Harris County, Drop Basic Income and Address Cost of Living
Harris County taxpayers might be much better served by addressing the county’s escalating cost of living rather than expanding their guaranteed basic income pilot program.
Entries by Charles Blain
The Future of Cities: A New Path for Black Urban Voters?
For decades, a large majority of black Americans have aligned with the Democratic Party, but the modern-day Democratic Party’s leftward shift may cause a reevaluation of that relationship. The welfare of black people has not been made better from their support of the Democratic Party.
Why Are So Many People Running for Houston Controller?
Why are so many people running for Houston Controller? Perhaps one reason is that the Controller’s Office has long been seen as a natural stepping stone to the Mayor’s Office.
Texas Triangle Train
TxDOT recently announced that it has submitted three grant applications to the U.S. Department of Transportation to advance passenger rail service within the Texas Triangle.
Mayor Launches “One Clean Houston”
Last week, Mayor Sylvester Turner launched a new initiative, “One Clean Houston,” to combat illegal dumping through rapid cleanup, better enforcement, and prevention and education.
Texas’ Burdensome Licensing Requirements
Texas ranks as the 18th most burdensome state for licensing requirements despite recent attempts to address overly burdensome occupational licensing.
Charter Amendment Petition Aimed at Regional Transportation Funding Underway
A new group called the Houston-Galveston Area PAC has launched a petition effort focused on reforming the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), the region’s federally-chartered metropolitan planning organization.
Lina Hidalgo Pays Big for High-Profile Criminal Defense
Newly released campaign finance reports from the waning days of the November 2022 election show Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo spent more than $300,000 on high-powered Houston-based criminal defense attorneys Gerger Hennessy & Martin LLP.
LULAC Sues Houston Over At-Large Seats
LULAC sues Houston, contending that the city’s at-large elections dilute the Latino’s community’s voting strength and deny them fair representation on city council.
Assessed Value of Pearland Overstated $1.3 Billion
The City of Pearland finds itself in an uncertain position after it was discovered that the taxable value of the city, used to calculate revenues and tax rates, was overstated by roughly $1.3 billion because of a “worksheet error.”