Weekend brunch for 20 October 2019

News and views from around the web

Image credit: MLB.com/Fox Sports One

[WB1] With early voting starting next week, Mayor Sylvester Turner still holds a large lead over his challengers, according to a poll by the University of Houston. African-American voters remain big supporters of the incumbent, with some notable exceptions.

[WB2] Former METRO chair Gilbert Garcia, whose opposition to the METRO Next referendum was noted here weeks ago (see WB13), lays out his case for voting no, calling the plan irresponsible and non-transparent.

[WB3] You’re not just imagining the Houston roads are in terrible shape, according to a new Houston Chronicle report. The authors conclude “rapid growth” is the culprit, even as they note chronic underspending and lack of prioritization for systematic road maintenance since Bob Lanier was mayor nearly three decades ago. They also fail to note that with rapid growth has come rapid expansion of the city’s revenues (one of the driving forces behind annexation, of course), instead focusing on the property tax revenue cap.

[WB4] Mayor Turner’s campaign contends that a Tony Buzbee campaign ad violates state law. Among their complaints: That an image shown in the ad has distorted the mayor’s nose. You can’t make this stuff up.

[WB5] City Controller Chris Brown has defended his secretive land deal that looks a lot like profiteering.

[WB6] The attorney for the family of Rhogena Nicholas has accused Houston officials of a lack of transparency in the investigation of HPD’s Harding Street massacre, which resulted in Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle being gunned down by HPD officers in their home as part of a no-knock raid in January.

[WB7] Here’s a thought for Houston “preservationists” who have so many ideas how other people should spend their money on properties: Buy some of the properties and re-develop them as you see fit!

[WB8] Bush Intercontinental Airport has finally broken ground on its international terminal (re)development. The long-delayed project has been criticized for years over procurement practices and other problems.

[WB9] Jose Altuve’s dramatic walk-off homer clinched the American League Championship for the Houston Astros Saturday, propelling the Astros to their second World Series in three years. Here’s Robert Ford’s call for Astros radio:

Tom Verducci wrote a nice story on Altuve for Sports Illustrated. The World Series gets underway on Tuesday.

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About Kevin Whited 4306 Articles
Kevin Whited is co-founder and publisher of blogHOUSTON. Follow him on twitter: @PubliusTX