Costello’s Specific-Purpose Committee

I don’t think we ought to welcome “Houstonians for the Future,” a Specific-Purpose Committee set up to support Steve Costello for mayor according to the paperwork filed with the H-Town City Secretary on September 14. The committee’s address is located at the offices of Cobb Fendley. It doesn’t take a rocket science major to figure out what is going on here.

Some folks are thinking that some of Costello’s big contributors have maxed out and are now using the Specific-Purpose Committee to donate more cashola to help him out. That’s too bad. It is kind of dissing the process and the rules and circumventing the whole campaign finance set-up.

I hope this doesn’t set a precedent for future H-Town city elections. We don’t need wild-west types of campaigns – do we? We will find out what is going on when the campaign contribution and expenditure reports are filed next week. I am thinking this is a very bad move for H-Town.

On September 26, 2006, the ‘Stros beat the Pirates in Pittsburgh 7-4 to go 79-78 after 157 games. How many games were we out after 157 games back in 2006?

I was one of many who was skeptical when the ‘Stros skipper put Chris Carter back in the starting line-up. I was also one of many who has been proven dead wrong. I am ok with that.

Kris Banks tweeted this yesterday after my take on the Big Puma doing radio ads against the HERO:

Kris Banks ‏@KrisBanks 23h23 hours ago
Lance Berkman lives in Piney Point (not Houston). He can’t even vote on #HERO (h/t @MarcCommentary)

In 2006, after 157 games, the ‘Stros were a game and a half behind San Luis of course.

Well, we are a game and a half back with five remaining. We also have a half game lead over the Angels for the second Wild Card slot. Another late night but at least it ended with a 3-2 win.

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Notes from Yesterday and Last Night

I’ll be watching MSNBC again this morning and will never forget.

Let’s take off the gloves. Commentary is talking about the H-Town mayoral forums and debates.

At yesterday’s BOMA forum: Ben Hall to Council Member Steve Costello on permitting – “You have no credibility. You have been at city hall for six years and it has gotten worse.”

CM Costello went after Bill King. I think most observers know why.

On the HERO, Ben Hall received applause from a lot of BOMA folks for opposing.

I don’t think there were any older Acres Homes African American voters in attendance at BOMA so that’s why Rep. Sylvester Turner and Adrian Garcia quickly said “I support HERO.”

At last night’s televised debate, CM Costello again called out Bill King. Like I said, I think most observers know why.

Garcia was asked by Marty McVey about the Sheriff Department’s lousy record on solving rape cases under Garcia’s watch. Garcia had that uh-oh look and avoided answering the question. This question is going to dog Garcia for sure.

Commentary was disappointed that Bill King was never asked a question on the city budget, pensions, or infrastructure. I guess that is just the way it played out.

I also don’t think the debate organizers did a good job on their first round of questions. Some got tough questions and some didn’t. That is kind of lazy work if you ask me.

There were a lot of empty seats last night at the venue. I think the sponsors were a bit stingy on ticket distribution. They should have invited more folks.

Here is the Chron’s take on last night’s debate: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/In-first-televised-debate-mayoral-candidates-6497311.php.

Name the MLB club with the most home wins his season?

Here we go again. It kind of sounds like a broken record. Another effort to get more tourists to visit H-Town. Here is from today’s Chron:

It’s time to lay any lingering concerns over Houston as a “cultural wasteland” to rest and start actively promoting the city’s bounty of arts and culinary destinations to tourists, city officials said Thursday, kicking off the latest marketing and image campaign.

“Yes, it’s hot. Yes, we have mosquitoes. Let’s get over that,” Mayor Annise Parker told a group of 700 at Houston First Corp.’s inaugural Tourism Summit on Thursday. “After they get here, people fall in love with the city. They don’t want to leave.”

Houston First, the city’s main tourism arm, hopes to shift visitors’ focus beyond the oil and gas business and to brand the city as the “culinary and cultural capital of the South.” A new advertising and marketing blitz is part of its ambitious goal to boost visitors by 35 percent, to20 million annually, over the next three years.

Television spots feature famous Houstonians – members of ZZ Top, “Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons and singers Lyle Lovett and Kam Franklin – explaining what outsiders may be missing. The campaign includes images of not just the downtown skyline but also Midtown hot spots, fancy sushi bars, world-class museums and more.

Here is the entire story: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Tourism-officials-shift-focus-beyond-business-6496986.php?cmpid=btfpm.

Save your money, please. It is not going to work. It hasn’t in the past. It won’t in the future. Not even with the help of Sheldon Cooper. We are who we are.

San Luis of course leads MLB with 50 wins at home. The Royals and the ‘Stros follow with 48 each.

We now have a two and a half game lead with 22 left and we are in Anaheim for the next three. One game at a time.

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