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Bill King News
Why Houston streets are so bad
By Bill King | Feb 8, 2023
I had a friend from Austin in town over the weekend. We were talking about her visit and she said, “I just can’t believe how bad the streets are here.”
Support for ranked-choice voting is growing
By Bill King | Nov 16, 2022
Voters in seven states voted on a record ten ranked-choice voting (RCV) initiatives last week, including proposal to use RCV for most elections in the state of Nevada.
Violent crime in Harris County
By Bill King | Sep 26, 2022
Last week, Houston Chronicle’s Jasper Scherer wrote a solid article on recent crime statistics in Harris County. It was a nuanced examination of the data, and he found a new Texas crime database I had not previously seen.
This is not bail reform - this is insanity
By Bill King | Sep 16, 2022
Last Wednesday, 37-year-old, Omar Ursin, went to pick up take-out for his family.
Mass shootings in America – Part 1
By Bill King | Sep 7, 2022
In 2017, two researchers, Jillian Peterson and James Densley, decided to conduct in-depth research on every mass shooting that had taken place in America.
Harris County funding for law enforcement
By Bill King | Sep 6, 2022
For the most part, I find the “defunding the police” debate little more than partisan rhetoric which serves more to obfuscate than elucidate any meaningful discussion about the appropriate level of law enforcement funding.
Harris County property tax revenues were up by 7% last year
By Bill King | Jul 18, 2022
The Harris County Auditor’s Office recently released its monthly report for February 2022, which is the County’s fiscal year end.
Suicide in America
By Bill King | Jun 27, 2022
Over the last 20 years, nearly a million Americans have taken their own lives.
Eight of 10 largest U.S. cities, including Houston, lost population in 2021
By Bill King | Jun 6, 2022
The U.S. Census Bureau released its 2021 population estimates for U.S. cities with a population of over 50,000.
'The lady doth protest too much, methinks'
By Bill King | May 24, 2022
In a jaw-dropping tweet and press conference last week, County Judge Lina Hidalgo said that she expects to be indicted in connection with the now infamous vaccine outreach contract scandal.At a press conference, Hidalgo went much further, calling out Harris County District Attorney and fellow Democrat, Kim Ogg, for conducting a “politically motivated” investigation.
Harris County Commissioners to consider $40,000 per month for no-bid contract for 'executive protection services'
By Bill King | Apr 25, 2022
On tomorrow’s Commissioners Court agenda (Item No. 201) is a request from the Purchasing Department to approve a no-bid contract to XMi Protection, LLC for three months of “executive protection services for the Harris County Office of County Administration” at a cost of $121,000.
County paid $885,000 on the vaccine contract after Hidalgo decided to cancel it
By Bill King | Apr 18, 2022
The more we learn about Harris County’s vaccine outreach contract, the more it stinks.
Op-ed: County vaccine contract exposed as blatant bid-rigging
By Bill King | Mar 22, 2022
Last week, a copy of the application by the Texas Rangers for a warrant to search County records related to the now infamous vaccine outreach contract was made public.
Harris County concealed missing votes for over 48 hours
By Bill King | Mar 9, 2022
The last thing we needed right now was a grossly incompetently run election and elected officials then dissembling about what happened.
Stay home – unless you are going to a Lina Hidalgo rally
By Bill King | Feb 14, 2022
It was only a month ago that County Judge Lina Hidalgo appeared before a sparsely attended press conference with her eyes barely visible above her mask to announce that she was returning the County to “Code Red” on its COVID threat system.
King: Houston's pension plan report results are 'jaw-dropping'
By Bill King | Jan 3, 2022
In the last few weeks, the City and two of its pension plans (Police & Fire) have issued their annual reports as of June 30 last year. The results are jaw-dropping.
King: CBO now says Build Back Better could increase national debt by $3 trillion
By Bill King | Dec 15, 2021
A few weeks ago, I shared with you that the Congressional Budget Office had estimated that the Democrats’ Build Back Better (BBB) bill would only increase the deficit over the next ten years by about $200 million.
How much will the Build Back Better bill cost?
By Bill King | Nov 29, 2021
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its estimate of the effect of the Democrats’ proposed “human infrastructure” bill, referred to as the Build Back Better legislation (BBB), on the federal deficit.
King: Hidalgo 'lied' about $11 million contract
By Bill King | Sep 7, 2021
I lauded County Judge Lina Hidalgo for committing to not take campaign contribution from county contractors shortly after she was elected, a campaign finance reform I have long supported.