25 October 2006
Crackdown on "existing" in Spring Branch?
KTRK-13 reports that HPD has cracked down on loitering in Spring Branch:
Houston police are cracking down on loitering in the Spring Branch area.
Residents have complained of large groups drinking alcohol and even fighting in convenience store parking lots. The northwest patrol division swept that area Tuesday night. At least nine people were arrested for public intoxication and littering. Two of the men were also wanted on felony warrants out of California.
Police say minor crimes like public intoxication and loitering can lead to much bigger problems.
As Callie remarked earlier, one person's loitering is another person's "existing."
Incidentally, Houston police were apparently able to pull off this move despite the fact that Councilmember Garcia has not managed to tighten the curfew, which may come as a surprise to Chief Hurtt.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/25/06 08:57 PM |
Local group pulls questionable radio ads
The Chronicle's Bill Murphy reports that some questionable political ads have been pulled from the air:
A Vietnamese community group agreed Tuesday to pull radio ads that county officials said might violate election laws by offering $5 coupons to people who vote.
The Vietnamese Community of Houston and Vicinity, a nonprofit organization, agreed to pull the ads on Vietnamese-language KJOJ-AM (880) and KYND-AM (1520) after the county clerk's office notified station officials that the spots likely were illegal, said David Beirne, spokesman for Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman.
State and federal laws prohibit cash incentives for voting.
A $5 coupon isn't quite the same as cash, but it seems close enough to violate the spirit of the election laws.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/25/06 08:09 PM |
Chron urges passage of all propositions
The Chronicle came out today in favor of all propositions on the ballot:
At the bottom of the Nov. 7 election ballot, city voters will encounter six city of Houston proposed bond issues and two proposed charter changes. The Chronicle recommends voters say yes to all.
Mayor White and the downtown establishment want something. Was there ever any question how the Editorial LiveJournalists would respond?
A dissenting view can be found at HoustonTABOR.com.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/25/06 08:00 PM |
24 October 2006
SAFEclear bad press gets mayor's attention
A couple of days ago, Anne Linehan noted a KHOU-11 report about a SAFEclear wrecker driver with convictions for drunk driving.
Today, KTRK-13's Kevin Quinn elaborated on the criminal background of the driver (whose reckless driving killed an elderly couple):
A wrecker driver's criminal history is under fire, and a heartbroken family is calling for change. Their parents were killed in an accident with a tow truck driver, and what we've uncovered about the driver's past has even the mayor demanding answers.
That driver has a rap sheet that includes DWI arrests, drug convictions and more. It has many people asking why that tow truck driver was allowed to be on the road in the first place.
It's the criminal history of the man driving that Safe Clear wrecker which the victim's family finds so disturbing.
Back when the White/Stein/Berry SAFEclear scheme was first imposed on motorists and was under fire, one major complaint was that forcing motorists to accept a tow from potentially unsavory operators created safety concerns. Mayor White assured citizens that a rigorous screening program rendered such concerns moot. So, it's not surprising that the Mayor's press shop has responded strongly (as they tend to do after they get negative publicity). From KPRC-2:
The mayor said he wants a formal investigation into how Gonzalaz was granted a SAFEClear license even though he was a convicted felon.
"Applying the standard adopted by council, this person shouldn't have been in the program," White said.
The mayor said there might be many more wrecker drivers who are operating under a SAFEClear permit when they should have been denied.
"I have some information that somebody in the legal department of HPD has overruled numerous recommendations by police officers who are relying on our ordinance. If there's a rogue city employee who is not following city law, then I want that person to be relieved of their city employment," White said.
And from the KTRK story:
City leaders insist the background checks for Safe Clear wreckers are the most extensive in the state.
It doesn't matter how extensive the background checks are if they're ignored, and there's not really any way to spin it otherwise. The Mayor is right to be concerned about the integrity of the screening process for his SAFEclear program. After all, he's promised it's safe.
BLOGVERSATION: Isiah Carey's Insite.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/24/06 10:49 PM |
Essence Festival returning to New Orleans
The Associated Press reports that the Essence Festival will be returning to New Orleans:
The Essence Music Festival, relocated to Houston after Hurricane Katrina, is on its way back to New Orleans.
Essence will return to New Orleans for the next three years under new deal struck Monday that includes more marketing money from the state for the nation's pre-eminent celebration of contemporary urban music.
In reaching a deal with magazine publisher Essence Communications Inc., which owns the festival, the New Orleans tourism industry beat out Houston, which tried to keep the festival after hosting it in 2006. The festival was moved to Houston when it wasn't clear that the Superdome and Ernest N. Morial Convention Center would be ready in time to stage the annual Fourth of July weekend event.
Organizers complained about Houston's version of the event, which took place at the Reliant Complex. The Chronicle editorial board responded by lecturing the organizers that Houston deserved to host the festival for another year. They're probably taking this lack of appreciation of Houston's world-classness pretty hard.
UPDATE (10-25-2006): The Chronicle posts their own coverage today.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/24/06 10:02 PM |
From SafeClear to SafePark
Apparently it's time for a new revenue stream, and Isiah Carey has the scoop:
The city of Houston is looking at unpdate of their Valet Parking service ordinance. The Insite hears the city will soon reuqire the companies to have licenses and permits. Also council members are looking at cosmetic issues with the parking attendants like uniformity in their dress code.
Is there much left to regulate in Houston?
Let's guess who might be in charge of overseeing the new SafePark program -- Lilliana Rambo.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/24/06 05:51 PM |
More food and drink roundup opportunities
Houston Pavilions has landed six new dining establishments, including one that will be new to Houston (via Houston Business Journal):
New restaurant tenants at the Pavilions include:
* Lawry's, The Prime Rib: The restaurant will feature prime rib specialties in what will be its first location in the Houston area and only its fifth location in the U.S.
* Tuscany: The old world gourmet coffee shop's third Houston location is headed for the Pavilions.
* Yao's Restaurant and Bar: The second Houston location for the sports-themed restaurant, owned by the family of Houston Rockets superstar Yao Ming.
* Antica Osteria: One of the most popular Italian restaurants in the city, will serve northern and southern Italian delicacies that its loyal patrons have enjoyed in the restaurant's existing location on Bissonnet for years.
* Red Cat Jazz Cafe: Already one of the top live music venues in Houston, Red Cat Jazz Cafe will feature soulful blues and cool jazz with its Creole and southern cuisine at its second downtown location.
* McCormick & Schmick's: The Pavilions will be the second Houston location for this nationwide seafood restaurant.
More opportunities for local food reviewers to do what they do best, which will help keep bH's food and drink roundup in business. =)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/24/06 06:12 AM |
23 October 2006
Garcia still focused on tightening youth curfew
The Chronicle's Alexis Grant reports that Councilmember Adrian Garcia still has not given up on efforts to make Houston's curfew more restrictive:
As chair of the council's public safety committee, Garcia has tried for months to persuade his colleagues to approve an earlier night curfew. But they thought his original proposal — requiring youths to be off the streets by 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends — was too early.
So Garcia, a former police officer, recently came up with a compromise: keep the midnight deadline on weekends, but change it to 10 p.m. on weeknights.
He also would remove 17-year-olds from the curfew, making it apply only to those 16 and younger. That would bring the city's curfew more in line with Harris County's, which requires children younger than 17 to be off the streets from midnight to 6 a.m.
"We're trying to balance a sensitivity to a youthful life, but at the same time it's a public safety issue," said Garcia, who thinks getting young people off the streets earlier would reduce crime.
He hopes the council will consider that proposal in the next few weeks, but Mayor Bill White isn't likely to put it on the agenda until he's sure it has enough votes to pass.
Do you ever get the sense that your elected officials are fiddling while Rome burns?
And some unelected officials, for that matter:
Police Chief Harold Hurtt supports Garcia's proposal for an earlier curfew, saying it would give officers a tool to deal with unruly young crowds."We're not going to be out there arresting two kids driving down the street coming home from a ball game or coming home from church or their job," he said.
Did the police chief really just say he plans selectively to enforce the law if somehow Councilmember Garcia gets it passed?
Nice. We can treat curfew enforcement like immigration!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/23/06 11:27 PM |
Some Senators should be treated decently...
The Chronicle's Kyrie "MeMo" O'Connor has been all upset lately, because high-minded political debate has been displaced by personal attacks and pettiness re Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Strange, but I don't remember the suddenly moralistic Chron features editor ever apologizing for her own tacky comments re former Sen. Danforth some time ago.
She who casts stones... and all that. Whatever.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/23/06 11:03 PM |
22 October 2006
A carping non-endorsement for CD 07
The Chronicle Editorial LiveJournalists have been fun this endorsement season.
They've run an anti-endorsement of a gubernatorial candidate along with their endorsement of a gubernatorial candidate (which the Associated Press politely described as "unusual").
And today, instead of endorsing a Congressional candidate, they conceded that Rep. John Culberson (a longtime Editorial LiveJournalist "bad guy") was going to win his race, and he'd be well advised in the future to start listening to the Editorial LiveJournalists!
Because, you know, they're obviously much more enlightened than the conservative voters of the 7th Congressional District.
Maybe it was better back when the Chronicle Editorial LiveJournalists seemed to forget that there were elections, and that most editorial boards saw fit to endorse candidates. These recent efforts do not seem reflective of an ideal state.
BLOGVERSATION: TBIFOC.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/22/06 10:33 PM |
SafeClear's rigorous screening process fails to catch four DUI's
Did you hear about that couple killed by a wrecker driver last week as they left a Bible study? Turns out the wrecker driver was a SafeClear driver with four previous DUI convictions. Oh, and he was going 90 mph when he hit the couple. KHOU-11 dug up the details:
Sergio Gonzalez has a criminal record that includes several DUI convictions.
Investigators believe Gonzalez' tow truck was going 90 miles an hour when it slammed into the car carrying Leon and Maurine Roberson.
[snip]
11 News went to the company that owns the wrecker Gonzales was driving but couldn't get past an iron gate.
State records show Autos R Us' license will not expire until next summer and that the company is allowed to operate more than 100 wreckers.
It is also part of the City of Houston's Safe Clear program.
Ken Ulmer with the Safe Clear Management Group told 11 News by phone: "Drivers are screened. They go through a rigorous process for Safe Clear identification -- much mroe [sic] stringent than any other identification process, than any other city license than I'm aware of."
How rigorous can the screening process be if the screener missed four DUI convictions?
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/22/06 06:50 PM |
Lone Star Emmy Awards
The Lone Star Emmy Awards were held last night at the Verizon Theater, and Isiah Carey has the photographic proof -- which is currently all we have, since local media don't appear to have posted any stories on the event yet. Guess they were all at the party and didn't go back to their newsrooms after the fun ended? Who can blame them...
Anyway, according to Isiah, KRIV-26, KTRK-13 and KHOU-11 all did well, as did the folks in these pictures. (How did this nominee do?)
Congratulations to all the winners! Now, get back to work. =)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/22/06 09:16 AM |
Mayor White rides in police car, says crime will go down
On Friday night, Mayor White did another of his HPD Ride Alongs:
With Houston crime under the microscope, Mayor Bill White went along with police to see for himself how new tactics are working.
On Friday night, Mayor White patrolled with officers through the northwest side's hot spots. Officers are working overtime on the northwest side to add police manpower to the streets. The mayor hopes that will be enough to curtail crime until the 70 cadets who started this week in the academy can graduate and until 358 recruited officers get assigned to the area.
"We'll get experienced police officers in the street and when you put those officers in the street at the right places at the right time, you see crime go down," said Mayor White.
The mayor says the city is now working with only 200 officers fewer than before he became mayor. He says crime rates are lower than before he took office.
Did he do it by himself, or did Chief Hurtt postpone his trip home to Phoenix so he could join the mayor?
PREVIOUSLY: Mayor White rides in police car, says crime will end, Mayor White's Ride Alongs
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/22/06 08:26 AM |
21 October 2006
Just wondering...
If Houstonians could vote on a smoking ban, what would be the outcome?
If Houstonians could vote on red light cameras (or surveillance cameras), what would be the outcome?
If Houstonians could vote on giving millions of dollars to a local (liberal) group so it could build subsidized housing in one particular neighborhood, what would be the outcome?
If Houstonians could vote on a stadium for the Houston Dynamo, what would be the outcome? (Maybe the Dynamo can talk to Cy-Fair ISD.)
But Houstonians WILL get the opportunity to vote on Mayor White's effort to nullify Prop. 2, so he can continue his free-spending ways. Funny how Mayor White got those before the voters.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/21/06 08:03 PM |
Chron: Murder rate could be highest in a decade
The headline from today's Chronicle is pretty telling:
The Administration's spinners go on to try to explain to us why the numbers aren't really that bad, and even if they are that bad, it's all the fault of Katrina.
The fact is, HPD's manpower crisis was known when Mayor White came to office well before Katrina, and it wasn't a priority at that time. Mayor White's handpicked, bumbling police chief Harold Hurtt hasn't exactly overcome the manpower limitations with *ahem* strong leadership. And the Katrina influx has certainly contributed to what was already a deteriorating public safety situation.
But hey, look on the bright side -- we'll soon have a new world-class downtown hobo destination to go with our world-class murder rate!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/06 02:22 PM |
20 October 2006
Time for a new crimefighting acronym!
KTRK-13 reports the rollout of another acronym to take on Houston's surging crime:
Police will soon have new eyes and ears inside Houston apartment complexes with the creation of a new program.
It's called The Police Apartment Clergy Team, or PACT. Officers work with local clergy to recruit married couples to live in local apartment complexes. The couples will serve as activity directors inside certain complexes to get to know the neighbors. From there, they'll act as liaisons between the tenants, the police and outside groups like the YMCA.
"There [sic] role is not to be a snitch," said with Jim Myers Brays with Oak Management District. "There [sic] role is to work with the tenants to make the complex a better complex, to answer some of the questions and some of the needs of the tenants."
It's impossible to make this stuff up. It's like The Onion meets clueless Houston political leaders, with surging murders and an out-of-town police chief all thrown in for fun! Well, fun except for the dead, injured, and burgled victims.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/20/06 11:01 PM |
Murders up 25% from 2005
KTRH-740's Brent Fuller reports the following news:
Police Chief Harold Hurtt said Thursday that Houston has recorded 316 homicides in the 289 days from January 1 through October 16. He said that was about a 25 percent increase over the same period from 2005.
One can understand why Chief Hurtt heads to Phoenix on weekends. It's probably much safer there.
Have a happy Friday everyone!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/20/06 09:09 AM |
AP: Chron anti-endorsement "unusual"
Yesterday, the Chronicle Editorial LiveJournalists posted their endorsement for Governor.
They also posted their anti-endorsement for Governor.
We weren't the only ones to think that a bit odd:
The Chronicle also published an unusual editorial just below the endorsement that advises Friedman's supporters to reconsider. The editorial says Friedman has poor judgment, is unqualified and can't win.
"Unusual" is a relatively nice adjective for that editorial page.
BLOGVERSATION: Lou Minatti.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/20/06 08:07 AM |
19 October 2006
KPRC trumpets email allegedly critical of Jordy Tollett
KPRC-2 "has obtained" an email "regarding" an alleged vote of no-confidence by a local hotel group against Jordy Tollett.
That seems like a slim factual basis for a news story, but KPRC doesn't seem to have any trepidation over running with information perceived as damaging to Tollett.
It's been clear for some time that Mayor White wants Tollett out at GHCVB, but it's not clear that this latest KPRC hit piece is all that helpful to the mayor.
UPDATE (10-20-2006): KPRC's Robert Arnold emails us that there was definitely a no-confidence vote by the hotel group, that he spoke to two sources who cast ballots during the vote and a third source who was not present but confirmed that the vote took place. Arnold indicates that the email quoted in the story was sent by the group to all board members.
None of that was clear from the story, so we appreciate Mr. Arnold's email and permission to update this post with that relevant information!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/19/06 10:33 PM |
KTRK: METRO bus strikes, kills pedestrian in Midtown
KTRK-13 reports that a METRO bus has killed a man in Midtown:
A pedestrian has been struck by a bus in downtown Houston.The accident happened at about 4:30pm Thursday at the corner of Smith and McGowen. A man about 60 years old was apparently crossing the street outside the crosswalk when he was struck by a METRO bus.
He was taken to Ben Taub Hospital where he later died.
Within a month's time in 2003, two pedestrians were struck and killed by METRO buses in separate incidents.
Be careful out there.
ADDITIONAL COVERAGE: KHOU-11, Chronicle.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/19/06 08:55 PM |
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