What does it take for a Harris County republican to resign?

Harris County Commissioner, Jerry Eversole, has decided to seek re-election.

This is the same Jerry Eversole that was fined by the Texas Ethics Commission $75,000, the largest fine in its history. The same Jerry Eversole under investigation by the FBI. The same Jerry Eversole under investigation by the Harris County District Attorney. The same Jerry Eversole who took over $180,000 from his donors and spent it on fancy western art, cowboy outfits, western books, coffee, cattle, personal trainers, coffee, and more.

What does a republican have to do to get fired? Have sex with a hooker? Have sex with one of their staff members? That didn't seem to work since republican United States Senator Vitter and Ensign are still Senators. How about sending emails asking to kiss their secretary behind the right ear? That seem to work for republican Chuck Rosenthal.

And where is the holier than thou chairman of the Harris County republican party? Why hasn't he called for Jerry Eversole's resignation? Even County Judge Emmet, who claimed to have clamped down on ethics violations, is taking up for the ethically challenged Eversole:

“I've known Jerry for more than 30 years, before he was a commissioner,” Emmett said. “I consider him a friend, and I think he's done a good job as county commissioner. People are going to look at the parks and the job he's done out there, and, hopefully, that's what the campaign will be all about.”

Eversole has stolen over $180,000 from his campaign account. Emmett and Eversole should know that anything over $1500 is a felony. Emmett should be calling for his resignation not supporting his re-election.

Eversole is probably going to run for re-election, win, then quit like Paul Bettencourt did, giving Emmett and his Commission another opportunity to appoint another republican to office. It is just another day for the republican party in Harris County.

Roy Morales video at a biker bar

Roy Morales. Always good for a laugh.

Brown running out of money

Could it be? Has Peter Brown's personal kitty gone dry? According to a press release titled "Lots of money pays off" by Brown's staff, Brown is asking for money to continue his personal and baseless attacks against his opponents:

On Tuesday, Peter told you about a new poll showing us in the lead. Lots of free money pays off! For weeks, we've been launching angry vicious personal attacks. Now they’re taking our misleading negative attacks to the next level by debunking them. Please contribute so we can continue our attacks and because I have been cut off from my wife's unlimited bank account.

Ok. That's not what the press release really said, but it is odd that Brown is asking for money. He has an unlimited amount of his wife's personal wealth to spend on this race for Mayor. To date he has spent $3.2 Million recently slinging mud at his opponents. Why does he need to ask for money now?

Brown's millions has allowed him to put out at the very least 5 TV ads and a number of mailers. I doubt seriously if he needs any more money. His kitty didn't dry up.

Maybe his support has?

Who is Pam Holm?

I was told that Pam Holm running for City Controller had a funny TV commercial with her dog making a few ruff comments. (get it? Ruff?) Anyway, I was curious and decided to watch. You can too. Wait till the end for the dog:




Well, when I first saw the commercial, I wondered if I had made a mistake. The Pam Holm I have seen on her mailers and on her website looks like the picture on the left. There is quite a difference, enough so that I really thought I had made a mistake in identity.

What is on the left seems a bit like a picture from 20 years ago or so. I am sure lot's of people use a younger more attractive picture in their campaign literature. Not that there is anything wrong with it. Even Gene Locke does it.

:)

Peter Brown fails to launch at lunch

I didn't think this was a good idea in the first place.

Peter Brown was featured at a meeting of the Space Advocates today. The "Space Advocates" started out a few years ago as "Space Advocates for Lampson". As a candidate and Congressman, Lampson would always speak to a packed house of those interested in the Space Program. As a member of the Science Committee, Lampson, had exclusive insight into the workings of Congress and kept those in attendance aware of the situation. It was always a great bipartisan event. Once elected, Space Advocates for Lampson was renamed to just Space Advocates.

After the NASA area elected a rookie to Congress, Space Advocates went on a long hiatus until today. Yesterday NASA's new vehicle had a successful launch, but today's lunch didn't go as well.

A small crowd, half who didn't live in the Houston city limits, and two members of the LaRouche Nazi youth group were on hand to greet Peter Brown, running for Mayor and chief antagonist of Mike Sullivan. From what others have told me, the best part of the lunch was when former Congressman Nick Lampson said he was considering a run for state wide office.

To further the poke in Mike Sullivan's eye, his challenger, Wayne Garrison, took the time and made the effort to visit with those in attendance. Mike probably had more important things to do.....

Oops he did it again

Oops! I Did it again to your heart. Got lost In this game; oh, baby.
Oops! You Think that I'm sent from above... I'm not that innocent.

--Britney Spears. Oops I did it again.

Candidate for Mayor Peter Brown did it again. As I said yesterday, With unlimited wealth you can expect Brown to continue his air attack and mailers attacking his opponents. And sure enough he did it again. According to Muse:

Brown sent out a mail piece that attacked both Annise Parker and Gene Locke. I heard it was sent to women Republican voters. You can see it right here. The Chron has Mayor White's response...

This prompted the Mayor who has stayed neutral on the issue to issue a statement debunking Brown's criticism. Gene Locke also has released a radio ad simply titled "Trust" and he just might have a point. From his radio ad:

NARRATOR: Peter Brown is a punk ass, liar.

Ok. That's not exactly what he said but it's what the ad is alluding to. Locke caught Brown in listing supporters on his website who really were not supporting him including members of Locke's staff. In response he took down his supporter list from his site.

Parker, during the debates, called for Brown to stop taking credit for some of the accomplishment of others on City Council. In response he took down his list of accomplishments from his site.

And now with his wife's vast fortunes, he continues his attacks on his opponents while claiming to be taking the high road. As President Bush said "He can't take the high horse and then claim the low road".

In short, he's not that innocent.

Brown not buying votes

It is ridiculous to think that Peter Brown is buying votes from the Black community. Not only is it hard to come up with a price for a vote, it is extremely illegal. EXTREMELY, I tell you! It just isn't happening. But something else is.

According to Rick Casey of the Houston Chronicle, Peter Brown has spent $3.2 million of his wife's money to become Mayor of Houston. With $3.2 Million Brown can flood the airwaves with TV commercials and mailers that contain false or extremely misleading information and his opponents would not have the time or money to counter the flood. There ought to be a law.

A candidate doesn't raise money for two reasons, no one thinks he can win, or no one wants him to win. I think the later is the most important. There is buzz in the political circles that Brown's record on City Council would lead to a disastrous term as Mayor. Maybe this is why he is relying his wife's vast fortune.

With unlimited wealth you can expect Brown to continue his air attack and mailers attacking his opponents. Will his $3.2 Million buy him the election? We will see. With $3.2 million, Brown is able to pay block walkers at $8/hour, or buy phone banking services located in Las Vegas, or pay people to stand outside the polls pushing his $3.2 Million worth of literature.

One thing is for sure, Brown is not buying votes. People are not that weak to fall for a candidate just because he has lots of money.

Anyone remember Tony Sanchez?

Peter Brown's NASA turf war with Mike Sullivan

Council Member Mike Sullivan wasn't very happy about Peter Brown's meddling in his district once concerning the Clear Lake Community Association and another concerning NASA. He probably isn't going to be very happy this Thursday when Brown starts another NASA battle, much like the time Peter Griffin got into a turf war with a cat.
All Space program supporters are invited to a Space Town Hall Meeting and Lunch. Thursday, Oct. 29, 12 Noon to 1:30 pm. at Franca’s Real Italian Restaurant, 1101 NASA Parkway, Houston.

Featuring, Nick Lampson, former U.S. Congressman, Dist. 22 and
Peter Brown, Houston mayoral candidate and City Councilman.
In the past when Brown called for a resolution in support of NASA (as if there was any question about it) Sullivan responded in an email to the Mayor:

From: Sullivan, Mike - CNL

To: Fiederlein, Robert - CNL; Mayor Bill White
Cc:
Sent: Fri Sep 18 15:20:16 2009
Subject: RE: Support for NASA

Mayor White and Colleagues:

Please do NOT act on Peter Brown's email to you regarding NASA and writing a resolution. NASA is in my council district, and I am absolutely all over this issue. Brown is not in the loop, has no idea what is going on behind the scenes, who is involved already, and what our strategy is.

Well, the "Space Town Hall Meeting" is open to the public, which should include the local City Council Member, so Mike has a free ticket to listen to how Brown intends to save NASA:
Peter Brown, current candidate for mayor and currently city councilman in America’s space city, strongly supports the U.S. space program as a critical Houston industry.  His positive vision for Houston’s future includes a robust human space flight program in the Bay Area. 
If elected, Mike can just let Brown take over this part of the district while he attends to fixing potholes.

Peter Brown airs 47th TV commercial

For Immediate Release:

Peter Brown Releases 47th TV Ad
47th Television Ad Features Blue Prints, Plans and Architectural Etchings by Peter Brown.

(Houston) Candidate for Mayor Peter Brown has released his 47th TV ad touting his blueprint for the Houston Sports Authority and Metro. To date Brown has spent almost $39 Million of his wife's money on media buys including 213 different mailers flooding the mailboxes of voters.

"With my wife's unlimited funds, I have the unique opportunity to flood the air waves with repetitive statements like "blue print", "planning" and, my favorite ,"architect" - and it is working!"

In a recent poll Brown is now down by 6 points in a solid second place. According to one viewer "I missed half of Monday night football because of Peter's ads. If I see one more..." and another said "My mailbox fell over due to the weight of Peter's mailers. Does Peter have a plan for rebuilding my mailbox? I miss my coupons."

When asked about the $39 Million of his wife's money that he spent, Ms. Brown asked, "How much? Are you kidding? How much?".

Brown's 47th add hits the air today with ads continuing a week past the election.

What does $640/hour buy you?

What does $640/hour buy you? According to the Houston Chronicle, $117 million in debt:

Harris County taxpayers may have to inject up to $7 million a year into the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority for the next two years due to a financial crisis sparked by the souring of bonds used to build Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium and the Toyota Center.

The $640/hour is what the law firm charged for legal services to the Sports Authority. This is a complicated situation, but at $640/hour you would think this would have been prevented or resolved.

This is also Gene Locke's law firm. This story isn't what Locke wanted just 7 days before the election while sinking in the polls with a solid 3rd place and Morales creeping up on him. The Sports Authority is one of Locke's self-proclaimed accomplishments. Peter Brown has bragged about it also. This is not going to help either.

On a side note: Reliant Energy is charging some of the highest electricity rates in the state. You would think they could use some of that money to pay off this debt.

A face is worth a thousand words

The Houston Police Officer's Union sent out a mailer for candidate Gene Locke. The picture of Locke isn't exactly the best photo I have seen of him. In fact it is almost scary. I mean couldn't they have found a razor?



Someone's head should roll for this. Not literally, but you know what I mean.

Locke and Brown should go fish

The battle over who is more black by Gene Locke and Peter Brown is getting insulting and silly. At their last debate they had the following exchange:

“Mr. Locke is fishing in the dark,” Brown said.

“Yeah, but I'm catching fish,” Locke replied.

Brown repeated the assertion, after which Locke said he was catching “catfish over here,” perch and even flounder.

The Black community should tell both candidates to grab a pole and go fishing for the next 8 days. They should leave the race for Mayor to grownups who understands how diverse our city is and how dividing any groups within the city is not only insulting to those being courted and those not being courted, it is just plain juvenile.

Locke and Brown should quit out blacking each other and go fish.

Houston HOA goes after homeowners for hurricane repairs

It is bad enough that a hurricane swept through the Clear Lake area causing record damage to homes, but now a homeowners association is going after those who re-roofed their homes with the wrong color of shingle. It's unreasonable action like this that makes homeowners refer to HOAs as "Nazis".

Pineloch Community Association
The Pineloch Community in Clear Lake has about 2000 homes ranging from $150,000 to about $250,000. The community is over 20 years old. Hurricane Ike was our first major storm and according to the President of the Association about 40 homes are in violation of the deed restrictions because they used the wrong color of shingle.

These 40 homeowners can expect to have a highly paid lawyer come after them until they remove the roof and reshingle it with the "right" color. This is going to cost them at least $8000 each and the community will end up in litigation for a long time. This is the type of stuff that gets State lawmakers to draft legislation to rein in out of control HOAs.

Taking shelter then taking legal action
The HOA board is covering their backends by having a special election on Oct 31 to allow the homeowners to change the deed restrictions. When this election fails, and it will, they will be able to say "We are just doing what the homeowners want". In order to change the restrictions they need 1700 yes votes out of the 2000 homeowners. If we are lucky to get 50 votes it would be a great turnout. After it fails the HOA will begin legal action against these 40 victims of a hurricane.

It's not their first rodeo
The community has had a couple of interesting decisions over the last 20 years with some of the same current board members. Once they voted to prevent homeowners from parking in the streets and on their own driveway over night. It was overturned at a community meeting.

5 years ago the community organized and obtained over 700 signatures to throwout the board President and called for new elections. It was embarrassing.

Recently they built a $2.3 Million brick wall around the community. Yep. $2.3 Million. Each homeowner was charged $800 to build this. Now granted it looks nice, but $2.3 Million?

Where is this going?
I wouldn't be surprised if a class action suit is filed against the community association by these homeowners. Personally I haven't seen any of these different colored roofs, but then again, I am not flying around in a hot air balloon looking for a problem that doesn't exist.

Watch for legislation in the 2011 session to prevent this from happening in the future.

Harris county republicans stealth endorsement

Harris County republicans have secretly endorsed Roy Morales for Mayor, which now amounts to two endorsements, with one being a right wing obscure blog. Morales at the KHOU debate claims he had 101 precinct chairs vote for him for this endorsement, but the city has over 800 precincts. Not exactly a resounding endorsement.

But more secretly, I believe the Harris County republicans are supporting Gene Locke. Locke has the Harris County Clerk, republican Beverly Kaufman endorsement, and according to Muse has recently been working with Stephen Hotze and Alan Blakemore, both very right wing supporters involved in republican campaigns. He has the support of corporate attorneys representing Metro, the Sports Authority, and the Port of Houston. And he has waffled, depending upon who he is speaking to, on the 287g program.

It is a secret that Locke is the elephant in the room.

Some of the best barbeque in the Bay Area

The Bay Area Meat Market and Dave's Smokehouse are right next to each other on Kirby road just one long block from NASA Rd 1 and they have some of the best barbeque and meat in the area!

I personally like the pulled pork sandwich with pickles, onions, and jalapenos. It comes with a generous serving of crinkle cut french fries. Coupled with a glass of tea and you only spend about $8.25. The plates all have generous portions and it is well worth the price.

When you are finished, walk next door and pick out a pork butt to smoke, or boudin, sausage, chicken, or any cut of meat you like. They seem to have it all.

And dem's good eatin!

Will Hispanics dump Locke's endorsement?

What happened to the black/brown coalition that Gene Locke promised to the Tejano Democrats? From the get-go this was a bad idea not because it wouldn't work, but because it was just a bad idea to segregate and make promises based upon race especially in a city that is so diverse. And lately it looks like Locke has dumped the brown part of the coalition.

Locke hasn't paid much attention to the Hispanic vote except in a negative way. His latest mailer to the west side of Houston, that Stace at Dos Centavos has mentioned, has a picture of the wife of a slain Houston Police Officer. Hopefully this is not falling inline with the grandstanding attempts of Mike Sullivan, Anne Clutterbuck, and Toni Lawrence on the 287g program. Grandstanding is Mike's specialty and goes well with his two faces. Lawrence is running for County Commissioner. But Clutterbuck? That was not expected and it is disappointing.

But back to Locke, he has waffled on the 287g program when talking on the right wing radio KSEV and has put a lot of time, money, and face into attacking Peter Brown for using his wife's money to steal his black vote. But what has he done for the brown part of the black/brown coalition besides promising a Hispanic Museum and a damn soccer stadium?

As I said, a coalition based upon race was a bad idea from the get-go. Lets see if Locke's west side mailer is send to the east side. If elected, Locke and Sullivan will make a great pair.

All four of them.

Lots of hot air at NASA today.

Today and tomorrow the Johnson Space Center will host the
JSC Balloonfest and open house. It is only $10 a carload and not only do
you get to see the balloons, you can get a behind the scenes tour of NASA.
Lots of food and drink. Complete schedule of events are here.

Locke calling the kettle Brown.

Team Locke is desperate. Gene Locke's second TV ad skirts the edges of dishonesty claiming to be the only candidate endorsed by the Houston Chronicle and now he has a radio spot, by former City Councilman Jew Don Boney, claiming Peter Brown is buying the black vote. From the Houston Chronicle:

Mayoral candidate Gene Locke took direct aim at City Councilman Peter Brown's support in the black community Thursday, releasing a radio advertisement that accuses Brown of trying to buy the support of black voters.

OK, call me color blind, but just how does a candidate spend his own money to buy the votes of a specific race of people? Is it like promising to build a Hispanic Museum for the Hispanic Community at a Hispanic forum? Or promising the Tejano Democrats to renew the black/brown coalition of the 1980s? Or promising the right wingers of KSEV to go after the very brown people he has promised so much to?

It is insulting to think the Black community can be bought. It is insulting to think the Hispanic Community can be bribed. And it is insulting to make baseless accusations. Peter Brown is spending millions of his own money to win the race for Mayor and a lot of people don't like the idea, including me, but to claim he is trying to buy the Black community's vote is just as insulting as an empty promise of a Hispanic museum.

Personally am shocked that the Locke campaign has stooped this low.

First misleading ad by Gene Locke

This just isn't cool.

Gene Locke's second ad claims he is the ONLY candidate for Mayor endorsed by the Houston Chronicle and a Police organization, which is not true. As I remember, the Chronicle wussed out with a dual endorsement of Annise Parker and Gene Locke, but that doesn't seem to care to team Locke.

This ad is so fitting of how Locke would run his administration by skirting the truth, telling you only what he wants you to hear, and making false promises that he cannot deliver. I've been very clear about Locke and why he shouldn't be Mayor, but this ad helped me understand what Gene Locke is all about. You will never know if the lawyer in Locke is telling you all the truth or just the part that sways you as his ad attempts to do.

The ad is misleading. It is dishonest. It is something only a corporate lawyer making $640/hour on tax payer dollars would even consider justifying as truthful.

It just isn't cool.

Questons for Locke on KSEV

I am not a fan of Gene Locke for Mayor. I was told by many early in the race that he was well spoken and impressive, but that glowing review quickly dissipated after he promised to build a Hispanic Museum in the Hispanic Community while talking to a Hispanic forum. It came off like pandering, much like he did on his radio interview on KSEV the far right wing voice of Dan Patrick.

The recent polling performed by Zogby shows that Locke may need to return to KSEV for another round of pandering to the far right wing since his black/brown coalition is not working out exactly as planned. If he were to return to KSEV, here are some great call in questions that the hosts would probably not ask:

1. What is this black/brown coalition you promised to the Tejano Democrats? Who is supportive of this coalition and what is it's end goal?
2. $640/hour of our tax dollars for lawyer services is excessive. Would you demand, as Mayor, that a new attorney firm be found to represent the Sports Authority and any other business with the city?
   
3. How are you going to afford a Hispanic Museum without cutting services to the city?
   
4. With this in mind, can you promise a museum for other cultures like for the German Americans who settled here in Houston?
5. What is your real position on immigration and the 287g program? Do you support our police on the street screening for immigration status? If so, how would you pay for this?

KSEV can be found on the far right of your radio dial.

The GOP reaches out to the Jewish community.

This is what the gop is good for. Two Republican county officials in South Carolina make outrageous racists statements, then tuck tail and apologize. From the AP:

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two Republican county officials in South Carolina have apologized after they disparaged Jews in a newspaper op-ed in support of a fiscally conservative U.S. senator.

Come to think of it, this is what they do every time they screw something up, except when they screw up the country, crater the economy, invade the wrong country, double our debt, defend the insurance companies, support torture, and more. These they should have apologized for, but didn't.

They shout "You lie" at the President of the United States on national television, or refer to Jewish Americans as penny pinchers, or call a decorated Vietnam veteran a coward on the House floor, and then they run to the nearest microphone asking for forgiveness.

The Southeast director for the Anti-Defamation League said the apologies were not enough.

"The seeming ease with which these Republican leaders invoked age-old stereotypes of the Jewish people makes it clear that they need to engage actively in meaningful conversation with the Jewish community to understand why their remarks were so insensitive," Bill Nigut said.

I agree. They need to resign, but don't hold your breath. They are cowards and will hide behind their microphones waiting to attack someone else who isn't a white republican to energize their racists base.

Houston Hispanics, the voting block that doesn't count

Well this is disappointing. According to numbers provided by Off the Kuff, only 9% of those voting in the Houston elections as of today are Hispanic voters.

8,295 in-person votes cast in Harris County 6,054 (73%) of them were in the City of Houston Municipal. (This does not include mail ballots).

Ethnic
9% Hispanic
27% African American
7% Asian
1% Jewish
54% Other

It's also sad that only 8,295 people have taken the time to go vote in a city of approximately one million eligible voters. But, they have time to redeem themselves. (right wingers, read this again, eligible voters) According to a Houston Chronicle blog:

Roughly 39 percent of Harris County's population is Hispanic. There are almost 4 million people in the sprawling county.

About 43 percent of Houston's population is Hispanic. The city has more than 2 million residents.

43% Hispanic and yet 9% are voting as of today. If the Hispanic community wants to be a force in the political arena, they need to do one simple thing: go vote. And as of today, they are not. During the Latino Summit there was talk of creating a new city district for the Hispanic community, but why create a district if those in the district are not going to exercise their rights to vote? It just doesn't make sense.

This Hispanic voting block has time to get out and flex their muscle for the good of their community, or sit back and let others do it for the good of their own communities. Early voting ends Oct 30.

If you don't vote, you don't count.

US Chamber of Commerce gets punked

This is incredibly funny!!!!

Luckily the City Controller race is non partisan

According to a poll conducted by the Houston Chronicle, City Council Member Ron Green is leading the pack of three for City Controller in front of Pam Holm and MJ Khan. Houston city elections are non partisan and for Holm and Khan that may be a good thing.

Over the last decade the Republican party hasn't been a very good watchdog of our tax dollars leading us into a great recession and the collapse of our auto industries, wall street, the housing market, and the economy in general. Under the keen eye of cuddles, the school yard lap dog, our debt nearly doubled and left the next administration with a record deficit and a fiscal hole that will take years to get out of.

Under the disguise of fiscal responsibility, the republicans have played hide the baloney with our tax dollars much like the accounting practices of Enron leaving people to rejoice in getting a $12 property tax cut while their insurance rates and electricity rates triple. It's a shell game the republican party has played for over 10 years in Texas leaving us with under paid teachers, skyrocketing college tuition, out of control insurance rates, soaring electricity rates, rising property appraisals, and cuts to services.

Luckily for Holms and Khan the non partisan race for City Controller will not dog them with the legendary, fiscally irresponsible, republican party. This could have bitten them in the behind.

Woof.

Wow. Teabaggers ARE stupid!

While the teabaggers are trying to kill health care reform and a "government take over", their leader, former Texas Congressman Dick Armey, has been benefiting from the very health care system he is trying to keep away from the teabaggers. Just how stupid can these people be?

Armey has been covered by government health care all his adult life. After retiring from Congress he was covered by the Federal Employees Health Benefit plan until he was 65, then he transitioned into Medicare. Prior to entering Congress he was covered by the State of Texas as a professor of stupidity. So now he is the founder of the teabagger organization, Freedom Works which is trying to kill health care reform so he does not have to share his government provided health care with his misguided hillbillies.

From Bill Moyers. Take 9 minutes to watch this video. It is amazing how much stupidity we have in this country.

Recommendations on Houston City elections.

For Mayor: Annise Parker. The City of Houston has an opportunity to elect one of the most qualified and complete candidates Houston has provided to voters in a long time, City Controller Annise Parker. It is just that simple. She has the fiscal knowledge to lead this city in the time of diminishing income due to the recession. She has her 20 years of experience in oil and gas and her 12 years experience on City Council and as Controller. Houston can benefit from Annise Parker as Mayor.

City Controller: Ron Green. A City Council Member for 6 years, owner of a small business, an attorney, and served as chairman of the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee. He clearly has the ability to oversee the budget of the City of Houston.

At Large 1: Herman Litt. A true public servant. He is well qualified for the job and has paid his dues as a representative of HCC Board of Trustees and community leader.

At Large 2: Sue Lovell. A great member of City Council. Good for the city and great for the citizens!

At Large 3: Melissa Noriega is unopposed, for good reason. She is a great City Council Member.

At Large 4: Noel Freeman. Noel has been working with the city for years. He is young, energetic, and dedicated to helping the city. A very good combination for City Council.

At Large 5: Jolanda Jones. When you need someone to cover your back, there is no one more qualified and no one who would stand up and stand out for you. She has served her community well and deserves a continued seat at the table.

Mr. Tort Reformer stands behind an attorney

Leave it to Governor Tort Reformer, Rick Perry, to stand behind an attorney.

AUSTIN – Embroiled in a national controversy over whether he allowed the execution of an innocent man, Gov. Rick Perry adamantly has refused to release an advisory memo from his general counsel about granting a 30-day reprieve for Cameron Todd Willingham.

So instead of being open with the public, Perry is going to abuse the court system by challenging the release of this information that should clear him of any wrong doing in the Willingham case. As most tort reformers, they denounce those who look for the help of an attorney, they demonize those who provide legal services, but then turn around and are the first in line to use one.

As I said, tort reformers suck.

To go where no man has gone before....and not come back

This is a absolutely ridiculous idea, one the Houston Chronicle shouldn't be advancing:

The concept of a one-way mission to Mars has circulated among space buffs for years, with a Houston-based former NASA engineer, James C. McLane III, among its chief champions. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin has endorsed the plan.

Relieving NASA of the need to send fuel and rocketry to blast humans off the Martian surface, which has slightly more than twice the gravity of the moon, would actually reduce costs by about a factor of 10, by some estimates.

There are enough problems facing NASA just getting to Mars such as radiation exposure, the one year trip to Mars and back, the ability to sustain life on the surface, the funding, as well as the fuel to leave the surface, but to suggest a one way trip is just irresponsible.

In this option, failure is an option.

The best breakfast tacos in Clear Lake

You would think a place named Mark's Donuts would be more known for it's donuts, but Mark's Donuts on Clear Lake City Blvd one block east of Hwy 3 has some of the best breakfast tacos in Clear Lake. My favorite is the picadillo tacos, a combination of potatoes, ground beef, and just the right amount of Mexican spices. Tasty.


My second favorite is the pork tacos. And of course there are the usual assortment of donuts. If you are looking for a great, inexpensive breakfast, take a few minutes and visit Mark's Donuts. Tell them I sent you.

(They will probably look at you and ask Who?) :) ¡Buen apetito!

A word of caution about tomorrow's Zogby poll

Just remember Zogby had Obama winning California by 17 points. He lost by 22.

But, that was then and this is now and tomorrow is after today. Tomorrow's poll will have Peter Brown leading the way and after watching his commercials over and over and over, you still get one message: he has a blueprint for Houston. Good messaging. It is probably what has put him on top, as well as the $2 Million he has spent of his own money.

Early voting starts Monday. (BTW it is sad to watch people go vote with a list of endorsements in hand. Geez. Can't you do a bit of investigation yourself?)

Tort reformers suck in Texas

Alex Winslow, executive director of Texas Watch, has a great op-ed in the Houston Chronicle about the failure of tort reform in Texas. His stats are particularly damaging to the medical malpractice tort reformers who claimed that tort reform would lower health care costs, lower premiums, and increase availability.

Here are the facts:

• •  Families USA recently found that health insurance premiums for Texas families have increased 92 percent — more than 4.5 times faster than income.

• •  The US Census Bureau reports that with 24.5 percent of our citizens without health insurance, Texas has the nation's highest rate of uninsured.

• •  The American Medical Association ranks Texas 43rd in the number of doctors per capita and reports that more than half of Texas counties have an acute shortage of primary care physicians. This critical scarcity of physicians compelled lawmakers to raise taxes earlier this year to fund projects designed to attract physicians to rural areas.

• • Texas Medicare spending is growing 16 percent faster than the national average. In fact, 10 of the 15 health markets with the highest Medicare spending per enrollee are in states in which the medical and insurance industries successfully lobbied for severe limits on patient rights. Four of the nation's most expensive health markets are right here in Texas.

In short, tort reform and tort reformers suck.

No HOPE for Locke

Candidate for Houston Mayor did it again making an issue out of nothing, but this time he got called on it. The Houston Organization of Public Employees (HOPE) issued a sharply worded letter concerning Locke's misunderstanding of Annise Parker's comments on budget cuts.

HOUSTON, TX - In response to the recent attacks on City of Houston workers and members of HOPE from Mayoral candidate Gene Locke, HOPE members would like to set the record straight. In a Locke campaign statement, they [Locke campaign] quote Controller Parker pledging to find "efficiencies" in city operations.

“Perhaps, Mr. Locke is unaware City Controller Annise Parker has already worked with front-line city employees to identify waste and eliminate unnecessary spending,” said Melvin Hughes, President of HOPE. Hughes went on to say, “Annise Parker has a proven record that she values the input of front-line city workers and will work with them to help run Houston efficiently and effectively without unnecessary cuts.”

Locke has consistently been confused on the budget issue while struggling with his own budget problems with the Houston Sports Authority. The letter goes on to say:

Hughes also stated, “This is very surprising that Gene Locke would twist the words of Annise Parker and attack the honest, hardworking members of HOPE who are city employees. Gene Locke personally pledged to me that he would run an honest campaign. Brothers and sisters, we at HOPE believe that the hard working City of Houston employees deserve better than to be brought into the political mud slinging of campaign politics.”

HOPE members conducted the most inclusive and thorough endorsement process of any organization and found the right person to lead Houston through these tough economic times. HOPE will continue to support Annise Parker and be the hope that sees her to victory in November.

Ethics complaint filed against C.O. Bradford

An ethics complaint has been filed with the Texas Ethics Commission against Candidate for Houston City Council At Large Position 4, C.O. Bradford. As stated in a previous post, because of the new rules adopted by the Texas Legislature to protect the members of the Legislature, if this complaint is dismissed the complainant could be liable for Bradford's legal fees.

Even without this rule, there has been little if any enforcement of ethics laws during the last 30 days of a campaign. Candidates could falsify their reports, accept illegal donations, or do just about anything, and no one would hold them accountable. Complaints filed during this period are now subject to penalties against the person filing the complaint.

The author of House Bill 677, Representative Hartnett, claims it will stop the practice of filing a frivolous complaint prior to an election. This would be true if the Ethics Commission was actively enforcing the laws during this same period therefore eliminating the need for a complaint. And they are not.

The complaint against Bradford is well written, seems to have followed all the rules, and should be accepted by the Commission. In about a year a decision will be made on whether the complaint has merit, if the laws will be enforced, and how many times Bradford's hand will be slapped.

By that time Bradford could be serving as a City Council Member.

There goes Locke's Hispanic Museum

I'm not real happy with Gene Locke running for Mayor for a number of reasons starting with his promise of a Hispanic Museum at the Latino Summit, but it looks like this promise might be up in Sports Authority smoke. According to Bloomberg News:

Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, which built the Texas city’s 71,500-seat National Football League stadium, may need to refinance $1 billion in debt and pay as much as $142 million ahead of schedule on bonds and interest-rate swaps.

During the last debate on Fox26 Locke had a great line accusing other candidates as being "quiet as a church mouse" concerning the City's budget (which once again, Locke was confused about). Locke has made it a campaign talking point about his involvement in the Houston Sports Authority but has been quiet as a church mouse when it comes to charging $640/hour for his legal services, and this $142 Million. But it gets worse:

The authority overestimated income from taxes to cover debt, said Jack Rains, the agency’s first chairman from 1997 to 1999, who also served as Texas secretary of state.

“I’m deeply concerned about the financial stability of the sports authority and all its bonded indebtedness,” Rains said in a phone interview. “When you borrow for 30 years, you have to do prudent things, and they didn’t.”

One thing is for sure, no matter who becomes Mayor, we need another firm handling the legal matters of the Sports Authority preferably one that charges less than $640/hour, this $142 Million will be a burden to the citizens of the city, and the Hispanic Museum is now nothing but what it was, a promise.

Squeek.

America can learn a lot from Texas

Texas has some of the best mouth watering barbeque in the country. We have some of the best college football and education and our high school football program is second to none. But we have something that all of America can learn from: bad legislation. Congress is currently debating health care reform and could learn from the mistakes of the Texas Legislature over the last few years including insurance reform, tort reform, and deregulation.

Tort Reform.
In 2003 the Republican controlled Texas house ushered in sweeping tort reform, limiting medical malpractice suits to $250,000. These limits were supported by the insurance industry, some of the medical community, and their front groups calling themselves “Texans” and “Citizens” against lawsuit abuse. As they are doing today with national health care reform, they promised lower health care costs, lower insurance rates, and expanded health care availability. Instead, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured in the nation and our cost of health care and insurance has skyrocketed out of control. Tort reform didn’t work in Texas. It won’t work on the national level either.

Insurance Reform.
Along with tort reform, the Republican controlled House passed massive homeowner insurance reform. Texas at the time had the highest rates in the country and insurance reform was the hottest issue of the 2002 campaign. In the end the Legislature limited oversight of the industry, allowed the use of optional insurance policies and gave the industry almost everything they requested. In return homeowners would receive lower rates due to increased competition. Unfortunately, like tort reform, the promises never materialized. Rates in Texas tripled. Coverage was cut and deductibles soared. Texas now has rates twice as high as the national average with less coverage and higher deductibles. Again, insurance reform didn’t work in Texas.

Electricity and College Tuition Deregulation.
The Republican controlled House also passed electricity and college tuition deregulation again with promises of lower rates with more competition. With Enron and Ken Lay leading the lobbying effort, electricity was deregulation in most of the State, resulting in higher rates, sometimes as high as 3 times pre-deregulation. Tuition costs for State Universities has since doubled and our once shining example of fiscal responsibility, the Texas Tomorrow Fund providing a method for families to save for college, was cancelled due to the skyrocketing cost of college. Electricity and college tuition deregulation failed.

Learn from our mistakes. Please.
Congress has an incredible resource staring them in the face: the great State of Texas with its examples of failed legislation. It is clear, tort reform will not lower health care or insurance rates, the insurance industry cannot be trusted, and deregulation will not lower rates or create competition as promised.

Texas has mosquitoes large enough for an afternoon snack, pumpkins the size of a small car, and we also have enough bad legislative experiences to last a lifetime, or a debate on national health care reform.

For the sake of all Americans learn from our mistakes.

Who shouldn't be Mayor of Houston?

We are lucky to have 3 qualified individuals running for Mayor of Houston. This election will probably end in a runoff. With this in mind, who should and shouldn't be Mayor of the city?

Who should:
Annise Parker. Annise is by far the most complete candidate running for Mayor. Her experience as a City Councilmember and as City Controller puts her head and shoulders above the rest especially in these economic times. Houston would be in very good hands with Annise Parker.

Peter Brown. Peter has the experience as a City Council Member, and with his strong message of planning and his business experience. Houston would be fine with Peter Brown.

Who shouldn't:
Roy Morales. He is clueless about the operations of the city.

Gene Locke. Locke is one of the three with vast amount of experience, but it is the wrong experience for the city. His ties to the legal operations of the Sports Authority, the Port of Houston, and especially Metro is scary and is an indication of what we can expect from a Locke administration. Wheeling and dealing while skirting the law could be standard operating procedure, just like the Chronicle wrote about his recent fundraising activities and Metro.

Who is saying what, where, and when?
Gene's stance on immigration is one that is very clear, depending upon who he is talking to. It is an example of what we might expect. He was clear about immigration laws when promising a Hispanic museum to the Hispanic community, but was muddled when talking with Paul "Mr. Quitter" Bettencourt on Dan Patricks far right radio station. Both audiences could be very disappointed with his position if he became Mayor.

Been there. Done that.
Gene is a nice guy, very well spoken. He reminds me of a well spoken Mayor Lee Brown. Gene's experience comes from the Lee Brown administration. This experience coupled with his ties to the corporate legal system, one that charges the City $640/hour, is not what the citizens need for the City of Houston. We have been there. We have done that.

The City of Houston will be in great shape with a runoff between Annise Parker and Peter Brown. Early voting starts Monday Oct 19.

The gop is nuts.

Levi Johnston was just one step away from living in a trailer house in the back yard of the White House. Levi and Palin's 17 year old pregnant daughter was showcased on the stage of the Republican National Convention as a reminder of their long tradition of family values. It was a moment of stardom for Levi, an 18 year old who didn't graduate high school and didn't use protection while bonking the Governors daughter. Until now.

In a stupid commercial for pistachio nuts the voice over says "Now Levi Johnston is doing it with protection". Real class.




One step away from the Trailer House.

Attorney representing Arthur Anderson endorses Locke

Rusty Hardin has endorsed candidate for Mayor, Gene Locke. Hardin's lists of clients include Commissioner Jerry Eversole, Supreme Court Justice Medina, Arthur Anderson after the Enron collapse, Houston Sports Authority, and who can forget Roger Clements during the Congressional hearings on steroid use.

Hardin is the "go to guy" when you need to get out of trouble, such is the case of Jerry Eversole According to Ch13, Eversole is under investigation by the FBI for his campaign spending.

Jerry Eversole is the latest named target of the corruption investigation. His newest campaign finance report shows he's spent $52,000 of his campaign funds on criminal defense lawyer Rusty Hardin, and that's just since January.

Hardin also represented Arthur Anderson:

In 2002, the firm voluntarily surrendered its licenses to practice as Certified Public Accountants in the United States after being found guilty of criminal charges relating to the firm's handling of the auditing of Enron, the energy corporation, resulting in the loss of 85,000 jobs. Although the verdict was subsequently overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States, it has not returned as a viable business.

I guess Locke has found his own "go to" lawyer.

John Cornyn's letter on rape and arbitration

The Honorable John Cornyn
517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-2934
Fax: 202-228-2856

Dear Constituents,

This week I voted against an amendment to a defense bill that would prohibit mandatory binding arbitration clauses involving rape for any contractor receiving federal tax dollars. I would like to explain my vote.

The amendment was a result of a case involving a KBR employee, Jamie Jones. Jones was gang-raped by coworkers while working in Iraq but because of KBR's arbitration clause, she could not bring a suit against KBR to a jury trial. What many do not understand is that arbitration is a good policy for rape victims.

Arbitration is a private justice system. It is held in secret, away from media attention, exactly what rape victims want. Rape victims prefer to be left alone. They do not want to air their "dirty laundry" especially in front of a jury in public. Instead, as with arbitration, they just want it to be private and their own little secret.

So while many will claim I am trying to protect KBR's reputation, their profits, and from discovery and exposure to the media that could possibly end in criminal indictments, instead I was just trying to help all rape victims, like Jamie Jones.

That's why I voted against it, so let's let this be our own little secret.


United States Senator John "The Asshole" Cornyn.
517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-2934
Fax: 202-228-2856

Before you write that ethics complaint......

There might be a few candidates worth an ethics complaint such as C.O. Bradford whose reports over the last year have clear violations of the City's ethics rules, but before you write that complaint, realized that the rules changed last legislative session. And it might cost you.

House Bill 677 by Representative Hartnett passed in 2009. It could stop an individual from filing an ethics complaint for political purposes. If after the investigation the complaint is dismissed by the TEC the person or campaign who filed it would have to pay the legal expenses of the person being filed against.

Now, before you think that you have an ironclad case against someone like C.O. Bradford, (and I do believe it is ironclad) look at another ironclad complaint for reference. Representative Vicki Truitt paid her husband over $99,000 to buy a condo. This is CLEARLY a violation, but according to the Ethics Commission's final response, she was cleared because the mortgage company lost the paper she signed which claimed she has no financial interest in her husband's condo.

Yep. That right. The mortgage company ate her paperwork. If this complaint had been filed 30 days prior to the election, under today's laws, the complainant could have to pay her legal fees which were in the thousands of dollars.

So, before you think about filing against Bradford, think about Vicki. And her dog.

Locke pandering again?

When Candidate Gene Locke talked at the Latino Summit he spoke against fully implementing the immigration 287g program, only supporting the screening in city jails and not on the street by the police force. Every viable candidate for Mayor has the same opinion. Then Gene went on right wing radio. According to Bradley Olson of the Houston Chronicle:

LOCKE: For me, and I think for the other candidates, and I'm not trying to pick on them...Everybody kind of recognizes that the implementation fo the 287g program is an essential for Houston.

BETTENCOURT: Glad to hear it.

LOCKE: I'm on record as saying that. And so, you know, I think it's a question of how we police this city with the meager resources that we have. And obviously, I'm kind of against homegrown criminals and I'm against immigrant criminals, and I want law enforcement to go after every effort to make our city safe.

That's not exactly the sentiment he expressed at the Houston Area Latino Summit Mayoral Debate in July, after which a panel of judges declared him the winner:

Speaking to the right wingers and the "I hate immigrant crowd" of Dan Patrick, Paul Bettencourt, and right wing listeners on KSEV 700 he didn't make it clear that he was NOT in favor of fully implementing the 287g program. Instead he said "Everybody kind of recognizes that the implementation fo the 287g program is an essential for Houston." (uh...not everybody)

Locke has made it very clear to Hispanic organizations, especially at the KTRK debate, that he is not in favor of screening by our police on the streets. He should be clear to the right side of the aisle what his position is on immigration.

Real clear.

Raising campaign cash 2009: C.O. Bradford

If you are going to run for office, you should know and follow the law, especially if you were at one time Chief of Police of Houston, C.O. Bradford. I've read alot of campaign reports such as County Commissioner Jerry Eversole's, documenting over $160,000 in using campaign cash for personal use, but Bradford's is different. He is running for Houston City Council At Large Position 4.

Total contributions
During the past reporting period he claimed to have raised $112,945 but he includes over $71,000 in in-kind donations. These are donations of items or services which you usually charge for. Donations such as $5000 worth of phone and network installation by Andrew Burk. And $4500 for use of computers, and $7000 for social media which as Muse has stated is over the $5000 limit for donations. But there is more very strange donations.

Contributing sign placement
How about $7000 for placing a sign on your property. It seems the going rate that people charge range from $1000 to $200 which can then be listed as an in-kind contribution. According to the Ethics Commission this is OK, as long as the property owner usually rents the sign placement and for this event instead donates the service. Or how about the in-kind donation of $5000 for the services of Ron Jackson for Director of Campaign. So, any volunteer activity can now be considered an in-kind donation. And it gets better.

Contributing your car use
If you used your car for campaign related activities that too can be included as a campaign contribution, for a total of $10,000, including a $4000 in-kind contribution from C.O. Bradford himself for the use of his car. Or host an event at your home for $500 a pop for a total of $2500. Even using a conference room are listed as an in-kind contribution of $500.

Padding your reports.
Bradford needs to do some maintenance on his report before someone writes a complaint against him. If he accepted more than $5000 from any individual, he needs to return the difference even if it was an in-kind donation. And he might want to call the Ethics Commission and ask about what he considers in-kind donations and what others might consider padding your campaign reports.

republicans are now embracing Medicare

Wow how times have changed. Again.

Yesterday Senator John Cornyn joined Congressman Pete Olson in begging for federal stimulus money for NASA, after they voted against it. Today Cornyn released a commercial embracing Medicare. (Video is not yet on the net) The commercial claims Cornyn has fought for Medicare on behalf of our senior citizens.

It's not whether this is true or not it's the fact the republican party is now embracing Medicare like they embraced Social Security in 2005. Just a few years ago Medicare and Social Security was the target of the right. Now they are their protectors? Somehow that is not reassuring. It's like a child molester protecting a child care center.

The republican party just yesterday gave Michael Steele, the chair of the republican party, the shut the hell up lecture concerning his vocal support for Medicare. Maybe Cornyn will receive the same treatment?

Olson begs for stimulus money for NASA

How times have changed.

The republican party after losing their reputation on family values, fiscal responsibility, being conservative, and strong on defense, is leading the drive to become the kings of hypocrisy. They are now demanding federal stimulus money, the very money they voted against, to give NASA a 16% increase in funds. From the Houston Chronicle:

The lawmakers asked Obama to divert $3 billion from the unspent portion of the economic stimulus package that continues to be doled out as part of an economic recovery plan stretching over two years.

The two senators and 19 Republican House members who signed the letter voted against the economic stimulus in February; the seven Democrats who signed the letter voted for it.

Of course, spending $3B on NASA is a wise investment, while spending $3B on alternative energy is a waste of tax payers dollars. At least the Congressman who is hard at work drafting the letter to Obama requesting the funds is our own Pete Olson.

The letter was drafted and circulated by Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, the freshman lawmaker whose congressional district includes the Johnson Space Center that serves as the hub for 20,000 direct and indirect jobs in the greater Houston area.

“Investing in space is well worth the return on investment” in the effort to “secure good jobs and stabilize our economy,” Olson said in a statement.

So, according to Pete, the government creates jobs. Wow. The republican party has really come a long way, baby.

No money. His money. Big money. Grassroots money.

The financial reports for Houston City races have been posted and the results are in for candidates for Mayor.

Roy Morales has no money. As of today at 5:00 PM he has not filed a report, although the city has 2 business days to post. Don't expect anything any different than last period. Last reporting period he raised about $18,000 and had about $9,000 cash on hand.

Peter Brown has his money. Peter raised only $121,000, spent over $1.6 Million, and loaned himself $1.7 Million. He has $1.9 Million cash on hand.

Gene Locke has big money. Locke raised over $949,000 (lots of attorney money), spent over $500,000 with $1.1 Million cash on hand, although his report does not have the cost of his media buys.

Annise Parker has grassroots money. Parker raised over $425,000 from 1,137 donors, spent over $738,000 which, unlike Locke, included a $500,000 media buy. She has over $222,000 cash on hand.

With 30 days left, it should be a pretty good fund race!

Ending forced arbitration in defense contracts

It just doesn't make sense. KBR is awarded a no bid multi-billion dollar contract with the Department of Defense, supposedly to support those who fight for our rights to the Constitution and then they require their employees to give up their rights to the 7th Amendment of the Constitution. The 7th Amendment guarantees our right to a civil trial, but KBR requires every employee to sign a binding arbitration clause. From People Over Profits:

By now, many of you have heard the story of Jamie Leigh Jones, a young employee of a Halliburton subsidiary called KBR who became a victim of rape while working in Iraq. Because her employment contract included a Forced Arbitration clause, Halliburton is adding insult to injury by trying to keep her story out of a court room and prevent her from seeking justice.

But tomorrow this could come to an end. S.A. 2588 – an amendment sponsored by Senator Al Franken and co-sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu – to H.R. 3326 (the Department of Defense Appropriations Act), is a narrow amendment that would bar defense contractors from imposing forced arbitration clauses on their employees for Title VII violations and sexual-assault claims. The amendment will be up for a vote tomorrow morning, October 6th.

So take a moment and voice your support and stop this stupidity.

Freedom Power. What the PUC?

The Dallas Morning News had a scathing article about electricity provider Freedom Power, the Public Utility Commission, and our State Legislature. The PUCs website doesn't have contact information for Freedom Power listed and a google search for their website comes up empty. It's hard to find them on the net and impossible to find out what they are charging their customers.

Freedom Power is a pre-paid service and has consistently been rated at the bottom on consumer satisfaction but according to the DMN it is worse:

Freedom Power was born in March 2004, two years after deregulation.

Ken Weaver, a Dallas entrepreneur who also owned a prepaid phone-services company, purchased Freedom and its operating license in 2006.

Weaver had an extensive criminal record dating to the 1970s. His rap sheet included a felony conviction for stealing a small plane and running a car-theft operation that spanned two states.

He operated Freedom Power for more than three years without filing the required licensing documents to reflect his control of the company, records show.

And yet it is still in business. Electricity deregulation not only gave us higher rates, it brought in the vultures. Ken Lay would have been proud.

Slot cars!

These are two of my favorite cars.

40 years ago my brother and I would race 1/24 scale slot cars at home on a Marx track sold, at that time, at Sears. Now I have a collection of 55 1/32 scale cars and I'm in the process of building a track in the game room. I have actually found the Marx track on Ebay, but there are a number of brands that are available now. The cars are very detailed, fast and have braking action so you can drive hard to the corners, brake, then continue. Lots of fun. Lots of memories.

And here are all of them.

Power Watch: Electricity rates for Oct 2009

Not much of a change from last month. The lowest 12 month plan is Southwest Power and Light at 10.5 cents per kWh. The highest is 15.1 for a 24 month contract by Liberty Power. TXU is at 14.3 and Reliant is at 12.9.

On a month to month basis Southwest Power and Light has the lowest rates at 9.5. And Reliant has the highest rates at 13.9. (Ever wonder why one of the largest energy providers always have some of the the highest rates?)

For comparison, the City of Houston has a 5 year contract which expires in 2013 with Reliant at a rate of 9 cents. Check out Citizens of Houston for Affordable and Reliable Group Energy (CHARGE!) on facebook for more information on how the citizens of Houston could benefit from the city's negotiation abilities.

Heads up for NASA folks

Dr. James Hansen will be the featured speaker by the Progressive Forum Oct 29 at the Wortham Center downtown. Tickets are only $14 and all seating is in the orchestra level. From Wikipedia:

Hansen has stated that NASA administrators have tried to influence his public statements about the causes of climate change.^[67][68] Hansen claims that NASA public relations staff were ordered to review his public statements and interviews after a December 2005 lecture at the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. NASA responded that its policies are similar to those of any other federal agency in requiring employees to coordinate all statements with the public affairs office without exception.^[69] Two years after Hansen and other agency employees described a pattern of distortion and suppression of climate science by political appointees, the agency’s inspector general found that the NASA Office of Public Affairs had mischaracterized the science of climate change intended for the public.^[70]

Hansen has also appeared on 60 Minutes stating that the White House edited climate-related press releases reported by federal agencies to make global warming seem less threatening.^[71] He claimed that he was unable to speak freely without the backlash of other government officials, and that he has not experienced that level of restrictions on communicating with the public during his career.^[71]

Playing games for $640/Hour?

Texas Watchdog has an interesting article about candidate for Mayor, Gene Locke, and what seems to be a conflict of interest with his campaign and his law firm. The article is a good read and they bring up a serious issue, but something else caught my attention:

A former Houston city attorney, Locke stepped down as general counsel for the sports authority, giving up the $640-an-hour fees that went with the job, when he announced his candidacy for mayor in April, authority Executive Director Janis Schmees said.

$640/hour? Are they serious? $640/hour? Is representing the Sports Authority worth $640/hour to the citizens of Houston? This is a mind boggling amount of money to represent a group of people literally playing games. And it gets better, or worse:

Locke handled many of the agenda items while Arnold worked, at a rate of $525 an hour, on analysis and memos. Kathleen Bethune, a senior paralegal at Andrews Kurth, worked on drafts and meeting preparations, billing $210 an hour.

$210/Hour for paralegal services? And you wonder why a beer at the Astros game costs $8.00? Or parking at Reliant Stadium was $20 for Wrestlemania? Or a skinny yapper is $6.00? I'm not sure if the article nails Locke on the conflict of interest with the Sports Authority or the Port of Houston, or Metro, but if we taxpayers are paying $640/hour for his services, we might want to look for another group of attorneys.

Especially if Locke is elected to be Mayor. Now that would be a conflict of interest!

Race (Walk) for the cure.

This was my first year participating in the Race/Walk for the Cure event and it won't be my last. The Race for the Cure raises money for breast cancer research, screening, treatment and education. They had expected over 33,000 people running and walking. I walked with Team Annise Parker and had a great time! Here is a pic from the start:

From the Houston Chronicle:

Organizers are aiming for Saturday's event to raise $3 million, and 75 cents of every dollar collected will be used to treat, screen and educate the uninsured and medically underserved population in seven local counties — Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Galveston, Chambers and Liberty.

And here is a pic coming back after a long, but fun walk: