IT’S a catchup edition of the news and views roundup after a weekend of travel:
- Harris County kicks in $2 million more in stadium bailout (Chris Moran, Houston Chronicle)
As Cory Crow notes, the decision came Tuesday and finally hit Chron.com late Friday night — not that it is any great surprise to anyone who’s paid attention to the sports authority’s travails. - Time for a change: Chronicle endorses Bill White for governor (Houston Chronicle)
Another for the “no great surprise” category. - On ex-chief’s watch, Metro derailed expansion plans (Mike Snyder, Houston Chronicle)
This is a solid historical account useful “for the record,” so to speak. The Chronicle, as the establishment newspaper, is pretty good at serving up these sorts of definitive narratives when the city’s “new” establishment inevitably finds problems with the “old” establishment’s way of doing things. And so, the departed Frank Wilson gets (pardon the pun) thrown under the bus.Unfortunately, the Chron seems less interested in the sort of real-time watchdog/public-interest journalism that might expose/avert/mitigate expensive fiascoes in the first place. MANY Wilson subordinates who might have blown the whistle on Wilson’s “Buy America” shenanigans are STILL at the “New” METRO, but undoubtedly knew that going to the Chron with their concerns would not be productive. As the FTA investigative report makes clear in faulting the organization generally (and not Wilson specifically), many METRO officials simply went along with the unethical and illegal procurement practices.
- City's attorney emerges as Houston's new power player (Bradley Olson, Houston Chronicle)
For those keeping track of the “new” establishment. - The Greening of Houston (Write on METRO)
METRO’s John Sedlak, executive vice president, said METRO is not just into sustainability – it’s our business.
Sedlak was a key player in the “old” METRO that has been criticized by George Greanias for having two empty floors of office space in its palatial headquarters. As my blogging colleague Anne Linehan pointed out in an email, that doesn’t seem very green!
- Metro Tackles Huge Budget Gap…By Getting Rid Of Some Office Printers? (Hair Balls)
- School defying closure order loses bid for funds (Ericka Mellon, Houston Chronicle)
- Investigators: Motel shooting of Aldine football coach was a set-up (KHOU-11 News)
- Odd Headline In Harris County Voting Machine Fire Story (Rhymes with Right)
- Leo Vasquez Promoted Voter Registration, Did Not Suppress It (Big Jolly Politics)
David Jennings continues his efforts to disrupt the LibDem partyblogging echo chamber’s “voter suppression” meme.
