20 December 2005
Sanctuary policy could jeopardize federal funding
Newly elected Rep. John Campbell (R-CA) was just on Hugh Hewitt's show (KNTH-1070), and one thing they discussed was an amendment Campbell successfully added to recent House legislation on illegal immigration. Rep. Campbell explained that the amendment would stop all federal law enforcement grant funds from going to cities that don't allow local law enforcement to communicate with the feds about illegal immigrants.
An example Rep. Campbell cited was the city of Houston.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/20/05 06:52 PM |
19 December 2005
Councilmember Berry to discuss smoking bans
Councilmember Michael Berry notifies us that he'll be subbing for Sam Malone on KTRH-740 today (10 am to noon).
His topic will be smoking bans in general, but he'll most likely touch on Houston's smoking ban as well.
Feel free to call in and give him your perspective.
UPDATE: Councilmember Berry appears to have switched to a topic (civil liberties v. civil defense) more relevant to the Presidential press conference carried by KTRH.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/19/05 09:48 AM |
18 December 2005
Campaign finance and double standards - cont'd
Before the City Council runoff election, the Chronicle's Kristen Mack wrote an important column on SEIU's possibly illegal efforts to influence the At Large position 2 race between Jay Aiyer and Sue Lovell.
Mack followed up on the story in her Friday column:
SEIU accompanied its endorsement of Lovell with a $10,000 check. But it went beyond that.
With eight mail pieces and phone banks on her behalf, the union spent an estimated $120,000 to benefit Lovell.
[snip]
Donations by unions and corporations to city candidates are limited by city ordinance to $10,000 per candidate in any election cycle. Aiyer filed an ethics complaint with the city of Houston alleging that SEIU effectively exceeded that limit in that the mailers were a "coordinated campaign expenditure" and were "made in cooperation, consultation or concert with" Lovell.
Larry Veselka, a former county Democratic chairman who spoke on Lovell's behalf at the hearing, said Aiyer has not shown that the SEIU's activities constituted being in concert with Lovell. "He has not presented evidence other than pure speculation," Veselka said. "The existence of an independent mailer is not sufficient alone."
[snip]
The ethics committee is charged with reviewing alleged acts of impropriety and misconduct on the part of city officials and candidates for city office. It didn't make a decision last week. Instead it took the complaint under advisement, with the plan to discuss it further and render a decision at the next meeting.
In the end, it doesn't matter. The race is decided. And the fact is, SEIU did the mail-out and Lovell knew it was coming — though she told the committee that she and the union deliberately avoided communication about the specifics.
As long as Lovell and SEIU maintain that there was no coordination, there is little way to prove there was. And city election rules place no limits on uncoordinated campaign expenditures.
SEIU has indicated it plans to be a major player in municipal politics, and certainly violated the spirit if not the letter of the city's laws on coordinated campaign expenditures by unions and corporations.
Interestingly, the Chronicle Editorial LiveJournalists and many other partisans who love to criticize Rep. Tom DeLay (R) on campaign finance continue their silence on the questionable assistance provided to Democrat Lovell's campaign by SEIU.
BLOGVERSATION: On the wrong side of big money (Houtopia).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/18/05 07:35 PM |
13 December 2005
Does low turnout mean Bob Stein's wife is doing a great job?
We almost forgot to mention this insight on low turnout for Houston's city council elections, courtesy of KHOU-11 political analyst Bob Stein:
[S]ince much of politics is about spin, there's even a positive spin on low turnout.
"Maybe in some respects that's good news. It's good news in the sense that the city is run well," said KHOU political analyst Bob Stein.
Shopping and not voting, he says, may mean less about the state of democracy than the state of overall satisfaction.
That would be the same Bob Stein who helped concoct the illegal, predatory contractual scheme that was a key component of Mayor White's original SAFEclear program, and whose wife works for the White Administration.
Stein did not add, "perhaps voters took advantage of the good weather to spend the day biking, and that kept them away from the polls."
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/13/05 08:40 PM |
11 December 2005
Campaign finance and double standards
The Chronicle reports on Sue Lovell's reaction to her victory in the race for city council's at-large position 2:
Lovell, who said she would focus on public safety, affordable housing, after-school programs, traffic management and flood control, said she knew the race would be close .
"I'm walking on air," she said late Saturday. "This is indescribable. I'm grateful to all the people who voted for me and helped me get here and I have a big feeling of responsibility."
People? She had better be thanking the SEIU for helping engineer her victory.
Curiously, the Chronicle Editorial LiveJournalists and many other partisans who love to criticize Rep. Tom DeLay (R) on campaign finance were silent on the questionable assistance provided to Democrat Lovell's campaign by SEIU.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/11/05 01:44 PM |
09 December 2005
Conroe begins process of annexing part of The Woodlands
Nevermind Houston trying to annex The Woodlands, Conroe is already making moves in that direction:
City officials took preliminary steps Thursday to extend the city's boundaries into The Woodlands, despite outcries from several residents who oppose the idea.
The City Council adopted an ordinance to incorporate the Municipal Utility District No. 39 into its annexation plan, giving it a three-year window before it decides to annex the MUD's 858 acres.
The MUD is on the southern edge of the city limits and includes the Harper's Landing neighborhood and 25 businesses — all a part of The Woodlands, an unincorporated master-planned community.
Mayor Tommy Metcalf said now is the right time to consider annexation because the MUD is experiencing strong economic growth.
Metcalf said that if the annexation occurs, the city would see a 16 percent increase in its $2 billion tax base and Harper's Landing residents would gain lower taxes and better services.
But many residents do not think annexation is in their best interest and do not want to be a part of Conroe.
Several residents who spoke at Thursday's council meeting said they're concerned about possible double taxation and the destruction of The Woodlands' sense of community.
They also said they were angry about how city officials handled the issue. Many residents, even those who serve on associations representing Harper's Landing, said city officials never told them of their plans.
''They told us they weren't interested in Harper's Landing, then all of a sudden it shows up as an agenda item," said Ted Stanley, a Harper's Landing resident and director of The Woodlands Association.
That's how local governments like to operate -- keep the public in the dark whenever possible.
If I were a Harper's Landing resident, I would be apoplectic. And The Woodlands Association director lives there! Other businesses in that area (if I have my geography right) include a Super Wal-Mart, Kohl's, Lowe's, Garden Ridge, and numerous smaller businesses. For all I know, the businesses may support the move, if it would lower their taxes. (Yeah, right. Everyone who believes that, raise your hand.)
But isn't that just like a city government: The Woodlands worked hard to build itself into a nice community, and now Conroe -- and potentially Houston down the road -- wants to come in and just take it!
Now that the Chronicle's archives are opened up, it's very easy to see how the city of Houston's promises to Kingwood have panned out. Kingwood residents have complained that Houston gets all the tax revenue benefits and does little in return, in contrast to what was promised.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/09/05 07:35 AM |
08 December 2005
Grand Parkway musings (updated)
Over at the Houston Architecture Forum, pineda has posted an interesting hypothetical question:
Say that you were told that a major road would be going within 500' of your local high school, with the intermediate and elementary schools adjacent to that school. Say that there's nothing you can do to stop it because (a) you don't have the money, (cool.gif you don't have the political clout, and © you don't own the land being condemned, although you do live in the adjoining neighborhood and your children attend those schools. Say that you're given a choice of either having the major road (we'll call it the Grand Parkway for demonstration purposes) depressed under the intersecting 2-lane roadway (we'll call that road Northcrest) or done as an overpass with no off/on ramps.
The question is should it be an underpass or an overpass? I'd prefer an underpass, IF it must be done.
As an aside, I emailed all four of the candidates running for Jon Lindsay's SD 7 seat, asking if they have a position on the Grand Parkway F2 segment up here in Spring. I also included links to background information, in case they weren't familiar with the subject. I have since learned that Peggy Hamric came out in favor of the F2 segment a while back, but I have not received a response from her campaign. I also have not heard from Joe Nixon's or Mark Ellis' campaigns, but I have heard from Dan Patrick's campaign. He is taking the time to get himself up to speed on the issue and will announce where he stands on the F2 segment soon.
UPDATE: I have now been contacted by Mark Ellis' campaign. When I get more information, I will pass it on.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/08/05 09:40 AM |
07 December 2005
Council bans panhandling
City council passed a panhandling ban today:
The Houston City Council passed an ordinance Wednesday that makes panhandling an illegal practice, KPRC Local 2 reported.
After weeks of debate and some delay, City Council members approved a plan that makes it illegal for minors and adults to stand in medians and on the side of Houston's streets asking passers-by for money.
Council members said they want a zero-tolerance policy on panhandlers, loosely defined as homeless people who stand in intersections asking for money or offer to wash windows for free or for tips.
The city leaders said they also hope the ordinance will encourage children to hold bake sales and car washes on private property, a location they consider a safer alternative.
Councilman Michael Berry called the panhandling problem a public safety issue.
"With regard to minors, we were getting a lot of calls and complaints from people who were worried they were going to run over one of these kids because they are darting in between traffic and their parents obviously weren't stopping them from doing it," Berry told KPRC Local 2. "But in regard to panhandling, generally people tell us they feel unsafe when these squeegee men come up on them. They feel unsafe when they have people leaning into their car."
Berry said City Council would spend the next several weeks working to iron out the ordinance.
In the meantime, people caught in the streets or on medians with the purpose of asking for money will be charged with a misdemeanor.
In case you were worried about Chronicle vendors not being able to earn a living, fret no more:
The ordinance will not affect people selling newspapers or Houston firefighter fundraisers.
PREVIOUSLY: Chronicle vendor killed in unsafe work environment (bH)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/07/05 04:42 PM |
Houston debates illegal alien sanctuary policy
City council heard public comments on Houston's unofficially official sanctuary policy for illegal immigrants and Councilmember Mark Ellis' proposal to end the policy:
Houston residents asked a divided City Council Tuesday to end an official city policy that forbids local police from rounding up undocumented immigrants for being in the country illegally.
Slightly more than a dozen people appeared before the council in support of Councilman Mark Ellis' proposal to overturn the policy, which prevents officers from asking about someone's citizenship status or detaining someone for being in the country illegally.
Houston is not officially a so-called "sanctuary city," since the policy is not codified in a city ordinance. Ellis' proposal would rescind the general order that governs the policy and replace it with a city ordinance that would require officers to enforce federal immigration laws.
"Houston has never passed a resolution at City Hall designating the city as a sanctuary city," Ellis acknowledged. "But (the general order) creates the appearance of a sanctuary city."
[snip]
Maria Jimenez, a veteran immigrant-rights activist in Houston, told the council the "hands-off" order, which was issued in 1992 by then-Police Chief Sam Nuchia, was necessary because it was a public safety issue.
If people in immigrant communities feared that local police would turn them in for being illegal, she said, they wouldn't call police when they needed them.
"If we rescind this order, we are undermining public safety," Jimenez said.
No, we are not undermining public safety by enforcing the law. If anything, we would be enhancing public safety.
Actually, sanctuary policies are the invention of illegal immigrant apologists:
Cities began adopting sanctuary laws in the 1980s, supposedly to foster trust between illegal immigrants and police. Proponents argued that crimes would not be reported, witnesses to crime would not come forth and immigrants wouldn't cooperate with police if they feared deportation. Yet the policies adopted reflect the power of immigration advocacy groups more than concerns about crime prevention. Politicians in large cities with significant immigrant populations simply surrendered to the demands of immigrant rights groups that sought to minimize—if not extinguish—the distinction between legal immigrants and illegal aliens. Nor is it only immigrants' rights groups that promote sanctuary cities. Business interests want a steady source of cheap, compliant and exploitable labor; the minions of the welfare state want to magnify their power by extending the largess of the administrative state to those who will, in all likelihood, take their place in the so-called "underclass."
The resulting policies not only tolerate crime—after all, illegal immigrants are lawbreakers—but actively abet and protect criminal activity by handcuffing the powers of the police.
Not only that, but poll after poll show that Americans support immigration law being enforced, including local law enforcement agencies reporting illegals to immigration officials. It is an issue that is coming to a head and Houston officials had better face up to it. It's about respecting the law, enforcing the law, and respecting our citizenship.
RELATED: Illegal Alien Sanctuary (Front Page Magazine)
UPDATE: Here's a Bloomberg story to add to the conversation. It has a bit more bite to it than the Chronicle's story:
Houston Mayor Bill White is facing increasing pressure locally and from the federal government to toughen a policy that has helped make the fourth-largest U.S. city a haven for illegal immigrants.
City Councilman Mark Ellis is trying to force a vote on a plan directing police to enforce immigration law and requiring proof of citizenship for people receiving social services. The local effort coincides with a push by President George W. Bush and bills in Congress to crack down on illegal immigration.
``The federal government, they're not going to be able to get their arms around this issue alone,'' Ellis said in a telephone interview. ``They're going to have to have assistance from the local government and state government.''
Houston police have refrained since 1992 from inquiring about the immigration status of people associated with minor crimes and investigations. The policy, General Order 500-5, is similar to one known as Special Order 40 in Los Angeles. It's designed to free up local resources and help build ties with immigrant communities.
[snip]
To force a vote on his proposal, Ellis needs signatures of at least eight of the City Council's 15 members. The Republican has six so far, and said he may seek to win over Democrats if he can't get support from two fellow conservatives on the council who have yet to sign.
Mayor White and Police Chief Harold Hurtt have defended the current policy. Immigration is a federal responsibility and local police are busy fighting more serious crimes, said a spokesman for White, Frank Michel.
The city's police force has shrunk to 4,600 officers from 5,200 since mid-2003. Many officers retired early to avoid having benefits reduced by a plan that the city enacted to shore up its police pension.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 12/07/05 12:58 PM |
28 November 2005
Attempting to keep the Big Monster at bay
The Woodlands is having to deal with questions of future governance:
Residents were given their first opportunity to comment on options regarding future governance of the master-planned community during four scheduled public meetings.
The options were presented in four main areas: status quo, annexation, incorporation and The Woodlands solution (a possibility that has not been identified). These possibilities were created by the Governance Steering Committee, a group of appointed representatives created to represent The Woodlands stakeholders.
"We primarily want to hear from you," said Peggy Fiandaca, one of the consultants from Partners for Strategic Action Inc., which is working with the GSC.
The four areas were broken down into subsets.
Status quo was broken down to status quo with improvement or special districts, an extension of the agreement with Houston to delay or prohibit annexation, or the current structure with a district-elected community council.
One of the potential negatives of the status quo option is "the state Legislature has tried to limit the power of homeowners associations over the past few sessions and is likely to continue to do so," Fiandaca said.
According to resident surveys, the community is pretty happy with the current structure, she said.
"We're going to have to continue paying the city of Houston off," resident Barry Dean said.
That last quote appears to reference a concern The Woodlands has that the city of Houston will one day try to annex the large, master-planned community. In fact, the Conroe Courier says many Woodlands residents view Houston as the Big Monster, fearing a Houston takeover similar to what happened in Kingwood almost ten years ago.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/28/05 09:05 AM |
23 November 2005
Council changes SAFEclear...again...sort of
According to this Matt Stiles story, city council has agreed to change the SAFEclear program so it is in line with a judge's ruling:
The council voted 12-3 to do away with the exclusive freeway segment contracts — which paid for about 30 percent of the $3 million program — and some price regulations for motorists who consented to long-distance tows.
Most of the program, which includes the mandatory tows that White says unclog freeways and increase safety, remains.
But the changes expand the rights of motorists to call their own towing companies — through the American Automobile Association, for example — if those wreckers arrive before one designated for Safe Clear.
Maybe it's too early for me, but I'm confused. In the quote above, Council voted to do away with exclusive freeway segments, but then the story says this:
Suzanne Poole, president of the towing association, which filed the suit along with three excluded operators, said the council's vote left her "disappointed and disgusted."
She had wanted all towing companies to have equal access to the program. Despite the changes, she said, they still would be shut out of freeway tows by the program.
"This has not been opened up enough for us or what we feel like the judge wanted it to be opened up to," she said, suggesting that she and individual members might file new lawsuits challenging the updated ordinance.
[snip]
It was that sentiment that prompted Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, who has criticized the program's costs, to try to amend the ordinance to allow all qualified wreckers to participate.
She said her measure would add fairness to the process — and save the city money on legal fees from the current or future lawsuits.
"It would not gut the program. It would just satisfy what the judge has said was causing significant concern and harm to the operators," she said. "It would not, in any way, dismantle the point of improving safety or mobility."
The mayor opposed her amendment, saying city-designated towing companies should continue being assigned specific freeway segments to ensure they can respond to incidents safely and quickly.
The council then defeated Sekula-Gibbs' amendment by a 14-1 vote.
So, was the program opened up to all towing companies or not?
[U.S. District Judge Kenneth] Hoyt ruled that city regulation of those prices was pre-empted by federal law. He also held that the exclusive contracts were driven by economics, not safety.
With the exclusive contracts no longer a part of the program, the city loses about $900,000 in revenue paid by those towing companies for access to the freeways.
I am completely lost -- which makes me wonder if a Chron editor got ahold of this story, or if I need another cup of coffee.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/23/05 07:22 AM |
21 November 2005
African-American museum on city council agenda
Look what's coming before Houston City Council on Tuesday:
33. ORDINANCE authorizing the City of Houston to accept $72,168.00 Economic Development Initiative (“EDI”) Special Projects Grant awarded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) in connection with the Redevelopment of Gregory School in the Fourth Ward as an African-American Archival/Cultural Center; authorizing the Mayor to execute and submit grant documents to HUD - DISTRICT I - ALVARADO
Next up for Mayor White -- the Veterans Museum in Texas. Right?
(Thanks to Tom Bazan for trudging through this week's agenda. And every week's agenda.)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/21/05 08:10 PM |
Red light cameras are here; are speed cameras next?
Matt Stiles has a story in the Chronicle about the red light cameras that started operating today, and Chris Baker is talking about it on his show (KTRH-740).
The city's spin is that it's all about safety...oh, and helping out an understaffed HPD.
Regular readers will know that my spin is that this is all about revenue. It seems as if at least once a week we see a story in the media about someone running a red light and killing someone. Please explain how a red light camera will stop that. If someone doesn't care what color the traffic signal is, how is the threat of a picture and a $75 civil fine going to deter him or her?
In Matt Stiles' story, HPD's Martha Montalvo says:
"This is about increasing safety, making people more alert and using the technology that is out there," said Executive Assistant Police Chief Martha Montalvo, who is helping oversee the vendor-selection process.
Since the city and HPD didn't lengthen yellow light times -- which has proven to reduce red light running much more than cameras -- we know this is NOT about safety. It's about revenue. If it really was about safety, Mayor White would have followed through on his promise to two councilmembers to check out yellow light times.
And Montalvo is the HPD person who adamantly refused even to consider the idea of lengthening yellow light times last February. She said, "I don't see the logic of lengthening the yellow light." That's scary. Either she hasn't researched the issue and is woefully uninformed (and the issue is very clear and easy to understand), or she's refusing to consider any alternatives. Or...well, never mind.
Chris Baker wonders if speed cameras are next. Well, last February we learned that camera manufacturers were lobbying city council. Councilman Michael Berry assured Chris back then that speed cameras were not being considered. I don't find Berry's assurances comforting, since Council tends to roll over whenever Mayor White gets a new bee in his bonnet. If red light cameras are successful at generating revenue, you can bet speed cameras will be next.
PREVIOUSLY: Do red light cameras reduce accidents or generate revenue? (bH), WaPo discovers that red light cameras increase accidents in D.C. (bH), Real proof that longer yellow-light times reduce red-light running (bH)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/21/05 03:47 PM |
20 November 2005
Houston's most happening political scientist reappears
One of blogHOUSTON's favorite professional political scientists, Professor Bob Stein, made an appearance in Kristen Mack's Friday politics column (notable for its reporting on the Aiyer/Lovell race -- more on that later).
"I was surprised, not that she [Sue Lovell] was in the runoff, but that she ran ahead of Jay [Aiyer]," said Rice University political scientist Bob Stein.
Maybe it had something to do with Proposition 2? And maybe Mack should have asked Stein's opinion on that, since this quote didn't really explain much.
Stein also admitted his lack of insight on the Clutterbuck-Hittner runoff:
Anne Clutterbuck and George Hittner, who will meet in a runoff in District C, ran neck-and-neck Nov. 8. She received 20 percent of the vote to his 19.8 in a seven-way race.
[snip]
Clutterbuck, a lawyer and president of Southampton Civic Club, won the endorsement of Mark Lee, who placed third Nov. 8. She could benefit from her grass-roots contacts as a civic club leader, Stein said, but he's not forecasting the result.
"These are impossible races to predict," he said. "They are really street affairs."
Perhaps since Professor Stein has so little no insight on either seriously contested council race, he really wasn't the person to quote extensively in this story.
Incidentally, since it was not mentioned, it is worth noting that Professor Stein is the spouse of mayoral aide Marty Stein, and he is also an occasional mayoral advisor who helped design the illegal predatory exclusive tow-zone contracts that comprised the original SAFEclear program. Professor Stein also likes biking.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/20/05 08:12 PM |
18 November 2005
Travis Street getting red light cameras (updated)
This KPRC-2 story lists three of the intersections getting red light cameras:
Red-light cameras have been installed at several city intersections, including:
* Travis Street at McGowen Street
* Milam Street at McGowen Street
* San Jacinto Street at Travis StreetTwo other intersections, which the city has not released, will also have red-light cameras monitoring traffic.
All that Travis guessing seems to have been right on the mark.
Watch your rear, beginning Monday!
UPDATE: Oooookay. This KTRK-13 story says these intersections are getting cameras:
The red light camera locations are at Travis at McGowen, Milam and McGowen, Milam and Jefferson and San Jacincto and Texas.
I wondered about San Jacinto at Travis in the KPRC story, since Mapquest shows those two streets running parallel to each other. And Milam at Jefferson is the fourth one to be named (or found out). Now we are waiting to find out what intersection number five is!
UPDATE 2: Now all we need is some intrepid local reporter to document the yellow-light times at these intersections, first to make sure the yellow-light time is really sufficient for stopping, and second to make sure there are no yellow-light time shenanigans going on, as time progresses. That's one problem that has been documented in other cities -- yellow-light times are shortened to increase ticket revenue.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/18/05 10:57 AM |
16 November 2005
Happy Holidays -- smile for the red light camera!
On KHOU-11's News Blog, Greg Johnson notes that red light cameras will start clicking away on Monday:
According to Houston's police chief, red light cameras will be ready to take your picture beginning Monday.
But you won't be smiling if you're prone to running red lights.
The cameras are designed to catch red light runners and will be placed at five undisclosed, busy intersections.
Perhaps one or more could pop up along Travis?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/16/05 07:51 PM |
Will the San Jose Earthquakes become the Houston Hurricanes?
Sports Authority CEO Oliver Luck is readying the champagne as Houston appears to be one step closer to getting a Major League Soccer team:
Major League Soccer announced Tuesday that it has cleared the way for the San Jose Earthquakes to relocate to one of a number of potential cities, with Houston the likely destination.
League commissioner Don Garber said in a prepared statement that the MLS Board of Governors granted approval to the Anschutz Entertainment Group, owner of the Earthquakes, to relocate the franchise. The decision came at a meeting Saturday in Frisco, site of the MLS Cup.
Houston is the only city specifically mentioned by Garber as a possible new home.
"In order to ensure the team will have the appropriate time to prepare for the 2006 season, a final decision on the location of the team will be reached within the next 30 days," Garber said.
[snip]
MLS spokesman Simon Borg said the league will have no comment on the situation until AEG reaches a decision.
AEG's request was made because attempts to secure a buyer in San Jose have failed.
The company purchased the franchise � a charter member of MLS � from the league in 2002 and has reportedly invested about $20 million without earning a return.
"We stepped in and took over the team three years ago," said Leiweke. "For three years we've been trying to find an ownership group (in San Jose). That's unfortunate. That said, we've made more progress in the last few months in Houston than we did in the last three years in San Jose."
The news is encouraging to Harris County-Houston Sports Authority head Oliver Luck, who has been involved in efforts to land a soccer franchise for more than a year.
"It's clearly an important step," Luck said. "From our perspective, it's validation for what a great sports town Houston has become."
One more thing to check off the world-class to-do list? We just have to be getting closer.
Do you think an MLS team will be able to pay for their own turf or will the Sports Authority offer to pay for it?
Laurence Simon wonders why Reliant Stadium isn't being named as a probable venue for an MLS team. The answer could be in a Soccer Times story from July:
[...]the league [MLS] has been stymied for some time trying to find a place to play. Reliant Stadium, where the National Football League's Houston Texans play, was looked at, but its ownership did not want to become MLS franchise owners at this time, nor did it want to become landlord.
And let's not forget that San Antonio recently rejected an MLS franchise opportunity because the city would have taken a financial beating:
And what happened in San Antonio? Well, in April the cost of bringing a soccer team to San Antonio skyrocketed from $6 million to more than $20 million. And then this month, talks completely collapsed, apparently due to financial concerns -- including MLS's plan to use the Alamodome rent-free.
I certainly hope whatever deal Luck and Mayor White are negotiating with MLS doesn't soak Houston/Harris County taxpayers...too badly. There's no doubt there'll be some soaking. That seems to be the nature of these deals.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/16/05 10:25 AM |
15 November 2005
Crowne Plaza Hotel closing its doors
Out-of-towners visiting the Texas Medical Center may soon have a more difficult time finding a hotel room.
One of the largest hotels in the area is set to close next month and the loss of rooms has given some patients more to worry about.
The Crowne Plaza will shut its doors in mid-December, taking with it nearly 300 hotel rooms.
[snip]
That has Margaret Meyer with the MD Anderson Cancer Center worried because up to 70 percent of the hospital's cancer patients are from out of town or even from other countries.
"It's just going to exacerbate the situation that already exists because rooms are very difficult to come by, given the number of evacuees we still have in our hotels," Meyer said.
The Medical Center already lost a couple hundred rooms over the past couple of months when two nearby hotels closed down.
The Crowne Plaza was one of the hotels that received city of Houston redevelopment funds -- $5 million worth. This story doesn't address whether the city has or will be able to recover that money.
UPDATE: As mwjones points out in the forum, the Crowne Plaza that's closing is a different Crowne Plaza from the one that received city redevelopment money. My apologies for not double-checking that.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/15/05 11:29 AM |
12 November 2005
Red light cameras increase accidents (cont'd)
Portland Cameras Cause 140 Percent Jump in Rear End Collisions
Since red light cameras were installed in Portland, Oregon more than four years ago, rear-end collisions at monitored intersections have jumped 140 percent, according to city statistics. Police and city officials still maintain that the program is a success, as it generates approximately $4.3 million in annual revenue from the $237 photo citations. These findings are consistent with a number of studies showing red light cameras often cause an increase in overall accidents where they are used.
The KATU television news team also monitored the performance of the cameras and discovered that the devices were not flashing when they should. Portland's traffic engineer explained that drivers in an outside lane were beyond the camera's field-of-view and would not be cited. Moreover, about half of all potential tickets are dropped due to unclear photos. Oregon law requires a clear picture of the driver before a citation can be issued. The officials also admitted that one brand of license plate cover successfully deflects the camera, but they would not say which one.
via The Newspaper (of course)
Previous posts on red light camera accident rates are here.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/12/05 08:34 AM |
09 November 2005
Mayor White has "big plans" for second term
With 165,447 Houston voters giving him the thumbs up, Mayor White rolled to a second-term win yesterday. I was going to pull from Kristen Mack's story, but Chron.com seems to be, ummm, in some kind of altered state, so I can't pull up her story.
Suffice it to say that Mayor White says he has "big plans" for Houston in his second term.
Big plans = technocratic-progressivism.
UPDATE: Okay, here's Kristen Mack's story:
"Houstonians stepped up to support an unknown businessman two years ago," he said. "I want to thank people who went to the polls today and endorsed the direction of the city."
In his first term, White emphasized issues that could be addressed fairly quickly if not always easily — synchronizing traffic lights at 1,500 intersections; devising a way to pay for flood-control improvements; winning voter approval of a plan to reduce a shortfall in the city employee's pension system; and creating the Safe Clear mandatory freeway towing program, though it still faces legal challenges.
He has borrowed a bit from popular former mayors of other big cities, from whom he sought advice between his first election and inauguration. He said he drew from Rudolph Giuliani's nuts-and-bolts approach to city government in New York; Henry Cisneros' business savvy with corporate CEOs in San Antonio; and Richard Riordan's and Ron Kirk's ability to unify diverse parts of the community in Los Angeles and Dallas.
White said that during his first term, he "tried to get the city moving, bring the community together and establish a culture of performance and results at City Hall."
Though headquartered at City Hall, White views his job site as the entire community.
"I want to change the way Houston works, bring hope to neighborhoods that have been neglected and create a standard of performance that will be used by other cities," White said last week in contemplating the second term he won decisively against minor opposition.
In an interview after his victory Tuesday, he ruled out talk that he might seek the 2006 Democratic nomination for governor.
"The honorable thing to do is to do the job you've been hired for," he said. "Being mayor of this city is a full-time job. We have big plans for the next two years."
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: This reporting is a little euphoric. Note this snippet:
White, who has made public safety a hallmark of his administration, also wants to increase the number of police cadet classes.
By year's end, the Houston Police Department will have lost an estimated 740 officers to retirement in a two-year period.
By the end of this fiscal year on June 30, the city will have completed four cadet classes — putting 280 more officers in uniform.
"I'd like to get more officers on the street sooner," White said.
If the Chronicle had quality editors, that bolded part would have been struck. While "public safety" has certainly been a key part of the mayor's rhetoric, the fact is that he has not done nearly enough to deal with HPD's manpower shortage. That aspect of public safety has been mostly neglected by the mayor and his council, despite the claims of the mayor's press people and the willingness of the city's professional press to rewrite press releases.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 11/09/05 10:10 AM |
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