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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 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 |
10 October 2007
Where is Queen Sheila?
According to KHOU-11, his Highness Quanell the Tenth is pledging to lead the kingdom tonight (to what exactly remains to be determined):
11 News has been reporting about concerns of overcrowding at a Fleming Middle School.
They’re having to share their campus with students from Key Middle School because of health concerns on that campus.
So far, it has not been determined exactly what the problem is at that school.
Now, community activists are talking about a walkout at Fleming unless something is done.
HISD is warning Key Middle School students not to participate in reported walkout.
Earlier Wednesday 11 News heard from activist Quanell X who said he was encouraging students to skip school Thursday as a sign of protest.
But now, the activist has changed his mind and is asking parents and students to protest Friday after school hours to avoid possible curfew violations.
Still, some parents say they will go on as scheduled.
Parents say the transfer is jeopardizing their children’s education.
But cutting class and following around a self-proclaimed number surely furthers their education. Okee!
How long before Queen Sheila inserts herself back into this non-controversy?
RELATED COVERAGE: Chronicle.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/10/07 09:18 PM |
County, city consider tax rate cut
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett has suggested cutting the county's property tax rate by one cent, and the Chronicle's Bill Murphy has the story:
Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday floated the idea of cutting the county's property tax rate 1 cent — a decrease that would save the average homeowner about $12 annually.
County Judge Ed Emmett, who will seek election next year to the post to which he was appointed this year, led the push for the tax cut.
He said appraisals on all types of property rose 12 percent on average this year, but county government doesn't require a 12 percent increase in tax revenue.
Commissioners Court will hold a public hearing on the proposed cut at 9 a.m. Tuesday, on the ninth floor of the Harris County Administration Building, 1001 Preston. The court will vote on the tax rate Oct. 23.
The current Harris County overall property tax rate is 63.99 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Commissioner El Franco Lee said he may support the cut if it does not harm delivery of needed services. But he called the proposed reduction nothing more than a token gesture.
He said Emmett is pressing for the cut because he is seeking election and thinks there is a sector of the public that will be impressed by even a small cut in the tax rate.
The "token gesture" of a one-cent reduction, when county revenues are increasing by 12 percent a year, is a welcome move.
We see the same issue at the city level, where Mayor White is proposing a smaller rate reduction, but the city's revenues will still go up by $80 million over the previous year, thanks to appraisal increases. As Councilmember Addie Wiseman notes, homeowners won't see any savings:
"A dramatic increase like that, it's an insult to the intelligence of the people of this city to say you're giving them a tax cut when, in fact, their taxes are increasing," said City Councilwoman Addie Wiseman. "Bottom line: When (taxpayers) go and write their checks, they won't see a decrease."
In today's Chronicle story, former county District Clerk Charles Bacarisse, who will run for the county judge seat in the Republican primary, is proposing a five-cent reduction. That would be great, except that it is highly unlikely to pass commissioners court. As the story notes, in 2004 commissioners defeated Judge Eckels proposed quarter-cent rate cut.
As County Tax Assessor Paul Bettencourt says, "Any property tax relief is good. Something is always better than nothing."
Yes. What would be even better is if government would limit its own growth. From Judge Emmett's press release:
“It seems to me that the rate of government growth is too high,” Emmett said. “That money needs to be put back in the hands of the community that earned it. My proposal today is meant to start a discussion. For me, it’s a matter of principle that the government should not grow faster than the economy or the community.”
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/10/07 05:47 AM |
09 October 2007
Today show disses Houston's most popular columnist
After his invite as a "Houston insider," Chron columnist and radio star Ken Hoffman was all ready to play the role of Houston booster on the Today show this weekend.
And then they pulled the rug out from under him, saying no thanks.
The details are here.
What in the world could have been more important than Hoffman's take on Houston?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/09/07 10:11 PM |
Bennett takes Chron to task over coverage of... Bennett
Here's an entertaining letter from one "Bob" Bennett that appeared in the Chronicle over the weekend:
On Friday, Sept. 28, after months of hearings and negotiations, Daniel Yeh pleaded guilty to one count of a 39-count indictment for filing a false claim for lodging a hurricane victim. At the time of sentencing, the U.S. government will drop 38 counts.
Later, after the Friday hearing, the Chronicle printed the story "Hotel owner pleads guilty to scam" without attending the federal hearing, interviewing anyone at the hearing or checking the facts.
Because of the butchering of the chronology of the facts, the story read more like a fictional tale rather than the usual non-Pulitzer Prize- worthy Chronicle article. The story contained multiple one-liners of statements and facts, cut and pasted, then strategically arranged in order to deceive the readers.
The story gave the impression that Robert Bennett, Yeh's attorney, was interviewed and issued a statement related to entering a guilty plea.
In reality, no sentencing or plea statement was issued, the circumstances as to why Yeh pled guilty were not explained, nor was anyone connected to the plea interviewed.
The Chronicle neglected to mention that Yeh pled guilty to one count because, as he stated in court, he was responsible for his prior mistakes.
In contrast, the story seemed to suggest that Bennett, Yeh's attorney, threw out an excuse to try and justify his client's behavior contemporaneously to entering a plea of guilty.
This is especially damning to Yeh because the severity of this sentence depends upon the degree of responsibility taken for his past actions.
The story failed to mention that all of the statements quoted were from more than a year ago and are attributable to the litigated issue of mental competency.
Circumstances continuously change in any criminal case and those statements made are not applicable to the current state of the case.
The scanty retraction printed by the Chronicle on Oct. 2 only addressed Bennett's statements that were made before Yeh entered a guilty plea. The retraction did not mention that the story was written without double-checking facts or that its falsities could adversely affect Yeh's final sentence.
Ouch!
That's our Chronicle.
And it's not likely to get better now that Steve Jetton has assumed the duties of former reader representative James Campbell. Jetton, it should be recalled, embarrassed himself and his newspaper by arguing on the radio with the 16-year-old sister of one Leroy Sandoval about the Chronicle's deplorable coverage of Sandoval's death in the service of his country.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/09/07 10:03 PM |
Brazen smash-and-grab robbers hit Southwest Freeway store
KTRK-13 reports that Houston's thieves are growing ever more brazen:
Thieves used a truck to break into a southwest Houston electronics store.
Someone drove the vehicle through the front window of the Thunder Sound car stereo store off the Southwest Freeway near Hillcroft around 4am. The thieves then stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, and got away in a waiting car.
The owner says burglars have targeted his store several times in the past.
"This has been happening for a while. My last break in was not even three weeks ago," said owner Muhammad Zafar.
A KHOU-11 report notes that the car used to crash into the store was actually stolen.
That's brazen.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/09/07 09:52 PM |
Would we prefer they remain uninsured?
KHOU-11's Rosa Flores reports on insurance companies that insure drivers without a valid license:
A sign on Long Point Road may pack a little bit of a surprise for some drivers. It reads “Get auto insurance without a driver’s license.”
That’s right. And local drivers are doing just that. Enrique Gallegos is one of them.
He says it helps him protect his family, and he’s not alone.
A lot of insurance agents in Houston readily sell policies to illegal immigrants who can’t get Texas driver’s licenses.
“The majority of the companies are now going to that because it’s a market that has been unexplored by a lot of companies,” insurance agent Rolando Martinez said.
[snip]
The office of the Texas Insurance Commissioner said the policies are legal, adding that regardless of whether or not a person is in the country illegally, their policy will be honored.
Given the number of uninsured illegal immigrants, we ought to be happy that some companies are actually trying to insure them.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/09/07 09:46 PM |
Chron covers local political race (!?)
The Chronicle's Robert Crowe examines the District C Council race. Here's an excerpt:
In the race for City Council District C, the two challengers to incumbent Anne Clutterbuck say the city must do more to regulate developers, plan for urban density and invest in neighborhoods.
"Special interests and developers are in the front of the line at City Hall at the expense of citizens," said Robert Glaser, a Southampton Democrat who owns an engineering company.
"Houston is the living embodiment of capitalism with all the destruction that goes with it," said Alfred Molison, a Social Security Administration employee who co-chairs the Harris County Green Party. "I want something that is also more sustainable."
Clutterbuck, a full-time councilwoman with a law degree, said she has served her diverse constituents well by implementing crime-fighting strategies and working on ordinances to regulate development and industry.
"There is more to be done on these issues, so I am running for re-election," said Clutterbuck, 46, a Southampton Republican.
Municipal elections are officially nonpartisan, but apparently the Chron reporter thought party affiliation important.
The Editorial LiveJournalists have endorsed Clutterbuck in District C (for what that's worth).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/09/07 09:22 PM |
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