That didn't take long.

Sunday, in a 24-hour "print only" exclusive ChronBlog gave Renew Houston a big, sloppy, public display of affection (the first of many to come I'm sure) in the form of a thinly-veiled advocacy piece by reporter Chris Moran.

(Sims Bayou project nears end, but flooding remains a concern, Chris Moran, ChronBlog)

No matter how much wider and deeper the bayou gets, water enters homes or strands people when their yards become moats, according to Sunnyside Gardens neighborhood leader Travis McGee.

So, when he's asked about the Sims project, he says in frustration, "That's a $345 million project with a $5 city drainage system."

McGee knows well that flood control requires a two-pronged approach. Bayous must be big enough to hold runoff within their banks. But first, drains need to gulp water fast enough so it does not pond in the streets or pass through living rooms on its way to those bayous.

There's one salvo, you have to think that the Apple Dumpling Gang will weigh in next, then L'il Red will spend a column or two convincing herself this is all her idea and she'll be instrumental in getting it passed, Ken Hoffman will include a plug in his "pet of the week" column and finally Rick Casey will be bumping up against a deadline and will summarize everyone else's work in a hastily written column that will contain at least two factual errors that will have to be silently corrected at a later date.

It's almost as if someone on the masthead sent a Memo isn't it? And they wonder why circulation is dropping like a rock?


Again, HCA has no official position on the Renew Houston Proposal nor will one be forthcoming. I will say this however: I view infrastructure development to be of primary importance and predicted it's imminent primacy in public debate almost four years ago....whoops.

Better late than never one supposes.