22 October 2009
Texas Watchdog reports big back tax bill for controller candidate
TEXAS WATCHDOG'S STEVE MILLER reports that controller candidate and current councilmember Ron Green owes the IRS $120,000+ in back taxes. Green says it's an honest dispute that is a matter of public record, that he hasn't tried to hide anything, and that the IRS is a bureaucracy that moves slowly.
Nonetheless, a candidate running for controller (of all offices) may find this one tougher to sell to voters.
UPDATE: We just remembered that this is the candidate the Chron's Caucasian Think Tank endorsed. So, either they knew about this and didn't tell voters or did as lousy a job with vetting as they do writing, reasoning, and editing. Doh!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/22/09 05:12 PM |
Buckhead throws a curveball on Ashby (updated)
SWAMPLOT blogs that the Ashby highrise developers will ask for approval of their original concept, which included street-level retail and other features that the walkable/sustainable planning crowd claims they want (elsewhere). How's that for an interesting twist?
UPDATE (10/23/09): Nancy Sarnoff blogs that the Ashby developers lost their appeal, and the matter will now move to City Council. Will Council try to head off the likely lawsuit by approving, or will a majority on Council jump to the direction of Mayor White and his anti-Ashby puppetmasters?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/22/09 11:55 AM |
McGuff: KHOU Lone Star Emmy success
MIKE MCGUFF posts ABOUT KHOU-11's Lone Star Emmy success. Congrats to all the winners!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/22/09 08:11 AM |
We're stressed
THE HOUSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL reports that a Princess Cruises survey "finds that Houstonians are among the nation's most stressed city dwellers," trailing only Chicago. No details about the survey methodology were reported.
UPDATE: KRIV-26 has more.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/22/09 07:32 AM |
21 October 2009
Arts in Houston: Newly spacious Alabama Theatre wows H Box opening crowd
THE CHRON'S DOUGLASS BRITT blogs about the historic Alabama Theater, post-bookstore.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/09 10:34 PM |
Unca Darrell: The whims of the ballot box
"UNCA DARRELL" HANCOCK takes apart a recent editorial from the Chron's Caucasian Think Tank.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/09 10:13 PM |
"The truth is that those horrors are their ends"
CLEAR THINKER TOM KIRKENDALL blogs that "an Enron Task Force-induced nightmare" has ended.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/09 10:01 PM |
Compounding the error with an update...
CHRON.COM updated their earlier, erroneous murder-free-streak blurb.... with another erroneous blurb. Psst, Chronsters: The murder took place north of downtown Houston, which is part of Harris County (as opposed to unincorporated Harris County, which is referenced in the updated story). Does Chron.com have actual editors?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/09 09:55 PM |
The cover is really good even if the candidates aren't
THIS WEEK'S VILLAGE VOICE HOUSTON CORPORATE ALT-WEEKLY has a great cover. The accompanying story doesn't quite live up to it, but it would take a lot to make a long feature about these candidates interesting (too many quotes from self-declared "political insiders" certainly don't help, and don't seem very "alternative"). Maybe Tim Fleck should have been bribed/coerced into ghostwriting something....
UPDATE: KPRC-2's Mary Benton asks, "does this ... cover offend you?" NO! On those rare occasions when the corporate alt-weekly seems a little alt still (and the content isn't being supplied by amateurs), we like it! What say you, BH readers?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/09 09:40 PM |
Are YOU reading Matt Bramanti's tweets? We are
NASTYGRAMS from Peter Brown? He doesn't maintain an active architect license? WHAT?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/09 07:38 PM |
More good news? Umm....
THE HEADLINES AND BLURBS seem to have a gotten a little out of sync at Chron.com (see bottom left). Maybe the web staff was too busy doing political roundups for online news QA today.
Thanks to eagle-eyed Rorschach for the screencap!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/09 04:41 PM |
Heights arson #16?
THE CHRON'S PAIGE HEWITT reports that another suspicious fire occurred in the Heights. An assistant fire chief is calling it the latest arson in the neighorhood.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/09 08:36 AM |
Cooking the books at ICE?
THE CHRON'S SUSAN CARROLL reports that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement alternatives-to-detention program isn't working quite as well as the agency claims:
Nearly one in five suspected illegal immigrants who went through an Immigration and Customs Enforcement intensive monitoring program absconded while under supervision during the past five years, newly disclosed records show.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/21/09 08:02 AM |
Vet Shakedown
THE CHRON'S CAUCASIAN THINK TANK approve of Mayor White's new Veterinarian Shakedown Revenue Stream.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Blogger Brian Phillips has a different view.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/21/09 04:31 AM |
20 October 2009
County Attorney's office continues dissembling on J. Marcus Hill
TEXAS WATCHDOG has posted the handwritten, undated resignation letter that Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan's office insists that J. Marcus Hill turned in a few days before the nonprofit's story on apparent conflicts of interest. Reporter Steve Miller points out that Texas Watchdog started investigating the ethically questionable behavior in September. Nevertheless, the County Attorney's office continues to dissemble. So much for Vince Ryan's promises to be a beacon of ethical, watchdog government!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/20/09 10:14 PM |
Recyling rewards
HOUSTON announces a "rewards program" for "recycling and other positive environmental behaviors."
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/20/09 06:21 PM |
Grammar police
IF YOU'RE GOING TO critique someone's grammar, it would probably be a good idea to have a grammarian proofread your post.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 10/20/09 06:11 PM |
KPRC-2 documents parking meter problems
LOCAL 2 INVESTIGATES has done a nice story on problems with the city's parking meters.
Parking Management Busybody Lilianna Rambo told reporter Stephen Dean that the city only has four mechanics total to repair broken meters, and it's not practical to bag every broken meter.
We're sure it's not about the revenue, though! *wink*
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/20/09 12:23 PM |
When pols say it's not about the money.... it usually is
KUHF-88.7'S LAURIE JOHNSON reports that City Council this week will continue efforts to get Harris County to help enforce Mayor White's red-light-camera revenue stream. There's just one tiny problem: Harris County officials are balking:
"The downside is becoming a tool of the city for their incredible revenue grab," Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack said. "It's come to look like it's more of a revenue situation than trying to change people's behavior" (James Pinkerton, Houston Chronicle).
Moreso even than Mayor White, Harris County Commissioners oversee their own little fiefdoms and probably aren't all that interested in helping Houston collect revenue. Unless the pot is sweetened for them of course.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/20/09 12:09 PM |
Keep Houston Houston: Obsolete transportation standards
KEEP HOUSTON HOUSTON blogs in praise of obsolete transportation standards (and indirectly slams planning committees tinkering from a distance).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/20/09 08:21 AM |
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