31 October 2007
Lifestyles of the less well-heeled
When voters aren't as "well-heeled" and "civically-active," this is what happens:
After a lengthy debate that at times got tense, the Houston City Council approved a low-income housing complex planned for Beltway 8 and the Gulf Freeway.
11 News first revealed neighbors’ concerns about the project last week.
Residents in the area said they have supported other low-income housing in the past, but said the proposed Regency Park complex was one too many.
No Mayor White riding to the rescue!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/31/07 07:31 PM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
Looking for Channel 13's update....
Remember this story? A Pct. 4 deputy responded to a family disturbance and ended up arresting a woman. After that the charges, and the report, seemed to disappear. When I first heard about this I was shocked. First of all, every department has a policy against unlawful orders. Generally, the policies say officers are not to obey unlawful orders and to report the incident immediately. In this case I couldn't believe this incident would 'disappear' especially after the woman "injured the deputy." Anyhow, Channel 13 learned of it and wanted to be the first to break the story. The way I read the story, while trying to sound impartial it reads like a salivating fraternity boy at a strip club eager to get to the nitty gritty. It sounded to me it was already indicting before the investigation was completed. While my aim is not to defend the constable of Pct.4 (because I don't know the whole story) I do have to point out something I noted. Yesterday, the Chronicle ran this story. In it, the grand jury has indicted a captain for tampering with evidence and fired. No indictments were brought against the constable because there wasn't any evidence to support them. Of course many people will say that the DA's office won't prosecute a constable, and it's still a cover-up (ask Perry Wooten), but I don't buy it. I checked Channel 13's website today to see if the story is there. As of 10:42 AM today, the story isn't there. Instead is another 'investigative' story about a county commissioner. Maybe they forgot all about it.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: KTRK-13's Dave Strickland informs in the comments that the "story was broadcast yesterday on KTRK at 4pm, 5pm, 6pm and 10pm." Thanks for the update!
Posted by Jason @ 10/31/07 11:32 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (8)
High-rise Clear Thinking; Mrs. White to the rescue; Mistreated Mayor
Clear Thinker Tom Kirkendall today blasts Mayor White for "capriciously manipulating local governmental power to sidetrack development of a condominium project in a neighborhood where he raises ... substantial political campaign funds."
Additionally, KRIV-26 reporter Isiah Carey reports that Mayor White actually whined yesterday that the media don't spend enough time highlighting his accomplishments!
Discuss.
PREVIOUSLY: Density is great (except when it's in the neighborhoods of the powerful), Mayor White assists "well-heeled" residents in high-rise fight.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/31/07 11:08 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (8)
30 October 2007
Texans, Rodeo oppose Astrodome redevelopment boondoggle
The Chronicle's Bill Murphy reports that both Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo have come out against the Astrodome convention-hotel boondoggle:
The $450-million plan to reinvent the Astrodome as an upscale convention hotel may have died today when the Texans and Houston rodeo officials announced their opposition to the redevelopment effort.
The Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's contracts in effect give them veto power over new development at Reliant Park.
Officials at both organizations said they opposed the Astrodome Redevelopment Co.'s complex that would include a 1,300-room hotel, restaurants, a food court and amusement rides because it could hurt their operations.
The opposition of those two organizations will likely mean the end of the Astrodome hotel redevelopment fantasies. It may finally be time to get down to the business of demolishing the old eyesore.
RELATED COVERAGE: Houston Business Journal, KTRK-13, KHOU-11, KTRH-740.
BLOGVERSATION: Houston's Clear Thinkers.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/30/07 10:29 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (14)
Marticiuc out, Blankinship in at HPOU
Hans Marticiuc is out and Gary Blankinship is the new president of the Houston Police Officers' Union, according to results posted on the organization's website.
KHOU-11's Jeff McShan has more on the new HPOU president:
Blankinship said while the critical manpower shortage is his No. 1 concern, improving the officers’ ability to call for help is on his agenda too.
HPD doesn’t have enough working radios, and there hasn’t been a priority to buy more because it’s being forced to switch to a digital system by 2012 -- a system that could costs more than $100 million.
“We’re trying to get officers all assigned a radio,” Blankinship said. “This situation that happened over the weekend: That possibly might not have happened if the officer had a handheld radio with him.”
Officer Hill was shot while working off-duty, an extra job, at the apartment complex where he lives.
Blankinship said working or not, all officers should have a handheld radio available.
“And we would like to move forward for all officers being assigned because they are subject to being called to duty at anytime even off duty,” he said.
Perhaps Blankinship’s toughest task will be the new HPD contract with the city, which runs out in 2010. The contract will determine officer salaries and benefits.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/30/07 09:45 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
Cohen notes it's an "interesting time" to be a journalist, hits the links
The Houston Press' Rich Connelly posts the memo sent out by editor Jeff Cohen related to yesterday's pre-Halloween slaughter at 801 Texas Avenue:
Newsroom restructuring
I believe that journalism is a public service. But, also, it is a business. And as a business, this newspaper is not immune from market forces in a media world that has exploded with new voices and commercial options.Market forces require the Chronicle to operate with reduced costs. All of you received this month's memo from the publisher framing a downsizing. To achieve that, this week we begin to roll out a restructuring in the newsroom. This process has neither been easy or undertaken lightly.
We will go forward with fewer journalists and support staff. We need to thank those who are leaving. They have played a role in building the Houston Chronicle into a strong regional newspaper and superb Web site. Our reporting today is more aggressive, our writing is more engaging and our newspaper is more visually alluring because of them and you.
How are we going to do all these things with less staff? It is a logical question in light of the sheer volume of material we publish each day in print and online.
Remember, we will continue to have the largest news operation on the Gulf Coast and probably twice as many journalists as all other Houston news media outlets combined. Remember also that our competitors today operate with lean, agile staffs. Competition, as we all know, comes from every direction - to see it you only have to walk by the racks of free publications on the street corner or do a Google search on any topic that we cover. We, however, will remain bigger, more talented and more creative than all comers.
Our reorganization will require a short period of adjustment to new ways of operating and new assignments. Some of the changes are addressed below; others will be announced in the coming days and weeks. John Wilburn and I also will try to attend department meetings in November.
For now, please be aware of these new assignments:
City/State Desk: The state operation merges with the City Desk and State Editor Laura Tolley reports to Metro Editor Tony Freemantle. Alan Bernstein becomes the local political writer. Terri Langford becomes the social services reporter.
Foreign/National: The Foreign and National staffs combine into one department under the leadership of Chris Shively.
Sports: Carlton Thompson is promoted to Sports Editor.
Business: Mark Babineck moves to the business desk as an assistant business editor leading a team of reporters and running the department's online efforts.
With all of this change, our strategy remains the same:
Focus on scoops and enterprise in the master narratives that drive our community;
Think Web first every day with 24/7 breaking news;
Expand our multimedia content with video and online database initiatives;
Develop topical Web channels that extend the reach of our Web site beyond news;
Aggressively engage our readers with interactive journalism and community Web sites;
Improve community coverage in our Spanish language publications in paper and online;
Develop niche publications, as we have done with Gloss and Health, in areas with potential for building new audiences.
This is the most interesting time I can remember in 30 years of working as a journalist. I certainly wish that the enterprise did not require rigid cost control in order to stay competitive. But, in the end, I still believe that journalism is a public service, that the commerce of ideas will prevail in the marketplace and that our work will make an indelible impression on the greater Houston area and Texas.
One suspects many of the journalists out of jobs don't share Cohen's exhilaration about these interesting journalistic times.
It is good to know that all the turmoil in the newsroom hasn't affected Cohen's golf game. To the contrary, Matt Bramanti reports that Cohen's handicap is down to a 9. Interesting times, indeed!
BLOGVERSATION: Brazosport News.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/30/07 06:45 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (4)
Lifestyles of the well-heeled (cont'd)
We missed this gem from a few days ago by the Chronicle's Mike Tolson:
Love the Texans but hate fighting traffic on game days? You might consider catching a ride with team owner Bob McNair and his family, who get a three-officer motorcycle police escort from his River Oaks mansion to Reliant Stadium's front door.
Traffic lights are no obstacle. The officers pull into the intersections and put up their hands to stop all other traffic as the two McNair vehicles breeze on through. Total time in transit? Less than 15 minutes.McNair has been paying off-duty officers for an escort since the team's first season in 2002. Publicity about it prompted Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Jack Abercia to prohibit his officers from doing the extra work, but McNair found officers from other agencies to step in.
McNair spokesman Tony Wylie said there is nothing wrong with the VIP treatment and that he is not breaking any laws.
"He's just hiring this service to escort him from his home so that he can get there on time," Wylie said.
Let me get this right -- there's nothing wrong with someone hiring cops to help him violate traffic laws (i.e. running traffic lights), so long as the person has enough money and is in a big hurry.
Real nice attitude.
One wonders why traffic on gameday is much of a problem at all, though, given the absolutely putrid product that McNair and crew have put on the field every year of the franchise's existence.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/30/07 06:17 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (16)
METRO changes video policy, effectively smears local media
METRO's PR representative Raequel Roberts has apparently decided that real-time, independent reporting on METRO does not fit well with the public organization's PR objectives. Here is the substance of a letter emailed to various local news organizations yesterday:
Dear [Redacted by bH]:
To provide for a more accurate account of accidents and incidents on our system, METRO is changing its policy for releasing videos from facility and vehicle cameras.
METRO will no longer release tapes the day of an accident or incident, but will instead release them when its investigation is complete.
This will ensure information provided to [Redacted by bH] is complete, allowing your staff to produce more factual reporting.
We encourage you to make your reporters aware of this change of policy, and we appreciate your cooperation as we try to provide the public with accurate information about the operation of its transit system.
Sincerely,
Raequel Roberts
Sr. Director of Media Relations & Corporate Communications
Let me translate that: We at METRO really don't care for independent reporting about METRO in real time, and so we will change our policy so that our PR-department-sanitized version of the news is released to the city's journalists well after the "news" has become "olds."
Note the intimation that local news organizations have inaccurately reported on METRO, and need Ms. Roberts' help to "produce more factual reporting." Obviously, news organizations should provide news consumers with accurate, factual reporting (and also timely reporting). If Ms. Roberts can document instances of local news organizations using METRO videos in real-time to report inaccurately, she should demand corrections (and perhaps put METRO's $76,000/year blogger to work putting those corrections online, in the name of getting accurate information to the public). But to hamstring the local media with this sort of edict strikes us as insulting and reactionary, and contrary to the goal of getting taxpayers accurate information about their transit organization as quickly as possible.
Here's hoping that reporters and news directors in town will object both to METRO's new PR policy and to Ms. Roberts' insinuations about their professional abilities to cover the organization independently and objectively.
ANNE ADDS: Hey! Recall when METRO CEO Frank "Procurement Disaster" Wilson said:
We operate the METRO organization in a completely transparent manner.
Yeah, using Metro's definition of transparency: obfuscation and procrastination.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/30/07 10:21 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (9)
29 October 2007
Lone Star Emmy winners announced
Lone Star Emmy award winners have been announced, and Houston is well represented once again.
The full list of winners is here. Follow the [Read More] link for an edited version that includes only the locals. (It's a hyperlocal blog, after all.) Congratulations to all the winners, and the news organizations that support them.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/29/07 11:27 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (1)
Layoffs at the Chronicle -- both voluntary and involuntary
Via Houstoned (and Banjo), we learn some of what went on at 801 Texas Avenue today:
Among the familiar names taking the buyouts are Louis B. Parks of the features section and Salatheia Bryant and Melanie Markley of the news side.
Among those leaving in a less voluntary manner are Steve McVicker, the former Houston Press reporter who’s been bird-dogging the HPD crime-lab scandal, and Thomas Korosec, the former Dallas Observer reporter who has been the Chron’s Dallas bureau.
Melanie Markley did the fine reporting on Mayor White's shakedown of the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation, and as Rich Connelly notes, Steve McVicker was doggedly keeping after the crime lab story. Did the Chronicle just give away a Pulitzer opportunity?
What a disappointing day. It's hard to comprehend that this is more valuable than Markley's or McVicker's contributions to the Chronicle; all we can do is shake our heads as upper management continues to make poor editorial decisions. And in this case, those decisions have affected the livelihoods of hard-working folks. We wish them the best in finding new opportunities.
UPDATE (10-30-2007): Banjo Jones posts an update with more names:
In addition to the names we posted yesterday, the additional buyouts/layoffs include:
Andrew Guy (features), Judy Minshew (editorial), Valarie White (business secretary), Bruce Westbrook (features) and Patty Reinert in Washington, we're told.
Westbrook, we're further informed, was laid off (as opposed to taking a voluntary buyout) and will sue for age discrimination [UPDATE (10-31-2007): Banjo Jones posts that Westbrook informs him this is not true]; we're not sure if the other people named today were involuntary or not.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/29/07 08:50 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (7)
Worse than the Froot Loops Bureau
There is an interesting news brief posted on Chron.com at the moment:
A man walking along an east Houston road was fatally shot by the driver of a gray 4-door older model compact car early Sunday.
Alvin Decuier Jr., 18, was walking in the 5600 block of Mulvey near Sakowitz when he approached the car and briefly spoke with the occupants, witnesses told police.
A passenger in the car shot Decuier multiple times and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
To echo Matt Bramanti's question in the comments -- Was the man shot by the driver or the passenger of the car?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/29/07 10:49 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (3)
Chron reader rep addresses election coverage
Steve Jetton, the Chronicle's interim reader representative, posts a reader's criticism of the newspaper's election coverage thus far (specifically, coverage of the constitutional amendments), and then responds as follows:
The Chronicle has written numerous articles about the amendments, including this round-up by Austin Bureau Chief Clay Robison that appeared on Oct. 21 and which I e-mailed to this reader.
Dean Betz, Online Content Director, said the Chronicle is partnering with E The People to produce an online voters guide that should be up and running by early next week. It will be available on chron.com's Politics page.
Tony Freemantle, Metro Editor, said a package of advance election stories will run in print in the City/State section on the Sunday before election day. And of course the paper will have continuing coverage of ongoing developments in political races right up until Nov. 6.
The Chronicle's election coverage has been better this time around, which is a positive development. However, as noted in the comments of Jetton's blog, both Betz and Freemantle seemed to miss the reader's point. Early voting started last week. An online voter's guide or package of stories that appears just before next Tuesday isn't much help to people who vote early. The newspaper understandably needs to fill print space with election-related stories right up until the traditional election day, but an online voter's guide that doesn't precede early voting isn't much of an online voter's guide.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/29/07 08:11 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (1)
28 October 2007
Will taxpayers get to pay for the Main Street Line again??
You may know that Metro has selected Washington Group International as the "design/build" contractor for the Phase 2 light rail expansion. Back in 2006, WGI submitted a proposal to Metro that suggested (among many other hair-raising things) Metro sell the Main Street Rail Line, then lease back the line and all related facilities (page 10 of the pdf file). Metro would use the revenue generated from the sale to fund a portion of the Phase 2 rail expansion.
Nice!
Taxpayers have already paid for the Main Street Line, and if this proposal were to be enacted, taxpayers would get to pay for the line again, through a lease-back.
We don't know if this proposal is being considered, but it wouldn't be surprising if it is. This idea would be right up Frank "Procurement Disaster" Wilson's alley.
Big thanks to Tom Bazan and Ted Richardson for their continued work at shining a light on things Metro would rather keep in the dark.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/28/07 07:44 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (2)
Stiles: Aggregate stats don't support recent perceptions on crime
Today's Chronicle runs an interesting bit of analysis by Matt Stiles on Houston crime data.
Stiles' conclusion? Perceptions that crime in Houston is surging aren't supported by aggregate crime data.
Stiles' effort is a nice first step in trying to replace subjective/anecdotal opinion about Houston crime with more objective analysis. I have in mind a post taking the analysis a bit further, but I've had a little trouble today reconciling FBI UCR data with some aggregate figures reported by Stiles, so my stats-heavy post will have to wait until Excel-master Stiles is back in the office and able (we hope) to share some of his spreadsheets.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/28/07 05:09 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
If Judge Emmett's tax rate cut was "token," what do you call Mayor White's?
After Commissioners Court approved Judge Emmett's requested one-cent property tax rate reduction, some called it a "token" cut.
What then should we call Mayor White's 1/8-cent rate reduction? Microscopic?
The point is, any reduction is better than no reduction, or an increase. One could argue in the city of Houston's case that a larger cut was in order due to the windfall tax revenues that the city has been receiving, on top of all the new revenue streams the mayor has put in place.
If reducing the tax rate becomes a trend for local governments, that's a good thing. If governments can slow the rate at which they rake in the cash, that's a better thing, especially considering governments don't earn money -- they confiscate it from hard-working taxpayers. If the state will do its part and pass real appraisal reform, that would be the best thing.
In the meantime, a "token" rate cut will have to do. It's certainly more than Harris County has done in years past, and it's a bigger rate cut than Mayor White offered up.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: A recent comment by Neal Meyer resonated with me on this topic:
The other day, [the Chronicle] reported that cutting the 64 cent per $100 property valuation by a penny would result in $25 million in lost revenues to the county. As usual, the media then stated that a tax cut of that kind of result in paltry savings to property owners.
One of the things that irritates me about this kind of reporting is that defenders of government often use these kinds of statements to imply that tax rates should not be cut. After all, what's $12 right? What they don't say is that all it takes is for your assets to go up and you get whacked, nor do they think that if every time a $12 tax cut is enacted, then over time the savings returns to taxpayers begin to add up. Instead what we get over time is government creep instead of government rollback.
This is a key observation, because one does tend to see reporting and commentary that downplay the impact of property tax cuts based on what the reduction would save against the last tax assessment (versus what it would save against, say, the average appraisal-creep increase most homeowners face each year).
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/28/07 12:48 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (1)
Grand Parkway is by developers, for developers
A few days ago, the Chron ran a (fawning) Q & A with the Gulf Coast Institute's David Crossley, and if we set aside most of the New Urbanism dreaming, he did make a good observation:
Q: Do you have the sense that Houston will get greener?
A: I think for five or 10 years we will lose massive amounts of green space, but I think at some point we will stop. There are 10 years of projects in the hopper and those projects are horrible; they are beyond belief and they are going up so fast they will probably devour as much as 1,000 square miles of land in the 10 to 15 years. But a lot of people are saying wait a minute, we don't have to accept that. We don't have to build those things. ... Of course if we don't build the Grand Parkway, most of that stuff doesn't happen. If we do build the Grand Parkway, all of it happens.
Q: So the Grand Parkway [a proposed 180 or so miles of highway circling greater Houston, a portion of which has already been built] is the great evil?
A: Actually it is. It's the worst project on the table. It is not a transportation project. If you look at the map of where it goes, no people live there. ... It is putting a road in rural places and saying, "Now you can go develop subdivisions."
Something we agree on! To elaborate on his statement that it's not a transportation project, but it IS a developers' project, the Grand Parkway was tabled decades ago as unnecessary for mobility, then brought back to life by developers (Billy Burge is president of the Grand Parkway Association) who see it as a golden opportunity to build subdivisions and retail centers.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/28/07 12:23 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (7)
27 October 2007
Chau Nguyen leaving KHOU-11
Via Mike McGuff, we find the news that KHOU-11's Chau Nguyen will be leaving the station for... lots of travel, in the immediate future.
Here's an excerpt from the announcement on her blog:
Some have approached me with bewildering looks on their faces. Why would I want to leave a great job, at a great station, in a career I worked so hard to build (trust me, this is not a business for the weak)?
Because I do have passion for life, and life isn't just about work for me anymore.
What will I do when I return? Who knows? But just like everything else I do, I will do it with commitment and intent, with all the zest and energy I have, and I will do it with courage. It is silly to be afraid of an uncertain future.
That travel bug can be overwhelming. Here's wishing Nguyen the best, and that she'll post plenty of travel updates on her blog.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/27/07 12:30 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (2)
The return of the Editorial LiveJournal
It's been quite a while since James Howard Gibbons and crew posted a true Editorial LiveJournal, so today's is a treat! Here's an excerpt:
If the French believe that gilding is the lily's proper fate, so violated is nature becoming that it might require gilding in order to be aesthetically pleasing. An example Ohlin provided are the bronzed, artificial rocks of artist Vija Clemens.
It's really world class when the Chief Editorial LiveJournalist breaks out the flowery prose!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/27/07 12:17 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (0)
Mayor White assists "well-heeled" residents in high-rise fight
As we all know, some wealthy/influential Houstonians are in a tizzy about a high-rise going up in their neighborhood, so Mayor White has sprung into action, proposing a new ordinance aimed directly at cutting the high-rise down in size. Really!
Mayor Bill White's administration has proposed an ordinance that could require developers to reduce the size of a planned high-rise building that's ignited a bitter dispute over what's appropriate to develop in Houston.
The ordinance, distributed to City Council members Tuesday, could be on the council's agenda next week — an unusually fast timetable for a new regulatory law in Houston. Such measures typically take months to work their way through the city bureaucracy.
White acknowledged that the ordinance was drafted in response to a controversial high-rise planned near Rice University that has not yet received a building permit. Residents of the adjoining Southampton and Boulevard Oaks neighborhoods hired a prominent attorney and staged a street protest against the project.
The ordinance would require traffic impact studies of projects on two-lane, two-way streets that include at least 100 dwelling units and increase density 100 percent or more. This description fits the 23-story building that developers Kevin Kirton and Matthew Morgan of Houston-based Buckhead Investment Partners want to build at 1717 Bissonnet.
The measure would give the public works director broad discretion to require steps to ease traffic problems involved. In the case of the Bissonnet project, White said, reducing the building's size would be the most logical solution.
Wow.
New legislation directed at one construction project. Do you think this ordinance could have a wider impact? Of course:
In its current form, the ordinance would have an impact on nearly all multifamily developments, not just high-rises, said Andy Teas, vice president of public affairs for the Houston Apartment Association.
But let's not worry about that right now. Some Houstonians are concerned about their view, and that needs to be addressed, immediately! I mean, it's possible a big shot at the local daily newspaper lives in the vicinity!
Just to emphasize how absurd this is, recall that Councilman Johnson noted his constituents could hardly get anyone to listen when they had complaints about housing developments in their not-quite-as-affluent neighborhoods, a point that didn't impress the Chronicle editors:
Influential opponents of the Ashby Tower have won considerable support at City Hall and are represented by prominent litigator Rusty Hardin. Their clout has led some Houstonians to charge favoritism and inequity.
Well, of course. Well-heeled, civically active voters wield more influence than low-income residents who might have less time or inclination to vote and take part in civic affairs.
Nor have we seen Mayor White propose ordinances to help residents along Metro's University Line. From today's story, here's Mayor White's rationale for the Bissonnet ordinance:
"The development on Bissonnet that will dump more than 2,000 (daily) trips onto a two-lane, two-way street exposed a loophole" in city regulations, White said, explaining why he put the ordinance on such a fast track.
When residents and business owners along Wheeler and Richmond have complained about what the billion-dollar light rail line would do to traffic, Mayor White has ignored their concerns. He says running rail down those streets will ease congestion, contrary to what actual studies have said.
As the Chronicle admits, well-heeled voters wield more influence. We can only conclude this is the case with Mayor White's administration. Something to keep in mind when Mayor White tries to become Governor White.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Mayor White previously asserted that no special treatment was being doled out to the well-heeled:
White and other city officials denied that the Southampton and Boulevard Oaks neighborhoods near the site at 1717 Bissonnet had received any special treatment.
We made light of that dubious assertion at the time, and today's story (as highlighted by Anne above) confirms we were right to do so.
The ordinance, distributed to City Council members Tuesday, could be on the council's agenda next week — an unusually fast timetable for a new regulatory law in Houston. Such measures typically take months to work their way through the city bureaucracy.
Clearly, the well-heeled ARE receiving special treatment, and they are receiving special treatment in the form of a punitive, reactionary ordinance that hasn't received proper vetting (committee meetings, input from the public, input from ALL stakeholders, input from municipal and other experts) and thus could have unintended consequences and implications. Even worse, this poorly vetted ordinance moves significant power ("broad discretion" in fact!) from the city's elected officials (Council) to the city's director of public works -- again, without any real vetting or any real guidance.
This is running the city like a business?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/27/07 11:17 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (12)
26 October 2007
Soccer stadium negotiations creep along
The Chronicle sport section's Bernardo Fallas checks in today on the Dynamo's downtown stadium negotiations:
Through the Dynamo, AEG is in the advanced stages of negotiating a public-private partnership with the city of Houston that would facilitate the construction of a 22,000-capacity, open-air facility just east of downtown and priced between $70 million to $80 million.
The agreement also would include the construction of a satellite public soccer complex and training facility likely to be located on the city's south side.
Both sides have indicated in recent weeks that a decision is expected by year's end, but Mayor Bill White warns there's still plenty of work to do.
"There remains a large number of unresolved issues," White said in a statement e-mailed to the Chronicle on Thursday. "However, both parties are optimistic that we can achieve a mutually satisfactory conclusion."
White would not elaborate on the loose ends, adding that at the present time "we do not plan to provide any answers to specific questions."
AEG and the Dynamo also declined to offer specifics. However, all signs point to the entertainment giant bearing the brunt of the stadium cost, an investment that likely would surpass $60 million.
The city would pony up the rest, although how it would finance its share remains unclear after White said earlier this year property taxes will not enter the equation.
AEG and the city also would partner in a public soccer complex at a proposed site about 7 miles south of the stadium along Texas 288 near Reed Road that would include practice facilities for the team.
"That's also part of our discussions with the city," Dynamo president Oliver Luck said.
[snip]
Besides the city figuring out how to fund its share of the proposed agreement, a key aspect that might be pushing back a decision is the issue of a site for the stadium.
The Dynamo first set sights on land owned by the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority just east of Minute Maid Park and U.S. 59, but have since decided against the property, which the Astros lease for stadium parking.
"We know for a fact (the property) is no longer being considered," said Sports Authority head Kenny Friedman, who added that the Sports Authority is not actively involved in the negotiations.
The team might be looking to purchase private land near the same general area as the county-owned property, although Luck declined to confirm or deny it, saying only that a downtown venue is still planned.
It hasn't helped that negotiations have lasted longer than expected.
The Dynamo and the city began formal talks in May and hoped to have a concrete plan of action by mid-July.
"Any stadium discussions take lots of turns and twists," Luck said.
But even a substantial delay will be well worth it if something positive comes out of it, players said.
Manhattan wasn't built in a day, after all!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/26/07 08:03 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (7)
Red light cameras generate $6 million for HPD
The Chronicle's Mike Glenn has details of what HPD plans on doing with its new windfall:
Red light cameras installed at 50 intersections throughout the city have generated more than $6 million for the city since the program was launched last fall, Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt said Thursday.
HPD officials are now deciding how to spend some of the money.
About $25,000 will be spent on an evaluation of the camera program by Rice University and the Texas Transportation Institute.
"They are going to be looking at everything, including where (the cameras) are placed," said Executive Assistant Chief Martha Montalvo, who supervises the program.
The evaluation will examine accidents at intersections where cameras have been mounted, compared with surrounding areas, officials said.
The results from the review of the first 20 intersections are expected by the end of January, Montalvo said.
Almost $1 million will go toward equipment upgrades and safety programs aimed at troubled youth, and $635,000 to replace aging video cameras in patrol cars.
Also, $240,000 to buy vehicles that can test a driver's blood alcohol level, $229,000 to send officers to school zones, $83,000 to work with students who have drug and alcohol problems, and $20,000 for a teenage driver safety program.
Which still leaves a majority of the money untapped. What will HPD do with the rest?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/26/07 04:52 AM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (7)
25 October 2007
Lennon art to be displayed at Galleria this weekend
As the Chronicle's Andrew Dansby reports, John Lennon fans may be interested in an exhibit running this weekend at the Galleria:
John Lennon was an art student before he started his band. By the time the Beatles were making music, visual art had taken a back seat to music. According to widow Yoko Ono, he'd retreat to his art "and use it like a security blanket. Anytime he was depressed or something, I'd see him drawing something really funny."
Boredom also proved inspirational. She said he never locked himself inside any sort of studio to draw. "He wasn't that way. He'd do it on a plane. Or anytime we had a conference with lawyers. John could get bored easily."
More than 100 pieces, a few of which were only recently unearthed, will be included in Come Together: The Artwork of John Lennon, a three-day exhibit at the Galleria starting Friday.
The pieces will mostly include Lennon's iconic pen and ink drawings, sometimes with dappled spots of color; "minimalist," Ono, 74, calls them.
The Chron sidebar has more information on hours and such.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/25/07 11:06 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (2)
24 October 2007
Houston Marathon inadvertently creates market for entries
For its upcoming race in January, the Houston Marathon decided to allow registered runners to transfer their entry to someone else for a fee (the rationale being, if one is unable to participate for some reason, the spot won't go to waste).
Of course, the race only accepts a limited number of participants, and demand is fairly heavy, so the new transferability of entries means... a secondary market for entries has emerged. Judging by a recent email from Marathon officials, they are not happy about this development:
Runners seeking entry into the 2008 marathon or half marathon are still able to do so via registration transfers. Transfers allow registered entrants to transfer their registrations to those seeking entries. If you have an entry that will not be used, we need you to help those who are ready to run but are without an entry. Please be financially considerate in your requests when transferring your entry to another person -- we want you to be able to recover your entry fee if you won't be able to run, but we do not endorse selling your bib for an excessive amount.
NOTE: IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT AGAINST PRICE GOUGING, IF ANY PERSON FROM THIS DATE ON IS CAUGHT ATTEMPTING TO CHARGE MORE THAN $200 FOR A MARATHON ENTRY OR $140 FOR A HALF MARATHON ENTRY, THEY RUN THE RISK OF BEING BANNED FROM PARTICIPATING IN ANY OF OUR 2009 RACE EVENTS. IF YOU HAVE AN ENTRY FOR SALE ON EBAY, CRAIGSLIST OR ELSEWHERE AND ARE CHARGING ABOVE $200 OR $140, WE SUGGEST YOU CHANGE YOUR ASKING PRICE IMMEDIATELY.
ALL CAPS! THEY MUST REALLY MEAN BUSINESS.
I'm not a huge fan of scalpers, but is it really that surprising that people would take to Craigslist and Ebay to sell transferable items for which demand outstrips supply?
The definition of "gouging" is interesting as well. Selling an $85 entry for $200.01 is "gouging" but anything less is apparently just fine.
The Marathon organizers may have to revisit the "transferability" issue next year.
BLOGVERSATION: HouStoned.
UPDATE (10-26-2007): Houston's leading trailing information source finally decided to cover this story. Better than never, we suppose!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/24/07 09:32 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (9)
The Gray Lady covers Tex-Mex
Tex-Mex cuisine and the Houston Press' inimitable Robb Walsh get lots of play in this New York Times story.
There's no way to do it justice with an excerpt. Just go read.
BLOGVERSATION: Cook's Tour (we second the shout out for Spanish Village).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/24/07 09:09 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
Blogging it, METRO-style
METRO's $76,000/year blogger informs that METRO is working with Houston Grand Opera for the first time:
Walk into the lobby of the Wortham Center where two performances of the opera will be staged, and you'll see a huge METRO banner hanging from the ceiling. This is our first partnership with the Houston Grand Opera.
"We thought it was such a good fit for us," said Nicole Adler, advertising account executive at METRO. "It's about the different communities in Houston. We have a lot of refugees in Houston - more than people realize. Since METRO goes to all the different communities and services them, this was a way to acknowledge them, their hardship and be there to serve them."
Of course, a better way to acknowledge them might be to follow through with the 50% increase in bus service that was promised in the 2003 referendum (instead of cuts that are deemed "service adjustments").
Elsewhere, the METRO blogger assures that the next round of rail construction is going to move along right on time, as promised:
METRO's decision yesterday to build light rail on all five lines, instead of Bus Rapid Transit with a later conversion to light rail, represents a hugely ambitious goal.
We've said we would deliver all that by the end of 2012 - along with an Intermodal Terminal.
So how do we plan to do that?
Through a strategy called design/build. "Design/build, also called a hybrid delivery system, allows us to engineer and design a project while we're beginning construction," said Russ Frank, director of government affairs.
Let's hope it works out better than the promised rollout of the stored-value (Q) cards.
But if it doesn't, we're sure METRO's expensive blogger will spin it well for the organization.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/24/07 09:00 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (6)
23 October 2007
KTRK-13: Chief Hurtt to take up blogging
KTRK-13's Miya Shay posts that her colleague Andy Cerota has learned that Chief Hurtt will be starting his own blog.
We've missed his podcasts, and hope the blog proves to be as interesting. It will be a real bonus if Martha Montalvo is the executive assistant blogger!
Plus it will allow Chief Hurtt to look plugged in to Houston affairs during those weekends in Arizona.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/23/07 09:17 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (11)
METRORail: The Frank and Frank show
Neal Meyer has done quite of bit of digging and uncovered some interesting details about a consultant Metro began using a couple of years ago...a consultant who goes way back with Metro CEO Frank "Procurement Disaster" Wilson:
Mr. Wilson stipulated in the contract he awarded to Mr. Russo that he would make $1 million over the first two years of his employment with Metro, at a rate of $300 per hour. The contract was amended this past April, where Mr. Wilson bumped up Russo's pay by $10 per hour and increased the contract ceiling to $1.1 million. Mr. Russo's employment can be extended beyond the inital period, but we will not know on what terms.
That's just a small taste. Follow the link for more.
You know, this light rail business is almost incestuous.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/23/07 08:18 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (4)
Commissioners Court approves tax rate cut
Today, Commissioners Court took up the matter of Judge Ed Emmett's proposed one cent property tax rate cut:
Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved County Judge Ed Emmett’s proposal this morning to cut the county’s property tax rate by one cent, the largest property tax cut ever passed by the court.
The move will lower the county’s overall property tax rate to 62.998 cents per $100 assessed valuation from the previous rate of 63.998 cents. The tax decrease will trigger no cuts in service and is not expected to affect the county’s bond rating.
“Property appraisals have been increasing for several years now, and government has continued to grow as a result. We on Commissioners Court realized it was time to take action to restrain that growth and to allow taxpayers to keep more of their money,” Emmett said. “The true reform now has to come in the appraisal process. The next step is to get the state legislature to pass meaningful tax appraisal reform.”
Today’s tax cut marks only the third time the rate has been lowered in 20 years. The new, lower property tax rate will be reflected in 2007 tax bills being mailed to Harris County property owners next month.
RELATED COVERAGE: Chronicle
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/23/07 07:06 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (6)
Black Monday at the Chronicle?
Word reaches us that Chronicle publisher Jack Sweeney circulated an email internally at the Chronicle yesterday warning of another round of staff reductions. The downsizing will apparently be "in the 5 percent range," and is set for October 29 and 30 (Jack's Halloween gift?).
While we are sometimes critical of the newspaper (because we want it to be among the best), we certainly aren't happy to hear this news. It's hard for the core news product to improve when this seems to be the only section of the newspaper that is expanding, and the parts put out by professional journalists and editors are shrinking.
The print newspaper business has been bleeding for quite some time, and the hope that online revenues could replace declining print revenues seems to have been misplaced (so far, at least). Do you think newspapers (the Chronicle, and the industry in general) will be able to arrest the decline at some point, or is the daily textual news medium (print and online) simply falling out of favor? Please discuss.
RELATED COVERAGE: Chronicle, Reuters, Houston Business Journal
BLOGVERSATION: Brazosport News, Brains and Eggs.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/23/07 08:44 AM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (18)
22 October 2007
KTRH: Quanell the Tenth warns HPD about gangs
KTRH-740's Jarrod Allen reports on some incendiary comments made by Quannel the Tenth at an "excessive force" protest/vigil (take your pick):
"I'm saying to Mayor White: 'Soon, the Bloods and the Crips and the north and south side are going to stop fighting each other. They're gonna see the cops as the natural enemy. And when that happens, only God can handle what happens after that," Quanell X said, in a speech to the crowd, at the spot where the group laid candles where Smith was killed.
The activist then made a dark prediction for the future of relations between Houston Police and gangs in the city. "It's soon to come to an end, and this city will burn if they don't do something about these killer cops. I don't want to see that, and I'm not advocating that. But I'm speaking to the hurt and the pain of the people.
Interestingly, the reports from the Chronicle and from KPRC-2 neglect to mention the warning from Quanell the Tenth.
BLOGVERSATION: Lou Minatti, Cigars, Donuts, and Coffee.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/22/07 08:19 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (15)
Chron announces cool front with fantastic headlines
The temperature dropped today, and Chron.com had several interesting headlines on the story through the day.
Here's the one that first appeared in the site's RSS feed:
Temperature drop to bring winter to Houston
And here's the headline that's still on Chron.com mobile:
The lows are going to be in the 50s. That's not winter.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/22/07 08:06 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (8)
21 October 2007
Helfman, et al., on reinventing HPD
Alan Helfman, Jay Wall, and William Wolff offer another of their periodic op-eds on HPD and Houston crime. Here is an excerpt:
In his inaugural speech as NYPD commissioner, [William] Bratton promised to cut serious crime by 10 percent his first year and 15 percent the second. Bratton underpromised, then overdelivered. In the 27 months of Bill Bratton's tenure as NYPD commissioner, homicide was cut by 50 percent and serious crime was cut by 33 percent. Similar results should be achievable in Houston, not the mere 10 percent reduction in violent crime Chief Hurtt promised (over three years) on Oct. 2.
When looking back on the pre-1994 NYPD, CompStat originator Jack Maple observed that there was no question that some small percentage of police officers were thoroughly lazy, demoralized and actively sought to do as little as possible — they showed up for work, but didn't get actively involved in crime fighting (Maple called these cops "conscientious objectors"). However, the majority of the force was "on the job," performed to the best of their abilities and maintained high levels of performance despite the lack of supportive leadership and the cynicism of other cops. Most wanted to be good, assertive cops, but instead of leading them to excellence, NYPD command had all too often placed obstacles in their way and they became satisfied with a level of performance that was merely adequate. By using CompStat, by empowering and transforming management through the imposition of accountability systems and by forging alliances with the best and most effective operational officers, NYPD's executive corps rapidly transformed the department into one in which the highest standards of performance became the norm.
During his original campaign for mayor, Bill White promised to run the city of Houston in a businesslike fashion. He promised a "bottom-line" focus that would be results-driven. As any good businessman knows, you can't manage what you can't (or won't) measure. We are asking that HPD be managed in a businesslike manner with a true profit and loss sort of approach. HPD should be in the business of "controlling crime," not just reacting to it.
We don't know what Bill White's political aspirations are, but we do know that Rudy Giuliani was propelled to national prominence and now is taking a shot at the presidency, in large part due to the fact that he was the mayor of New York City when NYPD got smart on crime. Will a major reduction in crime in Houston be seen as part of Bill White's legacy? There is still time.
In other parts of the op-ed, the authors discuss how CompStat was implemented -- with great success -- in New York City.
Interestingly, the approach in New York apparently did not call for Bratton to jet off to Phoenix on weekends, like some big-city chiefs.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/07 09:30 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (0)
Reflecting on White, Brown
Roy Reynolds comments on Mayor White and reminisces about his predecessor in today's Chronicle:
[Mayor] initially concentrated on long-neglected financial restructuring, including the unfunded liabilities of the employee pension fund, to put the city on a firm fiscal base.Few can deny that White has made certain strides in the right direction for the city. But the reason for his popularity might have less to do with his initiatives than outsiders might perceive.
Bill White brought Houston some sorely needed credibility in the city's head office. He actually kept some campaign promises, including syncing up the green lights downtown. Never mind that the light rail keeps traffic moving in a distinctly staccato manner.
Working with then-County Judge Robert Eckels in giving refuge to victims of Hurricane Katrina was not only noble, but provided a boost to the city's reputation around the nation.
But honestly, White benefited most from the man he replaced. The lowered bar helped curve up White's reputation before he ever put a photo of his wife on the mayoral desk. Anyone would have looked good compared with the previous administration of Lee Brown, who inexplicably stuck to Houston like some political napalm of mismanagement.
The day city workers took a crowbar to remove Brown's photo from the airport sign, flowers began to bloom. Birds chirped. Off in the distance, a small child laughed.
Lee Brown was a constant source of entertainment and embarrassment for many of us. He was EXACTLY the guy you want to follow if you are an ambitious pol. Of course, the Chronicle endorsed Lee Brown repeatedly for mayor, which just goes to show what those sorts of endorsements are worth.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/07 09:17 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
City ordinance kills property values; councilman pleads ignorance
In today's Chronicle, Mike Snyder looks at the effect of the city's floodplain ordinance that prohibits construction on vacant land that sits in a floodplain:
The ordinance, adopted unanimously by the City Council on Aug. 30, 2006, affects almost 10,000 developed or vacant properties around the city, including nearly 2,400 single-family houses.
It has triggered at least five lawsuits in the past few months by Norcini and other property owners who say the city is essentially taking their property — robbing it of most of its value — without providing compensation.
"This is one of the greatest land takings in the history of Texas," said Norcini, 48, an oil company engineer whose lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
The growing revolt against the ordinance illustrates the painful choices public officials face as they struggle to craft policies that effectively manage the impact of development on flood hazards in one of the nation's most flood-prone metropolitan areas.
[snip]
A few months after the ordinance was approved, city officials began getting phone calls from residents of Shady Acres, a 100-year-old neighborhood off T.C. Jester just inside Loop 610 near White Oak Bayou.
These residents were gradually learning not only that their property was now in the floodway, but that the city had adopted rules prohibiting new construction or expansion of buildings in the floodway.
What comes next is just typical of how the city operates:
Nancy Wilcox, another Shady Acres resident whose home is in the floodway along with her mother's nearby house, said the city should have explored other options to help reduce flooding risks.
"Instead of taking my property and my mother's property as a last resort, it was a first resort," she told the council's flooding and drainage committee on Sept. 20. "It is wrong to sacrifice a few thousand people."
[snip]
Councilman Adrian Garcia, whose district includes Shady Acres, said during the Sept. 20 committee meeting that council members didn't get enough information about the measure's impact before they voted on it.
"Why didn't we let folks know in advance that we were going to be going down this track?" Garcia asked. "Everybody has reared up because a lot of people were caught by surprise. At council, we had almost no discussion on this."
Garcia also noted that many property owners whose land is now in the floodway have rarely, if ever, experienced serious flooding.
"How do we justify the restrictions on property that since (Tropical Storm) Allison, have never been flooded, but are currently under the restrictions?" Garcia asked. "How do we justify that?"
Because that's how things happen in Houston: The city imposes the most punitive actions as a first resort, instead of exploring alternatives. Think $AFEclear, and red light cameras, to name just a couple of examples.
And then Councilman Garcia complains that council wasn't given enough information. Well, why in the heck is council passing these laws, if councilmembers don't know what's going on?
It's stunning.
MORE: In the forum, Neal Meyer notes that he wrote about this on his blog back in June. It's very interesting reading.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/21/07 08:29 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
20 October 2007
Metro: Yeah, we know light rail construction is a pain...
A METRO spokeswoman said the concerns of residents and business owners are legitimate.
"It's a pain. It's a pain that we all have to bear in the meantime (but) will bring benefits in the long run," said Sandra Aponte Salazar, a METRO spokeswoman.
More than $2 billion-worth of pain that all must bear for the good of less than one percent of the public.
As for the long-term benefits, look how Main Street has thrived...
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/20/07 09:22 AM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (7)
18 October 2007
METRO picks Richmond route, scraps BRT
METRO's board issued two big decisions today after several hours of sham testimony. Here is Rad Sallee's coverage for the Chronicle.
First, METRO chose the Richmond rail option that it has seemingly favored all along.
Readers of this blog know well my thoughts about the folly of running at-grade rail down busy streets, in the pursuit of being "world class" (hint: it's only thought to be "world class" by people who apparently haven't used transit in much of the world). In a sensible policymaking world, the Main Street experience would have warned decisionmakers away from repeating the same mistake -- actually, making a worse mistake, since Richmond is far more important to vehicular traffic mobility than Main Street is. Alas, we do not have the sorts of decisionmakers in Houston who are capable of constructing a truly "world-class" mobility system that serves current needs and anticipates future growth. So we are likely stuck with a rail route that is going to hurt overall mobility on an important vehicular traffic corridor, hurt the environment by replacing old trees with concrete, metal, and wires, and serve just under 1% of the public. Twenty years from now, Houstonians will likely wonder what we were thinking.
METRO's other big decision today was to scrap its Bus Rapid Transit plans for certain routes, and build all the routes with light rail from the start.
That will be welcome news to the communities that proved instrumental in the 2003 referendum actually getting a majority. It is the right thing to do (at least in terms of keeping a promise made -- whether ridership justifies the expense is, again, a question of policymaking with regard to overall mobility, but as we have seen for some time, policymaking at METRO often focuses on matters such as real-estate development or politics before overall mobility is considered). It should also head off at least one legal argument that METRO is not complying with the requirements of the 2003 referendum.
Feel free to offer your thoughts on today's activities in the forum (please do keep it respectful, though, whether you agree or disagree with today's actions) or on this post over at Lose an Eye, It's a Sport, where we've been having an interesting discussion about Houston transit and mobility and policymaking.
BLOGVERSATION: Houston Strategies, Lou Minatti.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/18/07 08:31 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (20)
17 October 2007
Houston chefs to appear on "Iron Chef America"
The Houston Business Journal reports that several Houston chefs will be appearing on The Food Network in a few days:
Ibiza Food & Wine Bar chef/owner Charles Clark will take on Iron Chef Mario Batali on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America" on Oct. 21.
Whipping up dishes using a secret ingredient, Clark and Batali will go toe-to-toe in the quest to take home the Kitchen Stadium title.
Joining Clark in the competition are Houston chefs Olivier Ciesielski from Tony's and Lance Warren, formerly of the St. Regis.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/17/07 10:25 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (4)
KHOU: "City's scrap metal law is full of holes"
KHOU-11's Lee McGuire reports that the City of Houston is lagging in its implementation of the scrap-metal ordinance that Mayor White and his Council passed in March:
Every scrap dealer in Houston was supposed to have a system in place to identify the sellers by now and send all of the information to the police department.
But a lot of scrap dealers don’t have access to the Internet, and the city hasn’t written the computer program needed to make it all work.
It’s been nearly a month since the ordinance took effect, and problems with the sweeping scrap metal changes are now coming to light.
“But I also learned that some of the things we wanted for investigative purposes maybe weren’t entirely practical,” said Houston City Councilman Adrian Garcia.
Later this month, Houston will pick a private company to set up the computer programs needed to put all the city’s scrap metal dealers online, remove requirements that dealers tag every bit of metal that comes through their doors, and drop the requirement that dealers hold scrap metal for a week down to three days.
Back when the ordinance passed, temporarily-not Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado released the following statement:
“This morning, my colleagues and I unanimously passed the Scrap Metal Ordinance, strengthening HPD’s ability to properly respond to the malicious wave of copper theft that has affected our city,” said Council Member Carol Alvarado.
“Areas in my district such as the 3rd and 4th Ward were targeted as vulnerable neighborhoods by these very organized criminals. Non-profits, churches, homebuilders, and most importantly residents were falling victim to this very cost-consuming crime. We have finally closed the loop on a most unfortunate sting of crimes that had a drastic economic impact.
Or perhaps not.
It will be useful down the road to compare the rate of scrap metal thefts before and after the ordinance officially took effect (in September). Of course, if the numbers look bad, Mayor White may just tell us it's because many more copper thieves live in Houston than before the ordinance, and the numbers would be worse without it!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/17/07 10:01 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (11)
16 October 2007
DeBakey receives top civilian honor
The Chronicle's Michelle Mittelstadt reports that legendary surgeon Michael DeBakey has received the nation's top civilian honor:
With a stroke of his pen today, President Bush officially conferred the nation's highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, on famed Houston heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey.
Bush's action caps a four-year effort by Texans in Congress to honor the 99-year-old, whose surgical and technical innovations have improved the practice of medicine over more than a half century.
The next step is the design and minting of the one-of-a-kind medal that will be presented to DeBakey at a congressional ceremony. The U.S. Mint, which will consult with DeBakey and his family on the design, will also mint duplicate medals for sale to the public.
Though the process typically takes a year or more and requires the approval of the Treasury secretary, various committees and the recipient, DeBakey's admirers are hoping to cut through the red tape and hold the ceremony within the next several months.
Well done. Now let's get moving on the official presentation.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/16/07 11:31 PM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (1)
Did the headline writer mean to call them heavyweights?
KTRK-13's Deborah Wrigley reports on fireworks at the county government level:
Today was the public hearing on the county's proposed tax rate which commissioners are leaning toward lowering by one cent. Instead it turned into a debate between the county judge and his announced opponent in next year's primary. If today is any indication, it's going to be a long fight. Candidate and former District Clerk Charles Bacarisse was the only person to sign up to discuss the county tax rate. Commissioners are considering cutting it by one cent. Bacarisse, as part of his campaign, is proposing a five cent reduction.
[snip]
What was debated this morning ranged from tax plans to a political mail out from the Bacarisse campaign that voters are now receiving.
"You made a statement here that I have never publicly called for property tax relief," County Judge Ed Emmett said.
"That's correct," Bacarisse replied.
Emmett testified earlier this year before a state Senate Committee on property appraisal caps. He supported a limit on how much home values can be raised in a single year. Because of that, he demanded a retraction from Bacarisse. Bacarisse declined and now there's talk of a lawsuit alleging defamation.
"Even candidates are not allowed to defame their opponent by stating something that's blatantly false," said Emmett.
Responding to the possibility of a lawsuit, candidate Bacarisse said, "That's ridiculous, that's just ridiculous. It's politics, he knows better."
Late today, Emmett said he is consulting with attorneys. As for the tax cut that being discussed, Harris County Tax Assessor Paul Bettencourt says he doesn't support cutting the county's share of the tax rate by more than three cents saying it could affect the debt service on county bonds. Commissioners will vote on setting the tax rate next week.
What a fine mess Robert Eckels left for Harris County (and the Harris County GOP) when he prematurely bailed on the term he had just been elected to serve.
BLOGVERSATION: Off the Kuff.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/16/07 11:11 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
Chron.com spam?
Lou Minatti says he got spammed by the Houston Chronicle.
I got the same annoying email, and that's how I would characterize it.
Is this the online equivalent of the print edition's carriers continuing to throw paper copies on the lawns of people who have canceled their subscriptions (or who have never subscribed in the first place)?
Maybe it was just a mistake that won't happen again. *hint*
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/16/07 10:56 PM | Houston Chronicle | Technorati | Comments (6)
KHOU analyzes commute times pre/post-SAFEclear
KHOU-11's Jeremy Rogalski reports on Houston's SAFEclear program, and whether the promises made by supporters early on actually square with reality:
“Traffic will move a lot faster.”
“Move the traffic along”
“Move the traffic on the freeways.”
Those comments came from Houston Mayor Bill White while he was launching the City’s Safe Clear wrecker program in 2005.
Top ranking officials in the Mayor’s Office of Mobility even went a step further:
“You will see a tremendous difference in the flow of traffic,” said Joe Breshears, Director of the Office of Mobility in December, 2004.
And David Saperstein, the program’s chairman pledged “a huge difference for people getting to work on time” in March, 2004. Six months later, Saperstein added that Houstonians would see “a dramatic uptick in the reduction of drive times.”
So, the 11 News Defenders wanted to know, has the city lived up to its promise?
We analyzed peak drive times for every major freeway into downtown: Gulf, North, Northwest, East, Eastex, South and Southwest. The Katy Freeway was not included due to construction.
The analysis covered the morning peak hours of 6:30a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and the afternoon peak hours between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. 11 News compared average drive times along those segments in 2003 to 2006, which is two years before Safe Clear, and two years after the program was launched.
The bottom line -- 86 percent of those routes saw not a reduction but an increase in average drive times.
Later in the story, Mayor White and Tim Lomax are quoted as downplaying KHOU's results, because more vehicles are on the road. While that may be true, it doesn't change the fact that supporters of the program promised more than it has delivered (or possibly could deliver), or that Mayor White certainly has not been shy about trumpeting any statistic that reflects well on SAFEclear. We suppose that's just the nature of (ambitious) pols.
We also suppose that the sorts of people who get upset with proponents of Texas electricity deregulation when they argue that electricity prices might be even higher without deregulation won't bat an eye when it comes to assertions that congestion would be even worse without SAFEclear.
Now, to be fair, many of us who have criticized SAFEclear will readily concede that getting stalled cars off the freeway expeditiously helps traffic flow -- that seems obvious. However, we did have concerns about the original draconian program (which effectively treated the cars of poor people as a way of paying for the program), and we continue to wonder if the program as currently conceived gets the city the best bang for its ($3 million) bucks. Perhaps city officials could learn something from KHOU's analysis, instead of simply dismissing it?
BLOGVERSATION: Lose an Eye, It's a Sport.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/16/07 10:46 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (3)
15 October 2007
Stray current and Richmond rail: An evolving story
Over at Lose an Eye, It's a Sport, Cory Crow notes an evolving story by Rad Sallee on Chron.com today.
Apparently, opponents of light rail on Richmond held a press conference earlier to criticize the possible placement of the Westpark light rail line (renamed the University Line, even though that description was nowhere to be found in the 2003 referendum) on Richmond because of stray-current concerns and a 66-inch water line that runs under the street.
The version of the story carrying a 12:36pm time stamp had the following headline:
Rail foes: stray current may harm water line
Later in the day, the story (with the same hyperlink) "evolved" with no warning to readers, and so did the headline. Here's what was posted at 3:35pm:
Metro disuptes rail foes' stray current claims
The spelling error has not been corrected in the latest version of the story, which carries a 5:41pm stamp.
As Crow observes, this probably should have been posted as two separate stories (with their own hyperlinks), since the headlines read almost like a point/counterpoint. The final, balanced story could have been prepared for tomorrow's print editions (and given yet another hyperlink). The Chronicle does some nice work in getting stories to the web quickly, but we have long thought that once a story is posted, any significant changes ought to come in a new story (much as print newspapers once had multiple editions).
On the substance of the claims, METRO really cannot deny that it has been unable to end the stray-current leakage along the Main Street rail line. METRO cannot deny the simple physics of stray current (which can corrode metal over time). METRO also cannot deny that the TMC report indicates that the problem will have to be monitored carefully for the life of the rail line on Main, because of the critical infrastructure in the area. And as Tom Bazan can attest, even getting METRO to produce documents related to stray-current after multiple public-information requests has not been easy (suggesting it is a topic METRO would prefer not to talk about).
Whether you think this relates at all to the infrastructure located along Richmond probably tracks closely with your preference for the placement of the Westpark rail line. That said, METRO's record with regard to stray current issues along the Main Street rail line certainly doesn't entitle the organization to the benefit of the doubt when their PR representatives say, "don't worry, we have considered it and it's not an issue" (or when they idiotically compare the stray-current issue to graffiti).
RELATED COVERAGE: KRIV-26.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/15/07 07:07 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (7)
UH names sole finalist for Chancellor/President position
The University of Houston has announced the sole finalist for its open UH Chancellor/President position. Here's an excerpt from the press release:
Dr. Renu Khator, provost and senior vice president at the University of South Florida, a major research institution and the ninth largest university in the country, has been selected as the sole finalist for the position of University of Houston System chancellor and UH president.
A devoted teacher, seasoned educational administrator and respected scholar, Khator has a doctorate and master’s degree in political science from Purdue University and earned her bachelor’s degree from Kanpur University in India.
UH System Board of Regents Chairman Welcome Wilson made the announcement Monday following a vote by the board. Texas law requires that the board give public notice at least 21 days prior to a meeting in which final action is taken on the employment of a university chancellor or president. The board can meet anytime on or after November 5 and vote to confirm Khator.
[snip]
The 52-year-old Renu Khator (pronounced rah-NEW ka-TOOR) has served as provost at the University of South Florida since 2003, and was dean of the College of Arts & Sciences for three years prior to that. From 1997 to 2000, she served as the director of USF’s Environmental Science and Policy Department. She has served as professor of government & international affairs at the university since 1995. She is the author or editor of five scholarly books and numerous articles concerning global public administration, environmental issues, and South Asian politics.
A native of India, she came to the United States in 1974 after her marriage to Suresh Khator. Both pursued graduate degrees at Purdue University and later accepted teaching positions at USF. He is a professor of Industrial & Management Systems Engineering and director of computing for the College of Engineering at USF. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and serves as faculty athletic representative to the NCAA. They have two daughters, both ophthalmologists.
“I have been very impressed by the bold and embracing vision of the University of Houston System,” said Khator. “I applaud the board’s continuing commitment to academic excellence, economic development, diversity and PK-16 education. The University of Houston System, with its distinctive yet complementary institutions, is poised to become a model metropolitan university providing access and excellence with equal ease. I look forward to being a part of this wonderful institution and exciting city and state.”
USF, where Khator is the second highest ranking administrator, is a comprehensive, doctoral-extensive, research university with four campuses, including a medical school, in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee, and Lakeland. Last year, USF enrolled 44,000 students and had a budget of $1.6 billion.
More information on Khator is available here.
Khator's work at USF should be good experience for the task ahead at UH, where an ambitious Master Plan still has to be squared with the realities of UH's neglected-stepchild (funding) status relative to the state's two flagship institutions.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/15/07 06:22 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (11)
Eury: downtown is safest part of Houston
In yesterday's Outlook section, Houston Downtown Management District President Bob Eury sang the praises of the George R. Brown Convention Center as it turns 20.
Toward the end of the op-ed he added this:
Downtown is the safest sector of the city, but our guests must share that perception.
If downtown is the safest part of Houston, why were surveillance cameras installed? Mayor White said the cameras were needed to keep citizens safe.
If visitors don't share the perception that downtown is safe, maybe it's because they have reason to think it's not.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/15/07 05:42 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (4)
14 October 2007
HBJ: UH student launches magazine
The Houston Business Journal reports that a UH student has launched a magazine aimed at fellow college students:
College life and music magazine UStyle Magazine debuted on Friday to more than 120,000 Houston area college students.
The free monthly magazine was founded by University of Houston Senior Will Deck to act as a news and information source covering music technology, video games, automobiles, movies, travel and fashion.
UStyle writers are divided into music genre committees, Deck said, that act as focus groups.
"Who knows better about what we want than us?" he said.
Deck said magazine committee members also recruited artists and bands college students want to hear to perform as part of a monthly concert series, the first of which will be held Friday at Bar-Rio on Richmond Avenue.
UStyle, which is funded through advertising, is distributed to students at the University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M University, Stephen F. Austin University, Prairie View A&M University, Rice University, Texas Southern University and The Houston Community College system.
Nicely done.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/14/07 03:01 PM | Houston Media | Technorati | Comments (0)
Harris County criminal judges to review crime-lab cases identified by Bromwich
At the end of the week, the Chronicle's Roma Khanna and Steve McVicker reported that Harris County criminal district judges plan to review 180 crime-lab cases identified by Michael Bromwich as potentially troubling in his investigation of HPD's Crime Lab:
Days after the release of a man wrongfully convicted on faulty forensics, Harris County criminal district judges are poised to appoint a panel to review 180 cases with problematic Houston crime lab evidence, ending a dispute about how to scrutinize those cases.
Local officials have argued about how best to address those cases since June, when an independent investigator recommended appointing a "special master" to review cases with questionable body fluid testing known as serology from the scandal-plagued Houston Police Department crime lab.
Mayor Bill White, Police Chief Harold Hurtt and top prosecutor Chuck Rosenthal dismissed the need for an outsider for the serology review, saying the cases could be handled within the existing system.
But others, including state legislators and criminal defense attorneys, pressed the need for a consolidated, independent review. Just this week, a man freed after serving 14 years for a rape he did not commit urged the City Council to take action saying, "something must be done."
At a routine administrative meeting Wednesday, Harris County's criminal district judges prepared to take action.
They plan to assign three defense attorneys to determine the importance of crime lab evidence to the 180 convictions and act accordingly. Those three likely will report to retired Judge Mary Bacon. Bacon will conduct teleconferences beginning Oct. 22 with 160 of the defendants in those cases, inform them of the issues with their cases and determine whether the defendants want their cases reviewed.
State District Judge Olen Underwood, the presiding judge over the judicial region that includes Harris County, must approve the project. It will be paid for with county funds.
As the story indicates, Mayor White and Harris County DA Chuck Rosenthal had resisted Bromwich's recommendation for the appointment of an independent special master, arguing that existing institutions could best review the cases. We've never thought a second (or third, or fourth) set of independent eyes could actually hurt the case review process, however -- and that it quite likely could help.
In light of the week's events surrounding the release of the unjustly incarcerated Ronald Taylor, we can't view this move by Harris County judges as anything but welcome.
RELATED: Mix-up on DNA deals HPD lab another blow (Mike Tolson & Roma Khanna, Houston Chronicle), Freed man's case was forged by chain of errors (Roma Khanna, Houston Chronicle), Making it right: New panel must quickly attack crime lab's festering injustices (Houston Chronicle).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/14/07 02:58 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (3)
Should the city be asking for interest on general mobility funds?
With Metro's General Mobility Program obligations in the news this past week, it's interesting to look at something Afton Oaks resident Ted Richardson discovered when he transcribed a Metro committee meeting from February of this year. Richardson filed a TxPIA request to get a tape recording of the meeting, and what we learn is that Metro makes money off the tax revenue it collects for the General Mobility Program.
It's a long excerpt, but well worth reading:
BOARD MEMBER GERALD SMITH: Any questions on the Investment Report? Speaking of the Debt Report, that's the next one. Hopefully, you have a copy of that in front of you as well. On the first page, you can see the Commercial Paper program. By the way, you know we have authorization to issue up to about $400 Million. But we only utilize that as needed, but you can see at the bottom, we have a total of about $121 Million outstanding right now. Most of that has been applied toward General Mobility - $100 Million of it. The other $20 Million, $20.5 Million, is for METRO Solutions on the land aspect. The total, as you can see, right at $120 Million. On page two of seven --
BOARD CHAIRMAN DAVID S. WOLFF: Could I bring up another question.
GERALD SMITH: Yes.
DAVID S. WOLFF: In terms of looking at our liquidity, do you also look at the amount that's outstanding in terms of owed on the General Mobility Program? Do you deduct that from our liquidity, or how do you treat that?
GERALD SMITH: That, that's part of our Budget process, but it's not included in the, as part of how we look at from the Investment Report, ---
DAVID S. WOLFF: Do you think we should?
GERALD SMITH: Uh, uh, I don't think so, because, and maybe Louise or Francis may have a different opinion on that, because the fact is even though we know that we're obligated, the fact is we have no sense of when those funds are going to be asked for, and so that's why we have the Commercial Paper Program there to, to meet, to meet thosedemands as we, as we see fit. Uh, uh, and uh, I think for us to be able to manage that, that was part of the reason why we had the Commercial Paper program, to, so that, we knew that it is a contingent liability - but when those funds are actually asked for versus when - uh, uh, on an annual basis - there's been a lot of inconsistency there --
DAVID S. WOLFF: Louise, I think you might take a look at that, because potentially that's a short term liability, and we don't want to, to kid ourselves about our liquidity if there's a short term liability hidden in there. So it might be something you discuss with the Chairman of the Finance Committee and get back to us on it.
LOUISE T. RICHMAN, VP & CFO: Yes sir, I certainly will.
GERALD SMITH: OK. All right. On page two of seven, you can see exactly what our costs for Commercial Paper Program is running us. To date the Program, our net interest cost, is at 3.44, or close to 3.45, which is still extremely competitive in today's market environment. (pause) Any questions on the Debt Report?
[snip]
BOARD MEMBER GEORGE DEMONTROND: May I ask one question?
GERALD SMITH: Yes
GEORGE DEMONTROND: Our, on the previous report it showed that our realized returns versus benchmark of approximately 5.20, and I look at this program on commercial paper at 3.4. Am I correct in interpreting that to mean that we have a -- (pause).
GERALD SMITH: Yeah.
GEORGE DEMONTROND: OK.
GERALD SMITH: I'm sorry. Your comment?
UNKNOWN VOICE: Next question. (Laughter, very long pause).
GEORGE DEMONTROND: Sorry.
(Very long pause)
So, why the long pauses? George DeMontrond just spilled the beans in a public meeting that Metro earns 5.2 percent interest on the sales tax revenue it receives that is supposed to be distributed through the General Mobility Program. Right before that, George Smith noted that Metro's Commercial Paper Program -- which Metro uses to pay for requested general mobility funds -- has a very competitive cost of 3.45 percent. DeMontrond put two and two together and began to point out that Metro runs a net gain of 1.75 percent!
Perhaps the City of Houston should be asking for even more money!
Thanks to Tom Bazan for passing on what is a very enlightening look at Metro's handling of the General Mobility Program.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/14/07 02:44 PM | Houston Miscellany | Technorati | Comments (5)
13 October 2007
On the Priscilla Slade jury...
Laurence Simon is confused.
So are we.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/13/07 09:17 AM | Houston People | Technorati | Comments (17)
11 October 2007
Chron: City presses METRO on general-mobility funding
The Chronicle's Rad Sallee reports that METRO is drawing scrutiny for possibly shortchanging the city of Houston and other local entities on "general mobility" fund transfers:
The Metropolitan Transit Authority and the city of Houston are trying to answer a $44 million question.
The city contends that under a 1999 contract between them, Metro is supposed to set aside 25 percent of its sales tax revenues for "general mobility" purposes such as street improvements and traffic signals for Houston, Harris County and 14 smaller cities in the agency's taxing area.
The $44 million represents the difference between what Metro allocated for Houston in fiscal years 2000-2002 and what the city's share would have been if 25 percent of the tax revenue had been set aside for general mobility, said Susan Bandy, Houston deputy director of public works.
Instead, about 19.5 percent was set aside in those three years. The share was back to 25 percent in 2003 and has stayed at that level since, she said.
"I have gotten no explanation," Bandy said.
The contract language appears to provide wiggle room for Metro to pay less than the agreed-upon share. It says Metro "intends" to allocate 25 percent but that it is "subject to Metro's commitments for transit-related operational expenditures and capital project expenditures."
Bandy and Mayor Bill White said a new contract being negotiated will tighten the language.
"I made it clear," White said Tuesday, "that on my watch we would interpret that the 25 percent was going to be paid. I did not consider it very meaningful if it was 'only to the extent available.' "
Let's hope Mayor White follows through on that statement (unlike his predecessor, who strangely enough, now heads the board of a bank). Until now, it seems like about the only person who's been pressing METRO on its general-mobility funding obligations has been local watchdog Tom Bazan.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/11/07 10:22 PM | Houston Transit | Technorati | Comments (14)
Houston Food Bank needs volunteers this Monday
Via KTRK-13 and KSBJ-89.3, the Houston Food Bank is seeking 160 volunteers Monday to break down produce displays at the GRB when a national produce convention wraps up:
The Houston Food Bank stands to lose out on receiving as much as 40,000 pounds of fresh produce for distribution to the hungry in Houston if they cannot find 160 volunteers for Monday, October 15.
A national produce convention currently taking place in Houston will have an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables which will be donated to the Houston Food Bank as long as the food bank handles all logistics. In order to make this donation possible, the food bank MUST find 160 volunteers that can help make this possible.
Volunteers are needed to dismantle produce displays at the George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas in downtown, and box the items for shipment to the Houston Food Bank.
There will be two shifts -- 1:30 to 4:30pm and 4 to 8pm. The food bank is seeking individuals age 13 and older, and groups are welcome. To sign up, you can call 713-547-8683.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/11/07 07:48 AM | Houston Miscellany |