THANKS to all of our veterans! On to the news and views roundup:
- Houston City Council considers fee increases due to budget woes (Gabe Gutierrez, KHOU-11 News)
“These times are too difficult on citizens and businesses to bring about new fees and new taxes,” Councilman C.O. Bradford said.
Who saw Clarence Bradford emerging as the sane fiscal conservative on Council? But he’s right. Cut the spending.
- Houston City Council debates future of Safe Clear towing program (Gabe Gutierrez, KHOU-11 News)
Greanias said Safe Clear had reduced freeway traffic and prevented accidents, but he cautioned against having Metro bear the entire cost of the program.
That quote is either wrong or Greanias is mistaken. SAFEclear arguably has reduced post-accident freeway congestion. It has not reduced “freeway traffic.”
- Red light cameras still up even after voters ban them (Ted Oberg, KTRK-13 News)
- UH practiced deception, cooked up “cover story” as it closed deal to acquire Rice U’s KTRU radio station (Steve Miller, Texas Watchdog)
- There are alternatives to Metro's plans for rail (Bill King, Houston Chronicle)
Good ideas from Bill King, as usual. See below. - How METRO could work (Harris County Almanac
The place to continue the discussion. - White blames straight-ticket voting for defeat (Doug Miller, KHOU-11 News)
Looking back on his political career, White confirmed that political insiders advised him to run for governor four years ago. That was shortly after his nationally praised leadership of the Hurricane Katrina crisis, when hundreds of thousands of storm victims evacuated to Houston.
At the time, Perry was considered so politically vulnerable he attracted three challengers. (Perry ultimately won with only 39 percent of the vote.) White said “the numbers looked good,” but he decided he had an obligation to finish his tenure as Houston mayor.
“I personally do not see how somebody could both run for statewide office effectively and hold (the mayor’s) position,” White said. “You’d have to resign. You know, work full time on it. And my parents didn’t raise me that way.”
Err, what? When Bill White decided to run for statewide office in 2009, he was still mayor. He never resigned.
What sort of mental illness causes politicians to lie in this manner, and seem actually to believe what they are saying?
- Economic hard times drive prostitutes off street corners (Rucks Russell, KHOU-11 News)
One word: SWEEPS!
