“End of an error” is the banner headline in today’s hard copy Chron sports section and I love it. Excellent! That’s why I subscribe.
While I am on the subject, Commentary has said before that just because you run a professional major sports franchise, that doesn’t make you smarter than the rest of us.
See this tweet:
ABC13 HoustonVerified account @abc13houston 14h14 hours ago
Osweiler was a Texan for 364 days. That breaks down to $57,692 per day. Or $1.4 million per touchdown. #Texans http://abc13.co/2nkCCNM
Don’t argue, please. They are not smarter than the rest of us.
Name the two teams scheduled to play the first MLB Opening Day game on Sunday, April 2 on ESPN?
Eight weeks from tomorrow, HISD voters will go to the polls to decide on recapture or detachment. Here is from today’s Chron:
Houston ISD voters will face a choice of either paying the state’s $77.5 million recapture fee, or risk losing $98.4 million in tax revenue over the next fiscal year, according to new dollar figures given to trustees.
Those were the options presented to HISD trustees Thursday when for the first time school district officials gave firm numbers on both scenarios since voters last November told district officials to not pay the state’s recapture fee. Recapture involves the state’s mandate that the district pay millions to help subsidize poor districts.
Houston ISD faces recapture because, according to the state’s funding formula, the district is deemed property wealthy even though most of its student population is economically disadvantaged.
And:
If HISD keeps all its commercial properties and benefits from increased property values, Reed estimated the district could see its budget continue to grow over the next five years by $66.8 million after the recapture payment is made. If the commercial properties are detached, he said the district could see a loss of $98.4 million in 2017-2018 and would lose any future property value growth.
“A vote for detachment will see us lose some of our biggest revenue streams in the district,” said Trustee Anna Eastman. “If we don’t go back and vote yes it will begin to force us to dip into our budget or raise taxes to break even. If the law stays the same as it is now, payments will increase but our local budget will increase as well.”
Here is the entire read: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/For-first-time-HISD-trustees-given-firm-numbers-10991263.php.
We need to follow Anna’s lead on this one for sure. Folks should have listened to her last fall.
State Rep. Carol Alvarado put this out yesterday:
As a young girl, I grew up in the shadow of the University of Houston just a few miles from campus. I, like many Houstonians, know that UH is the beating heart of the academic community in Houston. I could not be more proud of the tremendous success and achievements we have been able to reach under the leadership of Chancellor Khator.
However, I still find myself unsatisfied. In fact, I will never be satisfied until UH gets the respect and support we deserve from the State of Texas in the form of access to the Permanent University Fund or “PUF Fund”. The University of Texas System and Texas A&M System have benefited for years from this fund that excludes UH and every other university system in Texas. This inequity is why I filed HJR 110 that will create a second PUF Fund known as, PUF II, which will benefit the University of Houston System. This additional funding source will be critical to the development and growth of our system as we continue to strive for excellence.
I am calling on all UH Cougars to call, write and tweet at your State Representative and Senator to support HJR 110. Let’s continue the H-Town Takeover in Austin this legislative session!
This is an uphill fight, but it is worthy of debate.
Mike Snyder of the Chron has a piece today on voting rights in Pasadena. Here is how it ends:
The Pasadena lawsuit has attracted the attention of national voting-rights activists in the aftermath of a 2013 Supreme Court decision eliminating a requirement that election changes in certain states be cleared in advance by the Justice Department or a federal court. Experts say it’s generally tougher for minority candidates to win elections in at-large, or citywide, races for city councils, county commissions and school boards.
I wondered if a decision by Pasadena to drop the appeal would necessarily be the ideal outcome for advocates of minority voting rights. Wouldn’t an affirmation of Rosenthal’s opinion by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals – or even the Supreme Court, should the case advance that far – send a stronger message?
But Nina Perales, an attorney with the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund representing the plaintiffs, said she would have no problem with a victory by default.
“The job of an attorney is to secure a positive outcome for the client,” Perales said. “That’s what’s important here.”
If Isbell’s replacement chooses to drop the appeal, the case will quietly disappear. Pasadena residents will continue electing all eight council members from districts – a system being used this year because the 5th Circuit denied the city’s request for a stay of Rosenthal’s order. And the city government, some $2 million poorer but perhaps a bit wiser, can move on to other issues.
Here is the entire read:
The only thing I am going to say about the Brock Osweiler deal is that I thought it was silly for HEB to have him in ads before he had even had taken a snap. Very dumb.
The Rays host the Yankees of course at 12 noon on Sunday, April 2 on ESPN.
Here is from the ‘Stros website:
The Astros’ promotional schedule this year includes five bobblehead giveaways and one gnome.
This year’s bobbleheads are creative with a “Handshake Series” to honor Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa’s postgame celebration behind second base. There also will be a George Springer bobblehead featuring one of his trademark diving catches. On the year he’s inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Jeff Bagwell’s unique batting stance will be immortalized into a bobblehead, as will the celebration of Bagwell, Craig Biggio and Mike Hampton after the Astros clinched the National League Central title 20 years ago.
Lance McCullers drew the honors of being portrayed on a glow-in-the-dark gnome.
Don’t forget to spring forward this Sunday.
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