Now in our 12th year on KPFT!

FYI: WordPress is forcing me to work with a new type of editor, so things will look … different … for a while. I’m hoping I’ll improve with a learning curve. Please bear with me — Mike

Beginning April 20th, Thinkwing Radio will air on KPFT 90.1-HD2 on Sundays at 1PM, and will re-air on Mondays at 2PM and Wednesdays at 11AM. Thanks for listening!

AUDIO:

Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig (@ThinkwingRadio) is now on Sundays at 1PM and re-runs Wednesday at 11AM (CT) on KPFT 90.1 FM-HD2, Houston’s Community Media. You can also hear the show:

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1. The next election is scheduled for May 3, 2025, with early voting beginning on April 22, 2025, which is this week.
   1. I will preface the rest of this information with a reminder. I think we’ve all learned the hard way that there is no such thing as a trivial or unimportant election.
   2. Local elections may still be the most important elections in the sense that they are most likely to affect you, your children, your quality of life, your water service, etc.
   3. This time around in Harris County, at least, the elections are for bond propositions, school board trustees, and more.
   4. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot was April 22, so it’s too late to mail now.
   5. In Harris County, you can early vote at any polling place in the county. I strongly encourage you to vote as soon before election day as possible because stuff happens.
   6. You can find voting and balot information at HARRISVOTES DOT COM if you live in Harris County, or at VOTETEXAS DOT GOV for anywhere in Texas.
   7. If you’re I Harris County, I’ve linked to “What’s on my Ballot?” in this show post. Looking at the county-wide sample ballot, not everyone will have elections this time around. You can find a personalized sample ballot there, and you may or may not have an election this time around.
   8. I’m going to read a list of the places in Harris County that are having elections for positions, or bonds, or other things. This list is as complete as I could ascertain, but it was a long ballot so I might have missed something.
   9. There are elections for positions and/or bond propositions in the following places: City of Friendswood, City Of Jersey Village, City Of Nassau Bay, City Of Pasadena, City Of South Houston, City Of West University Place, Lee College District – Regent Positions, Humble Independent School District-Trustee Elections, San Jacinto Community College District-Board of Trustee Elections, Clear Creek Independent School District, Tomball Independent School District, Cypress Forest Public Utility District, Harris County Emergency Services District No. 5, Waller Independent School District, Green Trails Municipal Utility District, Harris County Fresh Water Supply District-No. 1A, Harris County Municipal Utility District-No. 16, Harris County Municipal Utility District-No. 105, Harris County Municipal Utility District-No. 118, Harris County Municipal Utility District-No. 167, HC MUD 182, Proposition B, Harris County Municipal Utility District-No. 230, Harris County Municipal Utility District-No. 188, Harris County Municipal Utility-District No. 570D, Mayde Creek Municipal Utility District, Harris County Water Control and Improvement District No. 116, Harris County Water Control And Improvement District No. 74, Harris County Water Control and Improvement District No. 92, Hunter’s Glen Municipal Utility District, Memorial Hills Utility District, West Harris County Municipal Utility-District No. 5, West Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 15, Oakmont Public Utility District, West Harris County Municipal Utility-District No. 10, Weston Municipal Utility District-Bond Election, and last but not least, Trail of the Lakes Municipal Utility District.
   10. Again, I urge you to go to HarrisVotes[dot]com for your personal sample ballot. And remember that you can bring that sample with you to your polling place for reference as you cast your ballot.
2. Atypically, I’m going to start the show with a national story because I believe it’s of the utmost importance. — Republican US Senator Murkowski on threat of Trump retaliation: ‘We are all afraid’; By David Morgan | REUTERS.COM | April 17, 202510:06 PM CDT/Updated 2 days ago. TAGS: Republican U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, White House, President Donald Trump, Political Retaliation,
   1. Republican U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski disclosed this week that the threat of political retaliation from President Donald Trump is real enough to make her anxious about speaking out about his tariffs, executive orders and cuts to federal agencies.
   2. [Murkowski spoke to a summit of nonprofit and tribal leaders in her native Alaska.] …
   3. [MIKE: Here, in case you haven’t already heard it, I’m going to play the actual audio of that segment. It runs 1 min 49 sec.]
   4. PLAY AUDIO: (ARTICLE QUOTES: “We are all afraid. … It’s quite a statement. But we are in a time and a place where I certainly have not been here before. And I’ll tell you, I am oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real. And that’s not right. I’m going to use my voice to the best of my ability. … I’ve got to figure out how I can do my best to help the many who are so anxious and are so afraid.”)
   5. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement: “President Trump’s only retribution is success and historic achievements for the American people.”
   6. [MIKE: My one-word comment on that: HA! Continuing …]
   7. Murkowski’s remarks, recorded in a video posted by the Anchorage Daily News, came on Monday in response to a question about what she would tell people who are afraid of the policy changes being implemented by Trump and his advisers.
   8. Murkowski is one of the few Senate Republicans who have been willing to criticize Trump’s policies, oppose some of his Cabinet nominees and vote to overturn his tariffs on Canada.
   9. She survived a Trump-backed challenger three years ago, after voting with six other Republicans to convict the president at his second impeachment trial in the Senate over the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.
   10. The Anchorage Daily News said Murkowski criticized the current Trump administration’s approach to implementing policy changes and government service cuts on Monday, describing some as “unlawful.”
   11. The lawmaker also said she would oppose sweeping cuts to the Medicaid healthcare program for low-income Americans being sought by some Republicans to pay for tax cuts. …
   12. Other congressional Republicans have faced heated criticism and even shouting matches during in-person meetings with constituents angered by their support of Trump. Some have responded to protesters with police arrests.
   13. MIKE: This is an intolerable situation. We can’t have a government with checks and balances, if a branch of government that is supposed to help balance things has a metaphorical knife held to its metaphorical throat.
   14. MIKE: If there is a post-Trump, post-Republican government in this country, it will need major reforms. Those reforms will have to be done both legislatively and through Constitutional Amendments, but a Constitutional Convention must be off the table. Given our current neo-authoritarian political climate, that could be an unrecoverable disaster.
   15. MIKE: One idea I’ve had would probably require a Constitutional amendment, and that is to put the Department of Justice under the judiciary branch. There would have to be a new way to choose the Attorney General that removes that person and that department from the influence of the President.
   16. MIKE: Further, this new Court-operated DoJ would need its own enforcement arm. The DoJ already has the US Marshals Service, and this would put them directly under the control of the federal courts. It would also give the courts a way to directly enforce their decisions in the event of recalcitrant government officials.
   17. MIKE: But mainly, I want to spend some time discussing what Senator Murkowski said about the fear that is affecting many Republican senators, and probably House Representatives, as well.
   18. MIKE: As with most things, good advice is easy to give and hard to take, and I respect how hard courage can be, or everyone would be brave all the time. But my advice is this: Resist or Resign. “Resist or Resign” offers a starker choice to politicians of conscience.
   19. MIKE: It’s common knowledge that Trump is a cruel, remorseless, and vengeful person, and he wields his cruelty with the glee and freedom of a high school alpha bully. If a senator or congressperson is more worried about the country than about their next election, they can resign in favor of someone who is willing to take on the neo-authoritarians. Alternatively, a politician can Resist or Resign from the Republican Party and join the Democrats, or caucus with them as an Independent.
   20. MIKE: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders — an Independent who is both a Democratic-Socialist and a Democrat-when-convenient — and independent Maine Senator Angus King both caucus with the Democrats in the Senate, and they have significant power and influence within the caucus by doing so.
   21. MIKE: Senator Murkowski could take this path. Such a move would ease some of the immediate political pressure on her. It would also have the virtues of creating a crack in the Trumpian Republican wall and altering the balance of power in Congress, even if only a bit at first. With slimmer Republican majorities, more things become possible.
   22. MIKE: Protestors have used “Do Your Job” as a protest mantra. A next step might be the stronger mantra of “Resist or Resign”. And resistance can take more than one form for the courageous.
   23. REFERENCE: Murkowski Says She’s Scared. Tim Says QUIT the GOP and Join the Fight! — The BULWARK
3. Houston Landing to cease operations in face of financial challenges; Letter from the Editor by Houston Landing | HOUSTONLANDING.ORG | April 15, 2025 @ 10:33 am. TAGS: Local Reporting, Nonprofit News, The Texas Tribune,
   1. The board of Houston Landing has voted to shut down the nonprofit newsroom in the face of financial challenges. Although Houston Landing launched with significant seed funding, it has been unable to build additional revenue streams to support ongoing operations.
   2. The newsroom anticipates it will cease publishing by mid-May of this year. This timeline will enable Houston Landing to facilitate a thoughtful transition.
   3. [Said Ann B. Stern, board chair of Houston Landing,] “We are proud of the Landing’s coverage of Greater Houston and continue to believe deeply in the need for more free, independent journalism in our region. This decision was difficult but necessary. Houston Landing’s reporting has made a meaningful impact in the community, but it struggled to find its long-term financial footing.”
   4. The Houston Landing board continues to believe there is a strong need for nonprofit local news in Houston and a viable path to sustaining it. The board has entered into discussions with The Texas Tribune, which is exploring the possibility of establishing a Houston news initiative as part of its broader strategy to expand local journalism and serve more Texans.
   5. [Said Sonal Shah, CEO of The Texas Tribune,] “We have great respect for Houston Landing’s work in delivering high-quality, nonpartisan journalism to its readers. We also understand the profound challenges facing local newsrooms today — journalism is a public service and needs a strong ecosystem to thrive. We look forward to exploring how we can learn from what the Landing started, and create a sustainable model that serves the Houston community. We will take time to explore the right path forward to ensure sustainability.”
   6. The Texas Tribune recently announced plans to expand its network of local newsrooms. The Waco Bridge, its new initiative in Waco, is scheduled to launch in 2025, and a newsroom in Austin, where The Texas Tribune is headquartered, will follow later in the year. Through its Texas network model, The Texas Tribune offers local newsrooms shared support — including fundraising, marketing, human resources, technology, legal and business services — so that local editorial teams can focus on high-impact reporting and serving their distinct audiences.
   7. Houston Landing launched in February 2023, funded with a seed investment of over $20 million from the Houston Endowment, Arnold Ventures, Kinder Foundation, American Journalism Project, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Houston Landing was born out of a two-year study spearheaded by the American Journalism Project that found many Houstonians do not feel they have access to a trusted source for deeply reported stories that impact their daily lives. …
   8. Although raising funds remained a challenge, Houston Landing journalism has had an impact on its community: it prompted proposed legislation and changes that protect Houston students; connected the community to changemakers; and provided the growing Latino community with critical news in Spanish.
   9. MIKE: This is a real shame, and a genuine loss to the metro Houston area. While Community Impact has really helped with local region coverage, Houston Landing reported a different mix of stories in a different, and sometimes more comprehensive, way.
   10. MIKE: I certainly hope that something can be worked out between Houston Landing and The Texas Tribune so that some degree of the Landing’s local coverage can be salvaged.
4. Do school closures help students and school districts? Here’s what the research shows.; by Angelica Perez | HOUSTONLANDING.ORG |April 14, 2025 | 4:00 am. TAGS: School Closures, Test Scores, Student Performance,
   1. As more school districts in the Houston region consider shuttering schools, the impact of closures on students, families and communities will be widely felt.
   2. School closures affect student performance, disrupt family routines, add to commutes to campus and leave communities without a neighborhood pillar. 
   3. Researchers over the past few decades have tracked the size of these impacts throughout the country, offering some perspective on the short- and long-term effects, though the research hasn’t been extensive.
   4. Here’s what we know about the results of schools shutting down, which figures to become more common in the Houston area as enrollment declines, budget deficits, charter school growth and other factors heighten the possibility of wider closures.
   5. How do school closures affect student performance? 
   6. Across the nation, researchers have found a mixture of results when it comes to test scores, the most common measure of evaluating the impact of closures on learning.
   7. Generally, researchers have found that, on average, students transferring to a school with higher test scores ultimately improve their scores. But if the student goes to a school with similar ratings, the impact typically will be small or negative due to the disruption of changing campuses. A student moving to a lower-rated school typically sees a significant drop in test scores.
   8. [MIKE: I found that interesting. It empirically reinforces the idea that a school’s academic culture matters. Continuing …]
   9. A 2016 analysis by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research reached similar conclusions when reviewing the impact of 27 school closures in Houston ISD between 2003 to 2010. 
   10. Their findings showed HISD students, on average, transferred from closed schools to campuses that were somewhat higher-performing in math and reading. However, students only saw improvement in their scores if they transferred to high-performing campuses, something few students did.
   11. School administrators often note that small schools can’t offer many specialized programs, so closures could result in more opportunities at newer, larger campuses.
   12. What about the communities students live in?
   13. It’s difficult to quantify the impact of school closures on communities from a research perspective, but the effects are real, said Deven Carlson, associate director for education and a political science professor at the University of Oklahoma.
   14. [Carlson said,] “We’ve seen it in city after city that has shuttered schools: the community doesn’t want to see those schools shuttered. It serves as a focal point. A point of pride. There’s a long history of families attending those schools.”
   15. Families also face additional disruptions to their routines and school relationships when students are forced to move schools.  In Aldine ISD, many parents had concerns about transportation to new schools, some of which were located multiple miles away from their homes.
   16. Do school closures save districts money?
   17. Yes, though the amount of savings typically doesn’t close large budget deficits.
   18. Generally, schools can cut some employee positions and save on overhead costs, such as building maintenance and utilities. 
   19. But a 2011 Pew Charitable Trust study of six large, urban districts that closed 20-plus schools each found that the savings were “relatively small in the context of big-city school-district budgets, with the largest savings achieved when closings were combined with large-scale layoffs.” 
   20. A 2019 performance review of HISD by the Texas Legislative Budget Board estimated the savings per campus at that time ranged from $500,000 to $2 million, depending on the size of the school. While those figures are likely higher now due to inflation, they’d still represent a tiny fraction of HISD’s $2.2 billion budget.
   21. School districts can see a larger one-time financial benefit if they sell the property that housed a closed school, but [Pew Charitable Trust researchers found that] many districts struggle to sell or lease those properties …
   22. Will more Houston-area school districts consider school closures? 
   23. Most local districts have relatively steady or growing enrollment. 
   24. Several districts, however, are dealing with budget deficits largely tied to trends that show no signs of reversing, including declining birth dates and increasing school choice options for families. They include Aldine, Alief, Houston and Spring ISDs — all of which have closed or floated the possibility of closing schools.
   25. Carlson, the Oklahoma professor, said districts need to plan out and communicate the process of closing a school and moving students to a new campus. 
   26. [Carlson said,] “You would hope that these districts are doing it with a long game of improving these students’ outcomes and these students’ educational experiences. But I think oftentimes they get so caught up in the blowback to the decision to close the schools that it’s hard for them to stay focused on communicating the potential upsides and plans of what’s next for families.”
   27. MIKE: What I took away from this story is that a decision to close schools is not intrinsically good or bad, but it depends on what the overarching goals are and on the quality of the planning for measuring and achieving those goals.
   28. MIKE: Money is of course a central concern when deciding to close schools, but it must be weighed against what may be lost or put at risk.
   29. MIKE: Parents and kids are typically united in wanting neighborhood schools. Geographical proximity and familiarity of neighborhood surroundings are reasons.
   30. MIKE: Alternatively, there are advantages, both educationally and socially, in exposing young people to new people, experiences, and opportunities since no one school can be all things to all students.
   31. MIKE: At the end of the day, what all parents, students, and educators should want is an educational experience that is safe, stimulating, and academically sound.
   32. MIKE: Safety can have several aspects, including safety of the neighborhood surrounding a school.
   33. MIKE: Safety of transportation is also a concern. As schools get further from home, public transportation enters the picture, raising anxiety for parents and children, and making parental transport to school even more challenging. I’m not sure that this concern is ever adequately addressed to parental satisfaction.
   34. MIKE: Social disruption for kids is also a big deal. Going through a K-12 system with a cohort of kids has its pros and cons. Sometimes, a child would actually benefit from a change of environment. But being in a new school, with new kids, in a new neighborhood comes with real social adaptation challenges.
   35. MIKE: Academic quality is a prime concern, and as the study mentioned in the article suggests, the academic culture of a school plays an important role. Building a supportive and effective academic culture is challenging, and cannot be divorced from the reality of many different personalities from diverse backgrounds in an ever-changing milieu.
   36. MIKE: And as in most cases, it starts with leadership at the top — the teachers and the school hierarchy, topped by the school principal. But of course, it doesn’t end there. It goes all the way to the head of a school district. Leadership is a pyramid, but a paradoxical one. Is the leader of an organization at the pinnacle or at its foundation? C. Escher might have been challenged to represent this image of a management chart in a painting.
   37. MIKE: With all these questions and more to be addressed, district decisions around school closings should not be taken lightly.
5. Coalition of 11th Street businesses calls on Mayor Whitmire to maintain redesign amid concerns over possible rollback of current infrastructure, safety features; By STEFANIE THOMAS | THELEADERNEWS.COM | Apr 15, 2025 / Updated 6 hrs ago. TAGS: Mayor John Whitmire, Houston City Council, 11th Street Improvements, Local Businesses,
   1. A coalition of small businesses and community groups along 11th Street has formally urged Mayor John Whitmire and the Houston City Council to preserve recent street improvements that transformed the thoroughfare into what they call “a thriving, vibrant, and safe corridor.” In a letter dated April 7, 2025, the group warns that reversing the changes — particularly the protected bike lanes and two-lane configuration installed in 2023 — would risk both public safety and the financial well-being of local businesses.
   2. According to a press release from “I Love 11th,” a neighborhood advocacy group and event organizer, the corridor’s makeover has brought an influx of pedestrians, runners, and cyclists. Merchants say foot traffic has grown, and the district’s offerings now include neighborhood festivals and community events.
   3. [Said Gerald Fuentes, Board Member of A Tale of Two Bridges and lead organizer of the “I Love 11th Neighborhood Festival”,] “What was once a high-speed, dangerous thoroughfare is now a thriving and safe corridor. We witness more residents and visitors walking, biking, running, shopping, dining, rollerblading, pushing strollers, connecting with neighbors, and enjoying community events.”
   4. In their letter to Mayor Whitmire, business owners and residents cite Council Members Abbie Kamin and Mario Castillo, and State Representative Morales in supporting the new configuration. They emphasize the value of retaining the protected bike lane, continuing plans for a HAWK pedestrian crossing, and maintaining a two-lane flow.
   5. District C Council Member Abbie Kamin, whose district includes 11th Street, described the initiative as “the $2.4 million nationally-recognized 11th Street Safety Project” that stemmed from “a multi-year process that included extensive community engagement, planning, and studies to address dangerous crossings, high rates of car crashes, and improve safety for all along the corridor.” In an emailed statement to The Leader, she added, “I don’t understand the Mayor’s obsession with attacking kids and parents on bikes — we have much more pressing issues in our city — but this project was not even about that. 11th Street was about safety improvements through the heart of neighborhoods … and it’s working.”
   6. Kamin also noted the financial implications of altering a recently installed project, stating, “Safety comes first, and fiscal responsibility is imperative. The city is wasting money ripping up brand new roads and safety improvements without any formal community input process at a time when we’re facing a projected $330 million budget deficit.” She underscored how additional construction could harm businesses and postpone needed improvements elsewhere.
   7. [The letter from local merchants continues,] “We recognize community perspectives evolve over time, and we welcome thoughtful future enhancements that further improve safety and mobility. However, reversing existing safety improvements without consultation or transparency — especially at great financial cost — would be a disservice to our neighborhoods.”
   8. … Signatories [to the letter] include a diverse lineup of establishments: Araya Artisan Chocolate, Someburger, Bicycle Speed Shop, The Gypsy Poet, Three Dog Bakery, local churches, civic associations, and more. Their unified position is that any abrupt changes would not only jeopardize the corridor’s safety benefits but potentially disrupt daily commerce along 11th Street. They also note the importance of “inclusive decision-making” and “fiscal responsibility,” underscoring the possibility that reversing the redesign could expend taxpayer money without a clear community benefit.
   9. … A recent statement and call for action by org adds to the debate, citing Mayor Whitmire’s broader record on streets and alternative transportation projects as one of several reasons it believes he should be recalled from his mayoral office. Since taking office, the organization claims, Whitmire has reportedly removed a newly installed median on Houston Avenue—at a cost of $750,000—and paused other ongoing street projects like Shepherd-Durham and Montrose Boulevard.
   10. [The recall group wrote on their website,] “Despite the overwhelming support for these projects, Whitmire refuses to listen to the community and the data, instead relying on cherry-picked anecdotes.” They argue that not only is the mayor’s approach stifling progress on safer, more complete streets, but it also risks “jeopardizing millions of dollars in state and federal funding.” The group calls his actions “incompetent” and says taxpayers ultimately bear the burden.
   11. … The 11th Street redesign arrived amid a push for more livable, walkable neighborhoods — an effort championed by various city council members and local advocates. Many see these initiatives as crucial to addressing congestion, boosting local commerce, and improving overall quality of life. Now, with Mayor Whitmire’s office scrutinizing several street projects, the question remains whether 11th Street’s existing improvements will survive potential rollbacks.
   12. The coalition hopes their letter will prompt city leaders to retain the redesigned corridor and implement further safety upgrades, including the planned HAWK crossing. [Reads the statement to the mayor,] “It’s not simply about opposing change. It’s about protecting an inclusive, collaborative process that reflects the needs of this neighborhood.”
   13. As of press time, Mayor Whitmire’s office had not responded to the Leader’s request for comment specifically addressing 11th Street or the concerns raised by I Love 11th. 
   14. Council members Kamin and Castillo have jointly scheduled an 11th Street Community Listening Session. The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m., at Vineyard Church, 1035 E 11th St.
   15. MIKE: Mayor Whitmire is a Democrat, but no one should doubt that in many ways, he’s also a Conservative. It’s my impression that Conservatives are more motivated by beliefs and principles than by data and evidence, and sometimes even constituent input. I think that as evidence of Whitmire’s governing style and philosophy grows, that Conservative tendency is becoming more obvious.
   16. MIKE: It also strikes me as paradoxical that a Conservative like Whitmire would allow his personal preferences to waste money by tearing up one set of road improvements embraced by the neighborhood just to spend more money tearing up those improvements to satisfy his personal biases, in the absence of any community- or data-driven reason to do so.
   17. MIKE: I’m not a resident of the 11^th Street corridor, so my reservations about the new design were more as an occasional commuter through the area. And I can now understand how small businesses and even schools in that corridor — embedded as it is in a heavily residential area — could benefit mightily from improved pedestrian and bicycle access and safety. It sounds like since the improvements, the 11^th Street corridor is acting more like a neighborhood Main Street.
   18. MIKE: It’s a shame that Mayor Whitmire has seen fit to butt into a happy neighborhood outcome.
6. While this article is mainly a sort of indirect info-mercial for BKV Energy written by the Director of Product at BKV Energy, my experience over many years is that it makes some excellent consumer-friendly points. This article was originally published on March 10^th, but you might want to keep it in mind for your next renewal — GUEST COLUMN: Why March can be a great time to switch electricity plans; By SAM LUNA, Director of Product at BKV Energy | THELEADERNEWS.COM | Mar 10, 2025 / Updated Mar 10, 2025. TAGS: Texas Electricity Rates, Electricity Providers, Rate Plans,
   1. As Houston inches toward spring, many residents start thinking about home projects, vacations, and tax season. But there’s one often-overlooked decision that could save you serious money: switching your electricity plan. March is generally one of the best times of the year to lock in a new rate, and here’s why.
   2. Electricity Prices Are Often Much Lower in [the] Spring
   3. Texas electricity rates typically follow a seasonal pattern — rising in the peak of summer and winter and dipping in the milder months of spring and fall. That’s because demand for power skyrockets when temperatures are extreme, making wholesale electricity prices volatile. But when the weather is moderate, electricity providers can offer lower prices since grid demand is more predictable and stable.
   4. By signing up for a plan in March, you can avoid the higher summer prices that come with soaring A/C usage. Locking in a rate now could mean significant savings over the next 12 to 24 months.
   5. Beat the Summer Price Surge
   6. Houston’s brutal summers can send electricity bills soaring, and if your contract ends in the middle of peak season, you may find yourself stuck with high rates. Electricity providers adjust pricing based on market conditions, and summer rates are consistently among the highest of the year.
   7. Switching to a new plan in March means you can lock in a lower rate before prices start climbing in May and June. Plus, if you time your contract length right—such as choosing a 12- or 24-month plan—you can keep your renewal period in these lower-priced months moving forward.
   8. [MIKE: I’ll note here that I usually opt for 24- or 36-month plans, mainly on the assumption that average energy prices tend to rise over time. In most of not all cases, early termination of electricity contracts is not penalized if you move, but always check the terms and conditions. Never assume. There is some discussion of termination fees in the next section. Continuing …]
   9. What About Early Termination Fees?
   10. If your current electricity plan doesn’t expire until later in the year, it’s likely there’s an early termination fee associated with the early cancellation required to switch plans and providers this March.
   11. In this case, you have a couple options: 1. Cancel your plan early and pay the termination fee. In the long run, your savings from securing a March renewal timeframe for years to come will [MIKE: I would change that word to “may” …] eclipse the cost of the cancellation fee; or 2. Wait until your plan terminates. When it’s time to renew, select a term length that will land your next renewal during March (or October – another ideal month for electricity prices). Many providers offer 3, 6, 9 and 15-month plans that can help you ditch your mid-summer or mid-winter plan renewal pattern.
   12. [MIKE: Many years ago, that’s exactly how I changed my expiration month. More on that in my comments later. Continuing …]
   13. Make the Most of a Competitive Market
   14. Houston is part of Texas’ deregulated electricity market, meaning you have the power to choose your provider. This March, use that power during an ideal time to shop for new rates and secure an affordable rate before high-demand summer months.
   15. By taking advantage of these seasonal price drops, you can avoid overpaying during the long, hot Houston summer. Don’t wait until rates climb—check your options now and lock in a plan that will keep your energy bills manageable all year long.
   16. MIKE: Many years ago, after having gone through several annual electricity contracts using the PowerToChoose[dot]com web site, I began to notice that annual and multiyear contracts were cheaper around February, so I arranged my renewals to take place around that time. That decision probably saved me quite a bit of money over the years.
   17. MIKE: I’ll add some caveats of my own not covered in the article if you’re going to shop yourself for your electricity.
   18. MIKE: First, I have felt that PowerToChoose[dot]com is a valuable resource when used with some care and knowledge. This is probably true of any information resource.
   19. MIKE: Second, choose fixed-rate contracts, and always check the Fact Sheet of an offer. Avoid gimmicks like “first month free” or “free nights”. Nothing is really free, so the price per kilowatt hour is probably higher for hours you’re billed.
   20. MIKE: Third, avoid minimum service fees or base charge fees. These usually make a “good” rate actually cost much more per kilowatt hour, especially if your average usage is less than 1000 kilowatt hours per month.
   21. MIKE: Fourth, check to see what the cancellation terms are. You never know when your circumstances might change unexpectedly. Are the cancellation fees exorbitant? Don’t just assume you are unlikely to cancel early. Stuff happens.
   22. MIKE: Also, make sure that there are no cancellation fees if you break a contract to move to a new address, or that the fees are at least nominal. This is often the case, but you have to know for sure, especially if you rent.
   23. MIKE: So, read the Fact Sheets carefully, and compare them from one vendor to the next. This will educate you about what to look for, and how language and phrasing can matter.
   24. MIKE: As you begin to whittle down your choices, compare the Terms of Service documents. This will get into specifics like contract pricing and rate adjustments, customer service contact information, early cancellation specifics, etc.
   25. MIKE: And finally, remember that no verbal contract is worth the paper it’s written on. If you call customer service with questions about rates, terms, or conditions of service, don’t take anyone’s word for an answer. Have them point out where it says what they’re telling you in the actual documentation in black and white.
   26. MIKE: Good decisions can be both psychologically and financially rewarding, but especially in a capitalist society, caveat emptor; Buyer beware.
7. There are folks who want to mess things up for the rest of us just to line their own pockets, or for reasons of ego or ideology. Here’s an example — Houston billionaire Dan Friedkin behind proposed ban on Texas wind and solar projects, report says; By Chris Tomlinson, Columnist | HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM | April 18, 2025. TAGS: Billionaire Dan Friedkin, wind and solar energy projects, Renewable Energy, Stewards of Texas Association,
   1. Billionaire Dan Friedkin is best known for his ownership of soccer teams, desire to bring pro hockey to Houston, ascent on the Forbes wealthiest people list, and [his] role in producing the TV show “Landman.”
   2. He’s also a driving force behind banning new wind and solar energy projects in Texas, a new report shows.
   3. Friedkin, who took over Gulf States Toyota and other investments from his father, pitches himself as a conservationist with projects in Texas and Africa. Gov. Greg Abbott and former Gov. Rick Perry appointed him to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Board after he made large campaign donations.
   4. [MIKE: Because, of course they did.]
   5. He soon developed a reputation for throwing his weight around the Legislature.
   6. Like the Billy Bob Thornton character in “Landman,” he’s got some nutty ideas about the future of energy and climate change. For years, he’s been trying to handicap renewable energy projects and block transmission lines that Texas desperately needs to keep the lights on.
   7. Friedkin’s lobbyists claim in public settings that they are trying to preserve the pastoral nature of rural Texas. But that’s a bit rich in a state that exalts individual property rights to the point of allowing toxic wells next to schools, burrowing oil pipelines through aquifers, and allowing zombie wells to create lakes of radioactive water.
   8. Some of Friedkin’s past targets suggest he’s a not-in-my-backyard guy. He opposed a transmission line in South Texas because it would ruin the view at his massive hunting ranch near Carrizo Springs. His legislative goals, though, are now much broader.
   9. These days, Texas billionaires influence politicians by hiring lobbyists to create dark money groups, which are not required to disclose their donors. Friedkin, who has ignored every email requesting comment, is no different, regulatory filings show.
   10. The Energy and Policy Institute, a nonprofit that tracks anti-renewable energy legislation, traced the latest Texas Senate bill to the Stewards of Texas Association. The group was founded in 2024 by lobbyist David White, who owns the consulting firm Public Blueprint and works for Friedkin.
   11. Stewards of Texas employs two Public Blueprint employees as lobbyists, including White’s communications strategist, Cara Gustafson. She is listed as the spokeswoman for Stewards of Texas and did not reply to a request for comment. All five of the group’s press releases criticize wind power and celebrate anti-renewable legislation.
   12. Political consultants routinely register 501(c)4 groups with high-minded names to draft laws and lobby lawmakers while keeping the money men and women secret. In past columns, [this author] focused on West Texas oil billionaire Tim Dunn and the reprehensible behavior of his pet project, Defend Texas Liberty.
   13. Elon Musk uses his America PAC to influence elections and lawmakers. These groups are a must-have for any politically-minded billionaire who wants to hide their fingerprints.
   14. Friedkin’s network of auto dealerships finances the Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC. Gulf States PAC and White supported an almost identical anti-clean energy bill in 2023, but it failed in the Texas House.
   15. This year, it’s back as Senate Bill 819, which would impose the nation’s most onerous permitting conditions for wind and solar power generation facilities. Clean energy advocates call the spacing and siting requirements “an industry killer.” Rural property owners call SB819 an assault on their rights.
   16. More than 100 people opposed the bill at a state Senate committee hearing, with only 21 supporting it. Nevertheless, state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, got it passed in the Senate. Friedkin and Gulf States have given Kolkhorst’s campaign $40,000, making them among her top donors.
   17. Kolkhorst’s representative did not respond to a request for comment before deadline.
   18. Texas has the most installed utility-scale wind and solar power generation in the country, which, combined with battery facilities, have kept the power on and prices low. The grid operator has repeatedly said Texas needs all forms of generation to meet the rapidly growing demand for electricity from data centers, crypto mining and oil and gas facilities.
   19. [Daniel Giese, the Texas director of state affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association, said,] “We cannot afford to turn away from the pro-energy and pro-business policies that made the Lone Star State the energy capital, but that’s exactly what SB 819 does. Solar is a $50 billion industry in Texas and is one of the fastest and most affordable sources of energy to build.”
   20. Every American has the right to have their voice heard in public debates. However, in its Citizens United decision, the U.S. Supreme Court gave billionaires permission to use their cash to amplify their voices while hiding behind a dark money group.
   21. The rich are not like you and me; they’ve secretly bought our democracy.
   22. MIKE: As has been observed by me and others, politicians are the most cost-effective investment any business or capitalist can buy, but you have to have deep pockets. When a multi-million or -billion dollar business can get favorable treatment for a few tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, that’s a great deal.
   23. MIKE: It may be asking a lot for the average voter to peruse even the publicly available and somewhat opaque financial disclosures that are required of politicians, but a good habit is to watch what they do and not what they say. If the policies they advocate and vote for look counter-intuitive, there’s probably some ulterior motive behind it, and not just a moral aversion to clean water or air.
8. Fully autonomous trucks set to hit the road; by Charles Kuffner | OFFTHEKUFF.COM | Posted on April 15, 2025. TAGS: Driverless Vehicles, Autonomous Trucks,
   1. Autonomous freight trucks are slated to hit the Dallas highways this month. The self-driving heavy-duty semi-trucks… will roll back and forth along the Interstate 45 corridor connecting Dallas and Houston. This busy stretch of freeway will be the launch site for [a] fleet of self-driving trucks, with an additional route between Fort Worth and El Paso, already planned.
   2. [Said Sterling Anderson, co-founder and chief product officer of Aurora in a 2023 press release announcing[that] local Aurora terminals were ready for driverless operations,] “Opening a driverless trucking lane flanked by commercially-ready terminals is an industry-first that unlocks our ability to launch our driverless trucking product. With this corridor’s launch, we’ve defined, refined, and validated the framework for the expansion of our network with the largest partner ecosystem in the autonomous trucking industry.”
   3. In a March shareholder letter, Aurora outlined its progressive plan for trucks on the highway, calling it a “crawl, walk, run approach.”
   4. [The letter says in part,] “During launch, we expect to deploy up to 10 driverless trucks in commercial operations, starting with one driverless truck and then transitioning the balance to driverless operation,”.
   5. According to a report from the National Transportation Research Group, Texas moved more freight than any other state in 2022, about 3.4 billion tons valued at $3.1 trillion. More than half of all truck freight that moves through Texas takes the strip of I-45 that Aurora’s trucks will navigate.
   6. Aurora is partnered with several vehicle manufacturers, … installing their software and hardware on pre-built trucks, enabling self-driving features. … Aurora’s self-driving tech, named Aurora Driver, includes a mix of radar, light detection and a series of cameras, removing the need for human intervention.
   7. [Reads a press release from Aurora’s head of government relations, Gerardo Interiano,] “We are on the cusp of a new era in transportation. Autonomous vehicles are no longer just a concept — they are being deployed in trucking, passenger mobility, agriculture, and mining, paving the way for a safer, more efficient future. Aurora’s plans to deploy self-driving trucks onto public roads in Texas will bring the benefits of autonomy directly to our supply chain and economy.”
   8. [MIKE: KUFF’s article includes some other information and links that you might find interesting and informative. It includes links to Aurora’s own Driverless Safety Report and a Voluntary Safety Self-Assessment. …]
   9. [MIKE: It’s also noted that, “NHTSA [the National Highway Traffic and Safety administration,] has a voluntary safety guidance documentthat notes 12 elements, including system safety, object and event detection and response, human-machine interface, crashworthiness, and compliance with federal, state and local laws,” among other story details. The article continues …]
   10. … Amy Witherite, founder of the Witherite Law Group and a traffic safety expert in Texas, said that although she applauds Aurora’s efforts, she is still concerned about the report’s lack of specific details about how often or under what circumstances the company’s automation had failed or required human intervention.
   11. [She said in a statement,] “With literally billions of dollars at stake, it is fair to ask whether companies who will potentially profit from this technology should be the ones who decide whether it is safe to put on our highways.”
   12. [Jake Martin, spokesperson for Aurora,] said in an email that Aurora submits safety incidents to the NHTSA and the company doesn’t publish them independently.
   13. The company plans to have full driverless operations on Texas highways in April. The trucks were traveling with a safety driver present to monitor the self-driving system’s performance. Aurora’s full report can be read online.
   14. KUFF says: I figure there will be more coverage once the trucks are actually on the road. KVUE has a video story if that interests you. These trucks with the safety drivers have been on the road since 2021 with a sufficiently good track record that you probably weren’t aware of their presence on I-45. According to that so-far-print-only Chron story, the safety drivers have rarely had to intervene, and most of the time that they did they were being more cautious than was necessary. The basic idea here is that while this will reduce the need for long-haul truckers, for which there’s a shortage, it will open up opportunities for short-haul drivers. We’ll see how this goes.
   15. MIKE: It’s just my age showing, but every time discussion has come up about self-driving cars and trucks, and especially as the technology for that has actually become more and more of a reality, I’ve been reminded of an episode of an old show called “Science Fiction Theater” from July 20, 1956 called “The Phantom Car”. According to the IMDb synopsis, “The sheriff ignores an old prospector who claims he was almost run over by a driverless car in the desert. Once a geologist’s wife is seriously injured by the same automobile, he takes matters seriously. The lawman determines that the vehicle is radio-controlled, but don’t know who’s operating it or why it’s hitting people.”
   16. MIKE: Yes, I was 5 years old when it was broadcast, and yes I vividly remember watching it regularly. I can even hum the theme music for you if you ask nicely.
   17. MIKE: That episode aired just about 70 years ago, which just goes to show how long it’s taken for engineering ambition to approach reality. As I often say these days, sooner or later, any technology is only 10 years away.
   18. MIKE: This development also touches on other issues, social as well as law and safety. For example, in the event one of these trucks gets into an accident, how do you get insurance information, let alone “driver” information. And I’ve put “driver” in quotation marks. And who do you sue? Where is all the liability, jointly and severally? Law will be tested here.
   19. MIKE: This also points up why increasingly, it’s possible that almost no career is secure over a working lifetime. In the past, I’ve discussed how mechanical drawing was once a great vocational career until computer-aided drawing and manufacture software came to dominate industry, and that’s only one example.
   20. MIKE: At one time, a shortage of long-haul truck drivers might have meant higher pay for that job to attract more people. Now, it just means a greater incentive for truck companies to eliminate drivers altogether, and they increasingly can.
   21. MIKE: This has been, and increasingly will be, the way of the world. Societal dislocation and unrest will be a predictable result, and governments and society at large need to be giving a lot of thought how our civilizations will adapt.
9. A major Trump power grab just reached the Supreme Court; by Ian Millhiser | VOX.COM | Apr 15, 2025, 3:45 PM CDT. TAGS: Donald Trump, Politics, Supreme Court, Trump Administration,
   1. Trump v. Wilcox, a case now pending on the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket,” asks whether several federal agencies that are supposed to enjoy a degree of independence from the president should be stripped of that independence.
   2. Wilcox is the latest in Supreme Court cases involving what’s known as the “unitary executive” theory, which, in its strongest form, would give presidents legal control over every federal job that’s not part of Congress or the judiciary. And this case doesn’t look particularly good for advocates for agency independence.
   3. In previous unitary executive cases, the Court’s Republican majority has shown it is absolutely committed to an expansive view of presidential power — including the power to fire officials who are supposed to be independent from political pressure.
   4. Nine decades ago, in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States (1935), the Supreme Court upheld a law that protected the five commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from being fired except for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” As the Court explained, members of the FTC “are called upon to exercise the trained judgment of a body of experts” — bringing technocratic knowledge to their decisions, even if their expert judgments depart from ideas that are politically fashionable.
   5. Relying on this authority, Congress has created multiple similar agencies — the most important of which is the Federal Reserve, which, like the central banks in other successful nations, is supposed to set interest rates based on expert economic judgment and not based on what will benefit the sitting president. The consequences of stripping the Fed of this independence would be severe. In 1971, Fed chair Arthur Burns succumbed to pressure from President Richard Nixon to juice the economy going into Nixon’s reelection race. Burns’ actions are often blamed for the years of “stagflation” — slow economic growth and high inflation — that followed.
   6. It’s difficult to exaggerate the current Republican justices’ disdain for Humphrey’s Executor, or for the very idea that federal agencies can act independently of the president. Beginning at least as far back as Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Board (2010), the Court started limiting Congress’s power to shield government officials from presidential control. This process accelerated rapidly once Trump started to remake the judiciary.
   7. The unitary executive theory even played a starring role in Trump v. United States (2024), the Supreme Court decision establishing that Trump can use the powers of the presidency to commit crimes, with the Court relying on this theory to establish that Trump has total control over the Justice Department — even if he orders prosecutors to target his political enemies.
   8. Now, Wilcox concerns two federal officials, one of whom sits on the National Labor Relations Board and another who sits on the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), who were fired by Trump despite federal laws establishing that the president cannot fire them at will. Trump’s attempt to seize full control over the MSPB is particularly consequential, in the likely event that it succeeds, because the MSPB is the agency that’s supposed to protect civil servants from politically motivated firing. If Trump gains the power to fire MSPB members, he could potentially unravel civil service protections and anti-corruption reforms that began in the Chester A. Arthur administration.
   9. More broadly, Wilcox gives the Court’s Republican majority a vehicle to overrule Humphrey’s Executor in its entirety — potentially ending independence for all federal agencies, including the Fed.
   10. Given the Court’s previous unitary executive decisions, there is little reason to hope that any meaningful vestige of Humphrey’s Executor may survive. And yet, as we gaze upon the chaos Trump has created in less than three months in office — the constantly changing tariffs, the contempt for court orders, the since-reversed decision to defund a prison holding thousands of ISIS combatants — it is at least theoretically possible that at least some of the Court’s Republicans will wonder if now is really the time to expand the president’s powers and give him total control over the Federal Reserve.
   11. The Constitution is a notoriously vague document. It bars police from making “unreasonable” searches, without ever defining that term. It protects against “excessive” fines and “cruel and unusual punishments” without telling us what those terms mean either. One provision of the Constitution prohibits states from abridging “the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” Not even the Supreme Court has any idea what that means.
   12. For this reason, much of US constitutional law is nothing more than storytelling. In the early 20th century, when the Court was dominated by industrial age conservatives, the justices told a story about how unclear constitutional language forbidding the state from denying anyone “liberty…without due process of law” forbade labor protections like a minimum wage. In the 1970s, when more liberal justices dominated the court, the Court told a different story about how those same vague words guarantee a right to abortion. In both cases, these stories only had power for as long as a majority of the justices believed them.
   13. The unitary executive springs from a similar well. The Republican justices derive it from a provision of the Constitution which states that “the executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.” As Justice Antonin Scalia summarized this provision in his dissenting opinion in Morrison v. Olson (1988), it “does not mean some of the executive power, but all of the executive power” is held by the president.
   14. Accordingly, fans of the unitary executive theory argue, the president must have the power to hire and fire any government official who wields power that is “executive” in nature.
   15. The problem with this theory is that the word “executive” is far less well-defined than the Republican justices claim that it is. In Morrison, for example, Scalia argued that the power to bring criminal prosecutions is a “quintessentially executive function” that must be under the full control of the president. And all six Republican justices adopted this view in their Trump immunity decision — it’s the reason why Trump concluded that the president can order the Justice Department to prosecute his enemies, and nothing can be done to the president afterward.
   16. But the historical evidence for Scalia’s claim about prosecutors is exceedingly weak. For much of early American history, prosecutions were typically initiated by private attorneys who sought indictments from grand juries. Judges also sometimes instituted prosecutions, and they retain some power to do so even today. Under current law, federal district judges may sometimes appoint interim US attorneys, who oversee nearly all prosecutions within those judges’ jurisdiction.
   17. Nevertheless, the most important question in the Wilcox case is not whether the unitary executive theory can actually be found in the Constitution, or whether the Constitution was originally understood to forbid independent agencies. What matters is that all of the Republican justices believe passionately in the story Scalia told in his Morrison dissent, and have said as much. For example, when Justice Brett Kavanaugh was asked, in 2016, which Supreme Court case he wanted to overrule, he named Morrison, saying that he wants to “put the final nail” in that decision.
   18. It seems likely, in other words, that the Republican justices will use Wilcox to tell the story they’ve been itching to tell for so long — and to either explicitly overrule Humphrey’s Executor or grind that decision down to the point that it no longer has any real force. That could make Trump the most powerful president in American history.
   19. Indeed, if the Court goes so far as to give Trump full control over the Fed, Trump would gain powers that he could use to make the turmoil caused by his tariffs look like a few minor eddies in the global economy.
   20. MIKE: I felt that this story was important enough to read to you, but I don’t feel confident in my ability to do any analysis that’s not already included. But I will note that this is a really big deal, and we would do well to keep an eye on it.
   21. Related — The legal theory that would make Trump the most powerful president in US history

That’s all we have time for today. You’ve been listening to Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig from KPFT Houston 90.1-HD2, Galveston 89.5-HD2, and Huntsville 91.9-HD2. We are Houston’s Community Media. I hope you’ve enjoyed the show and found it interesting, and I look forward to sharing this time with you again next week. Y’all take care!

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