The Noise Machine (04/20/10)

Just another cloudy day in paradise....

News:

More bad news for Metro At this rate they're going to be able to build the rail out of recycled legal briefs.


Those controversial water rate-hike proposals Mayor Parker came up with? City Council has decided they're not high enough. At least, not high enough from some. (read: anyone who works for a living) (For everyone else....a rebate producing, vote securing, slush-fund.)


The poll that revealed nothing but which has energized the media and the InterLeft, both of which (in Houston, which is where this blog is based & Austin, where most of the State media is based) want to see Bill White prevail over Rick Perry. (Still, even a flawed poll is OK when it's the only poll you've got.)


This, is a sobering data point on Houston's economy. (It deserves full treatment in a full-on blog post but I'm not sure if I'm going to have time for it. If someone else wants to do it I'll get you started: How did other cities trend? Discuss.)


Opinion:

This first, is presented as news (one of my pet peeves) and comes from Morgan Smith of the Texas Tribune:

As Bill White continues to drill Gov. Rick Perry over the state’s education record, poll numbers show he's gaining some traction against the decade-long incumbent.

What poll numbers? Because I haven't seen any poll tracking potential voter attitudes to that data point. Unless Ms. Smith is referring to the aforementioned Rasmussen poll, in which case she's opining as to why there was a (possible, given the margin of error) subtle shift in the numbers?


David Crossley, of Houston Tomorrow (and a ChronBlog dim bright bulb takes a look at commuter rail vs. park n' ride buses and finds commuter rail lacking in some important aspects. (Now if he'd only apply the same logic to light rail he might be on to something.)


Tom Kirkendall of Houston's Clear Thinkers thinks about Metro in the future and is troubled by what he sees. (Think the fiscal disaster that is San Francisco Metro)


Lou Minatti on why a United/Continental merger would result in a blow to Houston's economy. (Hint: The Chicaco Way > The Houston Way)


How bad is Politifarce? Bad enough that Rick Perry vs. World is defending Bill White. That's pretty bad.


Bob Dunn reminds us of the two political truisms: 1. That the politicians are beholden to special interests. 2. That most people feel that the other side is the most beholden. (This is typically true regardless of which party a blogger supports.)


And finally....


Big Jolly is underwhelmed by the "Independence" of the Independent Conservative Republicans of Texas (Which is, it has been decided, the most inappropriate name since "The Lone Rangers".)