- Layoffs Likely for City To Afford Firefighter Pay Parity [Houston Public Media]
- Houston-Based Encino Energy Leases Multiple Floors in San Felipe Plaza for New Headquarters [HBJ]
- Builder Confidence in the Market for New Single-Family Homes Hits 3-Year Low [Houston Chronicle]
- Mayor Turner Increases This Year’s Houston Arts Partners Scholarship Amount by More than Double [Houston Public Media]
- Kinder Institute: Third Ward, Fifth Ward, Denver Harbor, Gulfton Most Likely to Gentrify in Future [HBJ]
- Federal Judge Overturns Sessions-Enacted Policy on Asylum Seekers Fleeing Violence [Texas Tribune]
- HPD Cracking Down on Cargo Trucks After Several Giant-Spool Incidents on Freeways [Houston Public Media]
- Hank’s Cajun Crawfish Brings “Crabshack†Spinoff Near Fry Rd. in Katy [Eater]
- West Houston Medical Center Completes 12k Sq. Ft. Expansion at Richmond Facility [HBJ]
- 18 States Raise Minimum Wage in 2018 Alone as Texas Refuses to Budge [Texas Tribune]
- New York Coworking Co. Bond Collective Signs 2-Floor Lease at Pennzoil Place Downtown [Houston Chronicle]
- Sushi Hand Roll Bar Slated for Railway Heights Development [Eater; previously on Swamplot]
- Houston Office of Chicago-Based Lawfirm Signs 15-Year Lease in Capitol Tower [HBJ; previously on Swamplot]
Photo of 6100 Main St.: Bill Barfield via Swamplot Flickr Pool
Headlines
“said it looked bad that the city was spending so much – even though the money comes from airline fees, not taxes.”
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The city will look far more stupid and idiotic if they intentionally avoid investing in our future as specifically intended with dedicated revenue chains.
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” the Houston voters decided they would rather have pay parity.—
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It seriously should be illegal to put things like this up for public vote. Shame on voters for not caring/understanding about the cities finances or wanting to understand numbers in general. Shame on the firefighters for demanding raises when some of the cities biggest industries have experienced 50% layoffs and salary reductions/freezes across the board for 5yrs now and almost every taxpayer is facing higher expenses for reduced benefits from private employers.
Re: Firefighter Pay Parity
I heard several people before the election say that they were going to vote for the proposition because the CoH Paramedics (part of HFD) came to their house. Why does the City even have paramedics? Fire them to come up with the money for the pay increase, and let people pay for a commercial ambulance service….. it’s about time to cut “free” services
Re: Firefighter Pay Parity
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People vote for things for all manner of reasons (both good and bad) including the feel-good aspect that a paramedic visited their house on a medical call.
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Do I think this is a good reason to vote for pay parity? (No.)
Do I think that “free” paramedic service is worth keeping? (Yes.)
Should these financial measures be put to a vote? (Depends.)
Do we reap what we sow? (Most definitely).
It’s time to find a new Houston, folks. All of these short-sighted and feel-good measures will continue to pass, and people with options will flee due to rising costs and continued decline in services. It was a good run while it lasted.
City Cynic, if the paramedics come out to your house and transport you, the bill you receive later will convince you this service is anything but ” free”.
Shady …. that is why “free” is in quotes. With what they charge you might as well privatize it and get it off the city’s back.
The photo is of the BioScience Research Collaborative at 6500 Main St. Just sayin’.
@ City, sorry I didn’t pick up on your sarcasm there.
I voted no on the measure: 1st the Mayor said the city couldn’t afford to do this (he’s right), 2nd nothing is better than an unfunded mandate, right? There no mention of where the fund for pay raises would come from. 3rd if raises are to given out, and only if they are funded, then all city employees should benefit. 4th How many fires does HPD actually put out? How is their job on par with HPD? Sure going into a burning building is dangerous, but at least you can see the smoke. The cops have little clue where a suspect is, or who he is, or if he is armed.
Voters rarely understand the consequences of referendums.
Never underestimate the innumeracy of the electorate.