Taxes

The Taxman Cometh

Pearl Bar runs up a hefty tab with the comptroller's office as once-hot Washington Avenue sings the blues.

Legislators Propose Tax Districts To Fight School Crime, Guns & Violence

Three Houston lawmakers are proposing the creation of school district crime control districts, new taxing entities that can fund additional security measures or free up dollars for other expenditures. The "Texas School District Security Act" would give taxpayers the right to approve this new taxin ... More >>

Texas Attorney General Wants New York Gun Lovers to Move to Texas

Even for Texas this ranks about a 9.8 on the "YEE HAW, WE'RE FROM TEXAS" crazy shit-o-meter. Attorney General Greg Abbot has launched a quasi campaign to encourage people in commie states like New York, who feel like their liberties are being infringed upon because they can't own a garage full of as ... More >>

Report: Texas Ranks Near the Bottom in Tobacco Settlement Spending

Texas is only spending 2.4 percent of the tobacco settlement money it collects on tobacco prevention campaigns, placing the state near the bottom of the Centers for Disease Control's recommended state-spending list, according to a December report. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids' report states t ... More >>

No, George Washington Doesn't Want You Armed Against the Government: E-Mail Debunking Part II

This little infographic has been making the rounds on Facebook among the more pro-gun people... especially a certain kind of pro-gun people. See, there are hunters, there are people who want to own guns for home protection, and there are people who want to own guns simply because they are adults who ... More >>

Obama's Best Campaign Strategy: Keep Singing The Blues

After President Obama crooning Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" at a Harlem fundraiser became an unlikely iTunes sensation, even topping the ringtone chart, history is now repeating itself with his version of "Sweet Home Chicago" caught on an episode of PBS' In Performance at the White House Tuesd ... More >>

Aretha Franklin

Abraham Moses Fisch: Made A Million Convincing Defendants He Could Bribe Their Cases Away, Feds Say

He knows people​Houston criminal defense attorney Abraham Moses Fisch is facing a slew of federal charges this morning: conspiracy, obstruction of justice, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering and failure to file tax returns, They all stem from what the U.S. Attorney's Off ... More >>

Rick Perry, Aggie Football Hero

The closest Rick Perry ever got to playing football at Texas A&M was being a cheerleader -- sorry, a "yell leader," as the Aggies call them, because it's so much manlier. But once he started giving tax breaks to EA Sports to attract them to Texas, he's now a QB with a tight spiral and the ability ... More >>

HISD's Harvin Moore: Nothing 'Heroic' About Gutting Education

HISDHarvin Moore puts the Lege on blast​Houston ISD trustee Harvin Moore has just issued his third in a series of columns on the Texas education funding crisis, and this time he examines whether all the public funding woes can be laid at the feet of so-called inefficiencies. His column, whic ... More >>

HISD Says All Presents Aren't Good Ones, Rejects Deeds

Not one of the houses donated to HISD​While going through their normal delinquent tax collections business, Houston ISD tax staff members discovered three separate property owners had gifted them with parcels of land. Wow, Hair Balls was thinking, isn't that nice? Nope. Or as Donald Boehm, ... More >>

Social Security Tax Cut: How You Should Spend It

It's Natty Light time!!!​You're getting a tax cut!!! You may even notice it. A cut in Social Security taxes in 2011 means you should be seeing more in your paycheck. Since it involves taxes, however, it is all incredibly complicated and makes our heads hurt. The "Making Work Pay" tax credit ... More >>

FAIR-y Tales

Russell Pearce and Other Illegal-Immigration Populists Rely on Misleading, Right-Wing Reports to Scapegoat Immigrants and Terrify Penny-Pinched Americans.

Bob Hudgins Leaves Texas Film Commission, Unpleasantly

The head of the TFC is gone​A couple of months ago, when we examined why there was so little fim and TV production in Houston as opposed to Dallas and Austin, some of the commenters blamed Bob Hudgins, who heads the Texas Film Commission. Well, they won't have him to kick around anymore -- he ... More >>

Willie Nelson's 4th of July Celebration

Aurora unleashes a rare concert film from the redheaded stranger

No Raises For HISD Employees

That paycheck ain't changing next year​There won't be any raises for employees of the Houston ISD the next school year.Houston ISD trustees adopted a 2010-11 budget totaling  $1.613 billion Thursday night that Chief Financial Officer Melinda Garrett termed  a "survival" budget, adding th ... More >>

Annise Parker's First Budget Doesn't Include Major Layoffs Or Furloughs -- Yet

​One of the things that Mayor Annise Parker touts about the city's 2011 proposed budget -- released today -- is that it's balanced without any major layoffs in city departments or any mandatory furloughs for city employees. By the end of her presentation at City Hall, however, Parker said that you ... More >>

Welcome to Arizona

Judge who helped BP went on junket party on their tab.

Houston, You Are One Hell Of A Tax-Procrastinating City

​If you're in Houston, we have a pretty good idea what you're doing -- anything but preparing your tax returns.Turbo Tax has put out a survey of the 10 Biggest Tax-Procrastinating Cities, and Houston proudly leads the list after coming in a measly second last year.Turbo Tax V-P Bob Meighan offered ... More >>

The Big Secrets In Bill White's Tax Returns, Revealed

​You know things have gotten off on the wring foot challenging Rick Perry when the state's leading political writer compares your operation to Kay Bailey Hutchison's.Here's how things have gone in the Texas governor's race since the primaries: Rick Perry has been in Patton mode, ostentatiously "ac ... More >>

Jud Johnson Band

That Right-Wing Guy Who Tried To Mess With A Senator's Phones? Rep. Pete Olson Loves Him

​James O'Keefe became a right-wing icon when he exposed some idiots at ACORN via undercover video. (No telling how many ACORN offices he visited with his schtick before he found a victim, of course.)His hero image was tarnished a bit last week when he was arrested for entering the offices of Senat ... More >>

A Bad Weekend For Gene Locke

Who would have thought that after it was revealed that the "anti-gay" activist Dave Wilson donated $2,000 to the Gene Locke campaign that it would be the catalyst for a bad, bad weekend for the candidate?It didn't help that Locke forgot to attend the first highly anticipated debate since the Novembe ... More >>

Hotel Occupancy Dips, And Groups Who Depend On Those Tax Monies Keep A Wary Eye

Photo courtesy GHCVB​If yesterday's Chron story on projected drops in hotel tax revenues  gave you the frightening impression that Minute Maid Park might shutter its doors, or at least make the entire Astros roster sweep the bleachers and maintain the field, you may exhale -- at le ... More >>

T. Boone Pickens Names A New Holiday

To celebrate the one year anniversary since launching the Pickens Plan, ol' T. Boone himself has declared today, July, 8, "Energy Independence Day." It nice to know that all it takes is befriending a few powerful congressmen and about $100 million to name your own national "independence" day honor ... More >>

Ron Paul, Crusading Against All Pork But His

Photo courtesy Ron PaulOf all the Republicans in the US House of Representatives, who do you think has the most earmarks in the omnibus spending bill? Some RINO from up north?Nah. It's our own Ron Paul, stalwart criticizer of government spending (that's not in his district.)Fox News is touting the s ... More >>

All I want for Christmas is My ... Tax Receipt

Do the arts community and the bottom line on your taxes some good with a contribution to one of Houston's non-profit arts organizations. Hurricane Ike really kicked some organizations in the pants; some are close to closing and others have all their plans on hold.The sluggish economy means corporate ... More >>

Big Plans in Little Sugar Land: Pro Baseball and Concerts Coming to the Brazos?

Tax Break for the Rich; Roger Clemens at the Capitol; Green Sex

Mayor White gets help from the appraisal district

This Blows!

Houston has a national rep for taking down buildings. So why are these eyesores still standing?

TurboTaxed

Lagaan to This One

Best Pre- or Post-Theater Restaurant

Bistro Lancaster

Best Activist

Tom Bazan

Best Flack

John Cannon

Running Mates

Michael and Nandy Berry are world-class charmers. But what's really behind those two smiles?

Menacing Mayor?

A water district director wants police to protect him from Kemah's King

Taxing Miss Daisy

Previous tax bills and blighted properties haunt the city housing director

Bye to the Good Ol' Boys?

The commissioner's race that could break the county mold

Les Savy Fav, with 764-HERO and Swearing at Motorists

Thursday, May 2

Constant Billy

Sunday, March 17

Follow the Money

Some familiar faces get subpoenaed in the investigation of an alleged kickback scheme

Tax Rebate Waste?

Lest tax payers forget about the rebate, U.S. Rep John Culberson drives the message home with $36,000 worth of mailings

Let's Make A Deal

Convicted felons Mike and Pat Graham are at it again, trading allegations for favors

Insider

Tax Cut Chron-Style. Downtown's booming. So how does Hearst whack 40 percent off its property levy?

Court Karma: What Goes Around Comes Around

Judge to O'Quinn, O'Quinn to rehab and Bishop to Dock

The Insider

The Insider

Besieged by the Bay

Beset by skyrocketing tax assessments and wary of encroaching development, property owners in San Leon-Bacliff wonder if their "poor man's Riviera" may soon go the way of other waterfront zones along Galveston Bay.