Did more money get us more police? You be the judge.
Houston is spending hundreds of millions more on police, but the number of officers has barely moved. The Chronicle calls today’s staffing a 20-year high. Look at the longer history,
Using Taxpayers’ money to self-promote.
Whitmire’s generosity to police and firefighters may make him a labor hero, but Houston taxpayers are the ones paying for it. Historically, nearly 80% of Houston police officers and firefighters
Under Whitmire, Are Houston Police Targeting the Black Community?
Whitmire Says Marijuana Isn’t a Priority — So Why Are Arrests Up Nearly 1,300%? Houston Mayor John Whitmire says low-level marijuana possession has not been much of a police priority
Salt caverns: what you can’t see can hurt you:
Houston Is Already Sinking. Now Look at What Is Underneath Us. The worst-case scenarios involving Houston’s salt domes have happened before — just not here on a large scale. A
Whitmire Wants to Give Away the Goose for Eggs Houston Already Owns
Houston Mayor John Whitmire has found a way to make $50 million sound like free money. The problem is that a large part of the money already belongs to Houston,
Unable to solve Houston’s problems, Whitmire turns to AI for advice.
What John Whitmire Is Doing to Houston John Whitmire became mayor promising to fix Houston’s problems. But some of the biggest things his administration has done look less like fixing
Click2 Houston, inviting hate into its house.
Why Is Channel 2 Still Giving Hate a Comment Section? Houston’s major television stations all compete for the same thing: viewers, clicks, and attention. But one thing separates KPRC Channel
Meme Can Pray for Rain. This One Is Easier: Is City Hall Building Orlando Sanchez an Issue
Sometimes politicians have to spend millions of dollars trying to create an issue. Orlando Sanchez may not have to spend a dime. Houston City Council Member Julian Ramirez has proposed
Houston Says Crime Is Down. But Are Houstonians Simply Calling the Police Less?
Houston officials have good reason to be pleased that reported crime is falling. Mayor John Whitmire has repeatedly pointed to lower crime numbers as evidence that the city is moving
HPD and ICE: What is HPD hiding?
The following is from the Houston Chronicle: Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz and his executive chief were no-shows Tuesday at a long-planned city council hearing to discuss the agency’s cooperation with
When Turner Helped Create a $95,000 Job, Houston Went Crazy. Whitmire Created a $127,000 Job. Why the Difference?
Houston has seen this movie before. A mayor knows someone. A city job appears. The salary is unusually high. The position was not handled like an ordinary city job. Reporters
Houston, how accurate are Flock cameras? They have been found to be as inaccurate as 71%.
Houston has embraced Flock Safety’s artificial-intelligence license-plate cameras as another tool for fighting crime. Police can search the system for vehicles associated with suspects, stolen cars, and criminal investigations. The
Trump refuses to release the Epstein files; Whitmire refuses to release the Chris Brown files.
The Mayor Says Chris Brown Worked. The Controller Says: Show Me. Houston Mayor John Whitmire says his administration is serious about rooting out waste at City Hall. City Controller Chris
I Know Orlando Sanchez. Letitia Plummer Is Still the Better Choice for Harris County Judge
I have known Orlando Sanchez for more than 20 years. He is a nice guy. I have nothing personal against him. But nice is not enough. We already have a
Is reporting a crime worth the risk of being separated from your family?
Who Told ICE Where the Witness Was? The most troubling question in the case of ICE arresting a Houston crime witness is the simplest one: How did ICE know where
ICE Is Using Local Police Camera Networks to Hunt Undocumented Immigrants
The little black camera beside the road does not know whether the person driving past it is undocumented, a citizen, a police officer or a grandmother going to church. It
Houston Protected the Winners—and Lost the Program
Don’t feel sorry for the loss of the program; the beneficiaries needed to go on a diet. The city can build a much better program that really helps the little
White Progressives Want a Refund. Why Are Latino Leaders Still Vouching for John Whitmire?
I do not want a refund. I never bought John Whitmire. White progressives bought him because he was experienced. Moderate Democrats bought him because he promised stability. Republicans bought him
Some Mornings I Wake Up Humble. This Was Not One of Them.
Excuse Me While I Beat My Own Drum Some mornings I wake up humble. This was not one of them. On January 20, I wrote a story titled “Harris County
Houston May Be Pouring Tomorrow’s Fortune Down the Drain
Imagine Houston Residents as rich as Saudi Arabia, not because there is oil underneath us but because someone at City Hall saw a future fortune in water. Texas built pipelines