The light control box mini-mural in Clear Lake. It's gone!

June 2, 2016

An interesting story.

The City of Houston and the Houston Arts Alliance teamed up with local artists to transform the traffic control boxes on street corners into works of art. called Mini Murals. Here in Clear Lake we had one painted by Gabriel Prusmack in a chemical motif, I assume in reference to the chemical industry in the area. This box was located on the corner of Clear Lake City Blvd and El Camino until someone decided to take it upon themselves to paint over it.

The local City Councilman’s office reported it to the police as vandalism. To make a long story short, a local HOA contracted with a painter to repaint the box. According to their management company:

“The box is located on property owned and maintained by the XXXX Association. The manager of the community received many complaints of graffiti on the box. In an effort to resolve issues of graffiti as quickly as possible, the manager dispatched our maintenance crew to paint over the graffiti.”

It’s a shame since the art is pretty interesting and the artist spent a considerable amount of time and effort to paint this ,all with the City of Houston’s blessing. Here are some more examples of this mini-mural project:

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Posted by johncoby

The Power to Complain: Texas Electricity Website Is Rigged

May 24, 2016

Thanks to Dave Fehling of Houston Public Media for this story on the Texas Public Utility Commission Power to Choose website. After 13 years the promise of lower electricity rates due to deregulation has never materialized for Texas consumers. The Power to Choose website was designed to allow consumers the ability to “Shop, Compare, and Choose” but has failed to do so.

The PUC has been collecting comments on how to improve their deceptive Power to Choose website. As many of the 100 comments have stated, the website does not truly compare the hundreds of plans available that are complicated with fees, gimmicks, rebates, and hidden charges. Even the Chairman of the PUC stated in the Texas Tribune article:

Donna Nelson, chairman of the Public Utility Commission, said Thursday at a public meeting. “They’ve [electricity resellers] got all these tricky little things in their prices, and whatever the fact sheets are called – the nutrition label – that makes it really difficult for customers.”

I was pleased to see that other individuals and organizations, including AARP Texas, has joined me in recommending true comparison of the plans available taking into consideration their historic kWh usage of their home coupled with the various plans, fees, and gimmicks. The PUC has access to consumer’s historical usage. They can easily take this information and perform the calculations for every plan and show how much each plan would truly cost. This would be a true and fairly accurate comparison based upon your specific usage. Currently the website does nothing more than displays the cost per kWh and some of the gimmicks for each company. This is not comparing.

“Give real comparisons of how much you will be paying each company,” said Cobarruvius. A PUC spokesperson told us that the commission is continuing to take consumer comments and will consider changes by sometime late this summer.

With historic lows in natural gas and the magic of deregulation championed by Ken Lay and Enron, it is about time the Public Utility Commission make good on their promises of lower electricity rates for consumers.

If you are interested, comments can be viewed and submitted here.

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Posted by johncoby

Carl Whitmarsh 1952-2016

May 12, 2016

Last weekend a Democratic friend of mine, Carl Whitmarsh, passed away. Most everyone had a run in with Carl at one time or another. I was no different but he always smiled and said hello no matter how much of a jackass I was.

From Harris County:

In loving memory of Carl Whitmarsh (1952-2016). Please join us for a Memorial Service honoring a true Democratic Legend.

If you would like to help with expenses please donate to https://www.gofundme.com/CarlWhitmarsh or make check payable to Mary Schllet 5910 Acorn, Houston, TX 77092

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Not guilty in Taylor Lake shooting trial

April 21, 2016

The age of George Zimmerman continues…..

From Click2Houston:

HOUSTON – It took a Harris County Jury three hours Monday to decide a Seabrook area doctor who shot and killed his neighbor in May 2013 is not guilty of murder.

I’ve blogged on this before. I was able to hear the testimony of the shooter. I came away with two thoughts, 1) I felt the Assistant District Attorney’s heart wasn’t in this trial. Maybe he presented this case  to the grand jury with the recommendation to no bill it and then was surprised to see an indictment. It happens when a case is going to be hard to prove. 2) I cannot understand why the ADA did not hammer the shooter on why he escorted the intruder off the property, across the street, around the corner, and down the street instead of retreating to the safety of his home and letting the police handle it.

Much like why George Zimmerman didn’t just stay in his car and let the police investigate the intruder. If both of these individuals had just let the police handle the situation two individuals would be alive today, but we have become a gun nut shoot first, take matters into your own hands, society and we must now suffer the consequences, more for some than for others. 

According to Click2Houston the family has filed a wrongful death suit.

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Posted by johncoby

The next George Zimmerman trial is ongoing in Houston

April 5, 2016

From Click2Houston:

HOUSTON – The Seabrook-area doctor who killed his neighbor was in court in Houston Monday. The question is whether Karl Hormann committed murder. There’s no argument that the dead man, Brandon Smith, 36, trespassed on Hormann’s property during a private party. He was warned to leave, but Hormann — who shot Smith three times, killing him — appeared to do so in the public street, not on his property

The website for Brandon Smith has links to the 911 call. You can hear the shots that killed Brandon and more. It’s sick. Why Hormann had to leave his house and follow Brandon down the street is beyond me. The police had been called. Their sirens can be heard in the call. Go back into the house and let them do their job.

We live in a gun nut society. Unfortunately someone has to pay for this. As I have said before:

On one hand the shooter just had to stay in his house and wait for the police. Instead he followed the victim down the street then shot him claiming self defense, just like Zimmerman. On the other hand we live in a state where you can shoot someone in the back if they are stealing your neighbors property (Joe Horn in Pasadena). Texans believe in shooting first, taking the law and their guns into their own hands. They love their guns and the Tea Party will defend that right to bear and use arms to the death, literally.

The trial is in the 228th Criminal Court in Harris County and will continue all week. 

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Posted by johncoby

Electricity Rate Recommendation

February 25, 2016

Before electricity deregulation consumers in the old HL&P area were paying just under 8 cents a kWh in a long term, no maintenance, contract. Now after 13 years of deregulation consumers have the ability to “Shop, Compare, Choose” according to the Public Utility Commission’s website, the PowerToChoose.org. Unfortunately choosing using the tools provided by the PUC is complicated and deceiving. Don’t take my word for it, even the Commissioner agrees. From Jim Malewitz of the Texas Tribune:

Donna Nelson, chairman of the Public Utility Commission, said Thursday at a public meeting. “They’ve [electricity resellers] got all these tricky little things in their prices, and whatever the fact sheets are called – the nutrition label – that makes it really difficult for customers.”

I’m putting the final touches to a presentation titled “How to Select a Cost Effective Electricity Reseller” and in doing so stumbled upon a plan that is about as close to what we had pre-deregulation. Is it the cheapest? Maybe not for your specific usage and your home but if you are looking for a no gimmick, no extra fees, no hidden costs, with a relatively low rate, this is the one for you.

Recommendation:
Discount Power has a 12 or 24 month plan at 7,.7 cents per kWh no matter how much electricity you use during the month. Many plans have variable rates, discounts and extra fees depending upon your usage during a specific month. It can be very complicated to compute a real rate and sometimes it isn’t as low as it seems, but knock yourself out if you want to try.

With this plan you have a long, no maintenance contract, at 7.7 plus tax. If you appreciate a relatively low rate, a longer contract, and no gimmicks, this is the one for you. Discount Power Saver No Gimmicks 24 signup can be found here. The electricity fact sheet is here.

BTW I do not receive any referral fees from Discount Power and I have signed up myself.

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Posted by johncoby

Public Utility Commission shocked at deceptive pricing on their The Power To Choose website

February 12, 2016

I’ve been saying this for a while.

Electricity resellers provide rates to the PUC to be published on their website the PowerToChoose.org. The idea is to provide a single location where consumers could “compare” prices from various resellers. As I have said in the past, “It ain’t easy”. In fact it is at times deceptive and today the PUC agrees. From “Texas Regulators Eye Deceptive Electricity Pricing” by Jim Malewitz of the Texas Tribune:

Donna Nelson, chairman of the Public Utility Commission, said Thursday at a public meeting. “They’ve got all these tricky little things in their prices, and whatever the fact sheets are called – the nutrition label – that makes it really difficult for customers.”

The rates that are published do not clearly show the “gotchas”, gimmicks, or extra fees. Most prices are also based upon your particular usage. A great rate for one person could be a horrible rate for another. Gotchas and fees include a monthly usage fee, a discount for using more electricity, a penalty for using less, and penalties for not using automatic withdrawal from your checking account.

Because of these, sometimes hidden, charges the PowerToChoose.org fails to provide real rate comparison. Even if the charges are not hidden there is no way to really compare but there is a solution.

Consumers have access to their usage history through their reseller. The PUC could allow a user to input their monthly usage for a year and then perform the calculations to determine how much electricity would actually cost per reseller. This would not be perfect since your usage may vary but it would be very close and would serve as a basis for comparison.

As an example. A provider on the PUC website advertised a rate of 5 cents/kWh for using more than 1000 kWh a month and 11.5 for using less. My home is 2400 sq ft and I use over 1000 kWh just 4 months of the year. After performing these calculations the average rate I would pay is 9.9 cents well over the 8 cents I was paying pre-deregulation.

So…the PUC is finally getting it. Just remember who lobbied for deregulation, Ken Lay and Enron.

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How much will that $17.99 oil change cost?

February 12, 2016

I should have known better.

That $17.99 oil change advertised by a company on Bay Area Blvd in Clear Lake cost me $53.00. I was in a hurry and my regular service station, NTB, was not available. They charge me $26.00 drive out and they rotate my tires. So being in a hurry I fell for the $17.99 ad. (Afterward I drove down the street to get my tires balanced and rotated for free at Discount Tires. They are a great place for tires)

After my cars hood was up, the oil was being drained I fell for the upgraded service of using Pennzoil instead of Mobil. That was $33.99. That was my mistake. Chalk that up to just plain stupidity. My bad. So after the $33.99 there was tax, an oil filter, an extra quart of oil, and a disposal fee.

All of this was included in my $26.00 service at NTB. So my suggestion when falling for this advertisement is to ask “How much will that $17.99 oil change cost me for my particular car?”. Turns out my car takes 6 quarts of oil. The $17.99 includes up to 5 quarts. And you should ask if that includes an oil filter and disposal fees.

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Best Buy, Sears and their new arbitration clause

December 11, 2015

Lucky for Best Buy and Sears most Americans are too busy buying that giant flat screen TV, computers, and notebooks, to worry about the loss of their rights to the Constitution.

Best Buy has upgraded their arbitration policy and consumers have the choice of declining it. According to Best Buy  “We will not close your account if you only reject the arbitration change.”. Mighty nice of them. At least they give you the opportunity to opt out. Most other companies, that restrict your rights to the Constitution, do not allow this opt out provision.

Sears has adopted the same language.

The notice goes on to claim that arbitration bars you from a jury trial or joining a class action suit. Instead of a Judge and Jury in a courthouse, which you have paid for with your taxes, you have the honor of submitting your claim to a private justice system, ie the American Arbitration Association. They claim arbitration is simple and less expensive, which is not always the case.

You have to write to both if you want to opt out. I doubt most card holders will take time away from learning their new remote to do so.

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How to drive in Texas: In the fast lane

March 16, 2015

I’ve said it before “We do things bigger in Texas”. It’s not really true unless you count the size of mosquitos or hair extensions, but we do have bigger idiots, many who drive on our Texas highways. With that in mind, here is another in the series “How to drive in Texas” this time:

Driving in the fast lane:
The fast lane on a highway, is called the “left lane”. It is dedicated to those who want to drive faster than the “flow of traffic”. 75, 85, 95 MPH is not uncommon, but for us Texans we don’t follow those California type of rules. We are free spirited, do what we want, drive where we want, kinda folk. So driving in the fast lane is simple for us simpletons.

To drive in the fast lane simply move into the lane when you have an opening and drive what ever speed you damn well please. If someone rides your bumper, or if all you see in the rear view mirror is a truck grill, consider it as extra protection from being rear ended by someone driving like a damn Californian. Those who want around you can easily use the right lane or the shoulder while waving to you as they pass by.

That’s the Texas way of driving in the fast lane. As I said, we do thing bigger in Texas.

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