What to Blog when there's nothing to Blog about?

Twelve years ago I could always find something on which to write a blog post. Back then I was very keyed into politics, especially the local variety, and there seemingly was always something I found interesting.

Fast Forward to today.

Don't give two shits about politics, don't vote, pretty much dislike every politician and political candidate out there, and except for a few close friends, I'm not particularly interested in debating any of the political bloggers still standing. Here's the rub though, there aren't many.  And the ones that are still standing are partisan and boring.

Mind numbingly boring.

Nor do I miss the days when a humorous blog post (usually making fun of a really bad political ad involving a motorcycle or some such) got me labeled as a "thinly veiled misogynist" or *shudder* a Teabagger. Granted, the fist insult probably involved deep research by the poster who had to determine whether they were using the words right (all three of them probably) and the 2nd was just a word thrown around to try and disparage anyone the poor second writer didn't like.  They had no clue what it meant, they just knew their political friends were using it and the Jr. High level humor made them feel wise.

From circular reasoning to begging the question the old political blogoshpere was a minefield of logical fallacies wrapped in a 5th grade writing level package. In short: It was bad. It was a little ironic that I won my one award, but shuttered my blog prior to the Houston Press releasing their issue naming me "Political blogger of the year" or something along those lines. (This was right at the tail end of their "Best of Houston" actually meaning something. In fact, it might have been the end of it meaning something.) [On another note: I miss the old Houston Press]

Political blogging became boring. Politics became boring. The Left disagreed with the Right who disagreed with others on the Right who disagreed with pretty much everyone. When it came down to it though, both sides were the same, it was just different courtiers hanging on to each side, seeking their pile of the public largesse. When it comes right down to it, the only philosophical difference between Team Red and Team Blue is who they want the government to write the checks to.

So, I bugged out, and I never looked back.

At this point you might be thinking "He's saying all of this to announce that he's dipping his toes back into the pool, that he's going to paint himself and some wonderful centrist, smarter than everyone else with a reasoned take on everything that the two parties are lacking."

Nope.

I'm not. For one, I'm not smart enough to try and solve all of the world's problems, shit, I'm not smart enough to solve my neighborhood's problems. Nor am I especially driven to try all that hard. And I'm sure as Hell not interested in talking to politicians again, or talking to political bloggers again for that matter, I'm quite content to leave them to their joyless corner of the World. Have fun kids.

The fact is that I just felt the need to write something today, and I've found that blogs are usually pretty good when there's a little bit of navel gazing going on.  I'm not sure what I'm going to write about on this thing going forward, but it will be something. I've always said that writing like this fills a creative void in my life that my job just cannot (nothing wrong with my job, but the nature of it is not creative).

I've tried to write a book, but I've neither the skill, nor the attention span to keep with it. I think I've written about one tenth of one chapter, then life gets back in the way.

So the accountant in me will continue to work at my job, and earn the money, and the failed, bad, writer in me will continue to pound away on this blog. I might touch on some current events, some sports and sports betty things, and I might just touch on the things I find absurd in this world. Trust me, there are a LOT of those things.

That's the fun stuff that I have been missing from my early days of blogging, just writing about whatever the Hell I want.  I've been meaning to get back to that, so here we go. I cannot promise a post per day or something silly like that, but I should be able to turn out at least one per every week or two. It just depends on what I find that interests me.

Your mileage and entertainment value may vary. At least you'll get out of it what you paid for it.

You think Houston has an inferiority complex? Try New York.

Most of the time on this blog I choose to keep it light, poking fun at the so-called creative class in Houston and Texas as a whole, maybe a puff piece on travel, pointing out the obvious flaws in the sardine-urbanist's theories and then calling it a day.  Semi-frequently I'll step into the deep end and point out how terrible Texas Lock Step Political media is, or how hypocritical (and bad) ChronBlog has become etc. but there's a pretty good chance that I'm not going to attempt to take on the big issues, mainly because this is a personal blog (used mostly for writing practice) and I really don't have the time, or desire, to really dig my teeth into something serious.

Today however we're going to talk about a rather meaty topic, something of utmost importance to all of us (excepting rabbit/human hybrids of course) Bar-B-Que. (or BBQ, or barbecue, 'cue, etc.)

It's become a necessity because a really brash, fast-talking, know-it-all food writer from New York has recently generated somewhat of a storm by suggesting that New York City is now a better BBQ "city" than Texas.  Ok well, first, I think you see the problem here. No, not that Texas BBQ is a State thing (there is that) but that comparing different BBQ regions is an exercise in insanity.  There are people in Memphis who believe that the dry ribs at Rendezvous are the best ever, and disparaging KC Masterpiece is almost a criminal offense.  If you try to explain to a Carolinian that, in Texas, we use pork ribs as training meat for our kiddies until they're ready to cook brisket it could lead to fisticuffs.  BBQ is more cultural than definitive, it's hardly a set-in-stone proposition.  I blame Texas Monthly for much of this.  When they named Snow's as the "best" BBQ in Texas, veering away from a long tradition of naming the "top 5", they opened up a world where BBQ was not a cultural experience, but something to be rated, something for people to judge others on, much like the silly wine rankings issued by Robert Parker. What Ozersky is really saying, is that New York City finally has a BBQ scene worth mentioning and that they now view themselves as the best, just like every other BBQ region in the world.

In a way, this is indicative of the problems surrounding the entire FoodBorg. This reflexive necessity to bring a caste structure to food is becoming overwrought.  That you have found you lack an affinity for pickled pork sinus garnished with the reduced gall bladder fluid of virgin robins served over a bed of slightly charred nutria fur is not simply a matter of palate, but it has morphed into an indication of your class. Because of this blight, a seemingly very nice lady was brutally mocked for having the audacity to enjoy her dining experience in (GASP!) Olive Garden. More recently, some FoodBorg blow hard enjoyed his 15 minutes of national fame by doing nothing more than picking on the lower class.  This is not a defense of either Olive Garden or Guy Fieri, but it is a warning that, when reading food reviews from the FoodBorg, it is necessary to realize from whence the author is coming.

This angry, classist bit of food opinion does seem to have found its epicenter in New York City however, and I believe this is a big problem.  Because when New York, undoubtedly America's greatest city, starts thumping its chest in a "me too" style every time another region starts gaining accolades, you are looking at a deflation of our national identity. Old New York was a trend-setter.  It did what it wanted and didn't really give a rat's ass if you didn't like it.  They were ahead of the curve and most trends that mattered flowed from its boroughs like cultural water. Modern day New York is not the same.  Especially among the bloggers and the indie-media set it's more of a trend follower, taking the best ideas from the rest of the country and loudly bragging that they are now doing it better. The old New York food scene gave us the cupcake fad, and you knew that, three years later, Houston would finally catch up.  The new New York food scene has taken a look at Texas BBQ, decided they don't like someone else taking their food thunder, and have co-opted it with the flimsy excuse that the rest of the country is their "farm system".

What they're really suggesting here is that, from an ideas standpoint, they've fallen behind.  They've become the Food Network of the real culinary world, choosing to take the creativity of others, loosely copy it, and then roll out something that is now a "trend" to the rest of the country who are supposed to show the proper amount of deference toward their ability to market.  The problem this attitude creates is something of a perpetual inferiority complex because they're constantly having to compare themselves to others.  The "farm system" analogy doesn't work because the farm system in baseball is controlled by the major league club, and they have a 100% control over what is fed into it.  New York used to have that control over the US food scene, setting trends etc. but they don't any longer.  This is a big problem for them psychologically.  It's gotten so bad that David Letterman feels the need to remind us that New York is the "greatest city in the world" five nights a week. (it's not, but hey)

Most importantly, as a consumer, you have to realize that this is a temporary tempest in the tea pot that is the semi-professional FoodBorg community.  BBQ, as much as many hate to admit it, is, outside of its core regions, a fad.  Like all things, this fad will pass.  Eventually New York's foodborg will strip the businesses clean of originality and will move on to the next big thing, baked beans with animal testicles or something of that nature.  The New York BBQ scene will fade (although not go away) and Texas, the Carolinas, Memphis, Kansas City and the other BBQ regions will still be there. Ozersky will then turn his pen toward Denver, instructing them that New York cow testicle is far superior to Rockey Mountain oysters because New York chefs personally give the cows scrotum massages before performing the snip. California might have happy cows, but New York cows are far more laid back.

In the interim, you should not feel guilty because some guy sitting in an efficiency flat in Manhattan thinks he's got it all over Lockhart. In honor, go eat your favorite BBQ this weekend and wash it down with an ice-cold Texas beer.  Or better yet, eat on your back patio, in March next year.  The odds are while you're doing this, Mr. Ozersky will be huddled inside complaining about the snow ordering Thai take-away.

Thoughts on the SCOTUS Affordable Care Act decision.

So the SCOTUS has decided the Affordable Care Act (or, Obamacare) is Constitutional, we will now be inundated with Democratic ball-spiking, Republican hand-wringing and silly news stories about what this means for you.

While this is not a strict political blog, it's such a big decision that I felt the need to record a few initial impressions:

1. This is a big win for Obama and his campaign (one and the same I know).  Any Republican attempts to catagorize it otherwise are folly.
2. It will be fun to watch Obama praise the same SCOTUS that he chastised so strongly for Citizens United. (and vice versa on the Republican side)
3. IF (and that's a big if) this kick-starts Republican enthusiasm for Romney, then we have a race.  If not, then Obama could ride this momentum all the way to a second term.
4. The Republican response will be key.  I don't think chastising the SCOTUS is wise.  What the Republicans need to go is get very serious about how they would improve this law, either through subtraction or modification through legislative means should they receive majorities in November.  Messaging will be key.
5.  The Democratic response to this is already telling. I'm not going to link to anything but the DNC Executive Director's first response was: "It's Constitutional bitches!"  You can find that on Twitter if you look hard enough.

All in all I've never gotten too fired up about this issue and that doesn't change now.  I think it's going to be very punitive toward the poor (the new "tax" for having no health care will hit them hardest) and I think it will increase the cost of healthcare overall over time.  Your mileage may vary.

Much ado about oil

First, there's Obama's speech today full of the usual: Speaking of increasing domestic production while his administration takes steps to curtail it, speaking of so-called "green" alternatives and automobile fuel efficiencies. (Didn't we just pass those?)

Second, there's the GOP plan which is centered around "drill baby drill" but doesn't really present anything outside of that. No real, sustainable, long-term plan. Drilling is great, etc. but there are viable alternative energy options (clean(er) coal, nuclear, etc.) that have to be a part of the mix. Geothermal, wind and hydro-electric power make sense in some areas, and Natural Gas.

Third, T. Boone is still out there beating his drum. Granted, his drum is all about creating markets for all of that Natural Gas his companies have placed huge bets on, but it's a drum that would really be of help. Contrast that with Al Gore, who's personal enrichment plan would pretty much kill several large industries while he and his investors made out like bandits. That being said, I'm still not in favor of corporate welfare so I struggle mightily with those parts of his plan.

Finally, there's the much debated high cost gas exemption which is, by all accounts, going away.

My problem with all of this is not what it will do to the oil giants, they'll be fine. The big, multinational oil companies will just shift more operations over to International lands and waters and will continue to make a ton of money on the product they're pulling out of the ground. What's often missed in the debate over so-called "big oil" is that, for the most part, they're really not that big. It's the small companies that suffer most. The companies that don't have the resources (or, let's be honest, the connections) to operate in foreign climes, who are reliant on being able to operate here, at home, in America or her waters.

Those are the operators who are going to be hurt the most by this political spit-ball fight whether our politicians believe it or don't. For every Chevron, Exxon, Royal-Dutch Shell and BP there are hundreds of small producers out there every day doing it right, and doing it well. If we forget about them, then we're cutting our energy back-bone in half.


Added: I just saw where Obama is still calling for large increases in Ethanol. Thus increasing the folly of trying to use the primary food-stuff of the world's poor to maintain travel standards. Heck, even the eco-mentals understand how bad of an idea that is, and they live on a diet of twigs and edible flowers.

2011: Hey, it's not 2010.

For many of us, 2010 was a year that is better left on the trash-heap of history. I've had friends that have suffered personal loss, my family has seen professional upheaval, and Michigan football sucks.

With that in mind, lets take a look at some things that MIGHT happen in 2011 but probably won't:


Mayor Annise Parker vs. Houston City Council: 2011 will be the year of jockeying for position. With C.O. Bradford, Jolanda Jones and Mike Sullivan all trying to out-anti-Parker the other in hopes of unseating Parker in 2012. It's going to get ugly. The HCA official prediction is that some local blog will be leaked our local leaders' pet names for one another: "Crime Lab", "Ms. the Tenth", "Mr. Irrelevant" and "GLBT agenda".


Eversole Resigns: It's (thankfully) going to happen. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole will resign as a result of his federal indictment. The Commissioner's Court (Read: Steve Radack) will then pick his successor. This successor will be former Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt, who will come out of retirement "for the good of the County". There will be serious discussions of having the replacement decided by a slap-fight between HCRP's Jered Woodfill and HDCP's Gary Birnberg. HCA's official position is to ratify the latter option.


Metro pulls defeat out of the jaws of victory: The "New" Metro will revert to "Old" Metro tactics and declare the opening of .7 miles of new toy train track as a "significant development" in Houston's transit future. In order to make way for this new line 57 bus routes will be eliminated. ChronBlog will stop pretending and just run Metro press releases verbatim as original stories. At some point in 2011 Anti-Metro activist Tom Bazan's head will finally explode.


It's the end of political blogging as we know it: At their beginning, political blogs were a rowdy sort. They were the place that political outsiders went to vent, and gripe about things their chosen parties were doing wrong. Of late, many political blogs are official (if not publicly acknowledged) PR outlets for their party of choice. They coordinate talking points, disparage the other team, and add virtually nothing new to the political discourse. The next logical extension is for the InterLeft to devolve into nothing more than vulgarities repeated ad nauseum while the Bloggers O' the Right limit their topics to Obama's citizenship, immigration and Dan Patrick's latest political movement PR stunt.


Speaking of Dan Patrick: In 2011 the ambitious (yet results poor) TX State Senator for District 7 will formally announce his intentions to make a run for Kay Bailey Hutchison's Senate seat. His political platforms will include adding "In God we Trust" to every sign in America, anywhere, creating FIVE new legislative groups with the intention of catering to the Tea Party and getting his name in the press. His Democratic opponent will be Chris Bell.


The "green" economy will finally be exposed as a sham: This one will actually happen, as increasingly difficult regulations force Big Oil to move more and more resources overseas there just won't be surplus jobs in green energy to fill the void. Still, this result will be applauded by the ecomental movement whose biggest problem in 2011 is going to have to find creative ways to not admit that wealth and humans are what they're really fighting against. A poorer world is a greener world after all.

Presidential Politics: Any one who's entertaining the thought that Obama won't run for a second term put that away right now. The thing is, this time, he'll be vulnerable as the economy will really start to shudder under the weight of unsustainable government spending. Obama's going to have to start discussing large tax increases to fund his agenda, although he won't have much success passing them with a Republican Congress in place who has no desire to commit political suicide. The key will be who the Republicans run against Obama. Do they pick the next person in line? (Romney, McConnell et al.) A parody candidate? (Palin, Barbour etc.) Or do they think outside the box and bring in a serious candidate that can win? (Mitch Daniels, Marco Rubio are the two that come immediately to mind)


ChronBlog admits the obvious: Sometime in 2011 (perhaps after the Lege session) ChronBlog is going to announce all of it's State and National politics will be covered by a Hearst Pool. The D.C. & Austin bureaus will be all shared content and they will add more lifestyle reporters with the extra money. As mentioned earlier, they'll also abandon the Metro beat in favor of just running the organizations press releases. The Apple Dumpling Gang will continue to churn out content, will continue to get almost everything wrong, and the downward slide of America's worst big city daily will continue.


And finally.......


Change coming for HCA: I'm currently involved in some side projects that I expect to blossom during 2011. If all works out as I expect, HCA will be more focused on "Noise Machine" posts and some in-depth, investigative stories on a local level. I also plan to move to a dedicated web-site for HCA sometime in 2011, ditching the current format and moving to something that's more multi-media friendly.

An error by omission...

Today's weak effort by The Apple Dumpling Gang....

(Call the spin doctor, TADG, ChronBlog)

We can think of at least one other agency in town that could use bad-news insurance. The Port of Houston has lately garnered unflattering reports for paying former executives outsized severance packages.

Yup.

Notably missing from the Ed board pages of America's worst big City daily are the following.....

City of Houston Department of Public Works
Jerry Eversole
Annise Parker

and.....


Houston Metro.


All of these groups (people) have had way worse years than has the Port of Houston.

Life's Lessons

You cannot have your cake and eat it too

America's States and municipalities have forgotten that truism, and what they're stuck with is a moldy slice of cake with fetid frosting. For too long they've ran on the premise that you can pay people less now (better for waving the budget flag) with the promise of high, unsustainable pensions in the future. Instead of being forced to take a hard look at payroll (as traditional companies must do) they kicked the can down the road by offering up retirement plans that, in some cases, offered greater compensation than the employees earned in a career. We've now kicked the can to a dead-end. Ooops.


Those in Glass Houses should not throw stones

Conde Nast Portfolio deems Exxon's future "shaky". Then they promptly fold while Exxon experiences record growth.


Don't point out the speck in your neighbor's eye when there's a beam in your own

Liberals calling out GOP "radicalism" on climate change while their faith-based system is taking hits is laughable.

Told often enough a lie becomes the truth.

At least, Jessee Jackson is hoping so, as he continues to try and remain a political player.

If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging

This had the potential to be a good story on money in politics and specificially on 501(c)4 groups that are allowed to have their donor lists remain anonymous. Then the New York Times couldn't help themselves and it devolved into a hit-piece against Republicans. As the journalism hole deepens you have to wonder at what point they're going to put down the shovel?

20 years ago today.....

Heaven got the Blues.



RIP SRV.

A question of rights....

Alexis Grant asks the question: Doesn't Helen (Thomas) have a right to her opinion?

Answer: Yes, of course she does.

She also has the responsibility of paying the price for voicing said opinions.


Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that free speech shall occur without public reprecussion, or that an ideology can be publically voiced without cost. What it says is that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;"

There's nothing illegal about what Helen Thomas said although many find it offensive, and rightly so. As a newspaper columnist she certainly has the "right" to tell America how she feels, just as Rush Limbaugh and any other journalist has the right.

And her employers have the "right" to choose to terminate her employment in the face of overwhelming public condemnation.


As far as things go at HCA, we can't help but wonder if many of the same people who are so staunchly defending Helen Thomas for her "personal opinion" in some noble conquest to uphold free speech would be so ready to defend a conservative writer/talker if they expressed the same opinion....maybe involving blacks or latinos?

Some how my guess is no.

They would (and have) call for Limbaugh's (or..locally, Michael Berry) firing and, given that this is their opinion, they would be correct to do so.



Such is the cost of free speech.

That's Billion with a B....

Mayor Parker unveils her new budget, one that's notably less ambitious than those submitted by the two previous administrations.

It's probably safe to call this the "hold your breath" budget since it forestalls a lot of 'nice to have' projects in the hopes that the economic turn-around is going to happen sooner rather than later. There's a lot of faith put in that fact, a fact that may not come to fruition given recent events.

The first cause for concern is the oil spill currently growing in the Gulf. Depending on the scope of the disaster and how the current federal administration reacts to it, job loss in the energy sector could severely weaken Houston's tax structure. Add to that a Senate climate change bill that's been written without a nod to reality and you have two potential major down thrusts on Houston's economy.

Then there's the regulation of the health insurance industry, the long-term effects of which we don't know. While it's true that "30 million" Americans are going to now be required to purchase insurance, it's not yet clear that the payment system for medical treatment providers is going to be in the sustainable range. For a City whose economy is linked to the health of the health-care industry.....

Then there's the pension short-fall, whose negative effects are being stressed by Bill King. At some point the City is going to have to address the issue that has been, to this point, pushed back to other administrations, by previous Mayors.

All of that still doesn't take the following into account: A lot of the 'plugs' for revenue short-falls in this budget have yet to materialize. There are rumors of departmental cuts, but nothing on paper. There are also potential land and real property sales that have not materialized, or could close at lower amounts than City appraisals.

Given all of the above what Houston is seeing is a realistic budget written in times of economic stress. It's also the first symptoms of Houston's coming hangover from the drinking binge of recent years.

Three rules to keep in mind:

1. You reap what you sow.
2. You reap after you sow.
3. You reap more than you sow.

For the last 20/odd years Houston has been sowing fiscal irresponsibility. If the economy doesn't turn around soon the price for that will have to be paid through sizable tax increases on a potentially shrinking taxable base. Granted, that's a worst-case scenario, but not an unrealistic one.

Throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Due to my employment with a large oil & gas company (no, NOT BP) I've been a little quiet regarding the recent rig explosion/oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. There are a couple of reasons for this: One, all I've seen so far is speculation as to why this happened, and I see no reason to speculate on my future career based on anything other than factual, sober analysis. Two, I really don't have much new to offer to the debate that's out there. Whatever I would say would be accepted by those who like big oil (ConservaBloggers) and instantly discarded by those who don't (the InterLeft).

With yesterday's announcement by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that he's halting all offshore permitting and slowing down an already approved Shell/Alaska project I think the time is here to say something about this so I ask my dozen (or so) regular readers to bear with me.

First. The most important factor in all of this is that eleven rig workers died in the original explosion. Due to the political nature of the fallout I feel that this has been buried under a wave of self-important reporting and blog-posting by adherents of green energy. That's eleven humans, almost equal to the 13 fatalities in the Gulf over the past six years. In terms of lives lost then, this is one of the worst failures Gulf of Mexico drilling has seen in some time. Ignoring political posturing, our prayers, thoughts and support should go out to the families of those lost.

Second. Beyond Rick Perry's "act of God" and Bill White's speculative causal analysis, there's fertile ground to plow about how and why this happened, what can be done to stop it, and the best road ahead. One thing is for sure, I'm certain that Mr. Salazar's "cut off the head to cure a sinus infection" approach isn't the smartest thing to do. If anything I lean closer to the written recommendations of energy experts and many politicians (including Bill White and Rick Perry). There are fairly strict regulations already in place, enforcing them would be a first good step.


Last. This, is not oversight. For years the Federal Government has talked out of both sides of their mouth when it comes to dealing with oil companies. Republicans have turned a blind eye to some industry excesses and then feigned outrage when a few companies got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Democrats have spent the last two decades vilifying the industry all while happily accepting more taxes and fees from them than any other business sector. The end result of this institutional dishonesty is a National energy debate that's juvenile, short-sighted and useless. I've seen un-hinged bloggers honestly say that "no one has ever been killed building a solar panel" without understanding the dangerous conditions in which silicone miners work daily. Liberal blowhard Ed Schultz was not laughed off the air when he suggested that all offshore drilling should be abandoned, neither was Conservative blabber Rush Limbaugh tarred and feathered for his foolish suggestion that a clean up was not necessary. There's a stunning lack of education in this country about the true cost of energy, and what it takes to sustain a country's power needs.

How else do you explain people pushing for increased use of electric cars, but refusing to consider clean coal technology to power the energy grids that drive said cars? Republicans fight against trains and other forms us mass transit without thinking, while Democrats push their use while courting votes from the automobile unions. Then we have nuclear power, touted as a panacea it can never become or wrongly vilified for sins it never committed. Almost nowhere in our National debate is there enough remaining oxygen for measured, reasonable discussion or legislation. There are too many political axes to grind, too many special interests to appease.

The end result of this nonsense is that America is rapidly losing what was once it's greatest competitive advantage, great stores of natural resources. In the KHOU article linked to above are the following sobering facts: American oil production is decreasing while demand has increased, currently we are importing 65% of our oil. What that means is that a majority of our energy and fuel supply is provided at the whim of a foreign power. If you want to view something that is unsustainable that is the very definition.

I'm not going to end this post with some grand plan for the future of energy in America that makes it sound like I've got all the answers. The fact is I don't. I'd like to see tighter enforcement of the existing rules going forward and for the MMS to take the "management" part more seriously, and I'd like to see America's energy independence restored but, as an accountant, the "how" this gets accomplished is above my pay grade. One thing I do know: If we keep letting the conversation be dominated by faulty logic, pundits shooting for ratings and those on the fringes with anger management issues we're going to soon be looking down the barrel of an economic and societal disaster.

It's your fault you know.

You beer-swilling, Spanglish-mangling, cheap labor-exploiting gringo. At least, that's what those who are intent on sucking every drop of fun out of American culture want to say to you today, on Cinco de Mayo. (Also known as "peak sales day" for Corona, Tecate and Dos Eqius.)

While it's true that I'm not one to let go much of a celebration on the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, that doesn't mean that I begrudge those who do. Nor am I going to heap scorn on them in the manner of Oscar Casares who had this to say in today's ChronBlog:

Every year we prefer to celebrate Mexico's history on our terms, whether that history is accurate or only convenient. But then again, isn't the United States' relationship with Mexico all about convenience?

Yeah, yeah "fight the man" and "Gringo go home", "Viva la Raza" and all of that. Blah, blah, blah. I, for one, am growing tired of the PC scolds whose self-appointed job it seems is to come around on every celebratory occasion (either real or manufactured) and inform the general public that they're actually cogs in some Rube Goldberg machine that's stripping people of their dignity through some convoluted process involving beer koozies, co-eds in bikinis and watered down Margaritas. Spare me your outrage there sparkita.

Yes, there are serious issues with how (many) Americans view the Mexican immigrant. That goes double for those who have circumvented the official channels of entry and have placed themselves in a situation where they can be easily exploited by a system that looks for the lowest cost without much thought to social impact. From NAFTA to the policies of the Mexican government to a US Federal government sitting around with their PC thumbs up their collective asses it seems that pretty much all official policy is designed to stick it to the poor Mexican laborer, without the benefit of KY.

It's projection and misplaced anger, however, that directs the ire at people spending happy hour at a bar drunkenly belting out "La Cucaracha" before heading home to down two Advil in a desperate attempt to not appear fat-headed at work on Thursday. Hey, at least they're trying to be multi-cultural and diverse right? It's not like every culture who celebrates something from another culture does it the exact same way. There are always going to be nods to the home-team locked up in every celebration that originated elsewhere. It's a universal constant.

So, while you're pounding down watered down horse piss and pretending you like it while contemplating ordering another one of the worst cocktails ever invented by man do it with a clear conscience and a nod to our friends South of the border.

Then get a cab.


Leave the whining and moaning over the supposed injustices to folks like Mr. Casares who could suck the fun out of a Whoopee! cushion by just looking at the chair.

They're just pissed they don't get invited to all of the good parties.

Left unsaid.....

ChronBlog ran TWO editorials today (a terrible bit of horrible writing from the ChronBlog Caucasian Think-Tank and a formulaic plea from Patrick Oxford head of the Greater Houston Partnership) designed to accentuate the curves of Houston to the prospective leadership team of the soon-to-be newly formed airline created by the merger of Continental and United. (Mr. Smisek, we're ready for our close-up!*)

Unsaid amongst the lack-of-status hue & cry are the very things that Houston's struggling with in the first place. Namely: The City's government, over the span of the last decade, has hardly been "business friendly"

From selective application of ordinances to satisfy wealthy, politically connected constituents to filing lawsuits against the region's largest employers to marketing for most-favored customers while not doing the same for those in 'unapproved' areas, Houston's recent business friendly reputation has taken a high-profile hit or two.

Why is this? Part of the reason lies in the incompetence of the Brown administration followed by a White administration that tuned out the nuts and bolts of infrastructure and economy. The remaining cause lies with a power structure that's been bent on satisfying transplanted progressives who give heartily to political campaigns. The concern wasn't building a Houston that creates jobs, it was for building a Houston that has downscaled facsimiles of things found in other "world class" cities in the North East.

In short, Houston needs to get it's pro-business, pro-jobs mojo back. Early returns suggest that the Parker administration grasps this, and is willing to make (at least some of) the tough choices required to make it happen. What businesses want, more than parks, or stadiums or anything, is a consistent structure that allows for long-term planning. If Houston wants transit, then it needs to approach the citizens with a long-term plan for transit that's not deviated from as the political winds shift, overseen by a transit organization that's transparent with how it's spending taxpayer dollars. If Houston wants increased land-use restrictions, then it needs to bring a comprehensive plan to voters to enact said rules, not choose to apply them piece-meal when a favored group gets their knickers in a knot. And finally, if Houston wants to keep it's remaining corporations, then it needs to go back in time and revisit what made it so attractive to them in the first place.


Until we have that conversation with Corporate Houston, then all we're going to be left with are bad editorials and jingoism as one company after another looks for a way out.**











*Of course, they also ran a anti-merger piece by former anti-trust lawyer (and current UH Law Professor) Darren Bush which probably reflects their real sentiments more closely)

**It's probably too late to do anything about Continental leaving as that ship has sailed, but the object should be to strengthen our business chops to save the companies that are still here

Making the case....

ChronBlog Houston is up in arms over reports that the newly-merged United/Continental Airlines would be based in Chicago. In times such as these a town historically would look to it's bastions of media to make the case for the City and lead the rally that would save a major jobs-creator vital to the regional economy.

Errr.....

(The business deal could end up being a raw deal, Loren Steffy, ChronBlog)

Lots of big cities, of course, don't have an airline, but Houston isn't just any city.
This is Space City.
The very nickname invokes all that is modern and vibrant, and airlines, for all our passenger complaints and frustrations, still capture our collective imagination as something futuristic. Like trains and muscle cars, they have a romance that transcends basic transportation.

Uh Oh....

(Keeping Continental, CCTT, ChronBlog)

Continental is a Fortune 500 company, one of 25 that make their headquarters in Houston. That's three more than Chicago can claim, but who's counting? Since the Chicago advocates are, we will, too.
Continental's success, a true rise out of the ashes of years of mismanagement, is first and last a Houston story. It was built on the efforts — and willingness to sacrifice by taking significant salary cuts — of thousands of hardworking Houstonians.

The CCTT goes on to talk about Houston's "world class" status as a "gateway to Lain America" among other emotional appeals. What's unfortunate, for Houstonians, is that there's nothing signature we can point to and say "we're better than them" (Chicago, that is).

Transportation? Uh..no. Chicago has the El and Houston is stuck with a piddling transit organization that's been more worried with building speculative streetcar lines that do more for development than it they do for mobility.

Infrastructure? No again. Chicago has a robust public works program, Houston's is crumbling before our very eyes due to chronic mismanagement by previous administrations. (To be fair, the Parker administration is working to turn this around, but it could be too little too late.

Quality of life? Negative. Sure, Houston's bell-cow in this argument is that we don't have snow, but Chicago is the cultural and social gem of the Mid West. While Chicago has been investing in their police department and cultural venues Houston has been too busily pursuing expensive boondoggles of limited use such as pro sports stadiums and the like.

Tax burden? This one is a push. Yes, Texas has no income tax but it's tax system is designed to put the entirety of the tax burden on the landowner, a relic that has survived from the former frontier days.


One thing Houston does have going for it is low real-estate costs, something that Smart Growth proponents are trying their hardest to bring to an end.


Don't get me wrong (although many will) I love the Houston region, I love Texas, but the fact is our political leaders have made some bone-headed decisions in recent years that have not allowed us to keep our competitive advantage in the jobs market. Many partisans will say that the answer to this is to vote in new leadership, one that will further stick it to business and further increase the burden of society to those with. People like the executives of Continental and United who are huge jobs-drivers for the region.

Living in the Houston region is, for the most part, a joy. If you have to ask why, go outside today in your shorts and feel how nice the weather is, go to Hermann Park and see all of the people enjoying the great outdoors, see the zoo and take in a free show at Miller outdoor. If you live in the suburbs go out to your local County Park and take in some nature, make a day trip to Brenham and see the wildflowers in bloom.

Then, on Monday, take some time to contact your local officials and tell them to get on the stick, fix the infrastructure, work on the pension mess, fix the issues within the emergency responder organizations and work on building a truly world class transit system that takes advantage of our structural capacity for buses*. While you're at it, write a letter to the editor of ChronBlog and tell them that they're not helping matters. Instead of sounding like civic advocates, they sound like children throwing a tantrum. It might be too late to keep Continental, but it could be the key to ensuring the next round of mergers fall favorably to our region.








*Not to say that streetcars and commuter trains can't play a role (they can) but not at the expense of what should be the bread n' butter of our public transit.

Earth Day: Missing the Forest for the Trees.

I had a parody post for Earth Day planned. It was going to be Al Gore & Thomas Friedman in a bat-cave like setting getting ready to mobilize to Iceland to present Eyjafjallajokull with it's carbon offset bill.

Then I read this column by Bill McKibben on the fading environmental movement and I changed my mind. What, specifically, intrigued me was the following:

(On Earth Day, the environmental movement needs repairs, Bill McKibben, Washington Post)

But for 20 years now, global warming has been the most important environmental issue -- arguably the most important issue the planet has ever faced. And there we can boast an unblemished bipartisan record of accomplishing absolutely nothing.

McKibben goes on to bemoan the presence of money in politics, the evil power of the fossil fuel lobbies and the lack of organizational development of the 70's ecomental movements. What he doesn't seem to realize is that the problem lies in the definition of "environmentalism" itself, or more accurately, what the word has come to mean.

There was a time, in the 70's and 80's, that conservationists and environmentalists walked hand in hand. It was not uncommon to find ranchers, small farmers, hunters and outdoorsman rallying side by side with vegans, vegetarians and various other eco-groups. At the beginning the movement was more about cleaning up pollution than it was anything else. As with any movement, that dynamic changed over time.

Part of the reason for the change was the realization of politicians that this emerging earth-conscious group was a voting bloc and part of it was due to the natural need humans have to feel superior. Eventually, following a vegan diet wasn't a dietary issue, it became a moral choice. Having their way of life declared immoral by PeTA and other non-green groups, the hunters, fishers and outdoorsman left the movement never to return. Suddenly it wasn't enough to want a clean planet, fresh air to breathe, quality food, and clean water, you had to sign onto the belief that industry was bad, energy companies (many of whom funded much of the Earth Day movement in the early days) were the epitome of evil and anyone NOT willing to chain themselves to a tree or sacrifice the food supply of third world countries in order to save the three-legged, brown-assed salamander in order to be a "true environmentalist". Contrary to popular belief, you could use deodorant and be a member, but that was discouraged at rallies.

The final phase in the transformation from Environmental to Eco-mental however was Al Gore's correct hunch that most of the remaining green group could be persuaded to believe that the way to a healthy world was by funnelling a percentage of the world's energy revenue into the pockets of he and his investors through carbon credits. What this effectively did was provide political cover to those who had based their previous eco-mentalism on flimsy moral arguments. Now the idea that, primarily because of the actions of others, the world was heating up faster than a Viking range became a cause celeb of the fashion set who had no problem living in environmentally unsustainable mansions, or flying in a helicopter to 'catch' polluters being blissfully unaware of their own impact on the planet while being afforded the opportunity to live out their own mini-deity fantasies.

One thing that was lost in all of this was the truth. As suburbanites got branded with a black letter P (for polluters) it was often ignored that many of them have long been practicing the type of individual gardening in their backyards that is now so popular among the urban set. In Houston, the primary howls against the Grand Parkway plans to plow over the Katy Prairie aren't emanating from downtown Houston, but rather from place that are closest to the well...the Katy Prairie.

Despite all of this urban dwellers have been caught up in the hysteria and have fallen for the fallacy that their lifestyle is somehow superior to those who have chosen a suburban dwelling. Meanwhile, politically connected groups such as Houston Tomorrow perpetuate that myth without offering much in the way of substantive evidence. Read most arguments against suburban living and you'll see phrases like "everyone knows" and "makes sense that" both of which run on something other than hard fact.

With all of that in mind, what CAN we all do to make Earth Day meaningful?

For one, don't pollute and, if you're so driven, make noise about the companies that ARE polluting our planet. If there's a team player in an industry, resolve to purchase from them even if it costs a little more. Most importantly, get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Go hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, or just lay out on the grass in your front yard (if you're an urban dweller go to the park). Whatever you do, don't fall into the trap of thinking that you environmental solution is the best and only solution for everyone else.

And if some member of PeTA or another vegan group starts razzing you about the hot-dog you're eating? Laugh at them and point them to the nearest tofu dog stand.


They can get their own damn food.

Funny, I don't feel healthier?

So last night saw the passage of either the greatest, or worst, legislation in US history and reaction among the peanut gallery is......meh.

Not out there on the fringes mind you, the socialist progressive Left and the theocratic conservative Right are deep into the process of shoulder dislocation due to self-congratulatory back-patting or angry-at-something-but-we're-not-quite-sure-what fist shaking. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"* without, unfortunately, much meaningful change being contained in the actual bill.

Oh sure, there are some insurance mandates and medicare payment reductions, not too many people are going to be happy with those. Beyond that, however, the biggest immediate change that Americans are going to feel is a 10% tax for (get this) indoor tanning. That's right, the Democrats fired their shot and their shot is aimed....directly at tanning beds. Oh sure there's something in that bill hidden somewhere after John Conyers stopped reading it, which would be page 2, that might mention health-care co-ops and exchanges and all of that, most of which is scheduled to take place in 2014. For those keeping score there very well could be a different party in both Congress AND the White House by then. You don't think Republicans are going to sit back and let this public relations bonanza go by do you? Of course not.


What we're left with then is the promise of increased health-insurance regulation without actually enacting any reform. That's right, health-insurance regulation, which is what this entire mess was about from the git-go. The only people who believe this is about "reforming healthCARE don't understand the bigger picture....


The only way to reform healthCARE is to take a deep look out how our healthcare system operates. Changing from playing catch-up to getting ahead of the game with preventative medicine is unaddressed in this bill. Requiring medical doctors to have a working knowledge (although not a mastery) of nutrition would help, as would uncoupling the USDA from the big food. Little things like tax credits for gym memberships and ending farm subsidies which promote the growth of ethanol for fuel, returning our agricultural community's focus to foodstuffs, are beginnings. Demanding healthcare companies cover children on their parents insurance policy until the age of 26 is not. Neither are reducing Medicare payments by 10%, or setting up co-op exchanges etc. etc.**

For all of the promise and high-minded rhetoric dish out by Democrats and the gloom and doom, end of freedom rallies held by Republicans the final regulation bill feels a little bit like.....meh.

The good thing is this mess is easily fixable, as pointed out by the Brother's Judd:

While a reform requiring private health insurance -- and treating abortion as anathema -- would be a Pyrrhic victory for Democrats anyway, the best part of the proposed bill is how easy it is for a Republican majority to fix. All you need to do is add an HSA/catastrophic option and expand coverage to 100% of Americans.

We have until November to find out if Americans are going to be willing to give them that chance.


Until then we anxiously await the day that America decides to take a long, hard look at reforming HealthCARE. We're not holding our breath here at HCA.




*Why Charles Dickens of course
**All of these would be examples of increased regulation of the insurance industry, but NOT healthcare reform.

Texas Republicans' Hispanic Problem.

brewing problem?

(GOP incumbent Victor Carrillo blames loss on "Hispanic surname", Theodore Kim, Dallas Morning News, 03/04/10)

Here's a post about Tuesday's GOP primary for a seat on the powerful Railroad Commission of Texas. In a true shocker, unknown challenger David Porter trounced incumbent Victor Carrillo despite being outspent by 20 to 1.

In a lengthy email to supporters and some news media this afternoon, Carrillo blamed his loss largely on the fact that he is Latino.

Or media-driven pseudo-controversy?

(The Elefante in the Room, Brian Thevenot, Texas Tribune, 03/04/10)

“I don’t think (Carrillo’s ethnicity) played much of a factor, if any," Porter said. "Sure, you might find somebody that didn’t vote for him because he’s Hispanic, but then you’d probably find somebody else who did vote for him because he’s Hispanic. Quite honestly, I think I caught some anti-incumbency fever. But, also, nobody really knew who he was. I spent a lot of time talking to people, and nobody could name the third member of the Railroad Commission, even in oil towns.”

In Houston there was the case of Don Sumners defeating Leo Vasquez, which provided the media has cast as providing* the (mostly Caucasian) Tea Party with one of their few victories. Is this a case of anti-Hispanic bias? Or just the anti-incumbency of the Tea Party selectively making waves?

The compelling case for the former is that both races involved were down-ballot with very little name ID being possessed by the incumbents heading in. There's a case to be made that, when faced with two unfamiliar names, the type of Republican who pays attention to voter guides such as the Link Letter are going to default to the Anglo-Saxon sounding name every time. How many times can a political party stand by silently while members belittle "those people" who don't speak "our language" and expect for there to not be some type of ballot effect? The "anti-incumbency" excuse is hard to swallow, due in part to the fact that these upsets were so isolated in nature. Anti-incumbency typically comes in waves, and the Tea Party movement was barely a ripple in the kiddie pool during this electoral cycle.

While it's true that the Democrats often go overboard stereotyping Republicans as "racist" or "xenophobes" the fact is that Republicans are facing a real problem with their rhetoric and identity with the Hispanic portion of society. Are their racist Republicans? Sure. But there are just as many racist Democrats out there who choose to cloak their racism under the guise of big government and taking care of those "who can't take care of themselves". (A racist statement if ever there was one.)

But if the Democrats suffer from the soft bigotry of reduced expectations then the Republicans suffer from a more overt hostility toward those who talk and look different. Not ALL Republicans and Democrats of course, but enough to move the electoral needle in races that should have been won easily by the incumbents.

Do Republicans have a Hispanic problem? You bet. And figuring it out going forward could be the key to their future vitality.




*Thank you to commenters Dave Jennings and josparke who pointed out a major flaw in the initial posting. The post should have read that the media is portraying the Sumners win as a Tea Party victory. In fact, Sumners was soundly trounced by Vasquez in the Tea Party straw poll. The correction has been made.

Happy Texas Independence Day!

Probably the least PC holiday and, by extension, one of the least celebrated in Texas due to it's over politicization by various groups hoping to make hey with the Texas voter. It's a holiday that shouldn't be forgotten however because Texas' brief dalliance with sovereignty made us the State we are today. (Warts and all)


For my part, I'm proud of what Texas is, a strong state with a strong economy whose success is vital to the health and vitality of the United States of America. That last bit is important. Today Texas is a state regardless of what some secessionists say, and most (not all) Texans are proud to be so. Are we a unique part of America? Yes we are. That's true despite the fact that most of the recent transplants here are trying to remake Texas into the areas from which they came. How quickly they forget that there was a reason they left those areas in the first place.

Anyone who is here now is a Texan, and if they don't know the story of the history of Texas then shame on them, and not the romanticized, sanitized version either. If you can't come to terms with the fact that history is nuanced, that your government may not have always been pure as driven snow then life might seem pretty unfair to you. Yes, Texas was founded by a group of wealthy individuals who took issue with Gen. Santa Anna's taxes. It was the same deal when America was founded, as well as every revolution in the whole of human history. The wealthy outside of the power elite wanted in, they couldn't get in so they fought their way in. Then by virtue of winning they earned the right to write history from their perspective.


Contrary to what many would have you believe this isn't about celebrating a 'win' over Mexico. It's about history, about the struggle for whatever freedoms people thought they needed at the time. Hell, I love Mexico, I'll probably celebrate by downing a plate of Tex-Mex tonight and a frosty cerveza. Any anti-immigrant supporter who makes this out as a Texas vs. Mexico thing is missing one important fact: Many Mexicans agree that Gen. Santa Anna was a grade-A prick.


God Bless Texas.

Metro's Magnificent Maceration

By now I'm sure you've read about Metro's "oops" moment from a variety of other sources (and here and here as well) Of course there's going to be much more to come of this, a scandal with all of the earmarks of a multiple news cycle news event: Intrigue, stealth shredding, shadowy characters plying away in the middle of the night, potential insider deals with contractors by department heads and a crusty DA looking for a freshly minted scalp to hang over her desk.

It wasn't supposed to be this way for Houston's transit agency of course. By this time they were supposed to be popping the corks off of bottles of Champagne as their developer buddies drew up grand, multi-use plans for land that had been purchased on the cheap from small businesses forced to shut down and sell out due to poor access during construction. Shortly after that they would quaff more Champagne as tax subsidies kept pouring in, ridership numbers were inflated, and all of this was positively reported by Houston's notoriously non-inquisitive former newspaper of record. The final leg to the plan would be the election of former Hizzoner Bill White to the Governorship of Texas, where his penchant for over-paying for cutesy green modes of transportation would lead to the salad days for Houston's transportation cabal.

Sadly, all of this is not to be, as Metro head honchos Frank "procurement disaster" Wilson and David road to catastrophe" Wolff are surely to be shown the door once (now sort-of) newly minted Mayor Annise Parker finds suitable replacements for them, hopefully replacements with some fresh ideas on how to move Houstonians from point A to point B (and A to C, and D to E, and L to X, etc. Houston being notoriously decentralized) efficiently and safely, without designing a system that's punitive to Houston's dominant mode of transportation.

Until this unfolds we can only wait for Slampo to weigh in on this mess and for the punishment phase should wrong-doing be uncovered.

My humble suggestion for an ample punishment would be to tie the guilty spread-eagled to the front of the Danger Train wearing a sign reading "Shredder" with an iPod in their ears playing Bill White "State of the City" speeches on a loop until the train reaches full capacity.

That's enough to reform anyone.

Economist Rap

This has been around for a while, but it's still damn funny.


FWIW I'm more Hayek then Keynes. (Although Keynes had a better rap)