HUD Wants Houston To Return Money

HUD wants the city of Houston to return about $15.5 million in federal funds because the city improperly used the money. Some of the reasons cited were as follows:

•The city failed to conduct required inspections for more than 1,000 homes whose buyers received down payment assistance.

•The city paid more than $1 million to the Houston Housing Finance Corp. to advance funds for homebuyer closings.

•The city provided federal funds to the owners of several apartment developments on condition that rents must not exceed specified levels and tenants must be screened to ensure they didn't exceed income requirements. These developments were taken by lenders in foreclosure, and the rent and income requirements no longer applied, making the projects ineligible for federal funding.

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Houston...we have a problem.

Survey: Most Don't Want To Return To New Orleans Public Housing

Seven out of 10 public housing residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina want to return to the city, but only a third want to go back to subsidized homes, according to a study released Thursday.

Researchers at the University of Texas in Arlington interviewed 2,109 displaced public housing residents for the report. The study was commissioned and paid for by the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), which has been under the control of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for several years.

The study showed that 72% of respondents wanted to return to New Orleans, but only 35% of all displaced residents were willing to accept government-subsidized housing.

Rape Victim Pushes For Public Trial

Lawyers for Jamie Leigh Jones told a federal judge in Houston Wednesday they believe her case should be settled by a public trial and not a private arbitration process. Attorneys, however, for Halliburton and its former subsidiary, KBR Inc., argued that she signed a contract that binds her to settle all claims — including sexual assault allegations — against her former employer through arbitration.

Ms. Jones filed a federal lawsuit in May saying she was raped by co-workers while working for a Halliburton subsidiary at Camp Hope, Baghdad. Jones' lawsuit claims she lived in a coed barracks and, after enduring harassment from some of the men in the quarters, was drugged and raped on July 28, 2005. The suit alleges that her attackers were Halliburton and KBR firefighters.

Jeff Parish Car Chase Ends in Shoot out in N.O.

This incident could have resulted in a child's death. It should have been worth it to the fleeing suspects to stop.

Democrata Don't Expect Knockout Win

The month long political fight in Texas and Ohio concludes in today's primaries, but the campaigns of U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama signaled Monday that neither expects a knockout punch for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The expectations were lowered because the polls in Texas and Ohio showed the race was too close to call. Plus, the complex system of Texas delegates being chosen by both popular vote and through caucuses makes it possible for the popular vote winner to come up short in delegates.

A tracking poll Monday showed Clinton leading Obama 46.6 percent to 43.5 percent in Texas and essentially tied in Ohio: Clinton, 44 percent; Obama, 44.4 percent. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.4 percentage points in both surveys. The Houston Chronicle, Reuters, C-Span tracking polls were conducted by Zogby International.

RTA Gets New Buses

I am pleased to hear that the Regional Transit Authority is getting new buses. Some people, in New Orleans, depend on public transportation and these new buses will make their lives a little easier.

By May 1, the RTA hopes to receive the first of 39 new coaches equipped to use cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel. The full complement of environmentally friendly buses should be on hand by summer's end, marking the first major move by the financially crippled agency to replace vehicles destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

East Texas is essential to Democratic Primary

Battleground Texas in the Democratic presidential primary is firming up, with Hillary Rodham Clinton in control of South Texas and Barack Obama apparently owning Houston and Dallas, a new tracking poll shows.

And in the one-time bastion of the Texas Democratic Party — East Texas — the race is swinging back and forth.

Statewide, Obama holds a lead, but pollster John Zogby said the race is too close to call, especially with heavy turnout in early voting. Zogby said Obama is leading Clinton among young voters, men, blacks and holds almost 60 percent support in Houston and Dallas.