrina fatigue erupted into anger and frustration Wednesday night, as more than 1,700 west Houston residents urged Mayor Bill White to send evacuees home to New Orleans.
One year after the city of Houston welcomed at least 250,000 evacuees, more than 100,000 New Orleans natives still remain. West Houston residents who gathered Wednesday at Grace Presbyterian Church to address increases in violent crime over the past year in their community said evacuees are to blame.
White and Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt had come to the church to discuss details of a new police division on the west side that will add 140 officers to the streets, increase investigative strength, bring gang activity under control and enforce traffic laws.While residents welcomed the news, many who filled the sanctuary to overflowing Wednesday night wanted to know when the city planned to cut assistance to evacuees through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There are about 3,000 Katrina evacuees who reside in the apartment complexes near Westheimer and the Beltway 8.
As KTRH-740's Chris Baker pointed out earlier, HPD's manpower problem predates Katrina. Although it is true that Katrina refugees figure prominently in the recent rise in violent crime, the fact is that HPD's worsening manpower problem and leadership issues predate Katrina, and until recently nobody in the White Administration or on Council was even talking about hiring more officers.
One councilmember (who, incidentally, is one of the sponsors of tomorrow's event honoring Houston's bumbling police chief) actually tried to deflect blame for HPD's manpower shortage from Mayor White and Council to President Bush! Here's KTRK-13's reporting from tonight:
By 2008, Mayor White and Houston's police chief hope to bring the ranks up to 5,000 officers. It's achievable, but what happens the year after that or five years after that? With another 600 officers expected to retire over the next three years, Mayor White says he's committed to a long term hiring program.
The plan calls for seven cadet classes through June 2007. That's an addition of nearly 500 officers, assuming those classes are at capacity. It also calls for more aggressive overtime programs using the nearly 30 million in federal monies and various recruiting programs. How realistic is this?
Houston city councilmember Adrian Garcia said, "It was realistic until President Bush signed a pension reform bill."
Garcia estimates that 40% of HPD's workforce is eligible for retirement. But that's not his only concern.
He said, "Filling those classes is going to be a challenge. The type of officer that we are hiring today has a job waiting in corporate America and we don't offer corporate America salaries."
As the recruiting wars continue, Garcia says he and the mayor, along with the police chief and other city leaders, are now working on a long term solution to the current crisis.
Councilmember Garcia, Mayor White, and other councilmembers preferred to ignore the problem until recently (not that someone watching KTRK would know from that weak reporting), and it's only gotten worse. The current leadership at HPD, which has produced widespread dissatisfaction among the rank and file, doesn't exactly provide the city a recruiting edge, either. But maybe the crew that gathers to honor Chief Hurtt with cajun appetizers tomorrow will find a way to blame dissatisfaction with HPD's leadership on President Bush also.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE: KHOU-11, KPRC-2, KTRH-740.
BLOGVERSATION: Lou Minatti, Polimom.
UPDATE (09-01-2006): Councilmember Michael Berry is discussing Houston's "public safety crisis" on his show on KPRC-950 today.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/31/06 11:22 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (27)
A helpful PSA from HPD
Look what HPD posted today:
License Plate Obstruction Information
August 31, 2006 -- Recently there have been some questions regarding State of Texas traffic laws. The below information may be useful:
[snip]
QUESTION 2: Is it permissible to have protective material covering a license plate or to have a frame around the license plate?
ANSWER: The law prohibits protective material to cover a license plate. The law also prohibits a license plate frame from obscuring the plate number or the wording “State of Texas” or “Lone Star State.”
Texas traffic code, section 502.409 state in part:
“A person commits an offense if the person attaches to…a number plate…decal, emblem or other insignia that is not authorized by law and that interferes with the readability of the letters or numbers on the plate or the name of the state in which the vehicle is registered…”
These laws were passed to simplify identification of license plates by citizens and the law enforcement community from both the front and back of the vehicle. The general public needs to be aware that they must have a license plate on the front and back of the vehicle. The public also needs to know that any material that covers or blocks any portion of the license plate needs to be removed. This includes most dealer, sports and school alumni license plate frames. This law originated with state toll road authorities experiencing an alarming degree of violations at toll facilities due to the use of devices that render the characters and state on the license plate undetectable to toll road cameras.
Red light cameras begin generating revenue tomorrow!
You'll be relieved to know that all money from camera fines will go toward police overtime. I still think all revenue should go to public schools instead. And I certainly hope City Controller Annise Parker adds this program to her audit list.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/31/06 06:18 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (10)
30 August 2006
Chief Hurtt to be honored on Friday
There's an email making the rounds that a fair number of readers have forwarded to me, and maybe other readers will be interested in it:
You Are Invited To A Reception Honoring
Harold Hurtt - Chief Of Police, City Of Houston
Friday 1 September 2006, 6-8 PM
at the
Red Cat Jazz Cafe - 924 Congress - 77002
(between Main and Travis Streets)Hosted by:
Houston City Councilmembers
Jarvis Johnson - Peter Brown - Adrian Garcia - Ronald Green - Sue LovellHouston Citizens Chamber Of Commerce
Marlon Barabin, PresidentHouston Lawyers Association
Latasha Lewis, PresidentAfrican-American Police Of?cers League
Mitchell Ruf?n, PresidentComplimentary Cajun Hors D'Oeuvres
Valet Parking AvailableRéspondez S'il Vous Plaît: [email address removed by blogHOUSTON]
Sadly, the blogHOUSTON crew did not receive the email, so we apparently are not invited to honor the police chief.
Two things do stand out in the email, though.
First, it's interesting to see which Councilmembers actively support the bumbling, soft-on-crime police chief.
Second, they are holding the event from 6-8 pm on a Friday night. That's going to make it tough for Chief Hurtt to blast out of Houston and off to Phoenix for the weekend. That doesn't seem very accommodating of the organizers!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/30/06 11:08 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (17)
METRO generates familiar complaints on southeast side
In departing from the METRO Solutions plan approved by voters in 2003, METRO is having some familiar problems on the southeast side:
More than 120 people attended the formal public hearing, which was held to elicit comments for the final impact statement and as a precursor to the Metro board's selection of an option which considers local preferences.
The Southeast corridor is part of Metro's plan to link destinations throughout the city to the existing Main Street rail line.
The draft statement analyzes two proposed routes for the corridor: one that would turn on Scott Street from downtown before turning on Griggs and ending near the Palm Business Center, and another that would turn off of Scott onto Wheeler and again onto Martin Luther King Boulevard, before ending somewhere near the Palm Center.
The Scott/Griggs alignment was the route chosen by southeast area voters in 2003 when they approved Metro's plan for light rail line in the area, and some say the transit company ought to stick with that.
Anitra Brown's story for the Chronicle may be found here.
As we have noted before, METRO is on the most solid ground when it closely adheres to the METRO Solutions plan approved by voters in 2003, and gets into shakier territory when it chooses to depart from that plan.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/30/06 10:20 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
KHOU: TXDOT will consider Camacho I-45 tunnel proposal
KHOU-11's Wendell Edwards checks in on Gonzalo Camacho, who apparently has managed to get TXDOT at least to listen to his proposals to use tunnels to expand I-45:
When he heard TxDOT was studying how to expand the North Freeway Camacho developed his own concept.
He designed what he calls the 1-45 Parkway, complete with two underground, double-stacked tunnels.
“I wouldn’t call this a light idea. If you go onto the website you can find a lot of information. It’s probably close to a year of research. And I’m talking 24/7,” said Camacho.
[snip]
“We are going to take a look at that and study that as one of the options that might be permissible within the confines of the space that we have and perhaps the economy that we will have as well,” said Norm Wiggington, TxDOT spokesman.
TXDOT will surely look at many proposals it receives, but it remains to be seen if the tunnel concept (which we have discussed before) is viable.
Camacho's tunnel proposal is located here.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/30/06 09:11 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (8)
Chron.com editorial page linkblog goes stale
Earlier in the week, we read with some dismay on Dwight Silverman's blog that he would be taking off for the week.
Apparently, there is only one person in the mighty Chron.com empire capable of updating the link blog, so when Silverman is unavailable, it just sits there, stale. So, in case anyone wants to check out what local blogs caught Silverman's eye last Friday, they're right there for the clicking. Still.
But who knows -- given the timely Editorial LiveJournalists, we could possibly see a staff editorial over the next few days on one of those very topics that a blogger hit last week. So it kind of works on one level.
UPDATE (09-01-2006): Chron.com has made what we hope is a permanent change to the page, replacing Silverman's whimsical linkblog with the Blogburst widget that was previously located on the metro/state page.
BLOGVERSATION: Isolated Desolation.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/30/06 08:58 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (4)
Banjo Jones: Hearst targeting free community newspapers?
Banjo Jones calls attention to what appears to be an online survey intended for employees of the Houston Chronicle. Here's the intro screen:
Welcome to the Houston Chronicle Community Newspaper Survey. We're gathering information on local publications and need your input. Please provide as much information as possible. Responses will be tabulated by the Market Research Department.
All Chronicle employees who return a completed survey will have the chance to win some great prizes!
I don't receive any community newspapers where I live, but I filled out the survey anyway, just in case the Chronicle wants to toss some of those great prizes (!) towards non-employees.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/30/06 08:37 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (3)
Kashmere principal unwelcome at meeting to save the school
Isiah Carey posts a report of how some in the Kashmere High School community are working hard to save the school:
The Insite was at a meeting of African American ministers who came together to hammer out a plan to save Kashmere High School. It was held at New Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist church on Kelley. But the meeting went really wrong. Attending the meeting were Carol Mims Galloway, Rev. Willie Jones, Senfronia Thompson, Shelia Jackson Lee, Kevin Hoffman and a host of others. But things went sour when the principal of Kashmere, Dr. Charlotte Parker, showed up. Apparently, she was invited by HISD Board Member Kevin Hoffman.
[snip]
Dr. Parker was recently appointed to the school - replacing the former principal...Some community leaders were very upset with that decision. So, when Hoffman had his turn to speak to the group he also invited up Principal Parker. She gave the group a folder of information on how they can help improve the school. But after about 15 minutes Pastor Jones got up and abruptly told Parker her time was up and to leave. He also told her the meeting wasn't about what they could do at the school but what HISD should do to save the school. Pastor Jones also chastised HISD Board Member Kevin Hoffman.
Well, okay. They aren't really working so hard. This group of community activists had a high profile temper tantrum because they think HISD hasn't poured enough money into Kashmere. Never mind that HISD has poured tons of money and resources into Kashmere over the past couple of years and is doing even more this year. No, that's not enough.
At this point HISD is doing all it can for Kashmere. HISD cannot force students to learn. HISD can make sure it has everything in place to facilitate learning and provide extra help and tutoring, but Kashmere High School is now at the point where the students and parents will decide if the school succeeds.
Meanwhile, one person leaving the meeting told The Insite she didn't believe the gathering of ministers produced any results to help Kashmere.
That's not surprising. Disappointing, yes, but not surprising.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/30/06 07:38 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
City controller's audit plan for FY 2007
Controller Annise Parker has posted the Fiscal Year 2007 audit plans on the city's website. Notably missing from the list are any operations of the Housing and Community Development Department, which have proved to be so embarassing in the past, despite the evidence that little has changed. (Item #40)
Just as an aside, you know things are bad when the Federal Government thinks you're wasting its money and starts cutting back on the money flow.
The City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department has decided to delay issuance of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Neighborhood Facilities Renovation. The reason for this delay is that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has reduced the City's Community Development Block Grant allocation by $3,630,000 for Fiscal Year 2006 (July 1, 2006 - June 30, 2007). The Department does plan to issue the RFP in December 2006 for funding in Fiscal Year 2007 (July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008).
One would think that maybe the $750,000 in city funds that went to propping up Metro's ridership figures buying bus passes for city employees would be audited, or LARA would be checked over, or maybe even someone would follow up to see if HOH has reimbursed HUD -- but then again, the city would rather spend $200k and try to get out of it entirely (see item #48), so why bother?
What's Ms. Parker auditing in FY 2007? A whole lot of "safe" things:
- Some Aviation Dept construction contracts
- HFD's fleet maintenance
- City-wide Purchase Card activity (Well, that was fun over at TSU--who knows what we'll find here?)
- PW&E's Landscaping and Beautification projects
- Vehicle Maintenance: Did you change the oil?
Exciting stuff, eh? Certainly nothing that's going to cause problems for the mayor or the folks lined up at the trough labeled "Houston Development." Well, there are three items on the list which might prove interesting:
- Taser Acquisition, Distribution, & Use. I'm not holding my breath on that one, as most of the criticisms of the idea have to do with law enforcement issues, not cost effectiveness.
- Long-Term Contract Relationships: An examination of whether the city is really saving money by skimping on hiring employees and contracting out jobs instead. Of course, I would be interested in that. :)
- Parking, Car Rentals, and Hotel Concession: Checking up behind the entertainment industry in this city to make sure they've remitted the taxes like they should have. Hmmmmm... see item #19.
There's more; you may want to check it out, but my read of this is that in an election year (most of these will be completed in the first half of 2007), Controller Parker isn't going to risk causing any problems for Mayor White's last re-election bid.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 08/30/06 01:35 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
29 August 2006
HPD's manpower shortage, leadership continue to raise concerns
KTRK-13 ran a story earlier that's become all too familiar. As Kevin Quinn reported, a Houston man was involved in a non-injury traffic accident and called 911. He suspected the other driver was intoxicated, which he reported. He and the other driver waited for a cop for two hours. Additional calls were made to 911. Finally, he gave up on an officer showing up, and informed 911 that he would file a report with a substation. The driver suspected of being intoxicated drove away.
Here is HPD's response to KTRK:
HPD says it does take drunk driving very seriously, but these 911 calls were considered a lower priority because no one was hurt in this accident and the man who was allegedly driving drunk was not causing any sort of disturbance. They say simply that other calls with higher priorities were handled first.Police say they can only cover so much ground these days. They note again that they are short staffed by about 600 officers.
For all their talk of public safety, MayorWhiteChiefHurtt seem to deliver much more in the way of excuses.
Meanwhile, KRIV-26's Isiah Carey reproduces an email from a police officer describing his experience in the immediate aftermath of Chief Hurtt's now-suspended chase policy. We can expect more stories like this when Chief Hurtt's no-chase policy is eventually reinstated (and if Mayor White's praise of Chief Hurtt yesterday is any indicator, the policy will eventually be reinstated).
HPD is short on numbers, and the bad guys increasingly seem to perceive MayorWhiteChiefHurtt as soft on crime. That's really not a very good mix.
UPDATE: KTRH-740's Chris Baker has this to say on his page on KTRH:
I watched CH13’s report and at first I shook my head then I got mad and now I am furious.
I wonder how many arrest for drunk driving this guy has? Is it none? Is it three? We will never know because there were no cops available to arrest him. How embarrassing for a city of this size to not be able to investigate a drunk driver for two hours.
It is embarrassing.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/29/06 10:39 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
Priscilla Slade is now teaching accounting...at TSU!
This is one of those stories where all you can do is shake your head and wonder at the sheer stupidity and incompetence that is out there:
Priscilla Slade, the former Texas Southern University president fired for her spending of school money on personal expenses, is teaching accounting courses on campus this semester.
Her return to the classroom comes four weeks after a Harris Country grand jury indicted Slade and three aides for allegedly violating the university's policies and state laws in paying for household furnishings and landscaping, among other things.Although the university's governing board fired Slade in June for her spending as president, she remains a tenured professor in the Jesse H. Jones School of Business, officials said today.
Slade's decision to resume teaching came as surprise to some administrators and faculty members, who assumed she would prefer a lower profile while facing criminal charges.
Noooo! Now why would anyone assume she would lie low while facing criminal charges???
She's probably just a victim of...something and, you know, it's not her fault. Ergo, there's no shame in her teaching accounting at TSU. Why, next thing you know, she'll be teaching ethics classes.
(via the Chronicle's Matthew Tresaugue)
BLOGVERSATION: Houston's Clear Thinkers, Lone Star Times.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/29/06 08:50 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (14)
Who needs consistency?
In one of their two editorials today, the Editorial LiveJournalists criticize the United States for allegedly disrespecting the sovereignty of Nicaragua (with regard to upcoming elections).
In their other editorial today, the Editorial LiveJournalists criticize the United States for not disrespecting the sovereignty of other nations (the Editorial LiveJournalists insist the U.S. should make other countries equip their airports with more advanced explosive-detection equipment).
The headline for the second editorial is "Dumb and dumber." Insert whatever quip you'd like in the comments.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/29/06 08:46 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (8)
Chron profiles new MediaSource boss
Yesterday, the Chronicle's Matt Stiles posted a nice profile of Fred Fichman, the new executive director of Houston MediaSource.
This excerpt seems worth highlighting:
[Fichman] said he sees MediaSource as a training ground, where budding producers and nonprofit groups can show their work.
He wants them to have better equipment and hopes to upgrade the channel's existing system to a video server, which would allow on-demand access to shows online.
"Because the technology is marching so quickly to improve the image, people really do have some power in their hands to be able to contribute," he said.
Fichman, who'll be paid $65,000 a year, said he doesn't know much about the controversy last year over a few shows among the scores of others on politics, neighborhoods and religion that don't raise concerns.
He doesn't think racy programs should be on a public channel.
"Somebody has to take responsibility for this," he said. "Somebody has to be the determination point if something comes close to crossing the line."
By the end of the Patti Garlinghouse/Garth Jowett era at MediaSource, the channel seemed to be more about the contempt of those two figures for anyone on Council who might criticize and attempt to regulate vulgarity on the channel than actually running a quality organization that could serve as a training ground for amateur A/V buffs and a respected community forum of sorts (we'll leave aside the question of whether user fees ought to support such entities in the first place). Fichman sounds a little different.
Fichman's comment about video-on-demand is interesting. Given the popularity of YouTube and podcasting, perhaps MediaSource (if it's going to exist at all) does need to consider using the web as well as its cable channel to promote the work of local audio/video (and maybe even blogging) buffs. Perhaps under the right leadership, MediaSource could even eventually serve as the local "web" hub that some local bloggers/podcasters have suggested would benefit the Houston web scene.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/29/06 08:28 AM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (3)
28 August 2006
Mayor White puts his Chief's new chase policy on hold
Apparently, police union chief Hans Marticiuc and Councilmember Michael Berry weren't the only ones who didn't take kindly to being blindsided by Chief Hurtt's decision last week radically to change HPD's chase policy, without input from Council or the public. As multiple news sources are reporting, Mayor White has put the whole thing on hold. Here is an excerpt from Reggie Aqui's reporting for KHOU-11:
Days after the police chief announced that chasing suspects would be limited, Mayor Bill White on Monday announced that the city needs to take a step back.
HPD Chief Harold Hurtt did not want officers to chase people allegedly involved in minor offenses. That was HPD's policy until Monday morning.
"We have decided to hold the pursuit policy in abeyance until we can get it on the agenda of the public safety subcommittee, and we'll have discussions where we'll allow officers as well as citizens interested, individuals, to have additional comments," Chief Hurtt said.
Mayor White, who said he supports the chief's policy, asked the chief this weekend to suspend that policy.
"I think there was a ... breakdown in a process of reviewing that policy with council members and the union before it was announced," Mayor White said.
The mayor said he fully supports the chief and his autonomy. He also said he believes Chief Hurtt should be able to make his own policy but in this case, he believes the chief should have come to both his office and City Council.
Mayor White can make it sound as nice as he wants, but this amounts to a (needed and welcome) slapdown of his bumbling, handpicked police chief.
Of course, leave it to the Chronicle's Editorial LiveJournalists to come out solidly behind the Chief's now-aborted policy today. Way to be timely and relevant there, guys!
Yesterday, KRIV-26 reporter Isiah Carey posted on his blog that Hurtt and Marticiuc were meeting with their babysitter this weekend. It now seems likely that the babysitter informed the two that Mayor White would now be taking control of the issue, and that they should stop their attacks on each other.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE: KPRC-2, KTRH-740, Chronicle.
UPDATE: KTRH and KPRC web reports are misquoting Chief Hurtt, who clearly says "interested individuals" and not "arrested individuals" in the video that is posted on the KPRC website.
BLOGVERSATION: Lone Star Times, Isiah Carey's Insite.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/28/06 02:27 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
Metro tells bike riders to take a hike
As the City of Houston and Metro continue to rake in windfall sales tax revenues month after month (we know this thanks to the tireless efforts of Tom Bazan), Metro is refusing to honor another of its 2003 referendum promises (Rad Sallee's Move It! column):
Last week, Metro officials told biking advocates that the agency has no immediate plans to put bike racks on all its buses — as called for in the 2003 transit referendum — but will consider phasing them in through 2008.
A perennially hopeful suitor, the city's biking community is accustomed to disappointment from Metro. There are far more bus riders than bikers, and when money is tight, guess who loses out?
Both sides were all smiles in 2000, when the agency said it would have all its buses equipped with racks the following year. The money went to Park & Ride expansion instead.
Hopes flourished again in 2004, when a $1.5 million to purchase and install racks was expected to be in the agency's 2005 budget. But a slumping economy and falling sales tax revenue hit Metro with its first annual shortfall, and the item disappeared.
As recently as May, a Metro spokeswoman said "we're reconsidering our timeline" based on cycling advocates' request that racks appear sooner than the 2008 time frame envisioned now.
At Wednesday's Metro board meeting, BikeHouston chairman Woody Speer made the perennial plea. He added that the newest bumper-mounted racks can be locked and unlocked quickly, minimizing bus delays, and do not interfere with automated bus-washing equipment.
Speer said the Houston-Galveston Area Council has $1.2 million in federal air quality funds that Metro could use for the program, but the money runs out this month.
[snip]
After Speer's remarks to the board, Metro President and CEO Frank Wilson responded that the agency would consider phasing in bike racks through 2008. But he said bike fans have taken an "all or nothing" approach.
"We look at this like we look at any other expenditure of funds, an investment in service," Wilson said. "We've heard all the arguments, we've done all the research, and to summarize as best I can, we're going to spend a significant amount of money to carry very little ridership in our estimation."
Oh gosh, I thought Frank Wilson was talking about light rail there for a moment.
So sorry bike riders, Metro has screwed you again. But you all must be used to it by now, since Metro has been breaking its promises to the biking community for five years now. Bus riders in poor communities feel your pain -- instead of that 50% increase in bus service that was promised in 2003, Metro has been slashing and rearranging bus routes right and left since the Main Street Line began operation.
As any kid will tell you, when Mom says "maybe," she means "no." The same is true with Metro -- when Metro says "we'll consider it," that means "forget about it."
MORE: Mayor White's a big biking enthusiast...I wonder what he thinks of Metro's unwillingness to put bike racks on buses?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/28/06 03:03 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (23)
27 August 2006
City of Houston Agenda 8-29-06
Normally, I delete what I judge to be extraneous text, and often paraphrase in order to make the legalese a lot more readable; also, comments added are a mix of my own opinions, best guesses, snarking, and judgments, and therefore may not be entirely accurate.
The council meeting on Wednesday should be starting with another deceptively simple "Mayor's Report"; this one titled "Creation of Metro." Since it's been quite a long time since Metro was actually created, and I don't think Mayor White is going to waste time with a history lesson, this is either a song-and-dance celebrating what a wonderful organization Metro is to have around, or another major power play on the level of gutting Proposition 2. In other words, either he's going to put on a show to help Metro, which is beginning to flounder in the face of public opposition to rail, or he's about to try and make Metro completely unaccountable to anyone except the Holy Disciples of the Church of Smart Growth.
Following that item, the Controller and "city administration" will be delivering a report on the financial status of the city. Hopefully, we will find out then whether or not the city is sitting on a surplus, and how far over the trigger levels of Propositions 1 and 2 we are. At the very least, we will likely find out just how independent Controller Annise Parker plans to be of Mayor White. She was pretty slow to pitch in during the Bonusgate scandal, so this might be only a terribly boring recitation of numbers. On the other hand, if there are a lot of inconvenient figures laid out, with bold talk about required tax rollbacks, things could get interesting for Mayor White in the next few months.
Also see item #s 5, 19, 23, 24, 29, 32, and 40. I recommend taking your blood pressure medicine before #5. Be sure to visit regularly this week for follow-up on several of these items.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 08/27/06 10:40 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (4)
Alvarado: I'm as powerful as ever!
The Chronicle's Matt Stiles reports that temporarily-former Mayor Pro-Tem Carol Alvarado may have lost her title following her ineptitude in overseeing the office's finances, but she still enjoys considerable political clout with Mayor White:
A payroll-padding scandal six months ago cost Carol Alvarado her job as mayor pro tem, but she kept a coveted piece of real estate along the horseshoe-shaped City Council dais.
It's a green, high-back chair just off center — the spot right next to Mayor Bill White.
The seating arrangement is just one example of how Alvarado has retained her City Hall clout six months after a scandal seemed destined to imperil it."Nothing's changed," the third-term councilwoman said in a recent interview. "I just don't have that title. Everything else remains the same."
Despite a cloud of uncertainty about an ongoing investigation by local prosecutors and the negative news about her employees taking unauthorized bonuses, Alvarado still has more access to White than her council colleagues.
She's the only member with an open invitation to attend his thrice-weekly senior staff meetings, and Alvarado remains a regular on the mayor's weekend bicycle rides through city neighborhoods.
He also lets her spearhead complicated issues, such as studying a tougher ban on workplace smoking, responding to a grass-roots effort to change a police immigration policy or modernizing the city's campaign-finance disclosure system.
And she's still performing many of the historical duties assigned to the mayor pro tem. She advises the mayor, helping advance his agenda. She also works with his staff to gauge the moods of council members on emerging issues.
It's not unusual for Houston mayors to designate one member of Council as their "go-to" member, and certainly Alvarado continues to serve in that role for Mayor White, who nevertheless does seem more inclusive of all councilmembers than his predecessor.
Ultimately, though, one has to wonder about Mayor White's political judgment with regard to his close allies. Alvarado's lack of oversight in the Pro-Tem's office combined with her occasional lack of decorum really seem to contrast with Mayor White's efforts to portray himself as a financially-oriented mayor who likes to lead by building consensus, and Mayor White's handpicked police chief (who reportedly spends lots of his weekends in Phoenix) isn't exactly establishing White as a mayor who's serious about crime. The mayor's judgment in these matters will surely interest opposition researchers if, as expected, Mayor White eventually does run for higher elected office.
UPDATE: Of course, this and another recent story do illustrate that it's very helpful to have Rusty Hardin on your side!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/27/06 05:57 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (12)
Just because she doesn't have to resign from Council...
Today, the Chronicle ran the inevitable fluff piece on the write-in Congressional campaign of doctor-councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs. This snippet caught our eye:
Sekula-Gibbs said from the start that she would play by the party's rules, formal and informal, as she sought a place on the ballot and, when courts ruled against that, the party's blessing as a write-in.She has little to lose politically because she doesn't have to resign from the Houston City Council to run and is term-limited after next year anyway. Even if she falls short in the write-in effort against Democrat Nick Lampson, she has a chance to prove her political chops and emerge as the front-runner for the GOP nomination to reclaim the district for the party in 2008.
She doesn't have to resign, but given the fact that many people in Congressional District 22 do not know the Houston councilmember, she could certainly have resigned her Council seat to show she was serious about introducing herself to the people of the Congressional District and trying to make a real race of it (not to mention to show she was serious about not shirking her responsibilities as an elected member of City Council while busily campaigning for another office).
It's clear that the doctor-councilwoman intends this write-in candidacy to give her a leg up for 2008, with the grassroots and party elites. Still, it would be nice if just one journalist in this town would get doctor-councilwoman Sekula-Gibbs to answer the question of why she's not resigning her Council seat, for the record. Our local journalists sometimes seem much too "nice" to ask hard questions, but this is a reasonably straightforward question that deserves an answer (as we pointed out twice in this post from nearly two weeks ago).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/27/06 12:49 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (4)
A tuna fish sandwich to meow for!
Did you read L.M. Sixel's column from the other day, on disappearing office lunches? It's laugh-out-loud funny.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/27/06 08:19 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (10)
26 August 2006
More Metro math
A light rail tidbit from KHOU-11:
These are the first cost and ridership estimates: The Richmond allignment [sic] in this section would cost $90 million to build, $9.8 million for property and generate 1600 riders; The so-called Clutterbuck alignment would cost $215 million, require $17.3 million for property and generate 700 riders. That's more than double the cost of the Richmond alignment with less than half the riders.
If those are Metro numbers, it would be wise to take them with a grain of salt. As we know, Metro has a tendency to be dishonest when it reports ridership. If one person makes multiple boardings, Metro counts each of those boardings as riders. That's how Metro comes up with fantastical announcements like this:
Sometime Friday, August 4, the 25 millionth passenger will board a METRORail train, marking yet another milestone in the history of the 2 1/2-year-old light-rail line.
And this:
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.
Using Metro math would get my kids an F in school.
ADD ON: Following up on Matt's doing-the-math comment here, a big gripe of light rail proponents is the Katy Freeway expansion. But let's do the math on that: if the Katy expansion cost is close to three billion dollars, and there are 220,000 drivers per day on the Katy, that's a per rider cost of around $13,600. Using the figures (of unknown origin) in the KHOU story, Matt's math says the Richmond line would have a per rider cost of $62,000.
Now, wouldn't it be interesting if Metro had started off with two commuter rail lines -- one along the Katy Freeway, and one along the Hardy Toll Road (with a little something that could service IAH), both ending at a transit facility near downtown. Riders would then take buses to their final destinations. That's the type of rail I used when I live in the S.F. Bay Area, and commuted to San Jose. And that's a rail plan I could support -- getting serious numbers of drivers off the freeways, and putting a serious dent in congestion.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/26/06 05:31 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (12)
"Distinguished" visitors address City Council (2006-08-22)
Senator Robert Horton and President Joseph Charles both addressed City Council this week at the end of the public comment session. This week, President Charles disputes that Senator Horton is actually a Senator, and chides the city secretary for the way the names are listed!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/26/06 12:26 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (2)
Luxury sports venues for public schools
via the Chronicle, your tax dollars at work:
With the opening of several multimillion-dollar arenas, so-called minor sports such as volleyball and basketball are stepping into the spotlight at schools across the Greater Houston area.
Three new facilities, built in the past two years, are setting a standard for school districts throughout the state. Katy ISD's Merrell Center, Cy-Fair ISD' s Berry Center and Clear Creek ISD's Bill Krueger Field House are state-of the-art venues that are placing focus on the sports and the teams that play in them.
In addition, they show the growth of girls sports, even in a state where football rules.
"The greatest thing about it is that it shows the students on the volleyball and basketball teams that this district really embraces them and cares about what they are out there doing," Clear Lake High School girls basketball coach Terry Farrell said of the 2,800-seat Krueger Field House.
The fieldhouse was approved by voters in 2004. Though there had been talk of making major improvements to the football stadium, when the fieldhouse appeared on a single ticket at the bond election that year, it was strongly supported. The vote was a victory for the "other" sports.
Multi-million dollar arenas for public school sports. Maybe the Dynamo can begin stadium talks with these districts which are so flush with tax dollars, instead of bugging HISD.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/26/06 09:28 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
25 August 2006
Residue magically becomes a half stick of dynamite
Several hours ago, Chron.com and other news organizations reported that "dynamite residue" was found on baggage on a flight that arrived at Intercontinental airport. References to "dynamite residue" in those early versions of the story can be found via Google News searching, but they won't be found in the current version of the story posted on Chron.com (even if one follows the Google News link), which just changed without any indication that the earlier version of the story was either in error or was being supplemented by new information.
The current version of the story on Chron.com now indicates that half a stick of dynamite was found in the bag, and the earlier references to "dynamite residue" (not to mention a statement by the owner of the bag that he works in mining, with explosives) are excised.
It's understandable that when a story is evolving, new facts will sometimes emerge, and news organizations need to roll out those facts in new stories. It's nice, though, when news organizations offer some explanation when they update reporting with newer, better information. Chron.com has had the annoying habit of not doing so for a long time.
As of the time of this post, the early version of the AP story may still be found on the New York Sun website.
Making things even more interesting, KHOU-11 is currently reporting that a fertilizer-based explosive was also found in the luggage!
Maybe all the editors and fact-checkers will get it straight by the morning -- and then Chron.com can paste over the old stories with the latest versions.
UPDATE: KTRK-13 has the following headline and information:
Bomb-making items found on Continental jet
(8/25/06 - HOUSTON) - Eyewitness News has learned that a passenger on board a Continental Airlines flight from Argentina was carrying more than just half a stick of dynamite as first reported this morning.
We first broke exclusive information on this story around 3pm when we learned what else was on board.
The passenger, identified as Howard McFarland Fish, 21, is a U.S. Citizen from Connecticut. Law enforcement sources at the airport say not only did they find a quarter-pound stick of dynamite in the checked luggage, but in other checked luggage belonging to Fish, they also found a blasting cap, a homemade fuse, and a quarter-pound of ammonium nitrate.
Note that KTRK provides new information, makes the point that these materials constitute a potential bomb, not just dynamite or residue, AND points out how the new information supersedes earlier reporting. THAT is the way to do it.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/25/06 08:57 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (3)
Food and drink roundup (08-25-2006 edition)
It's time for a quick and sweet food and drink roundup. The weekend's a-wastin'.
Robb Walsh samples the "organ meats" or sweetbreads offered up in tacos at Taqueria Tacambaro.
Peggy Grodinsky heads out on the Gulf for a closer look at a day in the life of a shrimper.
Andrew Guy Jr. samples some pricey tequilas.
Ken Hoffman goes to Domino's for brownies. Yes, brownies. Free ones, at that.
And Lance Scott Walker checks out Woodrow's on Chimney Rock.
World Class, all of it. Enjoy!!
Posted by Callie Markantonis @ 08/25/06 06:45 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (1)
24 August 2006
500 strong and growing
At some point this week, the number of registered members on the message board shot over 500. That seemed like a number worth noting.
Thanks to the hundreds of you who visit the little blog and offer your perspective in the forum. It certainly makes the whole thing a lot more fun and interesting. And it's quite rare that there's ever a problem in the forum, so give yourselves a pat on the back for being such good commenters! It's appreciated.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/24/06 10:14 PM | Announcements | Technorati | Comments (23)
Lightning knocks KSBJ down to very low power
Listeners who have tried to tune in to KSBJ 89.3 in the past couple of days have likely gotten silence. As KHOU-11 reports, that's because lightning hit the Christian station's tower earlier this week:
A Christian radio station was knocked off the air after its tower was hit by lightning earlier this week.
The station, KSBJ 89.3 FM, has a main tower in Plum Grove, near Cleveland. It was hit at about 8 p.m. Tuesday and is operating at reduced power, the station said.Typically, the station, which has a contemporary Christian music format, broadcasts at 100,000 watts, but is currently operating at only 50 watts.
The station said that crews are working to repair the problem, but that it will be several days until it will be completely fixed.
The station said that listeners can instead hear programming on their website, at www.ksbj.org.
We presume God is still listening, and doesn't need the full 100,000 watts.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/24/06 09:39 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (2)
Jordy Tollett back in the saddle of GHCVB
Tollett had asked for the leave of absence back in July to attend to "problems in his life." He recently led the annual "state of" the bureau luncheon, suggesting his return was imminent. The unanimous board action suggests that Mayor White hasn't made much headway in his efforts to dislodge Tollett, following the KPRC-2 hit piece on Tollett that put this whole recent chain of events into motion.
UPDATE (08-25-2006): The Chronicle picks up the story today.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/24/06 03:31 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (13)
Surprise! Mayor's anti-Prop. 2 initiative(s) gets through Council
It seems many important people don't like what the voters said a couple of years ago, so Mayor White wants to make the voters say something different. KHOU-11's Jeremy Desel has the story:
Houston voters will decide in November whether to basically roll back part of Proposition 2, a limited government city charter change supported by anti-tax activists.
Mayor Bill White, who spent much of Tuesday afternoon meeting privately with conservative backers of Proposition 2, passed through city council a measure that will put a new proposition on the ballot this year.
The council vote came during an unusual meeting at Houston City Hall. White, backed by a majority of councilmembers, basically split the usual Wednesday meeting into two parts. As councilmembers wandered off to lunch and other business, the mayor talked privately with conservative anti-tax activists. The council reconvened late in the afternoon and, following White's lead, voted to put his proposition on the November ballot.
Proposition 2 basically restricts the growth of city government, establishing a complicated formula tying city revenue increases to population growth and economic inflation. If the city's revenues exceed the formula's restrictions, Proposition 2 requires the city government to somehow refund money to taxpayers.
Do you think when Jeremy Desel discovers he has overpaid for something, he expects a refund of the amount he overpaid? Do you think Mayor White expects a refund when his insurance company overcharges him? Or a utility company? What about when he looks at his bill from a store and sees he has paid too much for something? Does he expect to be refunded what he overpaid or does he just tell the company to keep the money?
White's plan would exclude from the formula so-called "enterprise funds," such as the Aviation Department, which generate their own streams of income. The mayor argued that Proposition 2 could needlessly force cuts in essential city services that aren't linked to the "enterprise funds." For example, the mayor suggested, after a good year at the airports, Houston might be forced to cut public safety expenses.
Continental Airlines actively supported White's position, arguing that Proposition 2 could restrict the growth of Houston's airports and eventually cost airline employees their jobs.
[snip]
In addition, a separate proposition will allow the city government to spend up to $90-million beyond Proposition 2's limits, provided the money is spent on public safety.
So, what's Mayor White doing with that big surplus the city is sitting on? Is it going to public safety? Or is it going to an African-American Cultural Museum? Maybe it's going to pay for anti-panhandling ads. What else has the city been wasting money on lately that just can't possibly be refunded back to taxpayers? I doubt much has gone toward road repair or graffiti abatement.
RELATED COVERAGE: Chronicle.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/24/06 06:42 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
23 August 2006
Council committee considers expanding smoking ban
KHOU-11's Doug Miller reports that on Thursday, a Council committee will take up discussion on a broader smoking ban.
Councilmember Carol Alvarado is quoted in the story. She favors a broader smoking ban.
Doctor-Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, who spearheaded the current ban despite early resistance from Mayor White, is not quoted in the story. She has long favored the broader ban on smoking.
Perhaps she was just too busy campaigning for Congress for Miller to find her for a quote. Surely he had a good reason for omitting her.
UPDATE (08-24-2006): KTRH-740 included a soundbite from Doctor-Councilwoman Sekula-Gibbs in its on-air reporting this morning. And the Chronicle's Alexis Grant managed to get a quote. Perhaps Doug Miller was on deadline, and didn't have time to get a quote from the Councilmember who has pushed hardest to ban smoking in Houston.
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/23/06 10:24 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Council considers expanding civility ordinance
KTRK-13 reports that City Council is considering expanding the so-called "civility ordinance" that targets homeless squatters.
"It's amazing to me that here in 2006, that we're still doing the same type of thing, just prohibiting people from existing," said Houston City Councilmember Ada Edwards. "I didn't know it was against the law to sit in a public space in America."
If the ordinance passes, perhaps violators can be transported to "exist" on Ada Edwards' sidewalk. Heck, maybe she'll even invite them to "exist" on her front lawn! That would mark her as a true progressive.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/23/06 10:11 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (10)
Where is the Hurtt/Marticiuc babysitter?
KRIV-26 reporter Isiah Carey has been downtown covering the HPD chase policy story that he broke yesterday.
The video isn't available yet on the KRIV website [UPDATE: It's now posted here], but on the 9pm broadcast, Carey covered Chief Hurtt's comments to the media on the chase policy. He then asked union chief Hans Marticiuc to comment on some of the specifics, and Marticiuc responded by calling Chief Hurtt a "liar," more than once!
We're thinking that both bad boys are going to get called into the babysitter's office tomorrow.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/23/06 09:29 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (0)
Local bloggers amaze Chron cartoonist!
The Chronicle's Nick Anderson sure can dish out the criticism with his editorial cartoons, but it seems he doesn't much like criticism in his blog comments.
Matt Bramanti posts the details over at Lone Star Times.
Alternative media like blogs and talk radio must be very frustrating for editorialists in mainstream media who have grown accustomed to having the last word always. But, time and technology march on, whether professional editorialists do or not.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/23/06 08:51 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
Is Houston allowed to celebrate its birthday?
Isn't that, you know, insensitive? But KTRK-13 is out there with a story saying there's a big to-do planned this evening:
ZZ Top will be inducted into Houston's Hall of Fame Wednesday. It's part of the city's 170th birthday bash. The band formed in Houston back in 1969 and has always kept a base here in the Bayou City.
Houston's 170th birthday party will happen at the Wortham Theater on Texas and Bagby downtown. It gets started at 6pm. Mayor Bill White will be there to give out the honors.
Hopefully Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia and UH Professor Raul Ramos don't know about the shindig.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/23/06 07:04 PM | Houston Life | Technorati | Comments (8)
Hurtt revises HPD chase policy, doesn't inform public/media
Beleaguered police chief Harold Hurtt has approved a revised policy on chases, a policy that is not going over well with officers on the street (many of whom have already expressed their concerns with Hurtt's leadership).
KHOU-11's Jeff McShan has also posted a report.
UPDATE (08-23-2006): The Chronicle apparently threw together a story at the last minute. It does not quote any member of Council.
UPDATE 2 (08-23-2006): KPRC-950's Pat Gray is jamming on this topic today.
UPDATE 3 (08-23-2006): KTRH-740's Chris Baker is blasting on MayorWhiteChiefHurtt as well.
BLOGVERSATION: Lone Star Times, Cigars, Donuts, and Coffee, TBIFOC, Lone Star Pundit, Houstonist.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/23/06 12:12 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (47)
22 August 2006
Editorial LiveJournalists tackle geopolitics of energy
The Chronicle's Editorial LiveJournalists crept up on genuine insight today before quickly veering off:
In February, President Chavez, contrary to Citgo's pledge, threatened to cut off all crude oil exports to the United States if the U.S. government went over the line in its opposition to Chavez' leftist regime. Chavez could not make good on his promise, though, without depriving Citgo's refineries of their raw material and high profits.If Chavez means what he says, perhaps more of Citgo's assets will go on the block. That would unlock billions of dollars in cash that Chavez could use for his political ambitions without fear that the United States could seize Venezuelan assets here following some outrage Chavez might be plotting.
"It's not where we've been," Citgo proclaims. "It's where we are heading that can make a world of difference."
That's what we're afraid of.
Chavez likely won't make good on his "promise" because, as the Editorial LiveJournalists seem to understand, he really needs the hard cash from crude exports to the United States (to fund his domestic social welfare utopia, not to mention his foreign policy initiatives). In addition, he needs the United States to import his oil (because our refineries can handle Venezuela's heavy, sour crude, not a trivial consideration). Chavez might still wield the crude-oil weapon one day, but if he does, he will hurt himself in the process; so far, he seems to understand that.
Whether Chavez's whims result in the selloff of Citgo assets in the United States is sort of a tangential concern (so the Editorial LiveJournalists focus on it). The bigger concern is that Chavez's whims have resulted in the politicization and de-professionalization of PDVSA, hindering the once-respected state company's ability to manage Venezuela's exploration and production for years to come.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/22/06 10:59 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (5)
Isiah Carey tries out the Mayor's new policy
KRIV-26 reporter Isiah Carey tried out Mayor White's preferred approach for dealing with street beggars Monday.
BACKGROUND: Homeless court, panhandling campaign kick off this week.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/22/06 10:03 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (7)
Astrodome convention center proposal creeps forward
KTRH-740's Brent Fuller was early to report that Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a letter of intent by a private group that hopes redevelop the Astrodome:
Today, commissioners formally approved a letter of intent which allows the corporation to begin design work. They must present final plans to commissioners within the next six months before construction can start.
The outline of the deal includes a "convention-oriented hotel" with at least 1,000 rooms, entertainment attractions, restaurants and other amenities. A 2,100 space parking garage would be included.
The Chronicle's Bill Murphy adds these details:
The letter of intent states that by March 2007, Astrodome Redevelopment must obtain financing and the approval from Reliant Park's tenants, the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Hotel construction would begin at the earliest late next year.
The county would lease the Dome to Astrodome Redevelopment for 50 years and give it an option to extend the lease another 20 years.
Astrodome Redevelopment would pay the county $2.5 million in rent annually and 2 percent-3 percent of gross revenues.
The letter of intent prohibits Astrodome Redevelopment from operating a casino or sexually oriented businesses.
That bolded portion remains the key. Public money has been ruled out, and it is difficult to imagine that sensible investors will want to have anything to do with this highly questionable venture.
Of course, it was also difficult to imagine that anyone would let Lee P. Brown run a bank after his disastrous reign as Houston's mayor, so perhaps we'll be surprised in this case also.
Tom Kirkendall has previously expressed skepticism about Astrodome Redevelopment's fantastic plans.
BLOGVERSATION: Lou Minatti.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/22/06 09:57 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (8)
Veterans Day Parade will be held after all
KTRK-13's Miya Shay reports that the Veterans Day Parade that was under threat of cancellation will be held after all:
The fate of the annual Veterans' Day parade was decided Monday morning at Houston City Hall.
The Veterans Cemetery Council recently announced it will not hold its annual Veterans' Day parade, but at least one city council member wants the group to change its mind.
A large group of veterans met with the city special events department as well as Councilman Michael Berry. They worked to reach a mutual decision about how to handle the Veterans' Day parade this year.
Veterans' Day this year falls on a weekend. Unlike weekday parades, people generally don't make it to downtown Houston. The veterans said they didn't want to go through the expense, time and planning to hold a parade that would be just for them.
However, since they have brought up the issues, Berry and other council members have said they believe it's important for the veterans to hold a parade and they've promised to help with fundraising and community support.
The parade will be held on November 11 at 9:30 am. As we get closer to the event, we'll be sure to promote it, and hope the city's leaders (and our fellow bloggers) will also.
Kudos to Councilmember Berry for taking the lead on this issue, instead of simply criticizing Mayor White (like some Clear Channel talkers who split time on the Houston and San Antonio airwaves).
RELATED COVERAGE: Chronicle, KPRC-2, KRIV-26, KTRH-740.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/22/06 09:12 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
21 August 2006
Get your name on a downtown park poopie station!
KHOU-11 reports that Mayor White is asking for help raising money for the new downtown park and giving it a name:
on the open land in front of the GRB, civic leaders picture a dozen acres developed into a unique urban park. A place with everything from restaurants to water fountains, underground parking and special programs designed to draw visitors, day and night.
“We really want this to be a place that captures the spirit of the city and is a place that kind of reveals the city to visitors and to Houstonians, a place we can all really be proud of,” said park director, Guy Hagsette.
Sort of like New York city’s Bryant Park.
But a park like this costs a lot of money.
So, Houston’s Downtown Park Conservancy plans to raise funds by naming attractions after donors.
“Everything in the park is for sale,” said Nancy G. Kinder with the Conservancy. “The fountain, the promenade, the dog runs, even the dog benches and the poopie stations. So we have something for everyone at all different levels.”
But one name that’s not for sale here is the name of the park itself.
“We want the people of Houston to participate in the naming of this park. So beginning today, for the next several weeks, we’re going to invite Houstonians to give us their names for the downtown park,” said Mayor White.
Oh heavens. What an opportunity! How expensive do you think it would be to "buy" a poopie station? And who could we name it after? This could be fun!
As for the name of the park, I nominate Kevin Whited's suggestion. =)
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Further to Anne's bolded excerpt above -- can we expect the Chronicle's lefty Sunday editorialist and six-days-per-week objective Austin bureau chief to condemn the plans of Mayor White (a Democrat) to commercialize this park, since Clay Robison recently blasted state government (largely in Republican control) for daring to consider such ideas?
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC, Isolated Desolation, Lone Star Times.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/21/06 06:22 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (21)
City of Houston Agenda 8-22-06
Curiously, this week's Requests for Council Authorization and backup to the Agenda were ready and posted before the Agenda itself. Normally, I copy the Council Agenda from the city's website, and then add notes from the backup. The .pdf file that includes the RCAs and other information includes a copy of the Agenda. This time, for whatever reason, the agenda was not posted online (as of Sunday), nor is a a copy available in the backup, although the backup itself is available. Since the backup is often missing certain items, this means that for now, the public has no easily available record of what Agenda items 24, 29, 49, 51, and 52 are. Nor do I, even though I have access to the city's intranet. I can only hope that the Agenda is posted prior to Tuesday's meeting, and I can update this article.
Readers' attention is directed especially to items 5 (oopsie!), 46 (what loan?), and 62 (we have always been at war with Oceania) of the agenda. In particular, item 62 is one of the most reprehensible pieces of Orwellian doublethink from any recent administration, and I am just suspicious enough to wonder if it is the real reason the agenda was not online at the usual time. If you read nothing else of the agenda, read that one.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 08/21/06 01:03 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
20 August 2006
Homeless court, panhandling campaign kick off this week
This week, Mayor White's two latest initiatives for dealing with Houston's homeless/street beggars will go into effect.
Second, Mayor White's advertising campaign to discourage people from donating to street beggars is set to begin tomorrow (Monday).
It's doubtful that the mayor's advertising campaign or homeless court will have much of an impact. Unfortunately, HPD just doesn't seem to have the manpower to deal with the problem of street begging effectively.
UPDATE (08-21-2006, 9:07 am): Councilmember Michael Berry is discussing the new homeless court on his radio program on KPRC-950.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/20/06 10:54 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
KTRH: Curfew efforts stall
KTRH-740 reported on Friday that efforts to enact a more restrictive curfew have stalled. According to KTRH, however, Mayor White says the issue will likely return.
Maybe. Or maybe Council is finally getting over Pass-a-Law Syndrome.
PREVIOUSLY: City looks to discourage panhandlers, tighten curfew.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/20/06 10:21 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
Chron misses badly on latest abortion editorial
The pro-abortion Chronicle editorial board took up its pet topic on Friday, with an editorial slam directed against State Senate candidate and KSEV-700 talker Dan Patrick, who has recently touted a "trigger law" that would restrict abortion in Texas in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned.
"Upon reversal of the 1973 Supreme Court decision, abortions would immediately be banned," [Dan Patrick] wrote in a recent press release about his plan. Perhaps because he hasn't actually been elected, he didn't offer much detail. But he praised a similar trigger law in South Dakota — one that requires every female to carry a pregnancy to term, even if she is a child, a rape survivor or an incest victim.
Errors #1 and #2: The South Dakota law to which the Editorial LiveJournalists are referring in this instance is not a trigger law. It does not take effect if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Rather, it is a ban designed in defiance of Roe v. Wade, with the anticipation that the Supreme Court will use the law to reconsider (and overturn) Roe. In 2005, South Dakota also enacted a trigger law, which is what the Patrick press release (pdf) referred to. The Editorial LiveJournalists apparently got very confused with these facts.
Error #3: The South Dakota ban does not require "every female to carry a pregnancy to term." There is a provision that exempts those who would perform an abortion to save the life of the mother. That may be a narrow exemption, but it's still an exemption.
Finally, the Chronicle's contention that Patrick has offered this proposal in order to attract conservative voters so he can win his election is just bizarre. Patrick is a longtime advocate of the pro-life cause, so this proposal is consistent with principles he's talked about for years. Furthermore, if this were politically motivated, Patrick would surely have come out with it during the primary, which was when the real race for his Senate district occurred. He is running as the Republican nominee in an overwhelmingly Republican district against token opposition, and will win handily in November. He doesn't need to craft a pro-life proposal to cultivate conservatives to win. The better explanation is that he's a pro-lifer who believes in the proposal, and plans to introduce it when he eventually takes his seat in Austin.
UPDATE (08-21-2006): A Patrick spokesman emails that nobody from the Chronicle editorial board contacted Patrick or the campaign to inquire about the details of the "trigger-law" proposal. We presume that would make it rather difficult to write about those details intelligibly, but then again, the Editorial LiveJournalists don't always let facts get in the way of their story line.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/20/06 10:01 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
KTRH: New population estimates affect crime statistics
On Friday, KTRH-740 reported that the release of new, lower-than-expected population figures for Houston affect recent crime statistics that assumed a larger population:
Last month, the Houston Police Department released estimates of the rate of violent crime in the city based on an assumed population of about 2.2 million. But data from the American Community Survey this week said Houston's population is more like 1.9 million — 300,000 fewer.
The city planning department's Margaret Wallace says the numbers weren't fudged — the federal survey was simply done at a different time.
This is why it's important to consider both raw crime figures and statistics that take population into account, rather than just one or the other.
There was some reason to believe that Katrina evacuees had boosted the population, so I don't think the planning department was engaged in any effort to deceive. But now that we have the ACS numbers, the estimates should be adjusted accordingly.
PREVIOUSLY: Fuller: Latest population tally doesn't trigger redistricting.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/20/06 09:09 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Paper trails for electronic voting machines?
There's some balance on the Chronicle editorial page today on an important issue -- paper trails for electronic voting machines of the sort that we use in Harris County.
The Editorial LiveJournalists make the case for paper trails, a case that a number of local bloggers have been making for quite some time now.
Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman makes the case against paper trails, or at least the case against rushing to implement a paper-trail system and mucking things up in the process.
My notion is that paper trails would be a nice reform, along with reforms designed to enhance the integrity and security of elections (like photo identification), and that the experienced and respected Kaufman ought to be deeply involved in any such discussions in Austin.
What do you say?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/20/06 07:25 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (42)
"Distinguished" visitors address City Council
So, blogHOUSTON joins the YouTube fun with this video capture from the public comment session of the most recent City Council meeting. A president and a senator address Council! Too fun.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/20/06 02:04 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (8)
Spur 527 speed limit update
Heading into midtown via Spur 527 today, I noticed that the old 35 mph speed limit sign had been replaced with a (tiny) 50 mph speed limit sign.
Perhaps complaints over the sneaky Spur 527 speed traps finally motivated TXDOT to get the new signs up.
Most of the exits are still 35 mph, so watch yourselves.
UPDATE: On the side of the Spur heading ON to Southwest Freeway, the posted speed limit is still 35 mph.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/20/06 11:24 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (0)
19 August 2006
Chron endorses decision widely criticized for its reasoning
The New York Times ran an interesting story today on the recent decision by a federal judge on the NSA's warrantless surveillance. Here's a key snippet:
Even legal experts who agreed with a federal judge’s conclusion on Thursday that a National Security Agency surveillance program is unlawful were distancing themselves from the decision’s reasoning and rhetoric yesterday.
They said the opinion overlooked important precedents, failed to engage the government’s major arguments, used circular reasoning, substituted passion for analysis and did not even offer the best reasons for its own conclusions.
Discomfort with the quality of the decision is almost universal, said Howard J. Bashman, a Pennsylvania lawyer whose Web log provides comprehensive and nonpartisan reports on legal developments.
“It does appear,” Mr. Bashman said, “that folks on all sides of the spectrum, both those who support it and those who oppose it, say the decision is not strongly grounded in legal authority.”
The main problems, scholars sympathetic to the decision’s bottom line said, is that the judge, Anna Diggs Taylor, relied on novel and questionable constitutional arguments when more straightforward statutory ones were available.
Unsurprisingly, the Chronicle Editorial LiveJournalists, who also sometimes rely on novel and questionable legal arguments, just loved the decision.
Thanks to Orrin Judd for the New York Times link.
BLOGVERSATION: WILLisms.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/19/06 05:31 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (2)
Largest muni wifi project in the U.S. and world class parking meters
It looks as if the supplier of the city's $10,000 parking meters has been chosen:
Digital Payment Technologies Corp., a leading supplier of revenue-management solutions for the global parking industry, has been awarded a three-year contract by Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS) to supply 750 LUKE Payment Stations for deployment throughout the City of Houston, TX, starting in September.
There is an option to supply up to another 750 LUKE Payment Stations before the end of the contract to make up a city-wide total of 1,500 stations.
[snip]
The awarding of the contract caps a two-year evaluation period by the City of Houston to investigate general system integrators, on-street payment station manufacturers, and WiFi network suppliers for its on-street parking system. ACS was awarded the general system-management contract based on its ability to deliver the best overall integrated solution. In addition to supplying the LUKE payment stations, ACS has been contracted to install the meters, build a municipal WiFi network throughout Houston's central business district, and install the pavement markings and signage. Among other firsts, this is the largest municipal WiFi project awarded in US history.
PREVIOUSLY: Council approves "cutting edge" parking meters
RELATED: Does Muni Wireless Really Work At All?, Out of Control
UBU ROI ADDS: Lest anyone be confused, the company that got the red light camera contract was ATS, not ACS. The latter had been in the chase for the red light camera contract also, until questions were raised about exactly how ACS came to be the original front-runner. ATS, on the other hand, had friends in high places.
ATS' ties are through former Texas Land Commissioner Gary Mauro, a good friend of White. Mauro, though, says he was hired to consult ATS, not to lobby City Hall.
Of course, some consultants are even more in the loop than the land commissioner.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/19/06 03:14 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
West Houston crime takes center stage
Over at Cigars...Donuts...and Coffee, Jason says that MayorWhiteChiefHurtt have quite a predicament on their hands -- appeasing different parts of the city, while dealing with limited police resources:
Earlier this year residents and business people from the southwest portion of Houston went to city council to air their complaints about the rising crime rate. For a while that part of town was in the news everyday. As a result, the news was filled with HPD's fear reduction initiative, or the crime van, or mounted officers (in the daytime of course when the crooks are asleep) walking through apartment complexes. Many town hall meetings were held in which citizens asked questions (some venting their frustrations on the officers who had no idea what their specific situation was) and wanted to know what the police and city government were doing to solve the problem. The message basically was the police are stretched too thin as they are (which has earned the mayor and chief a lot of criticism).
[snip]
Now, the more affluent west side of Houston is airing the same complaint.
Crime may not have been on the official agenda at this week's Houston West Chamber of Commerce luncheon, but it seemed to be on everyone's mind.
"This concerns all of us, especially when I've had my own businesses broken into," said chamber president Jeannie M. Bollinger.
And when Bollinger asked Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale to discuss the issue, McIngvale recalled that the subject came up at an Astros game while he was talking to former President Bush and his wife. Barbara Bush, he said, asked: "What are they going to do about Westside?" Her hairdresser, McIngvale said, is afraid to go out at night.
"When the first lady says something about it, we got a problem," McIngvale said.
(Tom Frechette, spokesman for the former president, said the Bushes were vacationing overseas, so "I can't confirm nor deny" what Barbara Bush allegedly said.)
Whether or not one puts any importance on the opinion of McIngvale and Mrs. Bush, it surely adds to the heat the mayor and police chief are feeling:
To address crime, the chamber and other groups formed the West Houston Security Coalition, which has a Web site, www.westhouston coalition.com.
Bollinger said Mayor Bill White and HPD Chief Harold Hurtt will speak at a coalition meeting at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS (08-20-2006): KPRC-2 reports on the Westchase district's hiring of a private police force, which provoked an earlier, bizarre, debate in our forum, the point of which was/is unclear to me. Here is an excerpt from the KPRC story:
The 25-person force consists of off-duty HPD officers, so they have full arrest powers.
Businesses in the area along Westheimer and Beltway 8 spent $300,000 a year for the extra patrols.
Westchase is trying to combat car thefts and break-ins in parking lots, among other crimes.
"You look for stolen cars, suspicious activity or something," an officer said.
When the off-duty officers respond to calls, they can report the crimes to on-duty officers on HPD radios.
"By having extra officers here, we can relieve officers to protect the neighborhoods around us, so it really does help the communities around us," said Jim Murphy, the Westchase Business District president.
The officers are also patrolling the parking lots in the area, looking for people who are crawling around between the parked cars trying to break into them.
They're doing the routine patrols that HPD officers do not have as much time to do anymore because of a manpower shortage.
"There is a lot of crime on the west side of Harris County and the west side of Houston, so our customers feel pretty happy about seeing them riding around," restaurant owner Rick Forester said.
One suspects the good people of Westchase do appreciate the police presence, although it's a little embarrassing that they have to resort to private cops because the city is failing a public safety.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/19/06 02:09 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
HPD applicants should shave and wear long sleeves
HPD is looking for new police recruits:
On Thursday, August 24, 2006 the Houston Police Department and the City of Houston will administer the 2005 Civil Service Examination for Police Officer Trainees at the George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas, Exhibit Hall B at 9 a.m.
[snip]
Here are some other details about the application process:
- Applicants must have sixty (60) semester hours from an accredited college or university with a 2.0 GPA or above in a 4.0 system (or the equivalent) or military service with an honorable discharge as stipulated on a DD214
- Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age at the end of their probationary period and less than forty-five (45) years of age before receiving the oath of office.
- Passing applicants will be referred to the Houston Police Department to continue processing. Any falsification in the application process will result in disqualification.
- Applicants must pass all phases of the recruiting process
- First year officers can earn up to $46,000 including benefits, equipment allowance, shift differential pay, weekend pay, a bachelor's degree and bilingual pay. For those considering a career change or just want to serve the community, this is an excellent opportunity to apply.
- Bilingual applicants in all languages are encouraged to apply
What's missing from the list? Chief Hurtt's grooming standards!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/19/06 11:31 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
The education system we have is of our own making
The Chronicle has a new education blog called "School Zone" with multiple contributors, includin