http://houston.palomacruz.com Info, links, news and calendar items from the virtual streets of Houston, Texas. Thu, 15 May 2008 05:15:46 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en White's budget includes modest tax cut, more police-- Houston Chronicle2Mayor Bill White unveiled a record $4 billion budget proposal Tuesday, calling for a sharp increase in spending on public safety while cutting the property tax rate by a half-cent. The mayor's fiscal 2009 budget also would, if approved, create a dedicated set-aside of tax ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/05/15/city-of-houston-proposed-2009-budget-is-unveiled/ Houston honored as most accessible city for people with disabilities-- Houston Business Journal While some recent surveys point to Houston being among the fattest and the dumbest cities in the nation, Mayor Bill White on Friday accepted with pride his city's designation as the most accessible to handicapped people. The National Organization ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/05/05/houston-is-an-accessible-city/ Houston gets schooled in 'smart' surveyBayou City ranks near the bottom of the heap in education-based listing of 100 smartest U.S. cities-- Houston Business Journal Houston has landed near the bottom of a new ranking of the 100 smartest cities in the U.S., according to a recent study by Bizjournals.Houston ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/05/05/houston-ranks-low-in-education/ Evening commuters could get reprieve from rains-- Houston Chronicle2Heavy rains are expected to continue across southeast Texas late this morning and into the afternoon, but evening rush-hour travelers could get a break, forecasters said. "We think the rain will diminish beginning late this afternoon, probably between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.," National Weather Service forecaster ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/05/05/flood-warning/ If you didn't watch Iron Man this weekend, you're in the minority. I went to see it on Saturday and was a bit disappointed. Robert Downey, Jr. was great, but the movie was a bit... lacking. Just my personal opinion.Ticket sales cast in iron-- Houston Chronicle2Iron Man was pure gold ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/05/05/iron-man-tops-the-box-office/ Rally calls for immigration reform, end to raids-- Houston Chronicle2More than 200 supporters of immigrant rights rallied in downtown Houston on Thursday, calling for an overhaul of immigration laws and an end to a recent spate of workplace raids.The afternoon march and rally at downtown's Antioch Park coincided with national ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/05/01/immigration-rally/ Houston OKs 'green' energy code for new businessesMayor says cost hike for builders will be offset by utility savings-- Houston Chronicle2Starting Aug. 1, new commercial buildings will have to meet energy-efficiency benchmarks through the use of "green" design, under a new energy code approved Wednesday by the City Council.[snip]Footnotes2 = article may ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/05/01/new-green-energy-code-for-businesses-in-houston/ It's no surprise that Houston is a good ol' boys city. One more thing to prove it:Houston straggling on female board representation-- Houston Business JournalHouston companies still lag behind their national peers in appointing females to their board of directors, according to a report.Only 40 percent of Houston's top 100 ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/03/18/houston-behind-in-female-board-representation/ In case you missed the trail rides, the news stories and Go Texan Day... it's rodeo time in Houston, once again. Are you going?Resources:Space City goes western, by KHOU Channel 112008 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/03/04/rodeo/ Find out in a workshop given by the Small Business Development Center:Small-business resources-- Houston Chronicle2[snip]TuesdayDo You Have What It Takes to Start a Business? 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., UH SBDC, 2302 Fannin, Suite 200. Cost: no fee. Registration: www.sbdc.uh.edu.Footnotes2 = article may expire in a few weeks. http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/03/04/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-start-a-business/ Boom and bust may be a relic of city's pastExperts consider oil-driven ups and downs unlikely to be repeated-- Houston Chronicle2[snip]"There is a whole lot more stability than there was in the 1980s," said Hankamer, whose commercial real estate brokerage specializes in hotel properties. "There is lot more discipline by ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/02/27/houston-is-stable/ Houston's League of Women Voters looks to the futureGroup works to update image, keep nonpartisan mission thriving-- Houston Chronicle2The Houston Area League of Women Voters is distributing about 100,000 copies of its Voters Guide for the March 4 primaries, and perhaps the only relevant thing missing from the free publication ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/02/27/join-the-league-of-womens-voters/ ABC Channel 13 reports on the top 10 most stolen vehicles in Houston for January:Ford Trucks - 151Chevrolet Trucks - 140Honda Cars - 119 (Civic - 69.96%) / (Accord - 29.79%)Dodge Trucks - 91Ford Cars - 65 (Taurus - 49.94%) / (Mustang - 14.28%)Dodge Cars - 57 (Intrepid - 48.04%) / ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/02/23/most-stolen-cars-in-houston/ Houston-area flu cases up 31% over previous season-- Houston Chronicle2Three Houston-area children have died in what health officials are calling a "moderately severe epidemic" of flu. From October through January, emergency room workers had treated 32,965 people, according to the city Department of Health and Human Services. That represents an increase of 31 ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/02/14/houston-in-a-flu-epidemic/ H-E-B to sponsor children's health care drive-- Houston Business JournalH-E-B and the Children's Defense Fund on Feb. 23 will begin an enrollment drive for parents to enroll their children in low-cost health care coverage.[snip]Parents can also call 1-877-KIDS-NOW or download an application at www.chipmedicaid.org. http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/02/13/sign-up-for-chip-at-h-e-b/ Getting on track for growthAs Houston's population keeps rising, experts say city needs a strategy to stay competitive-- Houston Chronicle2[snip]By 2015, 1 million additional people are expected to settle in the eight-county region. Three million more are expected by 2035. To cope, the region needs rail links to airports, more housing downtown, ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/02/08/houston-lacks-planning-needs-to-get-on-track-for-growth/ Found at the Houston Business Journal:Gregory Price has been named chairman of the Houston Technology Center's advisory board for 2008.Price, director of consulting solutions and information technology at Pannell Kerr Forster of Texas PC, will take up his post on Feb. 14. http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/02/07/gregory-price-to-head-htc-board/ From Startup Houston:The Rice Alliance has gone and outdone themselves again by nearly doubling the amount of funds that will be awarded at this year’s Business Plan Competition. They will be awarding over $600,000 dollars in funds for approximately 36 different graduate teams from around the world, which enables them ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/02/07/largest-business-plan-competition-in-the-world/ Kroger joins rivals on low-price genericsGrocer's $4 prescriptions follow trend as competition intensifies-- Houston Chronicle2Got prescriptions? Houston patients now have more than 100 new places to get generic medications for less money.Kroger rolled out a program on Wednesday across the Southwest, including its 102 area stores with pharmacies, offering 30-day ... http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/02/07/4-prescriptions-at-kroger/ Headlines to note:Housing buzz fuels move to East EndArea attracts those priced out of other locations inside the Loop, by the Houston ChronicleMary Kay conference means big bucks for Houston, by the Houston Business Journal http://houston.palomacruz.com/2008/01/24/houston-news-links-5/