More on the Parker Memo...

Just received a press release from Gene Locke's campaign continuing their assault on the HAS memo he's obviously decided Parker is weak on...

[From the Press Release]

The Locke campaign yesterday called into question City Controller Annise Parker’s decision earlier this week to submit a memo to the Mayor and City Council, that raised serious questions about the Houston Airport System Development Corporation’s (HASDC) impact on the City of Houston’s finances.

Parker’s memo was made public on Monday and was followed that evening by stories in the Houston Chronicle and on Channel 13 Eyewitness News featuring Parker’s forewarning that HASDC’s finances could put in jeopardy the city’s financial health. The Channel 13 story began with Parker warning the Mayor that “the city may be in for a rough ride at the airport,” while the Chronicle story contained the alarming headline, “Controller Sees a Financial Cloud Over the City”.

This flurry of overheated headlines centered on whether the city’s finances could be negatively affected by HASDC, a question that had been answered when HASDC was created. No one should understand this better than Parker, who not only voted in favor of the creation of HASDC as a member of the city council in 2001 but as the City Controller is tasked with overseeing the city’s finances.

Furthermore, as reported in the Houston Chronicle today, “Robert Bland, an expert on government finance who chairs the Department of Public Administration at the University of North Texas, deemed the chances of that remote, and said research has shown that for governments, qualified opinions have a minimal impact, at least initially, on borrowing costs.”

Nice of Locke to ignore the full investigation by Texas Watchdog, which provides full detail of the agreement, and which also spurred the following comment from one Richard Vacar:

Rick Vacar on July 30th, 2009 at 8:54 pm

I've been reading your various articles on HASDC. I am amazed at the breathtaking ignorance of your reporting. You have missed the big picture completely. You have also totally misrepresented the facts. HASDC has been from the begining a great idea, not original given the fact many international airports are in this business, and your position has been something's wrong. Actually, something's right.

After speaking with Texas Watchdog staff it's pretty clear that they'd like to know specifically which 'facts' they supposedly misrepresented. However, since Vacar seems unwilling to provide details, we may never know.

It should also be pointed out that Locke's complaints are omitting half of the quote by Mr. Bland. The following excerpt from Bradley Olson's piece in ChronBlog fills in the blanks:

But Parker's questions, he said, are warranted.

“The controller's totally within her prerogative to raise some tough questions about this,” he said, characterizing as “highly unusual” HASDC's use of city employees for international consulting work. “The city needs to look at this situation a little more carefully,” Bland suggested.

2 theories:

1. This is an election where all of the major candidates pretty much agree with each other on the big issues. When that kind of stuff happens political opertives get bored and you get press releases of this type.

2. It's widely thought that Gene Locke is the "establishment" candidate, having the backing of Houston King-maker Bob Lanier and his cabal of influential (and deep pocketed) downtown developers and business-owners. At the time the HASDC was approved it was considered to be a program that had the blessing of the Houston insider establishment. Is it any wonder then that their chosen candidate would rise up when its worth is challenged?

What we Say vs. What we Mean

What we really want is Health Care that's affordable for All Americans.


LaE political translation: What we really want is health care that is paid for by those making slightly above our pay grade.**

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury.

From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.

Great nations rise and fall. The people go from bondage to spiritual truth, to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back again to bondage. - Various

It's not clear who, or if any one person actually penned the above phrase, but it's unkown origin doesn't take away from its truth.*




*A truth which, when examined, has little to do with party politics and more to do with human nature BTW. Republicans are just as likely to give away the public treasury as are Democrats, they just offer the hand-outs to different organizations.

**My theory is that people vote Republican to decrease their own taxes, and they vote Democratic to increase the taxes on everyone else.

John Culberson and Me

Rep. Culberson hit Twitter with his hair on fire again yesterday...

R u more devoted to sunlight/freedom of speech/debate, or to liberalism? Will Twitterverse rise up agnst censorship by top US gov't leaders?

The question brought on by Nancy Pelosi's rejection of his Franked Congressional Newsletter yesterday based on his insertion of language with which she disagreed (according to Culberson)

Pelosi made change my newsletter headline from "cap and tax" to "cap and trade" or I would be personally liable for all postage/printing

also...

Pelosi also made me delete Obama's own words "Under my cap & trade plan, electricity prices would necessarily skyrocket" from my newsletter

My response to Culberson was as follows:

As a district 7 resident I want the newsletter to be news. Save the campaign rhetoric for your campaign please.

And off we went. If you want to see the rest of the back n' forth it's all out there on Twitter. There were also a few Culberson defenders who took me to task for (partially) siding with Pelosi & Co on this issue. Because of that I thought some clarification was in order.

1. Where I agree with Pelosi is that the Franked District Newsletters shouldn't be allowed to venture into the realm of campaign literature. The intent behind these are as informative tools provided to district residents keeping them up to date on the issues of the day facing Congress. Culberson's not wrong to view carbon exchanges as 'Cap n' Tax' plans, and as a matter of fact I agree with him, but that doesn't mean that language of that type has any business appearing on a franked newsletter. Right message, wrong forum.

2. One of the questions that I was asked was how "rhetoric on the House floor" (also funded by taxpayer money) was somehow different than the newsletter (also funded by taxpayer money). To me the difference is fairly clear. On the floor of the House of Representatives our elected officials are participating in active debate. That's the forum designed for them to forward their arguments and where partisan rhetoric should be focused. Well, that and on the campaign trail. It's also a fact that, when speaking on the floor, our Congress critters are not directly addressing the members of their district. In the newsletters they are. That may be a fine distinction but its a valid one (in my opinion) none the less.

3. That being said I do believe that Culberson has the right, in an editorial piece, to inform the voters of his support/opposition of key legislation as well as the reasons why. If you've ever seen these newsletters they're always kicked off with a dutifully happy (or somber) note from the elected official who's job it is to tell you that the other party are a bunch of mouth-breathing saps, while their side of the aisle is populated with great thinkers along the lines of Aristotle and Plato. To my mind what's in this editorial piece is sacrosanct. If nothing else it does a better job of conveying the true personality of the elected official than any piece of focus-grouped campaign material ever could. What's not made clear by Culberson is whether or not the campaign language was in the editorial content or in the news content.

4. Obama's phrase should have been allowed to stay. Obama said it, it's on the public record. Pelosi is dead wrong on this one. We're not living in an era where the MiniTrue is editing out things that they find unpleasant. Obama's stated position on Cap n' Trade is that it will cause electricity bills to sky-rocket. That's a fact that shouldn't be omitted from the debate.

5. It's not the job of my elected Representative to 'spread the cause of conservatism' but rather to do their best job representing the district. My biggest problem with Culberson is that, too often, his goals with all of these Twitter rants isn't to forward policy positions that help the district, but to play politics against Pelosi and the Democratic leadership in order to assist the Republicans in their planned great comeback of 2010. It's because of this behavior that I've voted against Culberson the last two times he came up for election, and its probably why I'll vote against him again the next time around. (Unless the Democrats put someone silly against him, then I'll just hold my nose.)

6. The big question: Are Pelosi and the Franking Committee requiring the same apolitical language from the Democrats, or are they using the committee to subdue oppositional speech as Culberson claims?

My (unproven) hunch is that they're not requiring Democrats to adhere to the same standards. That's just not Pelosi's M.O. So, from that perspective, I've got some sympathy for Rep. Culberson. As a matter of fact I agree with him that Pelosi's record of open and honest governance hasn't been the best since she took over. She's heavy-handed, punitive to the other side, works to muzzle oppositional speech, and is vehemently opposed to encouraging debate on big issues. Remember when Republicans were in charge and Democrats had kittens over every single slight? (real or perceived) This is the same thing, and a lot of these slights are real. But that doesn't mean that you should just nod your head and agree with someone when what they're advocating for (or against) is far from the censorship they claim it to be. Not allowing "Cap n' Tax" in a campaign newsletter seems to me to be a reasonable restriction on campaign rhetoric, your feelings may vary.


OTHER EYES:

Ed Hubbard.

Lone Star Times.

Houston Area Asides (07/31/09)

The "mis en place" edition....

Taxpayer's footing the bill for Tomorrow Fund's tuitions. [R.G. Ratcliffe, ChronBlog] - It was a perfect storm of political screw-uppery. A poorly thought-out Democratic plan made worse by Republican deregulation of a non-competative market service.

Democrat questions Hutchison Health Care Event. [Todd Ackerman, ChronBlog] - Would he have questioned it if it were Sheila Jackson Lee? Somehow I doubt it. (It also helps that the Dems are on full-court press mode against KBH in order to try and ensure a Perry primary win)

White House: Cash for clunkers plan not stalled. [AP via ChronBlog] - Uh, yeah it is. (Unless we're dealing with some definition of suspended that I'm not aware of)

Locke rips Parker's memo of Airport System's books. [Bradley Olson, ChronBlog] - Apparently Locke's OK with psuedo-government agencies using taxpayer dollars to fund their dodgy, low-return, investments. (He IS the establishment choice after all)

Performance Penalty [The Caucasian Think-Tank, ChronBlog] - Well, that and the little matter of underreporting crime rates to the FBI. (Odd no mention of that)

Continental rolls out virtual expert 'Alex' [Houston Business Journal] - Maybe he'll virtually tell them to undo the changes to their frequent flyer plan?

Houston confirms World Cup Bid. [Greg Barr, Houston Business Journal] - Don't get too excited, tickets are typically too expensive for most locals to attend, especially for the finals. (Good to see the City is awash with cash to fund these trinkets)

Houston Shakespeare Festival opens this weekend. [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston] - I'm going next weekend, to Pericles which I've read but never seen performed. (I've seen Twelfth Night and highly recommend it.)

Note to self: Bike Helmets are not bulletproof. [Robert Boyd, Wha Happen?]

Welcome Home Mr. Green. [David Jennings, Lone Star Times] - Gene Green's got some 'splaining to do. (In a perfect world, where he'd have to answer for casting a yes vote on a bill that has the potential to unemploy 1/3 of his district over time.)

Kudos to Culberson on NASA's funding. [John Cobarruvias, Bay Area Houston] - Wait...this guy complemented Culberson? (I'll be right back, I'm going to see if brimstone is falling from the sky.)

Dwayne Bohac's Corrupt Enterprise. [Lone Star Project] - It's partisan, but it's still good journalism. (When the Dems get the office the problems will mysteriously vanish but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be high-lighted when they appear)

Two Billion Dollars [Charles Kuffner, Off the Kuff] - To my mind the problem isn't that Texas is having to geta 2 Billion dollar loan because they refused to accept several Million dollars of Federal money borrowed from the Chinese, it's that Perry and the State Republicans refuse to enact any tax increase on businesses to fund the plan. (Sometimes tax increases are necessary, unless you think endless deficit spending is a neat-o idea)

An Open Letter to The Texas Delegation in D.C.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Howdy. (Obligatory Texas greeting)

Just thought I'd send you a quick note to put things back in perspective now that you're (ostensibly) going to be home for a bit. (I know, I know, some of you would just as soon run down a razor blade into a tub of rubbing alcohol than have to spend a month in Texas, but let's put that aside for the time being) So, before you begin your Summer vacation in the South of France (Or some other European country) I was hoping to bend your ears for just a second regarding some of the issues you're currently consulting with lobbyists to see which special interest offers the best deal debating while in D.C.

Health Care: What a mess. I'll give you folks some credit, when it comes to cocking up an issue you really go all out. Payroll taxes, surtaxes on the wealthy, hospices for end of life care, and a government program that's promised to all but that's only going to be funded by the few. Nice plan....for disaster. If your goal up there inside the beltway is to pretty much obliterate the economy then hey, you're getting close to reaching your goal.

Don't get too smug Republicans, because I'm looking at you as well. While your 'tax cuts all the way' and 'less gov't is more' strategy is playing well with the base, it still doesn't address the main problems that are burdening our health care system right now.

Yes, I know, the mantra is that we don't want the gub'mint making decisions we have the freedom to make ourselves. That's great in theory but falls way short in practice. Because we're NOT currently making our health decisions ourselves. Oh sure, the Norman Rockwell painting that you're holding up of the old doctor with the stethoscope sitting on a chair calmly discussing health options with their patient is nice, but it doesn't show the doctor then getting up to get approval from an Insurance company review board based in Pittsburgh who then rejects the treatment leading to a frustrating circle of elevated costs, stressful arguments and ultimately more health detriments than benefits. It's clear that something has to be done in health care, but setting up a National Insurance is clearly not the answer. Why not take some time to study what other nations are doing well, what they're doing poorly, and try to adopt what's working into what's working over here in America? Maybe it doesn't have to be a black/white choice between 'Government control' and 'tax cuts'? When you go back find the shades of gray that are going to fix this mess.

Cap n' Trade: Ho boy, have you guys managed to screw the pooch on this one. And yes, I'm looking at you Gene Green. Let's be honest, there are many reasons to support CO2 reduction that go beyond the cries of the global warming alarmists. Most factories and cars that produce CO2 also produce other fumes that contribute to pollution, and Lord knows that Houston could do with a lot less pollution. So I'm with you on the need to burn what we're burning cleaner. I'm also with you on the need for renewables. Where we differ is that I don't see a plausible scenario where renewables can make up enough of our energy mix to replace fossil fuels as proponents claim. The numbers just aren't there. That being said we can do some things with LNG and nuclear power to bridge the gap, and micro-grid technology is probably more viable than renewables on a massive scale.

What this means is that you're probably going to have to go back up to D.C. and find the will to tell Al Gore that you're going to propose something that doesn't make him and his investor friends even more wealthy. That would be a straight carbon tax instead of a cap n' trade system, which is something the Republican Party should have been fighting for all along. You could also offer tax credits for LNG and nuclear capacity expansion, as well as incentives for electric companies to move from coal to gas or to make serious inroads into clean coal technology. One thing we all want is a clean environment. While none of these changes will halt the cycle of global climate change one iota, they will at least make the air we are breathing much cleaner over the long term. That's a legacy you can pass down to your grandchildren.

Deficits: Speaking of your grandchildren, can you stop spending the money of future generations like there's no tomorrow? Kthxbai.

Hey Republicans, I thought I told you to stop grinning? You're not off the hook here either. What with your elevated defense budgets and medicare expansions that you've suddenly found spending religion feels more political than it does principled. Yes, it's nice that you're standing somewhat firm against the health care debacle, but your continued belief that America needs to finance the security needs of the World is growing tiresome. At some point we have to stop.

I realize that there's a certain groundswell of pride that wells up in the throat of every Republican Representative when Rammstein AFB is mentioned, and its great that we've been helping out the South Koreans and all, but now we're talking about being over in Iraq and building more bases in foreign countries for tactical reasons. How many foreign nations have military bases on U.S. soil again? Exactly.

Of course, the unspoken reason for America's continued reliance on a global military is more financially driven than it is based in facts of security. The United States Military is a huge work-driver, for both the soldiers themselves as well as the communities that serve them. Keeping a ready military isn't in doubt. When it comes to acting as the world's police force however.....

And Democrats, stop it. Just stop it. You're in charge now, you've been given a chance to govern, so govern. Stop trying to 'remake America' into something resembling Europe with newer buildings, worse wine and bare armpits and go recharge your relationship with the Constitution. Admittedly, the Bush era was a dark time for concepts such as civil liberties and personal freedoms. But that doesn't mean that the first people who need them back are foreign nationals who would like to see us all dead. How about taking a long-deep glance into the murky depths of the Patriot Act II and other legislation that was passed in the name of national security? In other words: Can I please bring my soft-drink back onto my airplane?


In a way I feel sorry for the Texas delegation because there's a sense in the air that the party is over. For the first time in a long while the State is decidedly on the outs when it comes to the DC power structure. During the Bush era we were flush in Federal programs that seemed to fit right in the State's wheelhouse. Now, however, you're stuck going to Metro ribbon cuttings announcing that *hooray* Houston's public transit provider is sticking a shovel into the ground and is going to begin building a second at-grade rail system that's going to create even more vehicular stress and drive the businesses away from an even larger area than the current line all while (allegedly) trying to stop serving the poor areas of town so they can provide better service to the wealthy. When viewed from that perspective, I see your point.

But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try.

Thanks much,


LaE.

Houston Area Asides (07/30/09)

The "stripping away layers" edition...

Pessimistic Shell plans substantial cuts. [Bloomberg via Chronblog] - Yuck. If you work for Shell you have my condolances (and best wishes)

White fights back against Centerpoint's Ike charge. [Tom Fowler & Bradley Olson, ChronBlog] - Good luck to him. (Nice to see White still interested in Houston issues)

Hutchison says Perry is wearing out his welcome. [R.G. Ratcliffe, ChronBlog] - More accurately, has worn out his welcome. (Of course, he never HAD a welcome with Democrats, and -if you believe the polls- is still welcome by a large number of Republicans)

Recycling slump hits Houston's Waste Management. [AP via ChronBlog] - If you work for Waste Management you have my condolances. (and best wishes)

Renewable energy has DOE backing. [H. Josef Hebert, AP via ChronBlog] - Unfortunately, they won't be able to absorb all of the job losses from the rest of the energy sector. (Contrary to what the talking heads are saying)

Texas made the right decision on unemployment funds. [Rick Perry via ChronBlog] - Long term? Yes, he's correct. In the short-term however things are going to be rough. (and then there are the political concerns)

Who will Rick Perry pick to replace Hutchison? Smart money is on Dewhurst. [Vince Leibowitz, Capitol Annex] - This assumes that Perry has the interests of the State Republican Party at heart. (There are many -self included- who believe he'll pick the person that best helps HIM)

Texas keeps wind power lead. [Houston Business Journal] - But...where are the jobs? (You know, the millions of green collar jobs we've been promised?)

August Texas Monthly offers interesting article on Houston dogfighting and a tribute to White. [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston] - Texas reporters love White, and why not? He's a moderate with business credentials. Some would say the ideal Democratic candidate in the South. (except that he's feeling some pushback from the liberal wing of the party)

About those fat people. [Dr. Melissa Clouthier] - Behind the scary 'evil government' rhetoric is a good point about Gov't control of health care. They have the power of the purse and the ability to legislate away freedoms in the name of public health.

HCRP Competing Visions: Strategy [David Jennings, Lone Star Times] - Compare and contrast the visions of the two individuals vying for the chance to rebuild the party. (And see the current leadership team swoop in and denigrate all who dare question them once again. These threads get fun once Mr. Dillon drops in.)

Suicide consulting is part of the Health Care "reform" bill. [Rorschach, Red Ink: Texas] - I don't read it that way (what I'm seeing are end of life services, which is different from 'suicide counselling FWIW) but my read would assume the best of intentions. This IS the Gov't we're talking about so it's easy to see why this could morph into a program to eliminate the excess population. (See: Abortion)

The Chronicle thumps Cornyn [Unca Darrell] - It would be interesting to see what the then Mrs. White had to say about Democratic opposition to Chief Justice Roberts. (Of course, that would involve ChronBlog having a search function that worked)

Harris County Tax Assessor under fire again. [John Cobarruvias, Bay Area Houston] - There are many ways CDS could have legitimately obtained the information, but there's enough smoke in this case to raise questions. (Obviously the HCDP has targeted this office as vulnerable in 2010 so expect them to fan the flames on this until then.

When taken together.......

Kay Bailey Hutchison not 100% on resignation, hopes Perry Retires. [Karl-Thomas Musselman, Burnt Orange Report]

Kay Bailey veering all over the road. [Perry Dorrell, Brains & Eggs]

Hutchison gives early fall timeline for resignation from Senate. [Vince Leibowitz, Capitol Annex]

Evidently “15 years is too long,” is the best reason she can come up with to run against Perry, in spite of his dismal record. We’ll see how that shakes out.

Hutchison to vote NO on Sotomayor. [Stace Medellin, Dos Centavos]

Hutchison takes a hard right turn. [Eye on Williamson]

From the "nobody knows what KBH will do" department. [Charles Kuffner, Off the Kuff]

Is there any doubt that Democrats would much rather face Rick Perry in 2010 than Kay Bailey? Expect the Texas Progressive Blog Alliance to continue beating this drum loudly. Not that you can blame them. There relatively unknown candidates have a shot at Perry, but would be destroyed by KBH.

Herb Butram jumps ship to Gene Locke [Bradley Olson, ChronBlog Local Politics] - Bringing in a heavy hitter.

The real message of the Gates affair. [Tom Kirkendall, Houston's Clear Thinkers] - A 'teachable' moment if you will.

Blood's Thicker than mud: It's a family Affair. [Slampo's Place]

ChronBlog, Let's talk

Contrary to the belief of many, I feel bad for the newspaper media as they struggle to find a relevant business model in a world that's passed them by. Think that's easy? Go ask a carburetor manufacturer which way sales are trending.

If you're the editor-in-chief of the Houston Chronicle things are especially tough. Whether its being beat out for that long sought after Pulitzer by the New York Times (They have enough, you think they'd share), getting scooped on local news stories by National outlets (The Chron was recently scooped by social gossip site TMZ.com for Chrissake), having to lay off dozens (including one female staffer who was told to not return from maternity leave...harsh), suffering a decline in revenue (One phrase: Houston Press porn ads), or having to swallow your pride as you're forced to green light high-minded, finger-wagging, moralistic editorials and columns on race relations from your Lilly-white editorial board and metropolitan columnist pool (Hint: You COULD classify the writings of the Caucasian Think-Tank as humor), it's not been a rosy Summer.

Hell, two of your former beat reporters are currently working for the on-line competition. Your web overhaul, having introduced the Internet to a heretofore unknown shade of baby poop green, is only halfway done with buggy links and a search engine that makes one long for the Dewey decimal system. As a matter of fact, the only online project that we can deem complete is the whitewashing from your site of a certain local blog. (for which there was much derision and chuckling in your general direction) Even worse, your online guru recently classified blogger content as news reporting, which must be a matter of contention (and concern) for your paid staff.

Why, it's almost enough to make a guy's handicap explode.

Unwittingly however it seems that one of your own may have provided a hint of the solution to your problem....

Embrace your Bloggy goodness.

That's right, I think it's time for an official name change to ChronBlog.

I understand that, on the surface, this may seem self-serving. I admit to referring to you as Houston's largest political blog for some time now, but by embracing it you don't even have to admit that I'm right. As a matter of fact, I'll even let one of your political bloggers link to this post and take credit for the idea in a later post. Take your pick who.

Of course, there will be some negatives to come out of this. As with any blog the position of paid editor will be like an appendix at ChronBlog, but you can overcome that by transferring most of them to sales. Hell, based on the writing in some of your stories they're just kind of mailing it in right now anyway. Put those letter-checkers to work pulling their weight. (To correct the most egregious errors, get some software with spell-check. Or you can leave some of them uncorrected to throw a bone to those who like playing misspell bingo on your website during lunch) Sadly, some of your columnists will have to go. The good news is that you can pretty much eliminate the paid columnists and substitute them with the free bloggers currently pegging away on your blog and no one will take them seriously either. The good news is all of this lack of seriousness will now be 100% free.

One problem where I don't foresee any problems are the transition to a new, streamlined, print edition. Heck, you've already reduced the size of the weekday paper to a point the delivery folks are having to add weight to keep people's copies from blowing away. Now, with your new cost savings, you can pump up the volume with reprints of blogposts and AP copy to your hearts desire. Heck, even keeping the Caucasian Think Tank is optional, just go to the New York Times editorials from the previous day, blockquote heavily and agree. Provided you don't accidentally concur with an OpEd on the refurbishment of PS 135 you should be A-OK. If you want to give the article a local flair then you can always BloombergBill White or whoever it is that's Mayor of Houston after this next election. Even the political cartoons could be recycled. Just find some old CP Houston drawings, white out the dialogue and put in whatever you want. Since no one really looks at these any longer, I promise you no one would know the difference.

Of course, your last problem would be what to do with bloggers (such as myself) linking to your content without consent. Rumor has it that you're going to drop a firewall down around your castle, only giving the keys to those few, approved bloggers who also toil within your walls. In my mind this would be a huge mistake and would lead to Internet irrelevance faster than an HCRP Facebook 101 meeting. What the ChronBlog needs is open-sourced blogging, linked to by many and, in the ideal future, copied verbatim with nothing added so as to be the blogging equivalent of either Rush Limbaugh or the Texas Democratic Party issues e-mail. Same concept, different delivery methods.

Sure, enacting this change would be (somewhat) of a shock, but in many ways you're already moving that way right now. You've got more unedited content online than edited, online feuds, absolutism and people toiling away for free with the hope of someday being discovered or whose writing will lead to the next great Worldwide Epiphany. To help you along the line LaE is going to start referring to you as ChronBlog. As a matter of fact, we've already made the change to today's link post. Give it a test run, kick the tires, see how you like it.

You can always thank us later.

Eat, Drink.....you know the drill

BlogHouston has announced another BlogMeet...

We've decided it's time to have another gathering.

If you're a blogHOUSTON reader, commenter, linker, lurker, or just want to come by and say hi, we and some other local bloggers will be hanging out at the Stag's Head Pub this Saturday (August 1), from 2pm until.... sometime.

Hope to see ya there!

My plan is to attend. So if you want to see just what manner of pudgy Caucasian guy is the author of this blog stop by and throw down a cold one (or three).

My High Cost < Your High Cost

About a year and a half ago the cost-overruns of the I-10 expansion project were a big deal to the anti-road crowd while the cost of Metro-Rail was a continuing irritant to those who opposed building any form of mass transportation that didn't start with the letter B and end with "US".

Fast forward to today and the song remains the same.

While my opposition to the Grand Parkway runs deeper than cost (I'd be opposed to it even if it was cost effective due to its impact on the Katy Prairie and my belief that area is being overdeveloped) it's always illuminating to take a look at the blind-eye mentality that permeates what passes for public discourse in Houston.

As far as road-building, I would as open to cost-overruns in a solidly planned, train based, mass transit system as I would be to those in beneficial road construction. A rail system designed to match commute patterns that's grade separated and adds to the transit mix in Houston is worth paying for. A system that takes away from the most common form of transportation in lieu of a conveyance that doesn't address existing travel concerns doesn't seem all that valuable to me. Value aside, that there was never any serious discussion of the reasons behind the cost-overruns of the I-10 expansion (and how to prevent them in future projects) nor has there been a thorough vetting of the cost per rider projections from Metro, should be of concern.

In a perfect world cost-overruns in any transit plan would be met with worry, and it wouldn't be a zero-sum political game. Those who are angry about Metro's price-tag should be equally as worried about the price tag, and the ties to development, of the Grand Parkway. The media, acting as independent watchdog would, of course, provide honest reporting on the doings of both (Instead, in Houston, we get ChronBlog with their rail memo and quotes from experts with ties to Metro contractors.) The end result would be a much better transit system for you and I.

Houston Area Asides (07/29/09)

The "Dog days of Summer" edition....

Houston Bond papers affirm independence of airport venture. [Bloomberg via ChronBlog] - A full-court press in the National media against local watchdog reporting.

NFL QB's Mom demands money from Houston Restaurants. [Mike Tolson, ChronBlog] - I'm sure it was just a coincidence that all of the names she was considering were already taken, and that she has the best interest of the local restaurants at heart. (These types of thinks happen all the time, especially with common restaurant names such as Ouisie's Table...c'mon)

Hutchison to vote against Sotomayor [R.G. Ratcliffe, ChronBlog] - Meh, not a huge surprise.

City workers jailed in 'ghost employee scheme' [Brian Rogers, ChronBlog] - And the hits for Solid Waste Management roll on....

Republicans can't hide from the ACLU [Lisa Falkenberg, ChronBlog] - This is the most pressing issue the Chron's Jr. columnist can find to write about? Pathetic. (I would counter that the HCRP Facebook 101 sessions aren't even news, but that's just me)

Chron goes with team coverage of Bernstein beat. [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - Heh.

Land speculation and TOD. [Andrew Burleson, neoHouston] - The problem with his hypothesis is the way appraisal valuations are conducted. Still, at least he's thinking. (Which is more than many of our elected officials are doing)

Houston Global Competativeness Ranking + Radio Show [Tory Gattis, Houston Strategies] - Always interesting information from Mr. Gattis.

Feds: Houston crime rate is too low to qualify for COPS funding. [Anne Linehan, BlogHouston.net] - Heh. (File that under 'paved with good intentions')

New discirimination claims from female firefighters. [Erik Barajas, KTRK] - Lack of leadership has caused this situation to burn out of control. (And by leadership we mean both at an institutioinal and political level)

From the fates worse than death department.....[Trent Seibert] - And I thought having to listen to bloggers talk about the economy was bad.

HCRP finances [David Jennings, Lone Star Times] - More newsworthy than the Facebook 101 sessions. (Here is also where I'd expect to find extensive coverage on them-which they ran)

Iowa moves 2010 caucuses to Saturday, should Texas be next? [David Mauro, Burnt Orange Report] - This is something you would think could get some bi-partisan support. (Were maximizing the legal vote part of the goal of election reform)

Interview with Noel Freeman [Charles Kuffner, Off the Kuff]

Peter "Plan" Brown's plan to end flooding.

In phone call form:


*RIIIING*

KC: "Hello, Canute Speaking."

PB: "Hello, Canute? This is Peter Brown."

KC: "Yeah Pete, whatcha' need?"

PB: "Just a quick question, I don't want to keep you long."

KC: "Shoot"

PB: "How did that whole, standing on the beach with an outstretched hand demanding the tide stay out thing work for you? 'Cause I think it's got potential."













(Flood CONTROL, it's about flood CONTROL)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Taxpayers of all ages....

Texas Watchdog proudly presents: The circus of excuses that is your City Council...

Some favorites: [Story by Lee Ann O'Neal, Texas Watchdog]

“It just got paid,” Jones said by phone Monday afternoon. Her bill was for more than $3,100 for a retail property in the 3200 block of Dowling Street.

A reporter asked whether she paid the bill “today.”

“It’s paid,” Jones said.

LaE political translation: "Damn."

A Johnson staffer said he appreciated Texas Watchdog “bringing it to his attention” and said it was an oversight that the tax bill for land in the 2600 block of Staples Street hadn’t been paid since 2006. Johnson owed about $1,600.

Johnson paid the bill Monday, said Amie Francis, his chief of staff.

“It slipped his mind,” Francis said. “It’s something that his wife normally takes care of.”

LaE political translation: "Let's throw a bunch of blame mud against the wall and see what sticks." (Either it slipped his mind or his wife pays it, that both happened is unlikely)

A Lovell aide said the taxes on her residential property in the 2800 block of Eagle St. were supposed to be paid by a buyer.

“There was a contract on that house that fell through, and the taxes were to be paid as part of that contract,” said Tim Brookover, an aide to Lovell. “The deal fell through. The taxes have now been paid through her mortgage company.”

LaE political translation: "Let's blame the buyer, we're pissed at them anyway for not purchasing the property."


Taken together none of these are (honestly) that big a deal. Yes we should all pay our taxes and time and yes, it gives the appearance of hypocrisy when a Council person lectures you on paying taxes when they don't pay their own, in the end however this is all more political humor than it is political heat.

Still, it's funny. And it's one of those political schadenfreude moments that are at least good for a chuckle.

Congrats to Texas Watchdog for yet another piece of journalism that Houston's largest political blog seems determined not to cover. (Either that or they are unable to cover it due to their focus on "features" coverage, you decide)

Houston Area Asides (07/28/09)

The "meetings, meetings everywhere" edition....

Med Center leaders: Don't rush health bill [Todd Ackerman, Chron.com] - Good advice.

Baytown releases banking info for 10,000 by mistake. [James Pinkerton, Chron.com] - Ooopsie.

Humane Society receives dozens of sick puppies from City. [Chron.com] - BARC is a city disgrace.

A role model for HFD [Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com] - If the facts get in the way propose changing the facts! (Or in this case: lowering the standards for entry, which would effect our safety)

A positive state. [Andrea White, Chron.com] - Getting a jump on touchy campaign issues, sure to arise, like the Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation, the handling of the City Pension and BARC. (Not to mention several others)

Does Mayor White Hate Puppies (Con't) [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - Negativity!

BARC puppy literally washed down the drain. [Craig Malisow, Houston Press] - Negativity!

More dogs down the drain at BARC [Bear's Blog] - Negativity!

Why won't "transparent" Metro post meetings online? [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - Because they hate the internet? (Negativity!)

Facebook training a farce? Think again. [Shannon, Lone Star Times] - Hey, whatever floats your boat. If Republicans really think teaching small groups of older folks how to do it on the Facebook is going to revive their party then so be it. (At least its entertaining)

Northern GOP Senator blames Southern GOP for party's downfall. [Karl-Thomas Musselman, Burnt Orange Report] - They're laughing now, but wait until the Northern Dems start blaming the Southern Dems for their parties lack of results. (And who says the State's Rights movement is dead?)

Houston Area Asides (07/27/08)

The "pump 'em full of drugs" edition....

Another non-endorsement endorsement. [Bradley Olson, Chron.com] - Answers a question I asked last week to which I haven't yet received an answer. (Maybe the AASDL got confused what with all the similarities between the two candidates positions?)

New taser gives police three shots before reloading. [Amanda Lee Meyers, AP via Chron.com]

Houston gets next year's MLS All-Star Game. [Bernardo Fallas, Chron.com] - I can't wait to see the economic-boon projections for this one. (Traditionally this game doesn't draw well FWIW)

Getting to Metro panel no easy ride. [Carolyn Feibel, Chron.com] - "We want to operate in a totally transparent manner" - Metro CEO Frank Wilson

HFD Captain apologizes for hangman's knot, says no ill intent. [Allan Turner, Chron.com] - Hopefully a first step to calming down the rhetoric in this situation.

Houston NAACP calls for HFD fire chief's resignation. [Lee McGuire, KHOU] - Or maybe not.

Scientists miss their 'dead zone' forecast, badly [Eric Berger, Chron.com] - Using much the same modeling technology that's the basis for Global warming. (think about that)

Airport-linked non-profit has systemic problems, could hurt city's bond rating: Controller [Steve Miller, Texas Watchdog] - When was the last time you saw the City's traditional media follow up on a story to this length?

Laffer: Cap n' Trade an "economy killer" [Greg Barr, Houston Business Journal] - Interesting interview with a subject who's economic theories are held up as Gospel by Reaganites, and are viewed with disgust by Progressives.

Study: Financing elusive for solar power projects. [Houston Business Journal] - My view is that solar power can work, but at a micro (instead of macro) level.

Texas ranks low in per-pupil spending. [Houston Business Journal] - Viewed in a vacuum, these results mean nothing. It's not necessarily how much you spend but how smart you spend it. Despite this education 'activists' will hold these figures up as proof of case that Texas should blindly throw more money at the problem. (Ignoring that there are significant obstacles to doing that in a State with a 19th century system of taxation.)

Houston Area Asides (07/26/09)

The "flush with cash" edition....

Perry's a long way from cotton farm. [R.G. Ratcliffe, Chron.com]

On the dollars of taxpayers and wealthy donors, Gov. Rick Perry — reared amid the cotton fields of West Texas — gets to live the life of the rich and famous, traveling the world meeting captains of industry, sports stars and royalty.

R.G. gets in his every-election hit piece against Perry. (As opposed to the former Chron reporter who wrote glowing pieces on Perry before joining his staff)

Rick Perry: The gifts [R.G. Ratcliffe, Chron.com] - Ratcliffe is REALLY hitting hard at Perry today.

First hint of drama in Mayoral race. [Rick Casey, Chron.com]

After some pay-for-play scandals and other controversies, Brown left office five and a half years ago with a very low approval rating. Some Parker supporters have been quietly pushing the notion that some of Locke's backers fed at the Brown trough.

Not that Casey would know what happened during the Brown years. (I wonder who he's getting his information from?)

Extra green lets you go green after disaster [Purva Patel, Chron.com] - A fool and his money etc. etc.... (This green marketing gimmick's got legs I tell you, like a wine that's had glycerol added to it.

More Houston ISD students qualify as 'gifted and talented' [Jennifer Radcliffe, Chron.com] - Soon everyone will be labeled as 'gifted and talented' then I'll bet the director of advanced academics will be REALLY excited, as she prepares her next year's budget -including her raise one would guess. (They're getting rid of 'qualifications' which means that the Vanguard program now is just a program in name only)

Tiny Kendleton ISD faces closure next year. [Ericka Mellon, Chron.com] - This story shows pretty much everything wrong with schools today. Educating the children isn't a priority, but saving ISD administrative jobs is. (That, and something about preserving history, which shouldn't be given much consideration when educating children)

In Texas, Drought means conserving every last drop. [John MacFarland, Chron.com] - Not in Houston (and its suburbs) where I sill see people watering every day. (Drought, schmought, give us our green lawns)

Power trio jams at SHRP's big event. [Hal Lundgren, Chron.com] - I missed it, my wife hit it on an exotic for a small payoff. (We had a lot of small payoffs last night which made it a fairly successful evening. I'm still kicking myself over missing the one big exotic payout of the night however, because the signs were there and I didn't pay attention.)

Houston's highest paid executives [Tom Fowler, Chron.com] - Funny, no trace of executives at the Houston Chron in their database. (surely that's a data error, right?)

Stuck at the Gates [The Chron's Caucasian Think-Tank] - It's always funny when the chron's all-white Ed board feels the need to lecture the rest of us on matters of race. (Which is sticking around because some people are working hard to keep it alive. There's a lot of money to be made on fanning the racist flame after all.)

The ultimate proof that socialism actually works (kind of) [John Royal, The Clownvision Chronicles] - Interesting concept, except that it's totally wrong. The NFL is a controlled oligopoly whose governing board acts to keep one faction from gaining control over the other. There's no taxation, but revenue sharing on certain items, and no government taxation and redistribution of the scope our government is talking about. None of this is to say that Obamacare won't work, or that it will, just that using an example from the private sector (even one as heavily subsidized by the taxpayer as the NFL) as proof of case socialized medicine will work is flawed. (Now, if Payton Manning had to give 30% of his salary to David Carr so that the latter is paid about the same amount you'd have socialism, that's not the case here)

Dispelling Green Choice Myths [Citizen Sarah, Burnt Orange Report] - Or..perhaps there's a limit to how much more people are willing to pay to 'go Green', marketing be damned. The answer to this, according to some, is to force folks to pay more to pay for changes that it is becoming increasingly apparent won't make a damn bit of climate difference. (but hey, at least the mean oil companies suffer right?)

Can 'czar' help Harris County jail overcrowding? [Scott Henson, Grits for Breakfast] - Henson consistently has some of the most well thought out posts on criminal justice, even if you don't necessarily agree with them.

Reputed drug figure or regular guy? [Dane Schiller, Chron.com] - Good Lord.

Houston Area Asides (07/25/09)

The "house negro" edition.....

Jolanda Jones fires back after 'house negro' complaint [Bradley Olson, Chron.com] - This mess is a municipal government.

Gene Locke and Susan Walden part ways. [Bradley Olson] - Signs of trouble in the Locke camp?

Those donations from Texas Tribune founder John Thornton [Peggy Fikac, Chron.com] - Can people change their stripes? (We'll find out)

Texas teachers can expect $800 raise this year. [Amy D'Anofrio, Chron.com] - In this economy you'd think they'd be happy to get something. (Already there are rumbles that it's not enough however, and now the teacher's assistants are demanding to be paid more...it's a never-ending treadmill)

Cy-Fair to cut bus service for students who live close. [Ericka Mellon, Chron.com] - Now watch some of the same parents that griped about the tax increase gripe about this. (For my part, I also didn't like the homestead exemption revocation, I'm happy with this decision. For all we hear about childhood obesity, it's good for kids to walk (or bike) to school. I know I used to when I was a kid. Some of those biking groups in Houston that like to bitch and moan ought to jump on this and start educating kids, for free, on bike safety.)

Houston Executive Airport allowed to kill 2400 birds per year to save planes. [Matthew Tresaugue, Chron.com] - Oh boy, here we go.

Cornyn rejection of Sotomayor may cost him Hispanic vote. [Stewart M. Powell, Chron.com] - Why? The rejection of Estrada didn't cost the Democrats the Hispanic vote did it?

Independent record store keeps its groove. [David Kaplan, Chron.com]

Stickin' it to the man. [The Zoo Keeper, Lone Star Times]

Texas Governor accepts stimulus welfare, Teabaggers AWOL [John Cobarruvias, Bay Area Houston] - If this guy can tell that you're movement is pro-Republican, then your movement is pro-Republican despite your attempts to classify it otherwise.

Kay pricks Rick for taking stimulus $$$ that she voted against. [Perry Dorrell, Brains & Eggs] - The Republicans, many of whom are not conservative but instead corporatist, are really struggling to deal with the stimulus.

TX-Sen: Statesman shines light on John Sharp's returned contributions. [David Mauro, Burnt Orange Report] - Sharp's done.

Jolanda Jones has a new challenger [KHOU] - I wonder if it will matter in a Houston election? (My guess is no, because most Houstonians don't pay much attention to municipal elections. They won't make the association, which is why bad politicians keep getting re-elected through to term-limit [see: Lee P. Brown])

Houston Area Asides (07/24/09)

The "Off to join the Circus" edition...

Councilwoman's racist ranting has Fire Chief fuming. [Bradley Olson, Chron.com] - Where the hell is Mayor White in all of this? (On another note: Ms. Jones may have just solidified herself as Houston's worst elected official. That takes some doing)

Minimum-wage earners have plans for raise coming today. [Alan Turner, Chron.com] - Those who don't get laid-off that is...

Texas Tribune set as State Watchdog. [Peggy Fikac, SA Express-News] - They've got a good start-up staff, decent leadership, but absolutely no reach outside of Austin. (I don't know if that's going to hurt or help them, but a majority Texans feel disconnected from their Capitol City.)

BARC critic names retaliation for charges against him. [Brian Rogers, Chron.com] - Weird.

A stop to funding for Planned Parenthood? [David Jennings, Lone Star Times] - The first shot in the new abortion war based primarily on the eugenics argument.

Penny wise and pound foolish, a continuing saga. [Rorschach, Red Ink: Texas] - Good stuff.



*An abbreviated edition today as I'm off to see (but not to join, sorry) the circus. Have a good Friday!

Dueling endorsements

This is interesting...

Earlier today the Annise Parker campaign announced an endorsement of her campaign by the Afro-American Sheriff's Deputy League citing it as the "first public safety endorsement" in this year's Mayoral race:

The first public safety endorsement is out and we’re proud to announce we’ve won the support of the Afro-American Sheriff’s Deputy League - one of the largest African-American employee groups in Harris County.

A few moments ago on Twitter the Gene Locke Campaign announced an endorsement by the same group:

Happy to announce that I have received two more important endorsements: Latino Labor Council and Afro-American Sheriff's Deputy groups.

Maybe the similarities of the candidates got everyone confused?

I've sent an e-mail out to the AASDL for some clarification, if they respond I'll post the update here.

Spreading the Message

From President Obama in last night's press conference:

[Excerpted from an article by Jacob Goldstein, WSJ.com]

…if somebody told you that there is a plan out there that is guaranteed to double your health care costs over the next 10 years, that’s guaranteed to result in more Americans losing their health care, and that is by far the biggest contributor to our federal deficit, I think most people would be opposed to that.

Well, that’s status quo. That’s what we have right now.

From Steve Perlstein of the Washington Post published Wednesday morning:

Among the range of options for health-care reform, there's one that is sure to raise your taxes, increase your out-of-pocket medical expenses, swell the federal deficit, leave more Americans without insurance and guarantee that wages will remain stagnant.

That's the option of doing nothing

It's as if Pearlstein could read Obama's mind.


NOTE: This is the first of an occasional series where I'm hoping to highlight the similarity of rhetoric in our political system. My goal is to be non-partisan on this. Since I can't catch every instance I invite readers to send in examples, FROM BOTH PARTIES. Yes, Republicans, your party and supporters are just as polished at spreading the message as are the Democrats. The truth hurts.

Houston Area Asides (07/23/09)

The "On the cusp of greatness" edition...

At least 6 shot at TSU at event to honor rapper. [Mike Glenn & Linday Wise, Chron.com] - That's too bad. With light rail coming through the area it will be interesting to see if HPD can get a handle on the gang activity in the area. (The new-urbanists don't shed many tears when there's a shooting at TSU, but when a socialite, on her way to a $500 event, gets shot well....something must be done!)

Miami swimsuit fashion week. [Frazer Harrison for Getty Images via Chron.com] - Anorexic women wearing little fabric. (OK if you want to study skeletal anatomy...not so much for news.)

Huge oil, natural gas reserve found in California. [Ronald D. White, Los Angeles Times via Chron.com] - Too bad they'll have to jump through hoops to get to it. (Dealing with California is akin to dealing with a foreign government when you think about it.)

HFD reviews recruiting process after recruit readmitted. [Bradley Olson, Chron.com] - Because what HFD needs now, is more negative publicity. (To be fair, the media sharks are circling, they've got an easily outraged, angry public who want to see some blood. These types of things are hard to stop short of a public firing.)

Petition's reception just cold. [Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com] - This is one of those issues where I think Republicans are losing a lot of face, and are flying against the mores of the general public. (Yes, there's personal responsibility, which people should have, but should a lack of responsibility equate to death? Would establishing a fund, paid for by a 1¢ tax on every 100kwh used for example, to compensate energy companies for not disconnecting those who need help paying their bills be a good use of public monies? Is our aversion to taxation that high? These are complicated questions that a real columnist would get to the bottom of....oh yeah, right, nevermind.)

Mayor hires "change agent" to fix BARC [Bradley Olson, Chron.com]

We've been down this road before:

Animal Shelter receives help; Team addresses problems after site receives criticism [Bill Murphy, Chron.com]

The second article ran in March 2005. This is at least the second time Mayor White has attempted to solve the BARC issue by putting a band-aid on the cancer. If Mr. Olson wasn't so overworked covering multiple beats he might have had time to research that.) H/T: Kelly Cripe of Noah's Ark PAC

History in the making. [The Chron's Caucasian Think Tank, Chron.com] - Actually, the founding of the Country, as well as the founding principles, should be the bedrock of all American history teaching. Everything that came afterward is certainly important, but not studying the principles of the Republic doesn't allow children to understand why all the rest was allowed to happen. (I'm not advocating a Christian approach, but a historical approach that teaches the principles behind the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution etc. Too many citizens don't have a good grasp of how our Government was designed to run.)

California's Trials [The Chron's Caucasian Think Tank, Chron.com] - For years the Chron ed board (in all it's many incarnations) has insured us that the key to prosperity is increased taxes and government spending, just like California. Now that that mirage is fading away....they got nothing. (Except some weak-minded drivel about 'storied successes' which really aren't successes if you consider they broke the State. Beyond weak.)

HPD Chief, Metro Chairman like Gene Locke [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - I'd have thought that Peter Brown would be more in line with Metro's long-term vision. (That said, Gene Locke HAS been anointed by Metro's true customers: the downtown development cabal.)

Reasons to revise the global warming hypothesis or abandon it. [Unca Darrell] - We should, quickly before we destroy the economy trying to fix something that's going to happen despite what we do because of cyclical weather patterns, worry about abatement and not giving away our competitive advantage. (Unfortunately those options won't enrich the right people)

Our Apologies

Americans love their Democratic Presidents to apologize. Since he's been elected President Obama has been issuing apologies across the globe at a record pace. Not only has a blanket apology been issued to Sudan for anything that ever could go wrong, but there have been apologies to Muslim Nations, South America and the Polar Bears in the Arctic as well. At this pace all that's going to be left needing an apology are our grandchildren who are going to suffer aneurysms stemming from the sticker price of Obama's social programs.

Republicans, of course, hate the apologies. Not only do they fly in the face of Corporatist scorched-earth diplomacy, but they are viewed as a sign of weakness that must be tamped out whenever US interests are discussed. America must be strong, and if that means breaking a few eggs to make a foreign policy omelet? So be it.

Fortunately I think I see a solution to this mess, a light at the end of the tunnel of symbolic (though utterly meaningless) apologies.

Let's apologize to the Neanderthals.

And why not? "We're not sure an American threw the spear" you might say. Fair enough, but if we can just borrow the same technology that allows modern-day climate scientists to declare the temperature on earth Millions of years ago with 99% certainty and an accuracy within 1 degree Celsius I'm sure it won't be long until the computers will tell us that the spear in question was chucked by Ug-Mok the Hirsute. We can get a former politician (Tom Daschle?) to then film a documentary filled with proven factual errors that nevertheless is help up as 'proof' that the direct descendants of Ug-Mok are currently executives of a tobacco company in Raleigh North Carolina. Of course, we'll have to get the Nobel committee on board, which will mean firing up the Europeans, that shouldn't be too hard however because we can use Sylvio Berlusconi as proof of case that Neanderthal DNA is present in Western European DNA.

Once the details are manufactured it really becomes nothing more than a case of writing the speeches, identifying the bad guys, and crafting legislation to tax them in order to pay for a Neanderthal Educational Center in DeMoines. We're already taxing tobacco companies to pay for everything else, why not one more little item?

Not wanting to be outdone by DeMoines, it would only be a short time before Houston decided they needed a trinket to get on the "world class" Neanderthal bandwagon. There could be parades, feed a Neanderthal day, Billy Burge could be brought out of the broom closet and dusted off to raise money for the "biggest land-based Neanderthal Educational Center in the world". GEICO could sponsor it.

Maybe the funniest potential event stemming from this apology would occur when some perennial local politician decides that the way out of the forest of unelectability is to garner support from the Neanderthal voting bloc. The rallies might not be well-attended, but they should prove entertaining given the historical penchant for local politicians to mimic the accents of the groups they are addressing. Michael Berry could program an entire week of shows on how "the Neanderthals lost the battle, get over it." KPFT could hold a fund-raising drive on top of their perpetual fund-raising drives. GEICO could sponsor it.

Now, if we can just find a Neanderthal to receive a commendation....



UPDATED:

I'm telling you Houston is missing the crest of a World Class wave here!

Houston Area Asides (07/22/09)

The "Bud Norris for Roy Halladay trade is a bad idea" edition...

Mexican immigration sees a dramatic drop. [Hope Yen, AP via Chron.com] - No jobs = no immigrants.

BARC Manufactures cats and dogs for profit. [Trainer's Page, Chron.commons] - A "change agent" whose biggest skill seems to be using a random business buzz-word generator. (Given the Houston Way, Fusco has to have ties to someone involved, anyone have any idea who?)

Critical link to animal rescue: Temporary fosters save lives. [Jane, Found under a Bridge, Chron.commons] - That's my current role in the dog rescue world...Foster parent. It's frustrating, fulfilling, exasperating and rewarding all at the same time.

Willis woman recovering after husband accidentally shoots her. [Peggy O'Hare, Chron.com] - Good Lord.

Once again, why consult attorneys [Rick Casey, Chron.com] - I thought his first column on this subject was right on point. This one is as well.

Advances at courthouse hurt bike messengers. [Mary Flood, Chron.com] - It's a case where the needs of the many (speeding up the court system) outweigh the needs of the very few (bike messengers). I don't want to see anyone lose their jobs, but how many carburetor repairmen are out there now?

Cap n' Trade Bill deserves industry support. [J. Wayne Leonard, Chron.com] - It's probably no coincidence that his industry is in line to receive free carbon credits, while others will have to pay. (Nevermind the folly of supporting an admittedly bad plan with the hopes that society's Least Common Denominator improves on the mess that the House has birthed.)

Texas Bowl inks ESPN deal. [Greg Barr, Houston Business Journal] - Out of the depths of NFL Network hell. (And the New Year's Eve afternoon time slot isn't bad either)

Houston Traffic has its stop and go's [Houston Business Journal] - The reality is Houston's traffic isn't that bad when compared to similar sized Cities. I'm not saying it's good, but it could be a lot worse. (We may soon see just how much worse when Metro starts cutting into automobile capacity full bore)

Metro called out over light rail consultant. [Brad Woodard, KHOU] - Media coverage for another Texas Watchdog story. (Texas Watchdog is currently working harder than any media outlet in Houston....You're not reading it why?)

Mayor White wants to spend $200K on BARC consulting; HFD Consulting hits roadblock [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - With White on the campaign tour, who's running City Hall these days?

Two Great Causes that need your help [Shawn K Quinn] - Charity, it's good for the heart.

We should pay teachers, not Drayton McLane [John Royal, The Clownvision Chronicles] - Trinket Governance is easy to sell. Stadiums are big shiny edifices, legacy builders. There's never a big movement for nuts and bolts funding because the debates are a)boring and b)on-going. No one ever got re-elected by repairing the sewer system. (On another note: We should be paying teachers more instead of Gayle Fallon (or other union heads) discuss)

Besides the God language, and the ESC Federal Ban, how was Bush Conservative? [Dr. Melissa Clouthier] - He wasn't. (Speaking to a broader point, the Republican 'conservative' movement was rhetoric, instead of leadership, based. While Obama is no moderate, today's Republican Party isn't either. The premise in this post is flawed because it attempts to define Party as just the President)

3 Reasons why a successful third party won't solve anything. [John Hawkins, Right Wing News] - Me thinks Republicans doth protest too much. (And why shouldn't they? They're losing members of flock in droves.)

Bad News [Right Wing Sparkle] - In blockquote form. (Is this the future of Righty blogging?)

School Districts looking to rescind extra homestead exemption. [Vince Leibowitz, Capitol Annex] - The Cy-Fair ISD bug is spreading it seems. The "benefits the wealthy" canard is proving false, as its middle and lower class homeowners (and people who have lost their jobs) that are currently feeling the sting of property taxes. While I agree that Patrick and Perry aren't offering long-term, viable solutions to the problem, I disagree that these are tax cuts for the rich.)

Interview with Lane Lewis [Charles Kuffner, Off the Kuff] - The best thing Kuff does on his blog are these local candidate interviews. (Note to the HCRP: It's what you do ON the Internet that counts. Tweets, Facebook rants and blog posts denigrating Obama are OK, but they don't build infrastructure. At the local level the Internets are about building your brand and spreading your message, something the Texas Progressive Blog Alliance understands.)

Imagining New Currency [Andrew Burleson, neoHouston] - Some neat ideas for money in the future.

Peter Brown gets support of the ministers [Isiah Cary, INSITE] - I think the commenter said it best: "Oh my!" (Locke still has the black vote "locked" up -sorry for the pun-)

A Texas only marketers could love.

In the alt-news/geek world the announcement of online news start-up Texas Tribune was the equivalent of a bomb going off that caused attractive women to fall for pudgy, middle-aged guys with bad hair and dodgy athletic ability. Finally there was a news outlet in the works with the potential to really dig into the minutia of the government goings on Austin. That the venture was funded by a wealthy player in the State Democratic Party, headed by Evan Smith (formerly of Texas Monthly) and announcing real-reporters as staffers, including Matt Stiles the Google Docs creating, detail-oriented former Chron reporter, reaction from the InterLeft was giddy. Imagine the reaction of the Bloggers O' the Right should Sarah Palin fund an alt-media company in Texas and you get the picture. (Minus the semi-creepy pledges of undying love)

While I admit that the thought of a news-website offering 24/365 (366 in a leap year) coverage of a State Gov't that's in session 1/6th of the time is promising, my concern in this matter lies in a different area: Namely, what's the deal with the 'old Texas' logos that are popping up every where? It's as if we're back in 1836 and Sam Houston is in charge.

The fact is, marketers love the old Texas cowboy mystique, but most Texans are doing their best to forget it. Hell, I'm willing to bet there are more transplants from the Northeastern United States living in Texas now than there are 'native Texans'. Even I'm not 'native' (born in Duncan Oklahoma) but I've lived in Texas for almost 90% of my life, and I don't even get the ancient Texas stuff.

There's a mystique about the Cowboy that everyone loves to pretend to love but no-one really wants to emulate. For all of the talk about "how we used to do things in Texas" (something said by Texas Monthly quite often when railing against some Republican legislation) the fact is Evan Smith would rather drink turpentine with a room full of oil rig workers than return to the halcyon days of Texas past.

Death penalty? Oh you bet. And none of that 'lengthy appeals process' either. There was a time in Texas that stealing a horse was a hanging offense in reality. (As opposed to today, where its a paper law only)

Guns? You try and pry the guns from the hand of a cowboy in the old days. Granted, they'd probably be so drunk it'd take them about four shots, but eventually they'd shoot you. And if they could convince the local sheriff that it was self defense there probably wouldn't have even been a trial.

Law? You think crime's bad NOW in Houston? Go look at the actual history (not the Hollywood history) of Frontier Texas during cowboy times.

Add to that prostitution, gambling, rot-gut alcohol, a lack of any semblance of an education system, a government that catered to wealthy land-owners and cattle barons (OK, only the occupations have changed, the Texas Gov't still caters to the wealthy) and you've got a political landscape that would cause today's progressives to suffer aneurysms.

Yet marketing departments everywhere want us to hearken back to the good old days when men were men and sheep were nervous. Even the Texas Board of Tourism gets into the act, using that old 'branded' Texas logo in travel brochures and pimping out the fantasy of buffalo herds and rodeos over the reality of modern art installations and haute restaurants with chefs who view themselves somewhere north of Jesus on the talent scale.

It's no mistake then that local leaders are calling for Houston, and Texas, to be less like Texas and more like cities in the Northeast like New York and Boston. New York has SoHo, Houston creates NoDo. New York has Bryant Park, Houston has New York Penis Envy ParkDisco Green. New York has the Subway, Houston has...no...nope, that's just sad. Moving on....Boston: Fenway, Houston: Minute Ma....dangit, nevermind.

The point is that, while all of Texas is moving away from being Texas, marketers and graphic designers are trying to convince us that we long for something that a large majority are missing in their DNA: Texas heritage.


A Texas heritage that modern Texans lost any and all claim to when they refused to boot out the interlopers from Connecticut in the name of political hero-worship. The Bush family is no more Texan than the slider, yet their impact on local politics is as profound as the diminutive burger's impact on local cuisine. LBJ famously carried Hubert Humphry's pecker in his pocket, George Bush gave us "compassionate" conservatism. Clearly, this ain't the Texas it used to be.

This doesn't mean that Texas should ignore its heritage. Reminders of where we came from are as important to a community as are guide-posts for where we are going. Those that do not learn from the past yadda, yadda. Students should be taught Texas political history to get a grasp on the forces that formed the State, the ideals that made it a success where others are failing. It should be required learning to study Texas in the frontier days, the legends AND the fact. Texas history is a fascinating landscape of larger than life figures and unlikely heroes. It's also a story of struggle and (yes) mistakes made along the way.

(New) Digital Texas is the future, an open-range of free wi-fi, digital TV signals and politicians (and political parties) Twittering and Facebooking their messages of hope, change and stay the same to the masses in a real-time environment. It's a Texas where we're concerned about bridging a digital divide so that even more people can enjoy the subtle artistry of on-line pornography, where towering multi-use developments are splayed out across newly-privatized city blocks so that navigating our Central cities is similar to driving through Oxford without a street map. It's a land where Texas gets $1.50 back for every $1 of federal taxes they pay out, where Sheila Jackson-Lee finally gets her Michael Jackson bill passed, where children become wards of the State by age 3 due to reliance on social programs, and where a bevvy of Tier One Research Universities focus on hair-loss, political polling and other pressing problems of the day. In tomorrow's Texas the news cycle is driven by a series of media start-ups funded by partisans who have promised to 'set party aside' and focus on the issues of the day for the greater good.

It's a Texas that's indiscernible from pretty much every other State in the Union. If States were beer, there would be less St. Arnolds and more New Lone Star, owned by a brewery in Pennsylvania, all the marketing nostalgia with none of the tradition.

Is that really what Texas Tribune is going for?

Houston Area Asides (07/21/09)

The "great recession" edition....

Continental cutting 1,700 jobs. [Mark Babinek, Chron.com] - Well that sucks. I'm guessing no executives will feel the sting though huh?

Southwest Airlines manages to eke out quarterly profit. [AP via Chron.com] - Advantage: The Dallas based airline.

Republicans entering Century 21 [Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com] - Making fun of the elderly with a series of hearing and technology jokes. Nice. (Making fun of the HCRP? That's probably deserved.) This from a woman that broke out in hives when someone suggested MLK was a Republican.

This is ware our Country is going [Bill Kneer, Twitter] - Unless Republicans has the leadurship. (Note: Bill Kneer is the technology czarguru for the HCRP)

Brazos Valley ends drought in style with golf-ball sized hail. [Eric Berger, Chron.com] - Interesting article by Berger, but whoever wrote that headline should be tied up and left out in the next hail-storm.

Chron laments number of women in HFD, calls it a news story. [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - The Chron has zero credibility on issues of race (with their Caucasian Think-Tank of an Ed Bord), sex (Considering the treatment of Dai Hyunh during the last round of lay-offs), or local government (given their rail-mirror memo and their recent about-face on property appraisals that dove-tailed nicely with their property appraisal increase) You can pretty much throw out State and National Governance as well, since they use either the AP or other bureaus to cover Austin and D.C. Other than those areas they're still a legit newspaper. (Oh...wait...damn)

Reporter kidnapped on his way to work. [KTRK-13] - Yikes! Glad to hear Eric James wasn't hurt. (I wonder did he get an exclusive interview however?)

Please don't interfere with balls in play. [John Royal, The Clownvision Chronicles] - Every year there's one, despite the Bartman example.

Proposal for a method to change street names in Houston [Robert Boyd, Wha Happen?] - I think once every ten years all of the street names should be up for review. At that time they could all be changed willy-nilly. Imagine the fun if you lived on say...Quannell X Dr. and had to fill out change of address forms to Joe Horn Way. C'mon Houston!)

HCRP promotes Voter Ed Town Hall [David Jennings, Lone Star Times] - Hosted by Apostle Claver of the Raging Elephants. (If nothing else: watching the HCRP implode is going to be entertaining)

Houston Chronicle Accidentally Endorses Market Solution to Health Care Problem. [Unca Darrell] - Ooops.

HISD School Board campaigning begins. [Ericka Mellon, Chron.com] - From Teacher's Untion head Gayle Fallon in the comments:

I am sitting at my beach house in 85 degree weather while you are dying of the oppressive heat. I have a great family, good friends, no bills, a job I enjoy, and am financially independent.

So she's living it up while the teachers she represents are struggling to make ends meet? (She seems to think very highly of herself sitting in her beach house while others 'suffer' does she not?) Perhaps her job doesn't define her, but her comments demeaning Houstonians sure do.

Local Radio Host wants to Ask a Mexican why he's gone online only. [Richard Connelly, Houston Press] - I didn't even realize the column was gone from the print edition but there you go. (Instant controversy)

Beverly Hills 78701 [Mark Bennett, Defending People] - Those crazy ADA's getting krunk and committing criminal trespass. (Who says lawyers aren't party animals?)

Transportation fantasyland in DC. [Tory Gattis, Houston Strategies] - The problem with getting Congress out of the transportation game revolves around power. Transportation funding is a big, big stick to use in re-elections. (Especially in Cities where local media allow the opinions of persons employed by, or investing in, companies who stand to profit from public transit expenditures to be inserted into the public debate as unbiased, expert opinion absent any disclosure.)

Rapid Eye Movement (07/20/09)

Some thoughts during lunch...

After decades, Light Rail runs in Seattle [Tim Klass, AP.com]

3 Things:

1.

Passenger service on the new Link system begins Saturday with live music, free rides and shuttle service to some stations, ending the city's dubious status as one of the nation's largest without a dedicated rail transit system.

What makes that a "dubious" distinction? Other than the reporter's bias for rail that is....

2.

Officials are planning for 40,000 to 50,000 riders on opening day, when the Seattle Sounders will be playing a soccer exhibition game with Chelsea of the English Premier League before some 60,000 fans and thousands will be heading out to the daylong Bite of Seattle restaurant festival at the Seattle Center.

Clearly they learned some PR from Metro (open it on a high-profile event day to inflate ridership, and wisely ignored Houston Metro on planning. (From downtown to the airport should be a no-brainer, however, this IS Houston we're referring to)

3.

The line is probably the most complicated system in the country, as it runs through tunnels beneath downtown and Beacon Hill, at street grade in the city's south end and on elevated tracks to the airport, Earl said.

But they're smart enough to keep the majority of it separated from vehicle traffic. Thus incresing the number of transit options, a true transit 'solution' if you will. (As opposed to Metro's system that's designed to limit options)

And so it goes.

Man refused liver transplant dies. [BBC News] - He didn't meet standards for transplant that were passed for political, instead of medical, purposes. Of course, our government in America NEVER passes regulations for political purposes right?

Survey looks at how much we hate the middle seat. [Bill Montgomery, Houston Departures] - It's not my favorite, but there are worse things in the world that can happen to you. (Like say, getting stuck in the middle of a land-use debate between Tom Bazan and David Crossley, that would be pretty bad.)

Emily Ramshaw leaves Dallas Morning News for Texas Tribune. [Emily Ramshaw via Twitter] - Evan Smith, Matt Stiles, Emily Ramshaw. That's a pretty impressive early list of staffers. What's going to be most interesting is the brain drain from newspapers. (God knows the Chronicle isn't doing much reporting these days, so reporters who want to report might as well consider the offer)

Houston Area Asides (07/20/09)

The "One of these days" edition....


Apollo 11: Those who were there relive the worry and the glory [Eric Berger, Chron.com] - Pow! Straight to the moon!

HFD lags far behind in hiring women. [Mike Tolson, Chron.com] - When there's blood in the water the media sharks are adept at finding "all kinds of -ism's." It's what they live for. Low-hanging fruit and all that. (Anyone seen a betting pool on when the Chief is forced out?)

EZ Tags keeping track of traffic speeds. [Carolyn Feibel, Chron.com] - Wanna know how a tax on 'miles driven' could happen? Chances are it's already in your car. (sleep tight)

Litterbugs beware: Other drivers are watching you. [Peggy Fikac, Chron.com] - Because what this State needs is a program where people can find unique ways to harass others. (What's to stop someone from reporting someone they don't like say...500 times?)

Iconic East-End eatery falls victim to rail. [Allan Turner, Chron.com] - It's biggest problem is that it wasn't the same as the cute little bistros that you'll find in cities Houston wants to look like. Sad. (Now every restaurant is Taco Bell)

EZ Tag tolls to go up 5¢ to $1.30 in September [Carolyn Feibel, Chron.com] - Remember when toll roads were created to fund their construction and the tolls were supposed to go away when the construction bonds were retired? (Promises, like marriages, are temporary things in politics)

A very special note to my readers [Rescue Volunteer, Rescued from under a bridge] - Good news! (If you're interested in helping animal rescue groups this is a good blog to add to your feed-reader)

Save Washington Avenue. [Orlando Sanchez, Chron.com] - I am shocked (SHOCKED! I tell you) to see that "Conservative" Orlando Sanchez's solution to the Washington problem is amost totally based around government expenditures. (Pro-Metro bloggers are (rightly) having a field day with this)

Beverly Hills 78701 [Mark Bennett, Defending People] - So...you're saying our new ADA's are hipsters? (Hipsters with a dodgy concept of the law at that)

We'll give up Hillcroft when you pry it from our cold, dead fingers. [Slampo's Place] - Houston's best blogger strikes again.

Mayor/Senate Candidate White's press office announces plan to spend $200K on HFD legal consultants. [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - One of the biggest journalistic sins committed by the City's largest political blog is the lack of full disclosure regarding various experts that appear in their pages. (This is seperate from the most underreported story, which you can find on BlogHouston as well)

Chron editorial board discovers appraisal creep (then moves on)[Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - Tom Bazan provides a reason in the comments, the appraisal value on their facility @ 416 Milam has almost doubled in value. (The Chron has never met a tax for you they don't like. For them...not so much)

90.1 KPFT schedule changes coming. [Mike McGuff] - I've heard rumor they're phasing out the "Sounds like Texas" music that they've been known for. If that's true then it's time to remove them from my auto-programs (Driving to Democracy Now! radio could prove sleep inducing)

Stimulus and I Love you Baby, bullets [Robert Boyd, Wha Happen?] - Some good, interesting and just plain bad art. (On another note: Did El Franco Lee II just paint his dad with a drink and a couple of white hookers on his arm?)

Airborne Toxic Event II [Robert Boyd, Wha Happen?] - Some good man-on-the-street blogging here.

How can you claim moral superiority voting for Bob Barr? [Dr. Melissa Clouthier]

It’s crazy talk. Stupid, moronic, dull-witted, self-defeating crazy talk.

All of this in a post declaring her political opposites to be "the enemies" (Which is the same stuff Democrats used to say about Republicans, and Republicans would call that kind of talk un-American remember?) Wow, just wow.

HCRP schedules another Facebook 101 [David Jennings, Lone Star Times] - Leading the Republican Party out of the doldrums one LOL! at a time.

Same vs. Same

One of the biggest complaints you hear about the suburbs is that they are all the same. They have the same strip malls, the same stores, the same, boring chain restaurants serving the same food delivered by the same Sysco trucks. So same sucks right?

Wrong same breath.

It seems that the problem with Houston is that it's not the same....as other cities. Houston doesn't have the same signs, the same street grids, the same public transportation that goes to the same multi-use developments (preferably, of the type built and championed by the author of the linked piece...go figure) and the same hipsters drinking the same Pabst Blue Ribbon in the same urban clubs while the same crappy cover band plays the same songs popularized by Pearl Jam.

So same is the same when the same that's under discussion is in line with the same developments that we've been told Houston needs for the last 10 years or so.

Same song, second verse.

News Flash!

Ya don't say?

Hurtt supports Locke via Campaign $$$ [Bradley Olson, Chron.com]

One little-noticed nugget in the fundraising totals released Wednesday was a $1,000 donation from Hurtt to Locke (on May 21, 2009), as well as a $250 donation from Hurtt's wife, Lonetta (on June 30, 2009). So far, we can find no other donations to candidates from city department directors in our nifty master spreadsheet

Considering Parker has promised to fire him if elected, and Peter Brown is still searching for a constituency (Morales and Huntley have no chance either) then Hurtt is basically supporting the one candidate with a chance of winning that won't let him go.

That's some news right there I tell ya.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

What the Harris County Republican Party needs right now is Pancho Claus.

No, really, I'm serious about this. Before you call the men in white coats (Or, even more scary, if you're a member of the HCRP "rapid response" team and leave a comment calling me despicable) let's think this through....

It's no secret that one of the things you pachyderms aren't doing well of late is relating to minorities. The recent turnout at the HCRP Facebook Training Seminar (REALLY?) was whiter than the tops of the French Alps during ski season. Branson Missouri's got nothing on the HCRP when it comes to old, caucasian folks milling around. One thing to remember: That's OK. After all, old Caucasian folks need a Party to vote for too. Providing an alternative to the AARP is a noble endeavor. The problem is that, if you want to win elections, you're going to have to make inroads into the Hispanic community, and that's going to mean 'getting down' with their heritage.

The obvious way to do this is through grass-roots community work and training, recruiting Hispanic candidates and increasing minority membership on your leadership board (also, do us a favor and get rid of all the pictures of staffers posing with the cardboard cut-out of former Pres. Bush. Creepy) The problem is that you've already met the Republican quota of one minority member on the board per chapter, and we don't want to move things along too quickly here now do we? Also, grassroots activism takes time, effort and resources, none of which you have to spare as you try to do it on the Facebook and the Twitter. "Tomorrow's Republican Party is full of Twits" That's the motto right?

Fortunately with Pancho Claus you don't need to engage in any of that icky community service stuff. The beauty of hiring P Claus is that, really, all you need is money...

Oh yeah, that.

OK look, there was a time in the not too recent past where the Harris County Democratic Party was in the same shape that you currently find yourself today. They had their Bell-Cow who was moralizing and losing elections at break-neck speed, a couple of candidates no-one had ever heard of and Lee P. Brown. These were dark-times for Democrats, but they got through it. Now we're looking at a role reversal where the HCDP is flush with cash and high on life while Republicans are locking up shop because the rent's late. Pancho Claus can fix all of this for you, provided you can scrounge up the money to float his fee. (Unlike California contractors, I don't think he'll take an IOU)

Maybe it's time for an HCRP garage sale? Look, we know you've probably got several of those W. cardboard cut-outs lying around. Head your butt over to Wal-Mart, buy some "made in the USA" darts & a red marker and get to making yourself some Democratic Primary watch-party, party favors. You could probably double the price by purchasing some poster-board, cutting it out in the shape of a word bubble and writing different Bushism's on each one. I'm willing to bet there'd be a very large market for "I'm the decider" and "misunderestimation" would probably grab a bit as well. If you have any Chaney cut-outs you could probably get a fortune for too, provided you could convince people that they won't steal their soul. These little draw-backs are easily handled by ALL good marketing departments.

Let's get with it Republicans! Enough crying in your gentrified exburban neighborhoods about how the Country is going to hell in a hand-basket due to Hope and Change. It's time for a new hope, for Pancho Claus handing out pinatas in the shape of donkeys that spit out candies with conservative messages on them when they're broken. It's time for little children to receive books titled "Corporations and you" and "Really, we're not Evil" out of the gift bag of a trusted local personality, and it's time to lose that sad face and put on a pair of shades and a smile!

Go make the Republican Party great again. (And after this works we can discuss my fee)

UPDATE: On the heels of this, here's a second idea for fund-raising. According to rumors you have people on staff who are familiar with work of this type.

Houston Area Asides (07/17/09)

The "other Friday in every other Friday" edition....

Gun Shows, Thieves attached to drug weapons. [Stewart Powell, Chron.com] - Obviously the answer to this is to pass a Houston City Ordinance making it illegal to steal a gun. (If you're a certain Mayoral candidate that is)

'Experts' stir controversy over History textbooks. [Gary Scharrar, Chron.com] - My view is that we should teach America, the good, the bad and the stuff we wish had never happened. Too many kids aren't prepared for it when they find out that America has sometimes been less than perfect.

Potential shuttle damage not worrying to NASA. [Eric Berger, Chron.com] - You'd think, after the accidents that have happend, they'd at least be moderately concerned.

Race for Controller is heating up in Houston. [Bradley Olson, Chron.com] - Feel the burn!

Money talks, but it doesn't cast votes. [Rick Casey, Chron.com]

I think it's because a basic dynamic of traditional American machine politics is extinct.

Anyone who thinks that hasn't been paying attention. It may not be the same as it was 50 years ago (all things change after all) but the "Houston" and "Chicago" ways are still alive, well and thriving. Even moreso since the media has abandoned their watchdog role in Houston)

You can't expose something that's already exposed. [John Royal, The Clownvision Chronicles] - In defense of Richard Justice: He was probably thinking of new ways to insult the intelligence of readers that day.

Are you sad? Down? A bit Depressed? [Trent Seibert] - Hipsters should be used as proof of case that all mean are NOT born equal.

Kay steps into the ring. [IJ Reilly, Bayou City Madman] - Bonus points for the very insider riffing of a catch phrase.

A Cautionary tale from California and Michigan. [Dr. Melissa Clouthier] - The comment is priceless.

Dr. Jeckyll and Gov. Perry. [David Jennings, Lone Star Times] - If you've got some time, are bored, or otherwise need a laugh, go spend some time reading the back n' forth in the LST comments on their Harris County Republican Party posts of late. Hilarity ensues.

Senator Boxer smacked down. [Right Wing Sparkle]

Barbara Boxer: Priviliged White Liberal FAIL [David Benzion, Lone Star Times]

I am SO on the wrong e-mail lists. Dangit.

Giving gone wrong.

It's possible that you haven't paid much attention to the political fundraising numbers released yesterday and covered ad nauseum by media outlets and political bloggers of all political stripes. And who could blame you? Outside of political consultants (who, let's be honest here, use campaign finance disclosures as a form of want-ad) and those reporting on the numbers they're really not of much use.

Kay Bailey raised $6.7 Million? Well, good for her. What this means is that she'll be able to afford a little bit better make-up in the inevitable onslaught of commercials that she'll air in her quest to unseat Rick Perry. Hooray for us.

Bill White raised more than $1 Million? Terrific, he also gave himself another $800,000.

As a matter of fact, if you took all of the campaign donations from the Governor's race and the race for Kay Bailey's Senate seat you would collect more money than The Star of Hope Mission collected for all of 2008.

And therein lies the problem.

Candidates will make the argument that they are just playing the game under the current rules of the system. Lobbyists will tell you that they have to make sure they donate so that they have a seat at the table when issues important to you are discussed and political consultants will....well, OK, they won't tell you anything. What they will be doing is charging politicians ridiculous amounts for polling analysis performed by anti-social recluses making subsistence wages banging away on iMacs in windowless offices. (Note: As opposed to hobby bloggers, who do much the same thing but without the benefit of a paycheck) Plotting survey results in graphical format doesn't require media skills of course, which is where the bosses come in. After the election they'll be 'unavailable for comment' probably vacationing in Aruba. In the world of political consulting, unless you're the lead dog the world is the same.

Looking at it that way, our choice is pretty straight forward: Do we continue to support the tanned visages of top-flight political consultants, and the indentured servitude of their underlings, or do we as a people stand up and say "No more, I've had enough and I'm not doing this any longer!" Surely thinking people would realize the harm that being locked in a room with nothing more than Red Bull, an iMac and a faded Heather Locklear poster can do to one's psyche. Clearly the only way to put a stop to this is to redirect the money elsewhere.

Somewhere like Star of Hope for example. Imagine the good they could do with a slew of donations during July...in Houston. With the insane amounts of money that we're talking about they could build a pool for the homeless, complete with cabana bar. Imagine what Habitat for Humanity could do with that kind of scratch? If helping the homeless isn't your gig, think of all the animals that could be spayed/neutered, housed and fed for $17 Million dollars.

The truth is, were the media doing their jobs, local candidates could get by with about 10K (for yard signs, etc.) provided that they make good use of their volunteer staffs, and local races could probably survive on around 50K. Oh sure, you wouldn't have as many political campaigns but, given their unfortunate history, is that really a bad thing? What America doesn't need is another Bar-Barbara Ann. So, political advertising would be limited to a few yard signs, which is as it should be. Under no circumstances should Houston ever lose the hilarity that is political bloggers hurling accusations of sign theft at the other side. Also fun to watch are "investigative" blog posts exposing the other sides blatant disregard for sign laws. What we're proposing here is bringing political campaigning back to its roots. Large groups of volunteers walking blocks and manning phones working to get out the vote. Yes, you always run the risk of having a wealthy candidate disregard the rules and spend a lot of their own money in order to overwhelm the other candidates with a sea of White noise, but these things are happening right now anyway. At least under my plan the general public will be spared the worst commercials. Politics being nothing more than show business for ugly people, it could be argued that if you can't make a good commercial, you don't deserve the office anyway.

In an ideal world, lack of advertising and press releases would force local media to rush in to fill the gap. A series of candidate forums, interviews, town-hall meetings and debates would be wonderful filler for media outlets currently having to result to half-naked pictures of young women and articles on cheating to bring in readers. News could go back to being news, and stop being the current mish-mash of blogging and soft-core porn. That's in a perfect world however, which is why I know that this plan is doomed to fail.

In today's political world the stakes have never been higher. As the government expands to fill the community leadership void vacated by multi-National businesses and the charity void left empty by the new Religious Right, our politicians have become de-facto Spiritual figures perched on the Hill to which the populace casts their Hosannas hoping for an acknowledgement by the Chosen One. In Modern Day America, politics is not only our Government, but it's also taken on the role of God, Entertainer and Parent as well. Cutting off the money from political candidates would be like cutting the umbilical cord from a mother to her new-born baby. Unfortunately there's no doctor sitting beside the delivery table to spank us on the bottom as a reminder to breathe.

If we could get past that however, I really think that redirecting our giving habits from politicians to charity would overall be positive. As a matter of fact, the only downside that I see is a dip in the job market for political consultants and their assistants.

The good news is, there would be plenty of Habitat for Humanity homes for them to move into.

Houston Area Asides (07/16/09)

The "satire free" edition....

Hutchison wins over some major Perry donors. [R.G. Ratcliffe, Chron.com] - Frontrunners...oh, wait.

Audit finds improper spending at HISD. [Ericka Mellon, Chron.com] - Surprised?

Fundraising shows mayor race is open [Bradley Olson, Chron.com] - People are having trouble choosing between three practically identical candidates.

Perry's stimulus wasn't the worse flub. [Lisa Flakenberg, Chron.com] - It wasn't even a flub. Sure it was done for political reasons but the arguments against it are political as well. (as opposed to being driven by some sense of 'fair-play')

UH brings in top energy execs for new Energy Advisory Board. [Houston Business Journal] - It's an impressive list of people who can help UH better prepare grads for employment in the energy field.

Noelle Newton, KVUE via KHOU] - The list of words you can't say is larger than the words you can now. (and they're constantly changing)

Dem commissioners endorse Sharp; Eversole lashes out. [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - The County Commission, excellence in political theater.

Not just pro abortion, the Obama administration is anti-life. [Dr. Melissa Clouthier] - Oh just stop it.

Theatre in baseball. [Right Wing Sparkle] - Seriously, stop it.

Another social experiment [Unca Darrell] - The continuing battle by the womenists to eradicate all things masculine from society is troubling at best, sinister at worst. If you'll pardon me now I'm off to eat a steak.

TX Gov: Why Debra Medina is a serious candidate for Governor. [Phillip Martin, Burnt Orange Report]

Now remember -- Lone Star Times is a site that, every day, posts photos, videos, and articles that trumpet President Obama as a lunatic socialist and claim that the Republican Party is not doing enough to thwart his efforts.

Which is entirely different from the writings of the InterLeft comparing Bush II to either a chimpanzee or Hitler while complaining the Democratic party wasn't doing enough to thwart his efforts....

TX-SEN: White reports fund-raising numbers, rakes it in from Oil & Gas industry. [Vince Leibowitz, Capitol Annex] - Outside of Houston candidate White is not viewed favorably by the Democratic base.

Metro says it lacks expertise to manage light rail project, hires $2400/day consultant who is associate of Metro CEO. [Rosanna Ruiz, Texas Watchdog] -

A former colleague of Metro’s chief executive officer stands to make more than $500,000 in a year and a half as a consultant for the transit agency, overseeing Houston’s light rail contract.

Metro didn’t seek any competing bids for its contract with California-based consultant Clyde H. Garrison Jr., who used to work in Los Angeles with Metro CEO Frank J. Wilson. Metro has extended Garrison’s contract three times since hiring him last summer. The current contract pays him $300 per hour and lasts through next spring.

Wow. Go read the whole thing. (It might not hurt to add TX Watchdog to your feed reader as well, if you use it, they're investigative reporting is easily the best in Houston right now.)

Meet the Anti-'s

So it's come to this: Houston's street rules are, de facto, outlawing livable, walkable neighborhoods, a fact that has the Anti- crowd in an uproar. What this proves is that many Anti-'s don't really have a good understanding of what it is they're getting all anti- about. That won't stop people from being anti- however, there's just so much out there to be against these days.

Of course, Suburbia is the latest Anti- cause du jour, its so fun to pick on those, primarily middle-class, people who live outside of a stylized urban core that no thought is given to the similarities between the Anti-'s and their intended targets.

Neighborhoods: At first blush you might think this topic is a slam-dunk. Urban core areas are walkable buffets with a myriad of entertainment choices available to an unctuous stew of human life buzzing about in a hip, faux New-York manner.

Wrong.

The reality is that the neighborhood of the Anti- looks very much like the neighborhood of the dreaded Suburbus Humanus. Think about it, you've got detached, single-family homes on relatively large lots with private drives, lawns, 2.4 children and the family pet. Quite often your neighbors look very much like you, drive the same style of car as you, and tend to shop and eat at similar places. Don't believe me? Go spend a little time in Southampton (a neighborhood just as gentrified as THE Hamptons really) or look around the Heights. Despite their claims of "diversity" the area is gentrifying more rapidly than the Texas Republican Party. Urban gentrification doesn't have racial quotas attached to it after all.

As a matter of fact, the biggest difference you're likely to find between Urban neighborhoods and Suburban neighborhoods is one of price. It costs a LOT more to have a lawn inside Loop 610 than it does outside it. Because of this the natural destination for the newly upwardly mobile is Suburbia. It's this lack of scale that (I think) really sticks in the Anti-'s craw.

Historically the well-to-do in a City enjoyed sprawling Urban compounds where their children could enjoy a good game of pin-the-tail-on-the-servant. The rich business owner had an affair with the neighbor's wife while his significant other was engaging in perverse acts with the town crier. The poor people during this time were fairly compartmentalized into either beggars, indentured servants who worked in rural ares, or the poor who were forced to live asshole to elbow in a tenement house. After WWII America started getting richer and, now flush with money and easy credit, a significant portion of the working class decided that they'd be better off living outside of the spatially-restricted confines of the City Center and started moving out to the Suburbs. Since everyone had a little more money than they did before the war the poor (typically ethnic or minority) moved into the tenement houses which ultimately led to an (unfortunate) racial divide between suburbia and the urban centers.

Recently however an odd thing has been happening. Tiring of high crime and sick of living asshole-to-elbow, the poor that were stacked like Pringles into tenement housing took advantage of easy credit and started obtaining low-interest LIBO loans in order to purchase houses in the suburbs. While this was happening a portion of the suburban crowd was deciding that moving back into the city center was a good idea. Fortunately for both groups two things happened.

1. Upwardly mobile suburbanites who didn't want to move into the City Center decided that new construction in the Exburbs was a good idea. This opened up house inventory that was filled by the upwardly mobile moving from the City Center to suburbia.

2. Developers figured out that, through careful manipulation, they could almost treble the amount of livable space one could achieve out of a standard City lot. This opened up new inventory in established neighborhoods with high values per square foot into which they could shoe-horn the Anti-'s.

All in all this was a good deal for everyone.

The problem was that there was now no discernible difference between the houses of the middle class and the houses of the upper class. For those groups whose political lives thrived on creating a class divide this posed something of a problem. Fortunately, where there is a problem there is often a convenient, if not quite accurate, solution...

In the case of the Anti-'s the solution came in the guise of Interstate Chain retail, cookie cutter homes and cul-de sacs. Unfortunately for the Anti-'s each of these arguments are only partially valid.

Interstate Chain Retail: Are the stores in Dallas' suburbs roughly equivalent to the retail stores in Houston's suburbs? You bet. But they're also roughly equivalent to the retail stores inside the Loop as well. The great lie of Suburbia is that there are no Mom & Pop businesses located within. The truth about Suburbia is that they have just as many Mom & Pop's as do Urban areas, you just have to drive off the main roads to find them.

Cookie-Cutter Homes: Yup, these exist. Primarily in new sub-divisions or out in the exburbs. The fact is there are a host of mature Suburban areas whose homes are as varied as anything you might find in a traditional Urban neighborhood.

Cul-de Sacs: Yup, these are out there. But they also exist in Rich Urban neighborhoods as well. The reason for them is traffic control, and keeping motor vehicles out of certain neighborhoods, NOT (as the Anti-'s say) as a way of chaining people to their cars.



In a way, we should all feel a little bit sorry for the Anti-'s. Not only are they living miserable, angry lives, but they seem intent on making life for everyone else miserable as well. My theory is that the Anti-'s thrive due to the human need for superiority and acceptance. After 8 hours of being beaten down at a job where life is spent primarily in a windowless office or a cube there has to be some outlet to make them feel that they're still superior to a lower class of people that used to be defined by living condition, if not dress and the ability to perform higher math functions. Today's nouveau-riche don't have the superiority of location and dwelling to wave in the face of the poor any longer, so they resort to street design and false accusations as proof of superiority. To this end the 'new' desire is to push the poor and lower classes out to the fringes of the City, following the Parisian model where the luxury of the inner urban core is only rivaled by the squalor of the exburbs. The Parisian upper class only need drive out of the City Center to see evidence of their superiority, unlike the Anti-'s in Houston, who are forced to invent evidence of their own.

Stupid Comment of the Day (On-line Edition)

From a reader of the Houston Press responding to the Circus Slideshow:

Its really sad that Houston Press is advertising these animal abusers. The Supreme court has been trying to revoke the use of Asian elephants by these beaters. They own the largest heard of Asian elephants in North America and are know for their ill treatment of these great animals...Shame HP!
Comment by Ralph from Richmond on Jul 14th, 2009, 21:33 pm

The author's of LaE would like to thank Ralph from Richmond for disproving beyond a shadow of a doubt the concept of survival of the species. Surely anyone as dense as Ralph would have impaled himself on a garden rake were the theory true.

Ironically, the best way to preserve the elephant is to ensure an economic need for them, by fighting against the people that are working hardest to save the Breed, fringe groups such as PeTA and other animal haters are working to destroy the species.

And so it goes....


Yes, I've disabled comments to this post. I've had enough of dealing with PeTA folks who post links to propaganda sites as proof of case. I'll put my animal support cred up against anyone from a fringe organization any day, but I'm not giving you another forum to spread your message.

Bestowing Rights (Updated)

I thought this was interesting: [Erica Werner, AP via Google News]

House Democratic leaders, pledging to meet the president's goal of health care legislation before their August break, are offering a $1.5 trillion plan that for the first time would make health care a right and a responsibility for all Americans. Left to pick up most of the tab were medical providers, employers and the wealthy.

A Bill that creates a "Right"?

Can that possibly be correct could it?

Not that I don't think people should have access to affordable health care, but wasn't our Constitution put into place to protect the rights of all, and to not allow legislative majorities to infringe on the rights of the minority in favor of a popular majority?

If you look at the second half of the statement: "Left to pick up most of the tab were medical providers, employers and the wealthy." It appears that Congress is attempting to create a "Right" for the majority, while placing the financial responsibility on the, now unpopular, minority. It's political expedient, now, for Democrats to wave the boogyman card toward the mean rich, medical providers and employers, just as it was politically expedient for Republicans to do nothing but shout "Socialized medicine" for years. Once the system broke under its own weight, the public became open to even the worst fix one could imagine.

The problem with the current bill passing through our legislative sausage-maker isn't that it's Socialized Medicine. As a matter of fact, a true Socialized plan where everyone pays into a government ran-system that all can use would be a better option than the Frankenstein's Monster Congress is about to bring to life. The reality is that we're about to witness what happens when a system is created where all of the stake-holders aren't saddled with equal risk. As a matter of fact, a large percentage of those using the system the most (the poor who, due to their circumstance, typically have higher - non-discretionary - medical bills throughout the span of their lives) will bear very little of the financing burden. With no sense of ownership or fiduciary responsibility the likely that the system will be abused is high, almost 100%. The only thing keeping society from falling in on itself is the human pride in ownership. Remove that motivating factor and all you are left with is a circus act of clowns piling out of a car they don't own running up to the Clinic to get a pill to cure a pain that they can't quite identify but are sure if there.

We're about to watch our elected officials write a prescription for disaster, all in the name of "something must be done". To do that we're about to, for the first time in American history, write a bill that creates an entirely new right* for a majority of people that is funded almost exclusively by a minority that had the temerity to primarily support the political faction that is out of power.

That's banana republic stuff right there. Surely we are capable of finding a better fix than this? One would think.

Unfortunately any call for change is going to have to come from the Democratic constituency. There's no reason for the (D) super-majority in Congress to listen to an (R) minority that's not offering much in the way of detailed alternative solutions. Unfortunately there's not a groundsell of interest amongst the Democratic base for getting it right. The call seems to be to just do something.

Unfortunately what we're going to end up with is going to be a disaster.



*Note: I'm aware of such bills as the Voting Rights act and other bills which "affirmed" rights that were already granted by the Constitution. The difference between that legislation and the current Health Care bill is that prior legislative efforts sought to curb restrictions on minority rights while the Health Care plan is conveying the right and privilige of health care on the majority while stripping the minority of their rights to personal wealth to pay for it. It's the first step in the public discovering they can vote themselves riches from the public largesse.


UPDATE: As I finished writing this the story broke that the plan has passed through a Senate Committee.

Houston Area Asides (07/15/09)

The "middle of the week in the middle of July" edition....

15,000 Texans to lose jobless benefits. [Peggy Fikac, Chron.com] - Meet your top issue for the 2010 Gubernatorial election. (I wonder if the large accompanying tax increases that would have been holding hands with the Federal funds will be discussed?)

Tax protests soaring as home values slide. [Allan Reed, Chron.com] - It's more a matter of publicity than it is anger over value now. (Oh, and Bettancourt Tax Advisors of course)

Angry bike riders target Perry. [Gary Scharrar, Chron.com] - It was a bad bill that gave way too much power to a minority with a penchant for lashing out in childish outbursts. (As a bicyclist myself my advice is to remember that we're all sharing the road.)

UH-Victoria offers 3-yr degree to cut costs for students. [Jeannie Kever, Chron.com] - Hell of an idea. (Wish it was available when I was in school)

Penalties mean profit for polluters. [Rick Casey, Chron.com] - I'm all for going after the bad actors, the problem lies when fringe groups try and go after those who are following the law but whose business they just don't like. (Nah...That would never happen in Texas right?)

Wondering about healthcare. [Andrew Burleson, neoHouston] - If only our elected officials could think through the issue like this. (Or, our media, who long ago abdicated themselves from serious public policy debate, despite their protestations to the contrary.)

Questions abound concerning Houston City Airport easing through revolving door to spin-offs created with public resources. [Steve Millar, Texas Watchdog] - That's some righteous investigative work right there. (Yet another area that the Houston Media has ceded to independent sources)

KHOU nominated for 30th Annual Emmy Awards [Mike McGuff] - Not the Regional, but the National awards. (Congrats)

Some musings on Mr. Morality [John Royal, The Clownvision Chronicles] - How bad can it get over at the Chron?? (Wait, don't answer that)

Job losses mount and Cap-and-Trade will lose more jobs. [Dr. Melissa Clouthier] - While I agree with the premise, a quote from Sarah "Government is Immoral" Palin is sort-of a non-starter for me. What's lacking is a Republican alternative plan that addresses environmental concerns but doesn't get rid of America's competitive advantage. (hint: Conservation) (On another note, it's COST more jobs. Cap n' Trade doesn't have any jobs to lose)

Bloodless Coup in Britain installs Quangos to Power. [Shannon, Lone Star Times] - Ask any British Citizen about the evils of Health and Safety and you'll see that this is true. And it's coming here. (Contrary to the beliefs of many however, it's closer to a Technocratic utopia than a Socialist one - not that either are ideal)

Sarah Palin: Our Anti-RINO warrior!! [Right-Wing Sparkle] - So, the Republican Party is going to become a glorified AVON meeting? (Maybe Democrats are correct about this 'death of the GOP' thing after all)

Two Questions on Global Warming. [Unca Darrell] - I have a third: If we're told to ignore temperature drops as anomalies then why isn't the same true for outlying temperature increases? (Of course, that requires applying logic to the debate, which is something totally absent from the AGW position)

John Sharp makes his Houston move [Stace Medellin, Dos Centavos] - Sharp's MO is to release big-endorsements of this type to soften bad news elsewhere. (Say, bad news in the upcoming fundraising reports for instance?

Endorsement watch: Harris County Commissioner's for Sharp. [Charles Kuffner, Off the Kuff] - Kuff is reading the same John Sharp tea-leaves as am I. (Of course, including this won't stop people from saying I aped my take from Kuff but oh-well. All you can do is try)

Dan Patrick on Legislative Reforms. [Charls Kuffner, Off the Kuff] - When Kuffner agrees with Dan Patrick it could be interpreted as today's sign of the Apocalypse. (Just sayin')

The Economist special report on TX, and TX vs. CA. [Tory Gattis, Houston Strategies] - In short: Texas is doing well because they're NOT like California. (Yet, confusingly, some people are still determined to make Texas more like California)

The Economist loves Texas and Houston, unless those nasty Hispanic Democrats take over. [Richard Connelly, Houston Press] - Compare this gigantic leap of logic with Gattis' reasoned critique above and you see why the Press is doing less media crit and serious social commentary these days. (In favor of well...sex posts and shagging on KTRH I guess. Hair Balls is a headline skimmer of a blog now really)

The Money Pit [Tom Kirkendall, Houston's Clear Thinkers] - If it involves the Onion it can't be all that bad. (Unfortunately, the topic is serious)

Houston Area Asides (07/14/09)

The "Vive la France" edition....

HISD to ban students from sexting. [Ericka Mellon, Chron.com] - "We're sending a message to students that we're not going to tolerate it." - Uh-huh...yeah.

Another possible HFD noose incident reported. [Allan Turner, Chron.com] - It's called a 'fisherman's knot' and it's used in rescues. Other reports have said it was a lasso. Good Lord.

Final Word: MLK no Republican [Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com] - I'm glad that the most important issue in Houston has been thoroughly vetted by the Chron's Jr. columnist aren't you? (Houston's biggest political blog rolls on)

Area Community Colleges brace for budget problems. [Jeannie Kever, Chron.com] - That's because they are spending money like drunken sailors. The concept of "staying within a budget" is lost on schools it seems. (Don't worry though, you'll be asked to pay more taxes to fund systems with non-existent cost controls and poor fiduciary standards, for the children of course)

Obama wants $12 Billion for 2-year institutions. [Darlene Superville, AP via Chron.com] - Eh, why not? When you're already a Trillion in the red what's another $12 Billion here and there? (Wait for the Chron's Caucasian Think-Tank to classify this as 'free money' in a future editorial)

Kay Bailey Hutchison has $12.5 Billion war chest. [R.G. Ratcliffe, Chron.com] - She outraised Rick Perry and has more money on hand. (Don't believe the clap-trap about Perry raising his money 'during the last 9 days of June'. He's been working these donations all year.)

County to create Panel to look at jail overcrowding. [James Pinkerton, Chron.com] - A jail czar....great. Another unelected individual with potential access to the purse strings. (Democracy has a half-life)

Metro breaks ground on new rail lines. [Kevin Reece, KHOU] - And so it begins, Metro's grand experiment in real estate speculation. (Oh what? You thought this was about transportation?)

What is this Chonicle? [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - Ouch. (There are few things the Chron is doing well these days, and that's a bad thing no matter your political persuasion.)

Harris County GOP needs a new leader - The series [David Benzion Jennings, Lone Star Times] - The HCRP is (to cop a term) a hot mess right now. Considering Harris County, for now, ranks among the more Conservative Counties in America they shouldn't be this bad. By all accounts, they're worse. (How bad? Well, the HCRP's 'new media guru' is tweeting about taking the night off to watch Harry Potter, and where he's eating. Yeah.)


Happy Bastille Day everyone. Drink some French wine in celebration.

Let's use the wisdom of Solomon.

As the Great Recession begins to tumble into the Houston job market, as Metro begins to re-make Houston into a car-unfriendly pedestrian utopia and as The Houston Airport System scandal begins to fully unfold (thanks to the reporting of Texas Watchdog) It's good to know that the most pressing issue in Houston politics has been addressed:

That pesky billboard, the one the Chron's Jr. columnist broke out in hives over, has been taken down by SignAd. Too controversial it seems, by half. After all, the Republicans have already laid claim to Jesus, it's only fair that the Democrats get Martin Luther King Jr. In the political religious lottery it's of primary importance that each side keep their moral signposts firmly on the correct side of the yellow dashed line.

WWJD?

Probably not vote Republican, but he probably wouldn't vote for much of anyone in the current political landscape. I can see Jesus now: "You know Dad? I think this Sarah Palin lady has it right, Obama expanding Government IS immoral. After all, didn't we say in the good book that the height of morality is the expansion of the profit motive?"

I'm sure that MLK Jr. would be in 100% agreement with Justice Ginsberg's assertion that abortion is an effective tool for trimming the surplus away from undesirable populations.

It seems the only sensible solution to this problem is to take a pair of clippers to morals and religion and allow each side to carve out the half that they want.

Republicans: Feel free to take all of the legalistic stuff from Leviticus. (the book we used to scare children with in Vacation Bible School) You can probably have the words of Paul as well, who preached against homosexuality and lustfulness. Paul also preached against the stockpiling of personal possessions and marriage, both of which he deemed as stumbling blocks on the road to Christian enlightenment, but I'm sure we can use some creative editing and knock those bits out. You'll have to give the Democrats the beatitudes however, and the golden rule as well. Unfortunately this knocks out The Sermon on the Mount, but you can keep the story of the loaves and fishes. Of course, you can have the Salvation through faith in Christ bit as well, I think that goes without saying.

Democrats: On the surface this might seem tricky, but its really not at all. You get the halves of Jesus sermons where he talks about charity, and giving. Of course, you'll have to ignore the sticky parts of sin and punishment, and possibly even the story of the rich man approaching who couldn't give away all of his possessions, but I'm sure we can make it work. I think we all agree that Republicans can have sin, they seem to be putting it to good use of late. One potential problem that I see is Jewish Democrats refusing to give up their claim to the Torah. This is a real problem because Judaism is an ancient faith rooted in strong traditions. Perhaps a waiver of some sort could be in the offering? A 'personal-use' plan or something? God knows the Harris County Republican Party could use the income.

Beyond all of the major philosophical issues* I think the rest of it just boils down to a matter of real estate. In that sense I think we could all consult the Catholic Church, who has a history in this field. I'm sure the Democrats would settle for Lakewood, while Republicans get Second Baptist.

Did I leave anything out?

If I did, please let me know in the comments. If there's a specific passage that you'd like to lay political claim to you better act fast. All of the snappy bits in the Bible are sure to be snapped up fast.


*Of course, there are some issues that need further hashing out. Obviously the Republicans can have the crucifixion, the Democrats being - for the most part - anti-death penalty, and the soldiers casting lots for the garment, but the Democrats need to have the communal-church descriptions in Acts. The hard part would be who gets the resurrection and ascension. I'm hoping to recruit Peter Brown to form a plan to create a planning committee who would form the final plan regarding this pivotal issue.

Houston Area Asides (07/13/09)

The "sleeping in on a sick day" edition...

Cornyn will take the lead in questioning Sotomayor [Stewart M. Powell, Chron.com] - Guess he drew the short straw?

Perry's border web cams miss goals. [AP via Chron.com] - Couldn't see that coming now could you? (Question: if you were for these cameras but against Metro's parking cameras...why? I'm opposed to both)

Grand Parkway plan gets boost from stimulus. [Carolyn Feibel, Chron.com] - "Shovel ready" defined as that which is approved of by the local citizens making the most noise at the transportation Wailing Wall. Hey, another David Crossley Sighting!

Campaign reports will offer glimpse of the future. [Peggy Fikac, Chron.com] - Texas political reporters struggle to fill content during the dead zone between sine die and the first campaign finance reports.

Mayor to oversee HFD investigation, HAS player still overseeing HAS audit. [Kevin Whited, blogHouston.net] - I've got a feeling Anthony Hall's audit won't question anything approved by....Anthony Hall.

Coming soon to downtown: A train/traffic/pedestrian adventure only Metro could love. [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - Had the Chron put their resources into this, and worked to uncover the dirt on this deal, they would have won several awards for this type of watchdog reporting. As it is I guess they're content to be out-hustled by a hobby blog and a Watchdog upstart. Pathetic.

Can someone tell me what's going on at Chron.com sports today? [John Royal, The Clownvision Chronicles] - Just the usual shoddy reporting, boosterism and strange Richard Justice antics as far as I can tell. (At least they didn't get scooped by an out of town outlet again)

Nasty Pictures at Frenetic Ballet in bullet points. [Robert Boyd, Wha' Happen?]

Guns in schools - 1961 [The Mighty Wizard, Fireballs, Lightning Bolts and Hell Storms - Heh.

Medina issues campaign finance totals. [David Jennings, Lone Star Times] - $35K in an election that's going to call for Millions. Her supporters are relying on the Paulistines to drive them to victory. (which is really all you need to know right there)

No surprises from the Left. [Right Wing Sparkle] - Or the Right for that matter. If you think putting up billboards is the way to 'reach out' to the African-American community.....then you are probably part of the problem. (as opposed to being part of the solution for Republicans) Until Republicans stop addressing the black community as a foreign Nation, they'll never make inroads.

Postdiluvian pseudohistory [Edward William Sydney, The County Seat] - Taking Religion out of History? Shocking idea! (Novel, reasoned even, but shocking! -to some people-)

On the future of Democrats in Texas. [Charles Kuffner, Off the Kuff] - To me it seems that everyone is reading too much into this. Yes, Texas Democrats are terrible, but Texas Republicans are worse. Add into that the "anti-immigrant" and "those-people" shouting that you're hearing from the Tea Parties and Hispanics are being increasingly driven away from Republican candidates. Hispanic voters rise, more vote Democrat, Democrats win. It's really as simple as that.

This BARC thing needs a solution

Since January, Craig Malisow of the Houston Press has been telling us a lot about the sad state of BARC, the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Control in Houston that's run into a bit of bad publicity of late. Whether its been about killing too many dogs or hiring vets with dodgy credentials or even blowing through directors as if they're disposable syringes, the news that's come out on BARC this year has been less than positive.

Yesterday I mentioned that Mayoral Candidate Peter Brown has designs on fixing this by initially passing a City Ordinance outlawing dog fighting (which is already illegal in Texas BTW). As one of his campaign staff informed us in the comments of said post, he also plans to provide some leadership, hire the right people, and develop some goals to fix the organization. In other words, Peter Brown wants a plan. Obviously the current administration needs a plan as well. Senatorial CandidateMayor White doesn't need this type of press coverage right now, not during this critical stage of fund raising. (Lord knows, if elected, he might have to add a third chance donation opportunity to his second chance opportunity to receive payoffs campaign donations given the increased scope of a Senate race)

As a public service then, I'm releasing my plan for fixing the BARC mess, at a cost of zero to the taxpayers.

Hire Nike.

Honestly, I'm serious about this. Every problem that BARC is having could be solved by placing the folks at Nike in charge.

Negative publicity? Nike handles that no problem. Should something negative occur during Nike's tenure, their crack PR team will be on the case, confiscating all film and pictures of the event, the City will never be the wiser. Of course, they'll have to do something with Craig Malisow, but Mike Tyson could be re-signed to handle that. Hey, I'm willing to bet that they are so good at their job, the BARC issue will be in our rear view mirror by the time White officially steps down from being Mayor, and totally focuses on being a Senatorial candidate.

Bad employee morale? Nike can solve that through a series of uniform changes. Imagine how proud BARC will be wearing their new uniforms replete with "Air Dog Catchers" specially designed for sweeping up animals and increasing speed into and out of breakfast stops to minimize the number of animals killed by heat exposure? There's an additional cost benefit to this option as well. All of the money the City is spending on Hi-Vi jackets for BARC field operatives can be saved by a simple use of color. I predict that 'Ning work shirts, provided by Nike, will become the must-have fashion item by Houston Hipsters within two months of their unveiling. If Nike is really savvy, they can get Houston's own Beyonce (now living in LA) to wear one on tour. The money saved can be put to better use in the City budget, something like establishing a fund to sponsor a topiary at the entrance of One Park Place perhaps? Mayor White should go for that, maybe he could write a letter?

Leadership? No Problem. Nike can sign several athletes who need career rehabilitation due to animal related issues. This part of the solution will probably be most heavily supported by Houston's largest blog, The Houston Chronicle (Who, seemingly, can't be bothered much with the piddly bits of news in the City but loves to cover society gossip issues) Lisa Falkenberg could spend a day with Michael Vick, Rick Casey could profile Dave Winfield, and the Local Politics blog could profile Randy Johnson. For some real fun society columnist Shelby Hodge could follow Brett Favre around the city hall as he advocates to City Council over the need to end the City's mentor programs. Each new BARC leader could be welcomed to Houston with the fanfare typically offered to any visiting celebrity. Nike can hold parades, politicians can issue press releases, a big, yellow swoosh can be painted on the street in front of City Hall. Usain Bolt can be brought in to run down strays to help him prep for the Olympics for that matter, the entertainment possibilities are endless.

One potential stumbling block for this solution would be the inevitability of competing bids from Adidas and Reebok. Of course, the City should entertain these but mainly to drive up the final price of the Nike Contract. Unless that is another shoe company demonstrates a talent for ridding themselves of negative publicity on the level of Nike.

Admittedly, there are some hurdles that would have to be overcome before this plan is put into place. The City charter would probably have to be altered to allow a corporation to take over a City department, but Peter Brown could probably be recruited to draft an ordinance. There's the small problem of animal advocacy groups, but since they're being ignored now anyway I don't see why anything needs to change. And then, of course, there's the small problem of the animals. This plan won't really solve their issues, but they can't vote anyway so that issue can be dealt with by distracting the public with a series of high-profile adoptions. I'm sure local celebrities can be persuaded to don a Nike jersey and mug with a pug in exchange for property tax incentives for their pet projects. Of course, they don't have to keep the animals they adopt, Channel 2 can help them get rid of them after the publicity fades away. They have experience in that type of thing after all.


Just Do It, Houston.

An Ode to Joy (On a 9/80 schedule)

So, I'm off work today.

I was planning on putting together a "Houston Area Asides" link-post but a quick view of my local news sites show that there's not much new news to report on today. Of course, Slampo has some ideas on infrastructure that you should probably read and consider and there's other blog stuff out there, but most of all I'm really looking forward to spending this Friday off with my wife. I think we're going to go to Hempstead and out to Colony Cellars just because.

If you want some humor today consider this: Both the Chron's Caucasian Think-Tank and the Chron's Caucasian Political Cartoonist took it on themselves to lecture the 18th Congressional District's Black elected representative.

Fun.


Enjoy your Friday.

I think I'm going to vote for the Red Party

"What does it matter?" - Moon Over Parador.

Later this year, a small number of Houston voters will trudge to the polls to make a decision in the epic battle for the Mayorship of the 4th largest City in America. The campaign has been a scorched-earth battle of ideals and competing visions for the future of the Bayou City as proponents of.......

OK, so that's almost entirely unlike anything resembling the truth. You have to admit that it sounds better than "Three people, who feel about the same about almost everything, are having a discussion about who should become the next Mayor of Houston." "Three people?" you might ask? "I thought there were five in this race?" And that's where you'd be wrong. Technically there will be five names on the ballot: Peter Brown, TJ Huntley, Eugene Locke, Roy Morales and Annise Parker. Realistically Huntley and Morales are the sacrificial Republican lambs thrown to slaughter in the ostensibly non-partisan race for Houston's top executive. At least in Roman times there was a crowd to watch the Christians being turned into land sushi by the lions, there was also little change the same Christian would show up twice on the buffet line. With Morales and (now) Huntley you can be sure that they'll be offering themselves up again, maybe next time with a side of gravy.

The remaining three candidates all are cast from the same mold, with only the exteriors being different. You would think that a race featuring an old Caucasian male, a GLBT candidate and an African-American candidate would have the potential to develop some heat due to the friction caused by differences of opinion. You'd be wrong. This election is cooler than the conservatory at Al Gore's Tennessee mansion. Any cooler and we'll be shivering.

It seems, oddly enough, that all of the major candidate like pretty much the same things. OK, sure, there's a slight disagreement over the best way to accomplish these goals, but not the goals themselves. Eugene Locke has the backing of the usual players, the downtown/Bob Lanier development core. This, and his built in constituency, seems to give him an advantage provided he makes the run-off. Annise Parker has a smaller, albeit tight-knit, constituency in her back pocket and the advantage of relatively high name ID. She's made some mis-steps in her campaign but, fortunately for her, no one's really paying attention right now, we've all been too damn hot. Peter Brown is an interesting case. With no obvious constituency, a tendency to rely too much on plans and ordinances to get things done, the guy should be out of the running before he even starts. You'd think, if nothing else, some-one working in City Hall would have tied his shoe-laces together. This is a man who responded to a recent mayoral questionnaire by an animal advocacy group that his first step in fixing BARC (the troubled Houston animal pound) would be to "pass an ordinance banning dog-fighting". What???

So, lets call this a Parker/Locke run-off, with the winner being determined by who rallies their base and has the best turn-out in an election in which few care. After the new Mayor is elected Houston can go back into it's slumber, Mayor White can continue to focus on his Senatorial bid (this time without the petty distractions of Mayor getting in the way) and David Crossley can continue to convince Houstonians that smart-growth is really just the benign opposite of dumb-growth. (unless you happen to live in an area that the Smart-Growthers have determined doesn't meet the criteria for smartness and have targeted for redevelopment that is.)

Maybe I'll vote for the Blue Party.

Let's save the arts together

I freely admit to being sent to the corner with a dunce cap when it comes to understanding the cosmic pull of modern art. Some of you may feel a stirring in your soul when two average looking Caucasian males marry a tree, but the stirring gene that boils your blood during that exhibition is a noodle that I'm admittedly lacking in my genetic soup. Show me a ballet or The Japanese Footbridge by Monet? I see the beauty. Put a modern performance artist picking at their toe lint for two hours or a painting that sort-of looks almost exactly unlike a dog out there? I understand it to be art, but I'm typically not moved.

The same goes for political statements made through art. Where classical art told stories that caressed the reader, relaxed their defenses and then slowly brought about the realization that the artist wasn't talking about a wedding, he was pointing out the absurdity of the Courtesan class, modern art typically promotes it's politics with a blunt instrument. I don't know about you, but being caressed by opera is a better option than being bashed in the bean by a doctored image of Dick Chaney in bondage gear. Would Opera Chaney be a better option? I'm not sure, but one would certainly think so.

I bring this up because lately there's been much ado about the renewal of the Houston Arts Alliance contract. You know the HAA right? They gave you those multi-colored boxes at Disco Green and....well...er. Hey, how about those multi-colored boxes at Disco Green? They were planning to top a bridge with some tolerance art, but that project fell through due to lack of funding and the sheer ugliness of the project. Their next big project is the installation of some clawfoots at a water treatment plant, a location that has already guaranteed this project being awarded the least viewed art installation of the 21st Century. As a matter of fact, the HAA has produced so little of worth that Channel 13 Attack Dog Wayne Dolcefino (having settled his trespassing issues) decided to do one of his infamous expose's on the organization, the results weren't pretty. Crystal Jackson is a decent writer, I enjoy her poetry plays* at times and her 'fight stupidization' campaign is inspired. I am the proud owner of a 'FS' bumpersticker. Unfortunately the opening line to her HAA sponsored show was one that's made for sweeps week TV news: "I’m not a queer, but I want someone to fuck me in the ass pretty much as soon as possible."

In relatively Conservative Harris County you might as well have ran up a flag on your front yard announcing your intention to bugger young boys while snorting two grams of cocaine off the breasts of a kidnapped and bound Lucy Noland, who you've forced to read aloud the screenplay of Lolita as the entirety of City Council plays the theme to The Crying Game in the background on kazoos. These kinds of shock-fests are what sweeps week producers live for. It's what fans of "the arts" love to defend. The idea that there is no bad art only misunderstood art is sacrosanct among those who look at a canvas with a streak of cat shit on it for two hours trying to understand the motivation of the artist. Of course, for all we know that's where their cat just decided to defaecate and, facing a deadline, there wasn't anything else for it but to put on a latex glove, create a schmear and pass the results off as art. There might have been some further embellishment had the artist not been so weak due to the recent string of plasma donations they had to undergo in order to make the rent now that the grant money has been exhausted funding a series of hipster events at the Social.

Of course, criticism of the arts of this type cannot be allowed to stand. If the public starts demanding that their taxpayer art rise to a minimum level of output and quality the next step in our evolution as a society is demanding results from politicians and a public transit system that's actually designed around the goal of transporting the public. Cue the apologists then who have it all wrong.

You see, the critiques of the HAA's output (in quantity, if not quality) are not just tangential to the overall argument, they ARE the argument. If a society for the promotion of the arts isn't funding projects that are promotable (or, in this case, funding much at all) then the core mission of the Association is going to be fundamentally damaged in the eye of the public. Yes, there has to be art for art's sake. The main function of art should always be to make a person think and examine their role on this pebble, not just to provide something pretty to look at. But there also has to be the realization that there is such a thing as bad art as well. Art can be overly simple, meaningless, repetitive and just plan stupid. Art also can be illuminating and somewhat of a transcendental experience. The secret to funding good public art is to push for more of the latter, while working to eliminate a majority of the former.

Fortunately I have a plan for solving this issue.

As a pre-requisite for the continued funding of the HAA City Council should recommend, scratch that...demand that all public arts projects be subjected to review by a judging panel consisting entirely of kindergarten students. I propose this because children of this age are more likely to provide an honest review of an art project than are the soy-latte sipping, self-important art critics who's self-opinion is inflated to the point that their ego's are likely to be declared illegal if Council's recent Attention Getting Devices ban is implemented.

Children ALWAYS have a better grasp of what is truly art than do most adults. They, quite often, have an ability to view art through a purely aesthetic prism, instead of through the politicized prism of adulthood. It'd be a simple rating system, majority rules. If less than half the kiddies break out in tears, the project gets green-lighted, more than 50%? To the scrap heap with ye! Not only will this meta-filter result in a better quality product, but it will spare newspapers the cost of having to pay for art critics. It's a win/win situation for everyone, except possibly the art critics, whose talents will probably limit them to employment creating the operations manuals for small power tools. But hey, in almost every situation in life, you can't please everyone.


*As Ms. Jackson points out in the comments, she doesn't do poetry. The majority of her work is made of of monologues (as was the case in the HAA sponsored show) and plays. I have no excuse other than to head off to the corner with my dunce cap. (this is modern art after all)

Houston Area Asides (07/09/09)

The "will work for air conditioning" edition...

Your guide to Obama's Health Care Reform. [Erica Werner, AP via Chron.com] - How did Ms. Warner's love letter to Obama get in Houston's biggest political blog?

Smugglers turn to affluent women as drug mulas. [Lise Olsen, Chron.com] - Cue the women's prison movie jokes....

Woah! MLK was a What?? [Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com] - Money quote: “He absolutely deplored the Republican Party of Goldwater and Reagan,” From Whoop-ass to Whoa! Falkenberg continues the devolution of her column from bad Metro writing to juvinile attempts at edgy writing. Paging Benjamin Bratt! On another note: It's a little ham-fisted, but at least the Republicans are putting forth some basic effort to reach-out to the minority communities that they've ignored for so long. Not the way I would do it, but hey.

Round-up: Mayor White promises "change agent" for BARC [Kevin Whited, blogHouston.net] - I thought, at some point, that White was going to have to get out in front of the BARC issue. Of course, I would have thought blackmailing the mentally retarded and telling the police to go screw would have been political no-no's as well. (Lesson: Never underestimate the importance of a non-critical base of support)

The "remarkable" tenure of Stephen Williams. [Kelly Cripe, Noah's Ark PAC] - Williams lack of attention paid to BARC has been negligent. Animal activists have reached the end of their rope.

Wanted: Latino/Latina candidate for Governor [Marc Campos, CamposCommunications Blog] Quote: "That would make three old White dudes running as Dems." Fighting racism is admirable. Using racist statements to forward your anti-racist argument is not.

Cincinatti Bengal's Chad OchoCinco has new Twitter App [Mike McGuff] - The 1560 AM appearance got Houston's tiny AM station National Press coverage on ESPN and now the LA Times. Not too bad for 14 guys and a 12 pack.

Advice for Sarah Palin. [Dr. Melissa Clouthier] - Go Away?

Power and Ambition [Rorschach, Red Ink: Texas] - The Dan Patrick machine tries to roll on.

Rick Perry, a.k.a. Gov. Cyborg, raises $4.2 Million in 9 days. [Phillip Martin, Burnt Orange Report] - The analysis is wrong (Perry succeeds in fundraising because the lobbyists love him and he has a sizable base of support) but Gov. Cyborg is funny.

Can we call this a bipartisan agreement? [Charles Kuffner, Off the Kuff] - There's no way Health Care reform is going to be bipartisan. What's concerning to me is that it appears what emerges out of the sausage maker isn't going to be all that effective either. (If you think that sounds like my gripe against Cap n' Trade, the stimulus and the Auto Bailouts you'd be correct)

Rapid Eye Movement (07/08/09)

The "tired after a long bike ride" edition...

City Design guide seen as threat to transit measure. [Mike Snyder, Chron.com] - It's no problem, as long as you develop in the correct areas. (Read: Neighborhoods where rich folks who donate heavily to political campaigns live)

Council OK's sign changes to improve City's image. [Bradley Olson, Chron.com] - Next ordinance: Hiring King Canute to command the heat to stop. (It will be about as effective)

PeTA: Why we Euthanize (and why you should care [Angel Layne, Found, Under a Bridge] - *Warning: Extremely graphic images* PeTA is full of crap. It's easy to select the worst cases as anecdotal evidence but don't tell me that ALL of the animals they put down in their high kill rate shelters are this severe.

Is Alan Stanford Being Railroaded? [Tom Kirkendall, Houston's Clear Thinkers] - An alternate view on the Stanford trial.

Don't let this happen to you...

Republicans are racist, fascist idiots....

Oh really?

Democrats are racist, fascist idiots...


It's kind of important to notice the similarities of the two incidents before you start throwing stones. The MoveON.org incident wasn't some coordinated attempt by the Democratic Party to compare Bush to Hitler, it was one idiot doing one stupid thing.

Neither is the picture of the Tea Party reflective of some Republican-led conspiracy to paint Obama as the second incarnation of evil. It's an idiot doing one stupid thing.

Oddly enough, MSNBC is playing the same role that Fox News played during the MoveOn.org scandal. Mouthpiece for one side of the political spectrum.

In the future however, keep your protests on the up and up, avoid racially charged rhetoric and, keep the protest civil. I think we've pretty much illustrated that, Histrionic arm-waving by certain members of the InterLeft not-withstanding, political rallies, contests and events on both sides of the political spectrum tend to attract a more *ahem* "colorful" element than do official, party related gatherings.


"Republican racism and xenophobia" is the new "Democratic hatred for America and Class Warfare" political fallacy being heavily promoted by the arty in power. Parties who both are mistaking temporary swings in the American political pendulum as proof of case that their political opposites are dead and gone.

Oil and Vinegar

Two unrelated events...

One: the price of oil is tumbling.

Two, The Cap n' Trade debate still isn't being framed correctly.

Ignoring for a minute the Republican claim of the biggest tax increase on American industry, ever. Ignoring for a minute that establishing a market for carbon credits is hardly the surest, easiest fix out there. (A far simpler, and more effective fix being a carbon tax on the end user, thus stifling demand across the board). We ignore the first because, while possibly containing some truth, its now morphed into an overly politicized argument, the second we'll ignore because taxing energy users (i.e. you and me) isn't a good way to purchase votes, and the American public is all about taxing the other guy right now.

Let's look at this on a macro level: The stated ideal of Cap n' Trade is for American business to move in new directions, cleaning the planet as we go, and weaning ourselves from "foreign oil". So then why is Cap n' Trade most punitive toward domestic energy sources?

Is this bill going to include China? No. It's not even going to include Europe, who's nuclear power generating capabilities are far ahead of those in America, and whose economies are holding their breath waiting for the US to implode. India won't stop either, and the hope among the business leaders in the Eastern Hemisphere is that they can rely on one another and stop placing so much of their economic faith in that pathetic upstart in the Western Hemisphere.

Speaking of that, most of Europe is getting their gas from Russia, who won't be subject to our Cap n' Trade system.

Get the picture yet?

Is it a coincidence that Obama's job approval rating has started moving South after the public had a chance to digest the financial implications of the Climate Change bill? Until recently, no major group of Americans has taken so seriously the charge to fritter away America's competative advantage against the rest of the developed World. Self-immolation is an unusual behavior in humans, it's very odd to see it manifest itself in majorities. Most people operate out of a sense of self-preservation, most politicians do as well.

Lost in the lack of debate over the passage of a 1,500 page bill that no-one has read is the idea that you can acheive important conservation policy goals without taking a firehose to the economy:

1. Strong Anti-pollution legislation.
2. Tax incentives and fast-track approval of Nuclear power plants.
3. Tax incentives for the construction and deployment of LNG pipelines.
4. A end-user carbon-tax which would serve to off-set the costs of the above initiatives as well as fund interstate train service and a modernization of the Interstate Highway System.

All of this could have been done, had Congress been more intent on improving the Country than enriching Al Gore and other influential campaign donors. (as well as, in some cases, themselves and their families) The Republicans never offered up more than "drill here, drill now, pay less" which is fine for a short-term solution, but sadly stops short of addressing future needs. A better rallying cry would have been "drill here, build Nuclear, stop polluting, usage tax." Granted there's the word "tax" involved (which Republicans hate) but the constituency seems to be OK with sales and usage taxes, so there would have been some hope right?

Fortunately there's still a slim ray of hope in the Senate, where it appears that the "Selling America's competative Advantage to Al Gore & Co" bill has a chance of being held up and greatly altered. Will it be altered to the point that it makes sense? Who knows?

In order to do so it's got to overcome three big hurdles:

1. Cap n' Trade - I'm not sure if there's enough political will (or financial intelligence) within society's Least Common Denominator to understand how monumentally bad this plan is.

2. The Current "green" energy lobby - Not only are we stupidly basing a majority of our energy future on ethonol primarily sourced from food stuffs, but the same people who think this is a swell idea are also refusing to allow nuclear power to be given a serious look. What are we to expect from the same group of people who argue for wind power but then file lawsuits to prevent it from being built in an area that would spoil their Summer view?

3. The fallacy of Green Collar jobs: It's a neat little idea, that jobs lost in the current energy market will be replaced by new jobs in a low-cost green energy sector, but one that's totally devoid of any basis in reality. Currently the Oil and Gas industry (including O&G services companies) employ approximately 6 Million Americans. In 2006 the entire "renewables" market was responsible for less than 500K (or less than 8% of the jobs created {either directly or indirectly} by oil and gas).

Clearly the problem is not that Cap n' Trade is an unweildy tax, (although that's true) the problem with Cap n' Trade lies on a more fundamental level: It's not going to 'create' anything. As a matter of fact, if passed in its current form in the middle of what some are starting to call "The Great Recession", it has the potential to do an awful lot of damage.


TODAY'S NEWS:

G-8 leaders agree on 2 degree (3 1/2 F)Earth temperature increase target.

Leaders of developing nations shun plan to cut greenhouse gasses in half

The Buzzards are Circling

One truism in politics: Elected seats with large amounts of political (and financial) sway don't stay vacant for long. Jerry Eversole isn't even gone and already the queue to replace him is growing by leaps and bounds.

The two most interesting names on the list of potentials are Court Koenning (Sr. Aide to State Sen. Dan Patrick) and Larry Lindsay (Son of Former State Sen. Jon Lindsay). If you remember your local history, Sen. Patrick and former Sen. Lindsay were not on the best of terms (at the time political rumor was that Lindsay despised Patrick) making a Dan PatrickCourt Koenning vs. Jon Larry Lindsay showdown more than just of passing interest. Since Harris County Pct. 4 shares substantial real estate with Texas State Senate District 7 it's not too much of a reach to look at this election as a test of the relative strength of Dan Patrick in his home district.

It seems that Toni Lawrence is in. From what I'm hearing on the political grapevine Koenning has been making calls to Republican leadership asking for endorsements and taking the district's temperature so you can almost bet that he's in as well. That leaves Linsay as the wildcard in this race. A race that's ramping up despite the fact that Eversole's not even announced his intentions as of yet. (Or, for that matter, been indicted, which many observers believe is an inevitability)

OTHER EYES:

Blog Houston

Red Ink: Texas

Houston Area Asides (07/08/09)

The "Forever and Forever and Forever" edition...

City Fires BARC Director After Two Months. [Bradley Olson, Chron.com] - Sim seemed to struggle putting a lid on the negative reporting, which is all he was brought in to do. (The BARC situation reflecting poorly on Houston's Own Senatorial Candidate after all)

BARC needs some White Whoop-Ass [Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com] - Thinking a problem as complex and convoluted as BARC can be solved by "White getting angry" provides us with substantial insight as to the level of understanding the Chron's Jr. Columnist posesses in regards to Houston's major issues. (diddly/squat to borrow a punchline from Berkley Breathed)

UPDATE: Funny:

From UrbanDictionary.com:
One of the most over used and lamest of all sayings. Bears little meaning anymore. In the same outdated category as terms "dont go there" and "talk to the hand"

Jimmy:"You better watch it or I'll open up a can of Whoop ass".

Billy:"You better watch out that the year 1992 has discovered you have ventured into the future."

It's just sad.


Houston not experiencing rush-hour relief. [Carolyn Feibel, Chron.com] - A better take-away from this would be that the economy is doing marginally better in Houston than the rest of the Country. Therefore we all still have jobs to go to. (For now that is) Still, judging by the comments, the story had the desired effect of stirring up the pro-train masses. (Why just report a story when you can advocate?)

Houston's Largest Dog Show: The Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows [IJ Reilly, Bayou City Madman] - I'll be there, at least one day. (No official rescue work going on that weekend however, so no dogs in tow)

Requiem for a Hobo [Hamous, Lone Star Times] - Nice work, a moving piece from LST on the homeless. (I know, I know, I was surprised to.)

The GOP's latest scandal [The County Seat] - June's candidate for post of the year. Woodfill has been under a lot of pressure lately, and with good reason. (This blog is a source I wish would apply it a little more frequently. If for no other reason than their writing is a hoot to read.)

Sheila Jackson Lee's Eulogy at Michael Jackson Memorial already proving controversial. [Vince Leibowitz, Capitol Annex] - It won't hurt her politically (being in the safest of districts) but her theatrics and psuedo-Constitutional lecturing rang hollow. This was a campaign speech given at a paid-attendance rally where the only genuine grief sprang from the young daughter of the deceased. (And who the hell wears "shiny white" to a funeral?)

Staples will seek second term as Ag Commissioner [Vince Leibowitz, Capitol Annex] - Truth: "He is unqualified to run for an open Attorney General spot, not able to compete dollar-for-dollar with Lt. Governor David Dewhurst in a potential U.S. Senate race, and smart enough not to make the mistake of running against popular Comptroller Susan Combs or Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson in a contested primary, and too inexperienced to compete with AG Greg Abbott for the Lieutenant Governor’s spot. Thus, the re-election announcement." (I'm not sure how an immediate endorsement of an incumbent who (by all objective measures) has done a good job makes an organization 'politically irrelevent' however)

More on the Heights recycling center. [Charles Kuffner, Off the Kuff] - The well-to-do white folks plan to dump the thing in one of the Wards was uncovered Narf!. (Come Pinky, tonight we plan to take over the World!)

Council Member Adams Sued by Campaign Consultant. [Miya Shay, ABC 13 Political Blog] - Something almost everyone wants to keep quiet it seems. (Which is why it should see the light of day)

Kemah says it's firing Cops due to Ike: Cops think otherwise. [Paul Knight, Houston Press] - While not always relevent, some of the posting on the Press Blogs are more 'newsworthy' than most information on Chron.com these days. (The latter no longer billing itself as "Houston's leading information source" have you noticed?)

If a Blog Dies in the Woods.....

...do its online stalker's silent screams still count?

[Corilyn Shropshire, Chron.com]

Personal blogs are like child stars. Some soar too quickly and die too young. Others drop out, lay low for a while and come back stronger than ever. More often, they return reinvented, uninspired and lackluster, missing that special something that used to leave audiences wanting more.

Blogs are born, blogs die — it’s a cycle as old as blogging itself, said Scott Rosenberg, author of Say Everything: How Blogging Began, What It’s Becoming and Why It Matters.

“Things grow and mature, and then they reach their end,” he said. “That’s the shape of our lives.”

Blogs end up in the virtual graveyard for as many reasons as they came into being in the first place. Sometimes, the bloggers get out of their system whatever they wanted to say. Or they reach the fame they were after. Other times, they just give up.

“In some cases people stop because they achieve their goal,” Rosenberg said. “Others stop because they’ll never achieve their goal.”

Such Great Heights had a very public execution when its author, known as Clink, decided she’d had enough.

“I just don’t feel the need to dissect my life anymore,” she wrote. “Not because it’s perfect ... but because it’s … full.”

A funeral procession of more than 100 comments mourned its passing.

When Katie Morton killed her first blog, I Am, Therefore I Date, she didn’t stop blogging. Rather, she moved on to another that revealed her new life and real name.

The latter rings true for me. On the old, deleted, blog (Isolated Desolation) I blogged under a pseudonym. There wasn't any compelling reason for this other than the fact I thought "Sedosi Alhambra" was more catchy than "Cory Crow" as a nom de plume. After tiring of IsoDes, taking some time off and re-charging I came up with Lose an Eye, It's a Sport. Where IsoDes was more serious in nature, LaE has, as its core mission, satire.

I guess you could say that with Isolated Desolation I honestly thought that putting a well-sorted opinion in front of folks would drive content. Maybe some, very little, part of me wanted a high readership as well.

LaE is an entirely different animal. Yes, its still a place for me to organize and chronicle my opinions, but its also a long-running personal experiment as well. Mostly though LaE is nothing more than a good time. I try to write about things that I find interesting and if you think they are as well, then you'll read it. If you don't, you won't.

I found this article interesting because, at some point in the future, LaE will proabably suffer the same, ignoble fate as IsoDes. Either that or it will undergo a major change. Currently I've been leaning toward transforming this blog into a feed reader, and focusing more on 3CB, Beyond Beltway 8 and what I hope to someday be the mothership of all three of these blogs, Harris County Almanac.

Or, I'll move out of Houston because Cap n' Trade's going to decimate the oil & gas industry. Either way I'm not quitting blogging anytime soon, but things always change. I thought this piece by Shropshire did a good job illustrating that.

Now, go read a book or something, or write a letter to the Chron telling them to focus more on hard news and less on reader blogs. That's a change worth hoping for right there.

Houston Area Asides (07/07/09)

The "gotcha!" edition....


State Ethics Panel Fines Eversole $75,000 [Mike Tolson, Chron.com] - That gurgling sound you hear is Wayne Dolcefino laughing.

Spec's files suit to keep Washington Ave. store open. [Mike Tolson, Chron.com] - Because what Houston needs, is another Spec's.

Crazy people vote too. [John, By the Bayou] -

Seriously, how do you have a debate with someone who’s talking about the “pagan left?”

Uh...The same way they're supposed to debate with folks who call them 'right-wing wackos' (or worse) which John has on many instances. (including, oddly enough, in the very posts that he cracks on them for the 'pagan left' comment) Both sides do it, neither side will admit they do it. Such is the state of Political discourse in Houston.

Why has the price of oil climbed so high? [Robert Boyd, Wha' Happen?] - That could be one element, but assigning the price of oil to any one factor is overly simplistic. There are a lot of reasons the price of oil is high right now, uncertainty of future production, contango in the market, uncertainty about the American political climate, etc. etc.

Mayor's race heating up [IJ Reilly, Bayou City Madman] - Yes!!

Woo! Hoo! Galveston Shriner's Survives [David Jennings, Lone Star Times] - Yea!

Kay Bailey Hutchison ad for Governor. [David Jennings, Lone Star Times] - And so it begins.

Well Heeled Advocacy Groups at it Again...

This time they want Houston to be oh so pretty...

[Bradley Olson, Chron.com]

The city of Houston is poised to pass a major revision to its decades-old ordinance governing more than 60,000 signs on display at area businesses, proposing numerous changes that supporters hope will improve the city’s appearance.

Critics agree that the changes will be vast — eliminating roof signs, regulating electronic displays and diminishing the maximum allowable height and square footage of on-premises signs by nearly half in certain cases — but strongly oppose the changes because they could hurt small businesses and initiate a citywide makeover they say Houston does not need.

The debate has sparked age-old tensions about the character of Houston, and whether the laissez-faire approach that has governed its appearance, leading to a little-controlled bonanza of signs and development — is ideal for the city’s future.

“People come here and they are consistently shocked by the city’s appearance and they often ask us how we let this happen to our city,” said Anne Culver, executive director of Scenic Houston, an organization that advocates for more regulation of signs and billboards. “Site consultants say all the time that they’re told not to put Houston on their lists because of pollution, the heat and how it looks. This is a step in the right direction.”

Michael Berry, a former city council member who has spoken against the measure on his radio show, said the timing of the changes — coming in one of the worst economic downturns in a generation — could not be worse.

“Houston didn’t grow so big so fast because of an activist City Hall,” he said. “Less government, no zoning, low taxes and a strong business climate may be ‘ugly’ to some, but that’s why we’ve prospered. This will hurt small business at a time when they are struggling.”

Uh...two things....

1. Two of the three things that Anne Culver is in histrionics over are out of our control. Pollution? OK, you could get rid of it, by shutting down 100% of industry. Of course then most of the people would move out and Houston would be nothing more than an object lesson in how to kill an economy. Heat? Well, yes. It's hot in Houston in the Summer, and that's even if you don't subscribe to anthropomorphic climate change. It's always been hot in Houston. How it looks? What? Do you think Los Angeles looks any better? Or New York?

The answer is "no". They don't. They all look like cities. Big cities with big signs and brutalist buildings. There's no City in America that looks like those in the South of France. If you want that look you should really relocate to the South of France.

2. Michael Berry has it all wrong. This isn't about "spurring growth" in Houston. This isn't about economic health, and it's not about quality of life either. At the end of it all groups such as scenic Houston are littl more than play-time diversions for the well-heeled to try and "make a difference" so that their lives mean something. It's the Houston Way of influence peddling and short-sighted governance designed to win votes in large blocks, without actually accomplishing anything of worth. Like MetroRail, once you view it from the correct perspective (a spur for development and not a transit tool) then it suddenly makes a whole lot more sense.

The question is: Why are groups like Scenic Houston given so much sway in ordinance discussions?

Because they are loud, and their members have disposable income.


OTHER EYES:

Brent's Blog

Off the Kuff

etee's blog

How About a Spot of Tea?

What are your thoughts on the Tea Parties that are trendy with the anti-big-government set of late? Lone Star Times ran some pictures and, from the looks of it, there are Hundreds of Texans that are mad too Eddie, and they're not going to take it anymore...

Oh, they're probably Caucasian and have an odd affinity for American Flag shirts, hats etc. We're also fairly certain that they aren't a fan of John Cornyn (at least not if they live in Austin)

Some of them view these protests as the intellectual dividing line between the free-thinkers and the lemmings: [Royko, BlogHouston.net comments]

I only saw a few of the participants of this blog at any of the local Tea Parties.

When will the "sheeple" realize these bureaucrats want to control every facet of our lives?

Is this the last stand of the no-tax crowd? The Swan-song for the remaining vestiges of the paleo-Conservative movement?

Could be. One thing I'm fairly certain they're not are the genesis of a citizens movement to take back the Republic from the greedy hands of the lobbyists and politicians. Many of these protesters have come about their religion the old-fashioned way, they became the targets of the new administrations tax policies. It's amazing what having a target drawn on your back will do to one's sense of perspective. It could also be that these rallies represent the death-throes of the American consumer culture. While its true that this culture has elevated the world's wealth, it also has the distinction of introducing Monchichi and McBurgers to the World lexicon. All of this may suggest that there are some things that probably need to be cast aside.

Where the true-believers on the other side get it wrong is their notion that the solution is to toss out the baby, children, Dad, Mom and Aunt Harriet with the bath water. Reigning in our consumer culture doesn't necessitate getting rid of the free-markets that lead to its creation. The government broad-sword of over-regulation and economic brutality isn't going to lead us to the change we hope for. To the contrary, if done wrong (or worse: carelessly) what the Government is currently proposing could have the fun effect of further decimating the middle-class, but this time severely limiting their ability within the market to improve their circumstance.

Which brings us back, oddly enough, to the middle. That's right, the middle. That most un-Holy of all political positions. The place that Texas State Sen. Dan Patrick has convinced many that is a land bereft of morals and principles, an ideological wasteland. A place that is so squishy that large majorities of Americans find themselves there on a number of issues. Moderation is the key, especially in large, economic policy decisions where peoples livelihoods are at stake. The good thing about the middle is that it often is free of ideological pay-offs. When the Obama administration worked to transform General Motors into Government Motors they weren't doing it with the salvation of the American automotive industry in mind, the American automotive industry is fine, the non-union portion that is. (Toyota America and other companies having successful operations in the South and SouthEast.) Nope, the Obama administration bought GM and turned over Chrysler to the UAW to make the unions whole. A moderate approach of a controlled bankruptcy that removed the union strings wouldn't have put the government in a potentially risky ownership position.

All that being said, there are some issues where moderation is impossible. You are either pro-choice or pro-life, there is no middle ground (although there are the extremes of pro-abortion & anti-women's rights that aren't given enough coverage in the press) you will find yourself either pro- or anti- gay marriage. (The false choice of civil unions not withstanding) Social issues don't work well in the traditional American political spectrum. Unfortuantely America has defined them on the political spectrum using the same labels that we use for economic issues. When this happens the political debate becomes poisoned with moral imperatives. A simple question of finance: How to fund health care, becomes tangled up in a moral syrup where opposing the public option is somehow equated to hating children. It makes an easy target for lazy political cartoonists but a terrible launching point for legislation. Of course, for legislative launching pads to mean anything, there has to be the understanding that politicians read the damn bills in the first place.

My opinion on the Tea Parties is as follows: They're much ado about nothing.

The Tea Party Movement is the Right's ideological equivalent of the Left's Code Pink. It's a place where speeches are made, some protesting is done, some anger over being out of the majority is vented and nothing much else happens. It's like a series of tent-revivals for the politically lost. Hell, they even have their own acolyte: Joe "the plumber" Wurzlebacher. It's a place for like-minded Caucasians to congregate and blow off some steam over the fact that a rather solid majority of Americans aren't thinking like them any longer. It's one, gigantic group-hug, a 60's love-in minus the mind-altering drugs and sexual experimentation. (UPDATE: As I pointed out in the comments, the 60's anti-war rallies were populated by the young, who leveraged their new politcal power into the mess we see today. I don't see the Tea Parties as being the nesting place for new conservative ideals. Time will tell)

Most importantly, protest is one of the methods the Founding Father's wrote into America's owners manual for the public to voice their displeasure. (The other being the ballot box) Too often, politicians and pundits view the electoral process as the place where the dialogue ends. In truth, our ballot box should be where the discussion starts. Our politicians should be listening to everything their districts are saying, especially on the major legislative issues. (Yes, that includes the Tea Party participants)

For years the Republicans were in a position of political power. They chose to ignore the voice of the people and were, rightly, punished for their lack of attention at the ballot box. Democrats in charge have viewed this last election as a referendum on every grab-bag, special-interest program they have in the kitty. In they're rush to pass all of them they're forgetting one important thing:

They were elected to be given a chance to succeed where Republicans failed. The greatest Republican failure was due to their lack of interest in listening to the people.


OTHER EYES:

BlogHouston

Lone Star Times (and here)

Bay Area Houston

Houston Press

Houston Area Asides (07/05/09)

The "just call me a sheeple" edition.....

Fire torches 1,500 acres in Colorado County. [Andrea Lucia, ABC 13.com] - Firefighters are facing brutal conditions. If ever someone could use some rain...

New Park n'Ride service linking Mainland, Galveston. [ABC 13.com] - This is one of those things that you're surprised to find out didn't exist before now.

Texans against big government, more taxes rally at 4th of July Tea Parties. [AP via KHOU.com] - I'm still not convinced these things are accomplishing anything, other than to fire up a conservative base and keep Joe the Plumber solvent through speaking fees....

Bankruptcies lower in States - like Texas - that don't seize wages. [AP via KHOU.com]

Fireworks suspected of causing numerous fires in Texas. [Kevin Reece, KHOU.com] - Why they didn't just outright ban them this year is beyond me.

"Pimp" was here (and the words of prophets are written...) [Slampo's Place] - Zen Grafitti.

Houston Area Asides(07/04/09)

The "Don't lose a finger" edition....

Texas inmates forced to sweat it out. [Allan Turner, Chron.com] - Uh...it is punishment right?

Mayor White: If HPD officers want cadet classes, HPD officers can take a pay cut for it. [Anne Linehan, BlogHouston.net] - White's anti-police stance on this issue has always puzzled me. Yet, the City just added 300K to the Disco Green budget.

I like Art #2: Carlos Runcie-Tanaka. [Wha' Happen?] - Nice

Sarah Palin's resignation UPDATED [Dr. Melissa Clouthier] - Palin was leaking popularity in Alaska and was on the way to what many thought was a string of policy defeats. Read into that what you will.

North Houston Tea Party [Hamous, Lone Star Times] - Angry Caucasians in heat.

The Yankee Doodle Boy. [Tom Kirkendall, Houston's Clear Thinkers] - A good look back.



Short round-up today as I get ready to watch the Tour de France and celebrate the anniversiary of the Declaration of Independence or, the Birthday of the United States of America. There are a ton of 4th related posts on blogs throughout my blog-roll. Enjoy your Holiday and keep all of your fingers and toes OK? (Oh, and don't set anything on fire.)

Houston Area Asides (07/03/09)

The "water your roof" edition....

Officers, Mayor square off over immigration policy. [James Pinkerton, Chron.com] - The deterioration of HPD will be a glaring hole in the Mayoral legacy of Bill White.

Tour return for Lance Armstrong could be uphill all the way. [Dale Robertson, Chron.com] - From all accounts the Astana team won't be working for Lance, but for Contador and Leipheimer. Lance could be the most high-profile domestique in cycling history.

Midtown keeps its momentum despite recession. [Nancy Sarnoff, Chron.com] - That's good news, for now. Rising oil prices help, just as Cap n' Trade could bring all of this to a screeching halt.

Houston ends deal with waste firm tied to corruption.[Purva Patel, Chron.com]

None of the principals listed on the Houston-based company’s Web site or in city documents has given any money to the political campaigns of City Council members since 2007, according to campaign finance records.

Hmmm..donate in '07, get a contract in '08. Stop donating...contract is canceled in '09. The Houston Way!

Toni Lawrence's new digs. [Bradley Olson, Chron Local Politics] - Positioning herself for a run at County Commissioner's Court. (although she'll deny this vehemently for now)

Metro making several changes in wake of light-rail derailment [Paul Knight, Houston Press] - Yeah, that would probably be a good idea.

Houston Art Odyssey [Wha' Happen?] - Good stuff.

The fallacy of "It's a federal function" [Rorschach, Red Ink: Texas] - Related: "Free tax money from the feds"

Health Care for members of Congress. [John Cobarruvias, Bay Area Houston] - I've long felt that the best way to fix health care and Social Security is to put Congress on both of them. It'd be fixed overnight.

Draft Ronnie Earle for Texas Governor. [Vince Leibowitz, Capitol Annex] - IMO he's unelectable outside of Austin. Kirk Watson seems to be the best available. Never underestimate the ability of Texas Dems to pull defeat from the jaws of victory.

That's a wrap for the special session. [Charles Kuffner, Off the Kuff] - In the end, it was much ado about nothing as the fears of partisans weren't even close to being in play.

Medina Campaign continues to strengthen. [David Jennings, Lone Star Times] - IMO Medina is unelectable outside of the right-wing of the Republican Party. Could she be enough of a protest vote to give Perry the primary win over Hutchison?

Some Clarity on the Annise Parker BARC issue....

Houston Mayoral Candidate Annise Parker released her plan to fix the City's dysfunctional Animal Control system yesterday which prompted a rebuttal from a local animal-issues PAC. The point of contention lie in Parker's assertion that she was on a committee related to the 2005 Animal Care Task Force commissioned by Mayor White.

Annise Parker did not serve on the 2005 Mayor's Task Force for Animal Protection.

Here is a list of Task Force Members:
Alison Smith, Chair
Mary Almendarez
John Chambless
Margaret Gondo
Carl Jackson
Graciela Martinez
Annie Stewart
Ellen Susman
Bessie Swindle

Here is a link to the report

Those charges led to the following response from Parker on the Noah's Ark PAC blog:

I appreciate your interest in my plan, but would like to correct the record.

As I said in my policy brief and press release, I served "on one of the committees of the Mayor's Task Force for Animal Protection in 2005." I checked my records after your post, and I was actually the chair of the Regulatory Subgroup of the Animal Protection Working Group, the task force created by Mayor White in 2005.

You also misstate my policy. I support sweeps coordinated with rescue groups, such as the highly successful Corridor of Cruelty rescue group, so that as many stray dogs as possible can be rehabilitated and given homes. I do not advocate rounding up dogs and euthanizing them; but rather picking them up in conjunction with the spay/neuter van, getting them spayed or neutered and registered with the city.

Perhaps you can post a link to my plan so your readers can judge it for themselves: http://www.anniseparker.com/issue/houston_is_better_than_barc/

Thank you,

Annise Parker

Following the controversy I went out on a small fact-finding information and was provided a copy of a March 2006 e-mail listing the leadership of several committees that were formed in the wake of the 2005 report who's charge was to use the task force recommendations to form policy initiatives to fix the troubled Animal Control Center. The e-mail shows several committees that were established in 2006, including the following:

Public Education: Kelly Cripe (Chair), Martha McGee
Spay/Neuter: John Chambless(chair), James Weedon, Jonathan Cooper
Adoption: Joanne Smith(chair), Alison Smith, Becky Reiley, Jonathan Cooper, Jean Krchank, Linda Gilchrist, Jim Burwell
Regulatory: Annise Parker(Chair), Elena Marks, Joe Gagon, Joanne Smith
Facilities Assessment: Donna Kacmar(Chair), April Andres
Funding: Elaine Susman(Chair), Kelly Cripe, Rachel Torbor

The e-mail needs some information redacted before I can place it online, but after the Holiday weekend I'll do the work that's needed and scan the document so it can be seen in full here.

In the end, this seems to be a question of semantics. Ms. Cripe is correct in her assertion that Ms. Parker was not on the Mayor's 2005 Animal Care Task Force, but Ms. Parker is correct in her assertion that she served on a committee of the Task Force, charged with creating policy to implement the recommendations in the report.

There was one last bone of contention between the two sides:

[Noah's Ark PAC Blog]

Parker's Policy Briefing:
BARC’s failure to adequately pick up stray animals means that some of Houston’s neighborhoods are infamous for having too many strays – a situation that is potentially hazardous not only to the animals but also to people who come into contact with them.

From the Noah's Ark PAC Survey:
What steps, if any, would you take to address the problems in the Corridor of Cruelty?

The first step is to identify those parts of Houston that are areas known to be locations where strays are often abandoned. Once these trouble spots are located, BARC should perform regular sweeps of these areas to ensure that they do not become havens for stray animals.

(snip)

Noah's Ark PAC agrees with Parker in that stray animals do present quality of life issues, particularly in Houston's low-income communities. The PAC strongly disagrees that the solution to this issue is to continue to round up more animals to be taken to BARC so that they may be mishandled and killed. This is an inhumane and fiscally unwise process. The only way to effectively decrease the number of unowned animals is to invest in expansive free and low-cost spay & neuter programs and public education.

Houston and BARC deserve honest, informed representation from the city's top executive, not more of the same.

Parker's Response:(From the comments to the same post)

You also misstate my policy. I support sweeps coordinated with rescue groups, such as the highly successful Corridor of Cruelty rescue group, so that as many stray dogs as possible can be rehabilitated and given homes. I do not advocate rounding up dogs and euthanizing them; but rather picking them up in conjunction with the spay/neuter van, getting them spayed or neutered and registered with the city.

Noah's Ark rebuttal: (again, from the comments)

Thank you for your response. I do not think that I have misstated your policy, as I have printed the comments in full. Perhaps, you might want to clarify some of these points in your policy brief and in any further communications to avoid confusion.
Thank you again,
Kelly

Where the Task Force issue seems cut and dried, this issue is a matter of policy and deserves a full debate. It's of note to me that both Ms. Cripe and Ms. Parker served on committees related to the 2005 Task Force, and probably have some history of working together. The important issue, to Houston voters, should be whether or not the candidate has a viable plan for fixing BARC that is doable, affordable, and doesn't involve the mass destruction of stray dogs.

On a personal note: I've spent parts of the last five years working with various dog rescue groups, mostly behind the scenes with donations and, more recently, through foster and adoption efforts. I've seen simple disagreements over inane policy matters implode an organization, ruin friendships, and ultimately, ruin good organizations because the egos involved couldn't be assuaged. While I don't think that's the case here, I do hope that Houston's animal rescue & adoption community is able to put aside small differences and join the new administration (whomever wins the election) in fixing BARC and changing the toxic culture that's gotten us to this point. As with any policy issue, Ms. Parker's motivation on the sweep issue won't be truly known unless she's elected and her policies implemented. My sincere hope is that she's honest in her desire to have BARC work closely with rescue groups to pull these unfortunate (in most cases abused) animals off the streets and into forever homes. As I write this, I'm watching Simon, our latest foster, who was pulled off the streets, given medical treatment, and is now attending adoption events looking for a new family. Unfortunately there are thousands of dogs and cats out there who are just looking for the same chance in life.


Thank you to Jerri Brooks, Director of Communications for Annise Parker, and Kelly Cripe, of the Noah's Ark PAC, for their quick responses to my questions and requests for information.


OTHER EYES: Chron: Local Politics

Annise Parker releases BARC clean up plan (UPDATED)

This just in...

• Listen to the experts - We must implement these recommendations: the Mayor’s 2005 Animal Task Force (on which I served); the Controller’s audit (which I led); and the $11,000 MCV Consulting study, which needs to be made public. I supported, for example, bringing in no-kill shelter advocate Nathan Winograd to help BARC improve operations.

• Maddie’s Fund coalition - Ultimately, we need to form a regional or city coalition similar to the New York City mayor’s coalition that created a 10-year, no-kill transition plan and won more than $10 million in Maddie’s Fund grants. This represents the gold standard and is by far the most money out there to help animal service agencies.

• Transferring adoptions - In the meantime, I would strongly consider transferring the city’s animal adoption responsibilities to more successful groups in exchange for the city assuming sole responsibility for – and hopefully drastically reducing – the number of animals so old or sick they must be euthanized.

• Education - More emphasis needs to be given to general animal education outreach – stressing the importance of spaying and neutering as well as having a valid license for all animals. I’d like to see regular neighborhood “sweeps” to identify unlicensed pets and those that have not been spayed or neutered.

• SNAP and Fix Houston - We must increase the city’s partnership with organizations such as SNAP and try to restart the Fix Houston initiative to dramatically increase the number of animals spayed and neutered. BARC just added funding for 4,000 more spays and neuters this year.

• Puppy mills - More emphasis needs to be given to identifying and shutting down these houses of horror.

In her list of "problems" Parker cites the Corridor of Cruelty as an issue of main concern. As a rescue-group volunteer working with Deborah Hoffman (who, unofficially coined the term) I can attest to the despicable conditions that animals in that area are living. Working with rescue and adoption groups is going to be key to BARC finding any future success. The fact is most of these groups do a better job at placing animals in forever homes than does the City shelter.

There's a lot of homeless animal expertise in Houston, BARC and the City would be well-suited to tap into that when making plans for the future.


UPDATE: Not everyone is impressed

[Noah's Ark PAC]

After being sent a link to Annise Parker's facebook, I feel compelled to make this very clear-

Annise Parker did NOT serve on the Mayor's Task Force for Animal Protection. Her continued assertion that she did is a fabrication. She did not.

Furthermore, Parker advocates for increased sweeps (to round up and kill more animals) and opposes trap/neuter/release programs.

Parker does not share the same views held by mainstream animal welfare advocates and rescuers, and has continued to make false claims about her involvement in BARC.

Houston and BARC deserve honest representation from the city's top executive, not more of the same.

Either she was or she wasn't it's pretty cut and dried. I've submitted a FOIA request from the Office of the Mayor requesting the roster of the task force as well as the report of their findings. Once I receive a response I will update with a new post.

Investigative News

Last night I pondered whether or not the new media could effectively take the place of the old should the old continue down their path of financial insolvency. I also forwarded the idea that, in Houston, the newspaper of record has already abdicated itself of the responsibility of being the regions watchdog.

This is troubling for many reasons:

1. Government agencies, when not monitored, have a tendency to grow corrupt and bloated, often to the point of great waste and abuse.

2. Businesses, without independent monitoring, have been known to not act in the public interest, with some unscrupulous players pushing the envelope of legality and, in some cases, ignoring the laws altogether.

3. There's a societal benefit to having an engaged, informed public with access to independent professionally vetted information.


According to this unscientific poll by the Houston Business Journal, 54% of area readers currently state that they would not miss their print newspaper if they discontinued production.*

My contention is that Houston has been without an effective watchdog media presence (in the mainstream sense) for quite a while now, the Chron having relegated that to a background role in favor of bar photos, reader blogs and other non- 'hard news' material. The fallout from the firings in March bear that out, as the newsroom was decimated.

The question now becomes: "What's going to fill the void?"

The staff at Texas Watchdog seems to be working hard to answer that question.

I just got back from the Pocantico Conference Center, located at one of the Rockefeller family’s former estates about 45 minutes or so out of Manhattan. The conference center is used for many events connected with the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

I was invited to the stone, ivy-covered mansion that the infamous oil baron once called home to participate in a conference of nonprofit investigative news groups. There were about 30 of us there, from the well known (The Voice of San Diego) to the not-quite-started-but-will-soon-be well-known (The Rocky Mountain Investigative News Network.)

The goal was to figure out how we can help each other, how we can stay funded and how we can collaborate on stories.

Ultimately we came up with the The Pocantico Declaration: Creating a Nonprofit Investigative News Network.

Here's hoping their venture is a success, and that Texas Watchdog starts picking up the reader share that the Chron is losing.

I truly believe there is a strong market in Houston for good, solid investigative journalism presented in a professional, accurate manner. The Chron losing viewers faster than George W. Bush lost people who would admit to voting for him isn't, in my opinion, due to a changing of technology as much as it is their failure to hire editors and executives who are steering the Chron in the correct direction. My experience with Chron reporters is that they are hard working, dedicated, and take their jobs very seriously. They've also been beaten down and demoralized by ineffective management and a core mission that seems to devalue their input and contributions. They're being asked to do more with less while defending the sacred cows of the Masthead (and their spouses).

Good luck to the folks at Texas Watchdog, whose ranks now include a former Chron staffer who did some of the best watchdog on Metro seen in the pages of the Chron in years.

Houston Area Asides (07/02/09)

The "Pop! Pop! Pop!" edition....

Mexico's violence reaches even the clergy. [Dudley Althus, Chron.com] - Geez.

Webster pastor tasered by police. [Thayer Evans, Chron.com] - Uh.....Geez.

Spoke too soon on BARC [Lisa Falkenberg, Chron.com] - Whoopsie!

Toll road plan falters as special session opens. [Peggy Fikac, Chron.com] - Ooops!

Immigration plan goes after employers. [Susan Carroll, Chron.com] - Great.

Paperwork glitch delays some paychecks at HCC. [Jeannie Kever, Chron.com] - D'oh!

Chron: Federal agents investigate Hosuton gun owners. [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - Huh?

McCain staff leakers, whomever you are, are scum, should be outed and should never get another job. [Dr. Melissa Clouthier] - Daaaamn.

Business Pulse Survey: If you're daily newspaper stopped circulation would you miss it? [Houston Business Journal] - Yes.

Houston still 4th largest City. [Houston Business Journal] - Whirled Class!

Thousands of trees wilting in Houston's record heat. [Alex Saenz, KHOU] - Suck.

Record heat rocks home foundations. [Brad Woodard, KHOU] - Suck. (Get a soaker hose and water your foundation)

Governor to top new General: Wrong move [Mark Greenblatt, KHOU] - Ya think?

People are getting paid to write these editorials?

It's been a while since I've been critical of the Chron's Caucasian Think-Tank. The main reason for that is because I find them irrelevant.

Occasionally however they write an Op-Ed that's so blatantly incomplete that something has to be said. tomorrow's Op-ed (already posted on Chron.com) is one of those cases.

Zelaya, a wealthy rancher and member of the Honduran oligarchy, was elected on a moderate platform but steered the country into an economic alliance led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Conservative opposition in the Honduran military, Congress and Supreme Court became alarmed when Zelaya sought a nationwide referendum to rewrite the country’s constitution to get rid of the term limits that now prevent him from seeking re-election.

When Zelaya fired the head of the Honduran military for refusing to assist in the referendum effort, the military struck back, sending him into exile. The Honduran Congress appointed its president, Roberto Micheletti, to serve out the remainder of Zelaya’s term. Micheletti and the coup leaders have shown no willingness to negotiate.

If that's what happened, then tCCTT would be correct. Unfortunately, the facts are a little more complicated than how they presented them.

[Paul Kiernan, Jose de Cordoba & Jay Solomon, WSJ]

Honduras's Supreme Court gave the order for the military to detain the president, according to a former Supreme Court official who is in touch with the court.

Later, Honduras's Congress formally removed Mr. Zelaya from the presidency and named congressional leader Roberto Micheletti as his successor until the end of Mr. Zelaya's term in January. Mr. Micheletti and others said they were the defenders, not opponents, of democratic rule.

"What was done here was a democratic act," Mr. Micheletti, who was sworn in as president Sunday afternoon, said to an ovation. "Our constitution continues to be valid, our democracy continues to live."

Is being 'against' the Coup being on the 'right side' as tCCTT contests? Maybe, maybe not. As with any political situation in South America there are three sides to every story. The 'truth' in this case is shrouded in shades of gray and is hardly as black and white as tCCTT purports it to be.

When a President violates Congress, runs against the Supreme Court and plans an illegal referendum with the idea of removing his term-limits allowing him to stay in power, what IS the 'right side'?

I'm not going to pretend at this point that I know the answer, but I'm also not going to pretend that tCCTT has a clue on this one either.*




*Of course, neither am I going to criticize Obama or anyone else for whatever position they take, provided they acknowledge all of the facts (something tCCTT obviously decided NOT to do). Hopefully Honduras can work this one out without further bloodshed.

Disconnects

The Chron's Caucasian Think Tank writes this:

Texas has much to lose if global warming continues unabated and much to gain as a leader in future alternative energy development. The energy bill may not be the perfect solution, but it is a vital first step toward one.

While Rasmussen releases this:

Americans have mixed feelings about the historic climate change bill that passed the House on Friday, but 42% say it will hurt the U.S. economy.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 19% believe the climate change bill passed by the House on Friday will help the economy. Fifteen percent (15%) say it will have no impact, and 24% are not sure.

Now, you and I both know what this means....Here comes the 'media bias' charge again...

The thing is, when it comes to Global Warming, they're right. But why is that? Why is it that a rather large plurality of Americans are leery of the Climate Change bill but a substantial majority of the MSM is forging full steam ahead with accolades and drooling all over themselves because Congress passed a 1500 page bill without reading it?

Rasmussen again provides some insight:

The divide on the question between populist or Mainstream America and the Political Class is a wide one. Fifty percent (50%) of Mainstream Americans say the climate control measure will hurt the economy, but two-thirds of the Political Class (67%) say it will help.

That's the operative paragraph right there. The fact is that the Chron's Caucasian Think Tank and Masthead Executives associate with the political class and not mainstream America. All of the blogging about the Chron being out of touch, of how they neglect their readership base, and how they are biased on certain issues, has no effect because the people that the Editorial board and Executives associate with are telling them something entirely different. It's the same reason certain pundits continue to point at each news story critical of a specific Democrat (even when they deserve it) as proof of case that media bias doesn't exist. It's also the same reason that Republicans look at every negative story about Republicans (even when they deserve it)as the closing argument that the MSM is biased.

I've often criticized blogging as nothing more than a series of small echo chambers where like-minded people can circle-jerk their opinions until they succeed in convincing themselves that they are mainstream on the issues. It's the same dynamic in newsrooms today. Since there's no credible voice standing up and calling bullshit at the Chron, all arguments to the contrary are automatically marginalized. When a dissenting opinion does surface (for example Rosanna Ruiz) the idea is that its the reporter who's cracked, not the message.

What's left isn't a news organization at all. It's just a big blog with a print product engaging in a city-wide reach-around. I've seen a lot of blogs and pundits bemoaning what will happen in Houston should the media go away.

My argument is that, for the most part, it already has. How else do you explain Metro, BARC, One Park Place, etc. etc?

Currently Houston is City that is operating without an independent newspaper intent on fulfilling the watchdog role that's needed in a healthy democracy. The Chron is more focused on publishing user content and fluff pieces (Bar pictures!) than hard journalism. As a private entity this is their right. It leaves to the citizens to decide what the next vehicle of public information will be however.

Can television news, advocacy, political and hobby bloggers pick up the slack?

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

LaE Book Club: Books you'll never see....

Don't expect to find any of these titles on your reading list for the Summer...

Advanced Procurement Strategies for the 21st Century Executive - Frank Wilson, CEO Houston Metro.

A Guide to Animal Care - Bill White, Houston Mayor & Texas Senatorial Candidate

Managing Large Donations - The Texas Blog PAC

Hola! - Welcoming Latinos into your community. - The Lone Star Times Editorial Staff

Clean and Sober: Houston through the eyes of a teetotaler - IJ Reilley, Bayou City Madman

Winning Political Strategy - Jared Woodfill and the Harris County Republican Party

20 Things to Like about Texas - John Cobarruvias, Bay Area Houston Blog

For and Against: Global Warming From all Sides. Eric Berger

When PC is better than Apple. - Dwight Silverman

Losing with Grace. - Rorschach, Red Ink: Texas

A Guidebook for Entertaining Radio - Pat Gray

Tips on Flowing Prose - Jonathan Feigan

Inspring Loyalty from Subordinates - Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

The Ethical Man: Life in Business and Politics - State Rep. Alan Fletcher

The Benefits of Humility - State Sen. Dan Patrick

Total Transportation: The Importance of Automobile Infrastructure in a Healthy Urban Transit Mix. - Citizen's Transportation Coalition

Give 'til it Hurts! A Christians' Call to Charity - Joel Osteen

A Christ-centered Guide to Conflict Resolution - Victoria Osteen

Star! A Review of Pulitzer-Prize Winning Journalism in the Chronicle - Houston Chronicle Editorial Staff

Create a Winning Website. - Dean Betz

Leveraging Social Media to Build a Winning Political Brand. - Bill Kneer, Harris County GOP


And...finally...

Winning Friends and Influencing People Redux: Blogging Edition. - Cory Crow, Lose an Eye, It's a Sport.

Houston Area Asides (07/01/09)

The "much hotter than June" edition....

Houston has hottest June on record - maybe. [Eric Berger, Chron.com]

The official weather station, however, moved from downtown to Bush Intercontinental Airport in 1969, and before that it bounced around from Cotton Station to the Stewart Building, Shell Building and Federal Building. And, Roeseler said, there have been changes from human-read mercury thermometers to more sophisticated digital instruments.

So all of those factors add significant doubt as to whether or not the weather in June was the "hottest ever", yet we're forced to accept as rote the idea that the same weather technology offers up definitive proof that the world is, indeed, microwaving itself due to human activity? (Obviously science just ain't what it used to be.)

Grocery showdown in West U. [David Kaplan, Chron.com] - Competition will mean better sales and better prices for local residents. (Not that the West U. denizens need it mind you)

UT Chancellor sounds alarm on higher ed. [Gary Martin, Chron.com]

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that minorities are expected to comprise 54 percent of the overall student population in 2050

Wait....what? (Of course, the solution to this will be to take Mrs. White's catapult out of mothballs and load it up with money.)

White keeping eye on D.C. not Austin. [Rick Casey, Chron.com]

He reportedly has said privately that another reason is that he could not with a straight face say as a gubernatorial candidate that he wouldn’t raise taxes in the face of the problems the state faces.

So? Say it. (Left unsaid by Casey is that he's not keeping his eye on Houston either.)

KTRK: City Council tackles pressing problem of...electronic signs? [Kevin Whited, BlogHouston.net] - When you hear the words "visual pollution" run away. (Or, better yet, flog the offender with a wet noodle and run them out of town)

A Q & A with the man who oversees BARC leaves more Q's than A's. [Craig Malisow, Houston Press] - Malisow's coverage should win multiple awards on this. (On the other hand, the situation at BARC should be a source of civic shame - and anger that our leaders are building stadiums while his goes on.)

And they're off. [Charles Kuffner, Off the Kuff] - It's special session a go-go. (Odds on the Lege breaking something they have to come back and fix: -900)