17 September 2008
Emergency agenda
An emergency meeting of the Houston City Council has been called, and there are only four ordinances on the agenda. Summary of the items:
1. Extends the disaster declaration beyond the initial seven days authorized by Mayor White.
2. Creates the Hurricane Ike Aid and Recovery Fund for disaster relief and recovery; appropriates $5,000,000.00 out of the Limited Use Roadway and Mobility Capital Fund and authorizes borrowing to reimburse the fund, and provides for donations to be accepted into the fund.
a. Approves spending the $5,000,000.00 for disaster relief and recovery, including making contracts for goods or services to assist the residents of Houston, Texas, and other victims of Hurricane Ike in disaster recovery, and declaring the city will request Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement.
3. Appropriates an additional $20,000,000.00 out of the Rainy Day Fund (how appropriate...) and $5,000,000.00 out of Limited Use Roadway and Mobility Capital Fund for transfer to the Hurricane Ike Aid and Recovery Fund. It's not clear if this is an additional $5,000,000 from that fund or not.
a. Amends Ordinance 2007-987 that approved a disaster debris removal contract between the City of Houston and DRC EMERGENCY SERVICES, LLC, to authorize application for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement; and creating a maximum contract amount - $98,000,000.00
b. Amends Ordinance 2007-883 that approved a disaster management recovery and consulting services contract between the City of Houston and BECK DISASTER RECOVERY, INC for disaster management services for the Solid Waste Management Department, to authorize application for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement; and creating a maximum contract amount - $15,000,000.00
4. Appropriates $1,500,000.00 from the TIRZ Affordable Housing Fund (2409) to the temporary emergency home repair program to be used for repair of damage caused by Hurricane Ike to qualifying single family homes.
Number 3.a. is the jaw-dropper. Nearly $100 million to remove debris? Wow. Just wow.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 09/17/08 11:03 AM |
11 September 2008
Here's comes Ike, ready or not! (Discuss)
Hurricane Ike seems determined to pay us a visit.
Here's wishing everyone who must evacuate is safely on the road.
Here's wishing everyone who doesn't need to evacuate stays OFF the major roads.
We're gonna throw this thread open for Hurricane Ike discussion. If you have any interesting news, tales of Heller Hysterics, links to good hurricane coverage, or anything else related to Ike, please feel free to share your thoughts. Consider this the blogHOUSTON hurricane watch party (who knows, before it's over, we may have a real one at the West Alabama). :)
UPDATE: Please post your hurricane photos to our newly created Flickr group.
UPDATE (ANNE ADDS): This is bad. I hope the photographer was able to find someone to rescue these dogs.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/11/08 12:57 PM |
10 September 2008
Mayor White pulls trigger on downtown hotel development scheme
On a day when most Houstonians are focused on that little hurricane out in the Gulf, Mayor White decided to announce that he's moving forward with plans to sell the Hilton Americas and boost downtown hotel development. Carolyn Feibel reports for the Chronicle:
The city of Houston has put its downtown convention center hotel, the Hilton Americas-Houston, up for sale, officials announced this morning.
"We do believe there can be significant interest in this property at a very good price," said Mayor Bill White.
An offering memorandum placing the hotel on the market was issued today by CBRE/Concordis Real Estate. Hilton is the operator of the hotel, located across the street from the George R. Brown Convention Center.
White told City Council he personally would be involved in sale negotiations and that he had a "reserve price" in mind that he would not share with anyone.
[snip]
The Hilton Americas has seen its average occupancy increase to more than 70 percent since opening in December 2003, city officials said.
KHOU-11's Lee McGuire offered a bit more detail:
Houston Mayor Bill White says it’s time to begin a new push to add more hotel rooms in downtown Houston, and he’d like to start by selling the building that houses the Hilton Americas to a private company.
[snip]
It has been 10 years since city leaders began to address the issue of a lack of hotel rooms downtown. In the late 1990s, White said, there were only 1,700 rooms to attract conventions to come to downtown Houston. Today, there are five thousand.
White says that is still not enough. “We lag far behind other big convention cities,” he said. “Next month, I will come to council with something to provide additional incentive for new hotel rooms in the downtown area.”
[snip]
The city, through a hotel corporation set up to build the property, still owes about $270 million on the project in secured debt. White says he believes the city could sell it at a profit, and then re-invest what he calls “significant” additional money into existing pension obligations and other new hotel projects downtown.
The most recent figures available show the Hilton Americas operates at about 64 percent capacity, on average. Just after it first opened in 2004, it was at fifty percent capacity.
So, which occupancy figure is correct -- the one cited by the Chronicle or the one cited by KHOU?
In any case, Houston lags behind other big convention cities for various reasons (climate, lack of tourist attractions, and other perceptions about the city) that do not include a lack of hotel rooms downtown. It's hard to see how a massive injection of taxpayer (your) money will change that dynamic significantly (although we imagine that developers and associates will cheer the proposal).
Our preference would be to see the Hilton Americas sold for a profit, that profit to be used to shore up the ongoing, massive unfunded liability in the pension plan (which Mayor White apparently plans to pass on to the next guy, much as he was left the problem by Lee Brown), and the city to get out of the business of downtown development/speculation, which is not a core function of municipal government and not something that should be distracting us given our current difficulties with core functions of government (like police and public works, or as we learned yesterday, well-functioning courts).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/10/08 11:13 PM |
A "modest proposal" from Banjo Jones
A few days ago, Banjo Jones posted some thoughts on areas the Chronicle might consider cutting as part of its latest round of downsizing:
I have an idea on one way the paper can handle the layoffs. I don't think it would get rid of the entire 80 employees they're looking to shed, but it'd be a start -- eliminate the entire opinion section where the paper publishes its institutional view of the world.
Such a move could be couched in terms that a lot of mainstream media haters would love; tell them, it's not our business to tell you what to think, we'll leave that you. Think whatever you want. We don't care! We're just gonna report the damn news.
Like Matt Bramanti, Cory Crow, Unca Darrell, and others, we used to spend a fair amount of time debunking and/or mocking the Editorial LiveJournalists and their error-ridden prescriptions, although we have gradually come to the realization that nobody pays much attention to them (as evidenced by the little traffic generated from Dwight Silverman's whimsical linkblog on the online editorial page), and that our own time is usually better spent tossing out our opinions for discussion. So we tend to agree with Banjo that if that page went away, it wouldn't be a huge loss.
Banjo goes on to suggest that the paper might keep some local columnists (since Jeff Cohen fashions himself a great developer of the same -- really!), or it might just as easily whack them. The newspaper's metro/state/DC columnists are such an undistinguished group that it's hard to object to the "whack them" proposal. For that matter, why not also save some money by downsizing that D.C. bureau that rarely breaks important stories, and letting Hearst set up a D.C. bureau from which all its newspapers can draw (not unlike the Chronicle/Express-News combined Austin bureau)?
We're all for whatever can be done to protect the local/state news staffs from further cuts.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/10/08 10:47 PM |
09 September 2008
City, vendor negotiate agreement on muni courts computer system fiasco
The Chronicle's Matt Stiles reported today that the City of Houston will get back some of the millions it has wasted on a deeply flawed computer system for the municipal courts:
The city will receive $5 million in a settlement with the company that designed a problem-plagued computer system at Municipal Courts, according to a copy of the deal.
Maximus Inc. also has agreed to waive millions more in support and maintenance costs over the next two years, says a proposal the City Council is set to consider Wednesday.
The settlement marks a turning point for city officials, who have considered litigation against the company while watching it struggle to implement a complicated, paperless case-management system.
Now, it appears the city could look to a new vendor to build a different system, but will continue using Maximus for as long as three to four years, according to the agreement.
City Councilman Ronald Green, a lawyer who has held hearings about Municipal Courts reforms, said city officials were not clear enough to the company about its needs when the contract was approved in 2003. Nor, he said, did Maximus understand the scale of the courts, where more than 2 million people visit annually.
"Everybody underestimated what the city needed to move into the 21st century," he said. "Everybody takes some blame. It wasn't all Maximus' fault. But it wasn't all the city's fault, either."
[snip]
Other city officials declined to make public comments because the settlement contains a "Non-Disparagement" clause.
"Maximus and the city agree to issue a joint release characterizing the settlement in a neutral manner — specifically that the parties have determined that in light of the current circumstances that it is in the parties' best interest to modify their existing relationship," it reads.
Stiles' measured reporting really doesn't convey just how big (and expensive) a fiasco this has been for the city (unfortunately, it is doubtful that the Chronicle's weak metro columnists will give the matter the treatment it deserves -- oh how nice it would be to have a real metro columnist like some cities, but that is not the topic of this post). Cory Crow has some salient thoughts on the matter. We're going to stick with the more succinct "fiasco." Check that -- FIASCO.
However, after perusing the critical posts in our own archives (the tone of which no doubt prompted some enablers of the city's entrenched elites to proclaim we were being mean and overly negative), we thought it might be fun to provide a sampling of what some city officials had to say as the FIASCO progressed, along with some snippets from various reporting. It will all be posted beneath the [Read More] link. Enjoy (and especially keep some of the comments from city officials in mind when you see city officials today claiming that the Real Time Crime Information Center is "CompStat on steroids," talking about "bridging the digital divide," and other assorted nonsense)!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/09/08 11:26 PM |
08 September 2008
Crumbling infrastructure
Once again, the City's priorities are catching up to it, in a very disruptive manner. A water leak has buckled the East Freeway, the Chron.com reports. I'm sure the State of Texas is going to enjoy picking up the tab for damages caused by the city's decaying infrastructure.
Traffic is blocked on the East Freeway this evening after a water leak near the East Loop caused the roadway to buckle, TranStar officials said.
All westbound lanes of the East Freeway were closed shortly before 8 p.m. after an underground water line burst near the East Loop, said TranStar spokeswoman Dinah Massie Martinez.
Vehicles driving over the area caused the concrete to weaken and the roadway then began to buckle, Massie Martinez said.
Those pesky vehicles! All their fault, you know. Um, not exactly. Washing out the subsurface under the roadway left the concrete with inadequate support. The problem is, there's no telling how long this has been going on, and therefore, how large of a cavity has been washed out. So how big is it? Well as of the posting, the city doesn't know.
TxDOT, the Houston Police Department and the City of Houston's water department are at the scene trying to locate and fix the leak...
The article isn't clear on exactly where the line break is. If it's just inside the loop, there's a 30" steel main that crosses under the freeway not far from Gellhorn. If it's just outside, there's a 12" steel line next to Oates Rd. The 30" line could be a real problem -- if it is a large washout, the repairs could take a day or two, and tomorrow's commute is going to suck. So would an evacuation of High Island -- or anywhere else in East Houston if this is still a problem on Wednesday. Significant traffic would be pushed towards the Beltway, and the logjam would make it less likely that Zones B or C would evacuate if required. Or it might spur them to evacuate early, leading to another Rita-jam.
To quote Ms. Martinez again, "But hopefully they'll fix it before then." Yes, our public officials are always looking on the bright side, and full of hope, aren't they?
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 09/08/08 10:17 PM |
Houston blog talk linkpost: 09/08/08
- Discounted tickets for Kos event (Off the Kuff)
- The Voting Access Scam (The County Seat)
- Reason says non-zoning helps Houston weather the housing storm (Houston Strategies)
- Muni courts settlement: Keep your mouths shut (Chron Houston Politics)
- Bell loses challenge to Simmons' (Chron Texas Politics)
- More on spay/neuter mania (Lose an Eye, It's a Sport)
- Police gone wild? (By the Bayou)
- Milwaukee commentary on Houston (Houston Strategies)
- Interview with David Mincberg (Kuff's World)
- Retail Shops at Cypress Park & Ride to Open Soon (Write on METRO)
- REV Houston: Street Illegal (Swamplot)
- Political Debates - Is one Enough? (On the Beat with Mary Benton)
- Watching the (MeMo) train wreck (PubliusTX.net)
- SD 17: Tales of the Weird (Lose an Eye, It's a Sport)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/08/08 09:30 PM |
Choosing Houston's "It" building
The Chron and the American Institute of Architects Houston want readers to vote on Houston's most "iconic" building.
The article is here, and includes a list of the buildings up for consideration.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/08/08 07:23 PM |
METRO's not-yet-express bus service
Seems there's been a bit of a delay in rolling out METRO's much-anticipated Signature/Express/Quickline/Whatever bus service. You may recall back in January METRO's expensive blogger announced the exciting new transit offering:
METRO's Board of Directors approved last month a contract that calls for Signature Bus Service to be on our roads by mid-August. You may be noticing enhanced bus shelters and furnishings, which we're installing this month.
We'll initially offer this Quickline Signature Bus Service on three routes, totaling 18 miles: Bellaire,Texas Medical Center/Palm and Tidwell. Future plans call for 28 miles of Signature service on Westheimer and Gessner.
Fast forward past August, into September, and the Examiner's Michael Reed reports:
Metro had been advertising the Aug. 25 launch — and painted large, circular logos into the pavement along the Bellaire Boulevard route.
There was no notification, though, of the delays (see accompanying story).
One Metro spokeswoman Carolina Mendoza said the delay involved “development issues” involving elements of the special stops and not separate road construction along the roadway, which planners knew about in advance.
She said the line would be running “as soon as some of those issues are resolved.”
Another Metro spokeswoman, Raequel Roberts, also indicated the new bus service had been delayed by “some final construction work and tweaks to the system.
“Once we are satisfied everything is working to our satisfaction we’ll announce the start. Nothing major — just want to make sure it’s providing the service we want and that people understand completely how it works,” Roberts said in an e-mail.
But Bellaire City Manager Bernie Satterwhite received a timetable and a different reason from Metro.
“They say start will be in 30-60 days depending on the progress on Bellaire Boulevard in Southside Place,” said Satterwhite in an e-mail response to an Examiner query about what Metro was telling the city.
Typical METRO. METRO is so unburdened by having to provide quality customer service, the agency couldn't be bothered to notify riders:
Bellaire City Councilman Will Hickman was one Bellaire rider who tried to use the new service. Instead, Hickman complained at last week’s City Council meeting, he ended up on the old Bellaire No. 2 bus to the Medical Center.
It wasn’t the sleek, swift ride he had expected. Hickman complained that it took him more than an hour to get to work.
When he finally got to his office, Hickman said he checked Metro’s website. Sure enough, it said the Quickline service was scheduled to fly.
Metro updated its website Tuesday morning, announcing the new service was “coming soon.”
Good grief! All those handsomely paid people inside the Lee P. Brown Administration Building, and no one thought to update the website??!
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/08/08 07:09 PM |
KHOU reports on CompStat; critics continue to mischaracterize
Last week, KHOU-11 ran a story by Christine Haas that featured Jay Wall, a CompStat advocate and HPD critic whose arguments should be familiar to readers here:
1) HPD's misleading murder reporting (documented well by KHOU's Mark Greenblatt) casts doubt on HPD's leadership generally.
2) CompStat is a proven management tool that could be used to good effect in Houston, especially given HPD's reduced manpower.
3) HPD's "Real Time Crime Information Center" is not "CompStat on Steroids" (as HPD and City officials allege from time to time, mistakenly), since it is reactive and is an information resource, not a comprehensive, proactive crimefighting/management tool (like CompStat).
The Haas story dealt with all three themes, albeit with varying degrees of success:
1) HPD's misreporting of crime statistics is only referenced in passing. Viewers/readers unfamiliar with Mark Greenblatt's reporting probably won't understand why this is an important issue -- or even that it is an issue.
2) The management tool point is only made in passing, and the point is not well developed. The fact is, the combination of accountability AND proactive crime targeting/prevention are reasons why CompStat has seen success elsewhere (and occasional grumbling from entrenched people who feel threatened by change). The smarter use of crimefighting resources would seem to be a no-brainer here, because of the manpower shortage.
3) Opponents of CompStat are either intentionally or ignorantly trying to portray the Real Time Crime Information Center as something it is not -- an alternative to CompStat. CompStat is a management approach to fighting crime. HPD's Real Time Crime Information Center is an information tool at best (and there are questions about its robustness). When the police union president compares the two in this story, he appears to be advancing the MayorWhiteChiefHurtt PR/political line -- but the comparison isn't accurate. And it was probably confusing for viewers.
This story appears to have suffered from trying to be overly ambitious and cover too much. If area journalists tackle these important topics in the future (especially points 2 and 3, since Greenblatt has done some good reporting on 1), it might be nice to see points 2 and 3 above treated in some depth -- with more expert commentary on the success of CompStat where it has been tried, and more expert commentary on the differences between CompStat and the Real Time Crime Information Center. We certainly hope that CompStat gets a fairer hearing from the city's next mayor (and, hopefully, a new police chief who understands CompStat), whoever that turns out to be.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/08/08 01:11 PM |
07 September 2008
Chron: Eversole expects FBI probe to force him out
The Chronicle's Liz Austin Peterson reports that Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole thinks the FBI is about to try to take him out:
Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole said Thursday that he expects to be forced from office by an FBI investigation into corruption allegations that appears to be centering on the design of his home by a prominent retired architect.
The Precinct 4 commissioner said FBI agents have interviewed many of his friends, some as recently as this week. He said he expects to be called in for questioning soon and would not be surprised to be indicted, though he insists he is innocent.
"I guarantee they can take that information that they've got and the friends that they've talked to and they can make a case on me," said Eversole, who volunteered the update regarding the investigation when asked about recommended ethics changes at the county. "That's why I say my days are numbered. There's no doubt about it."
Not to convict the man before he's had as much as a day in court, but if Eversole actually believes the feds have a case and his "days are numbered," shouldn't he consider resigning to get his legal affairs in order?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/07/08 07:46 AM |
06 September 2008
Danger Train apparently strikes pedestrian; KPRC website pulls story (updated)
Earlier in the week, the Danger Train apparently struck a pedestrian.
The original story was here on the KPRC-2 site, but that link no longer works, so here is the cached google version.
A version was also posted to MSNBC.
Nothing on the web ever truly goes away, which may come as news to the KPRC web editor (as well as Richard Justice). But wouldn't it be nice if someone elaborated on this news, instead of trying (unsuccessfully) to pull the news story?
ANNE LINEHAN ADDS: In the forum, Royko notes that in spite of the general local media blackout on Danger Train accidents, they are still happening:
How many have heard about the 39 tram incidents in 2008?
Well, none of us have heard of the 39 accidents because local media isn't interested in reporting them, and METRO definitely isn't interested in sharing them, unless there's a TXPIA involved.
Be sure to follow the link to see some of the Danger Train "highlights" so far this year.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/06/08 06:33 PM |
05 September 2008
Continental decides to imitate future Star Alliance brethren
Continental Airlines today joined most of the other legacy carriers (and its future Star partners in particular) in the race to add fees and take away perks. Here's an excerpt from Mark Babineck's report for the Chronicle:
Continental Airlines, falling in line with most of its rivals, said today it will charge many economy-class domestic customers $15 each way for the first bag they check.
As with several of its competitors, Houston-based Continental will not charge the fee to elite-level frequent fliers or customers traveling on full-fare refundable tickets. Continental also said it won't charge military personnel and their families traveling on official orders.
[snip]
Also, Continental reduced mileage bonuses for elite frequent fliers in its OnePass program. Effective March 1, so-called "Platinum Elite" customers will earn a 100 percent bonus (down from 125 percent) and "Silver Elite" members will get a 25 percent bonus (down from 50 percent).
The "Gold Elite" bonus of 100 percent remains in effect.
The carrier further said it will stop awarding a minimum of 500 frequent flier miles per trip even if the distance traveled is less. Actual flight miles will start being awarded for tickets purchased Nov. 15 and beyond for travel on or after Jan. 1.
Until now, Continental had somewhat distinguished itself from most of is legacy competitors, providing "meals at mealtime" and avoiding many of the annoying fees that other legacies have enacted. Further, Houston's hometown airline had largely insulated its OnePass program from truly detrimental changes. No longer. It's not as bad as it might have been (big fees on reward tickets and elimination of ALL bonus mileage for elites, moves that some carriers have made), but that doesn't make it good. And it's likely to be counterproductive, since infrequent travelers will probably now be lugging oversized bags onto the plane and slowing the boarding process considerably.
Boo, Continental. Bad moves.
BLOGVERSATION: Lose an Eye, It's a Sport.
UPDATE: Continental does seem to have enough cash flow to sponsor awful basketball. So at least they're giving something back (so to speak) after ripping customers.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/05/08 09:50 PM |
More downsizing at the Chronicle
Over at Lone Star Times, Matt Bramanti notes that the Chronicle is facing more downsizing:
The Houston Chronicle offered voluntary buyouts to its employees today, with a goal of reducing staff by roughly 80 full-time positions, Publisher and President Jack Sweeney said Thursday.
Depending on how many employees request buyouts, layoffs might be necessary. When the reductions are completed at the end of the month, the full-time staff will be cut by 5 to 6 percent, Sweeney said.
The problems the newspaper industry faces are numerous, but the Chronicle's current "dumbed down and trashed up" strategy should not be a model for other newspapers.
Final word goes to Matt:
A little math reveals that the Chronicle employs about 1,450 people. Less than four years ago, more than 2,400 people worked for the Chron.
Firing a thousand people must be good for editor Jeff Cohen’s golf game. His handicap currently stands at 8.6, down from 9 during last year’s layoffs.
Nice shooting, Jeff!
RELATED: Chronicle to reduce workforce (Houston Business Journal)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 09/05/08 06:32 PM |
Annise Parker speaks out on BARC
A few months ago, several of us speculated that Annise Parker might be seriously eying a run for mayor of Houston, after White is term-limited out. Shortly after that, any suspicions I had on the matter were strengthened by the introduction of a regular City Controller's Report, delivered to employee mailboxes periodically. The lead article of the first seemed quite topical at the time, focusing on HPD.
Well, the second issue has just come out and, perhaps not coincidentally, the lead article is also quite up-to-the-moment -- if somewhat lacking in any mention of the reason for such topicality. The lead article "BARC Deserves the Best -- At Long Last", takes on (what else?) the city's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. As this is a city publication, and may not be available to the general public, the full text is below the fold.
Posted by Ubu Roi @ 09/05/08 04:14 PM |
04 September 2008
Texas Watchdog calls out City of Houston on ethics statements
Over on the Texas Watchdog site, Trent Seibert and Crystal Hubbard have posted a story on City of Houston's apparent difficulties complying with a state ethics disclosure law. Here's an excerpt from the story:
Houston city officials have failed for the past two years to post ethics forms online as required by law, Texas Watchdog has learned.
The ethics forms are meant to make public any ties city officials may have to a business seeking a government contract.
On Wednesday - and only after Texas Watchdog questioned city officials about the missing ethics forms - the city posted a single conflict-of-interest form that was originally filed in 2006.
Texas Watchdog has also posted a number of forms that were filed, but (inexplicably) never made it to the City of Houston website.
BLOGVERSATION: Chron Houston Politics.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/04/08 09:54 PM |
03 September 2008
Houston blog talk linkpost: 09/03/08
- Richard Justice crosses the line (Houston's Clear Thinkers)
- The Ballad of Richard Justice and Stephanie Stradley (Ballz)
- Ashby Highrise: Down to a Loading Dock? (Swamplot)
- OK, I want to write a column, but I don't want to leave the house (Lose an Eye, It's a Sport)
- Chron offers hilarious ‘Fast Start’ to new suckers/subscribers (Lone Star Times)
- Assessing priorities at TSU (Houston's Clear Thinkers)
- The City's New Recycling Effort: Is It Any Good? (Hair Balls)
- Galveston is dying (Lou Minatti)
- Metro starts its downtown-IAH nonstop service (Houston Departures)
- New City Hall reporter! (Chron Houston Politics)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/03/08 11:58 PM |
02 September 2008
Chron: Dogs overheat in city vehicle while animal control officer dines
The Chronicle's Bill Murphy reports some truly disturbing news regarding the deaths of several dogs under the "care" of a City of Houston employee:
Eight dogs died last week after a city animal control officer who had picked up the animals left them in a truck without air conditioning on a day when the high was 95 degrees.
The officer told animal shelter officials that the air conditioning was running when she left the truck for 40 minutes to have lunch, but it malfunctioned while she was in the restaurant, said Kathy Barton, spokeswoman for the city health and human services department.
But officials at the city Bureau of Animal Care and Regulation were investigating whether she forgot to leave on the air conditioning because it was working when she returned to the shelter, Barton said.
"I do not believe we are dealing with a cruelty issue," she said. "We are dealing with a mechanical issue or a human failure issue."
The dogs were left in the truck Aug. 26, when the high at George Bush Intercontinental Airport was 95 degrees.
When the officer returned from lunch, the dogs were all "in distress," Barton said. Two were dead when the officer returned to the shelter. The other six died that afternoon.
"It was a very unfortunate situation, and it just reinforces not leaving any living thing in an un-air conditioned vehicle," Barton said.
The officer has been assigned to duties within the shelter while the investigation is conducted.
Frank Michel, spokeswoman for Mayor Bill White, said, "As soon as the supervisors found out what happened, the officer was removed from the street. There is an investigation. We will get to the bottom of it and take appropriate action."
Past experience (with the crime lab, of all places, where incompetence can also have life-or-death consequences) has shown that it's nearly impossible to fire municipal employees for cause in this city. So we are not holding our breath that anything at all will be done if this employee is indeed found to have valued her lunch more than the animals entrusted to her care.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/02/08 10:22 PM |
30 August 2008
Labor Day weekend
Things might be a little quiet around here (unless something interesting pops up, such as a hurricane!), so here's hoping you all have a wonderful, relaxing holiday weekend.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 08/30/08 05:24 PM |
28 August 2008
Spanish language schools pose problem for Spring Branch mom
Yesterday, Paul Knight broke an interesting story on the Houston Press' Hair Balls blog about a Spring Branch mom who has had difficulty enrolling her kids in school because... they speak English (not Spanish). Really!
Today, Knight follows up on the story with news that the principal said he would allow one of the kids to attend a Spanish-only Pre-K class (although we're not sure exactly what this will accomplish, aside from cheap day care in a language the kid doesn't understand) -- but now the district superintendent is involved, and trying to resolve the problem.
These would be public schools.
Maybe the people who want to make English the country's official language have a point.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/28/08 01:24 PM |
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