[WB1] The Chronicle reports that the family of the two people who were killed by HPD at 7815 Harding St. visited the site of the massacre this week. The family and the public remain in the dark as to exactly what happened, even as (potentially dirty) narcotics officers have quietly retired in the weeks since the deadly fiasco.
[WB2] Mayoral candidate Tony Buzbee sued Mayor Sylvester Turner and Clear Channel this week, asserting that their “Alert Houston” billboard campaign amounts to a campaign violation. Whatever the legal merits of the case, the “Alert Houston” billboard’s color scheme is indeed remarkably similar to Turner’s past campaign materials (see below).
Cory Crow comments on this matter, and the Turner political machine more broadly.
[WB3] The Turner administration suffered another setback this week when Judge Tanya Harrison, who seems disinclined to throw out the HFD pay parity referendum, instead ordered the litigating parties to non-binding mediation.
[WB4] The Bill King mayoral campaign attempted to get a closer look at $400 million worth of City of Houston contracts that it contends the mayor signed without council approval. The Turner administration responded to the public information request with an estimated price tag of $2.8 million for the information.
[WB5] Bob Stein notes that Mayor Turner is polling poorly for re-election. While this is surely being driven at the moment by Turner being on the wrong side of the dispute with Houston firefighters (as Stein contends), Houstonians surely can’t be happy about the pay-to-play cronyism or the mayor’s inability to deliver basic services (erratic garbage pickup, potholes, drainage fee diversion).
[WB6] Embattled Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg has made a high-profile hire for her office: C.O. Bradford.
[WB7] The Houston Chronicle takes a look at a proposal being floated to settle the so-called Harris County bail lawsuit, as does Big Jolly Politics.
[WB8] The Greater Houston Flood Consortium has issued two reports that suggest that Houston’s post-Harvey development rules – particularly related to detention – still fall short of what is needed.
[WB9] Check out Charles Blain’s new organization, Urban Reform, which aims “to provide free market, limited government solutions to issues plaguing our urban areas” – and be sure to sign up for updates. What better place to call home than America’s opportunity city, Houston (which can use this new shot of intellectual diversity to go along with its ethnic diversity!).
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