Paul Burka

Scrapbook

Remembering the Alamo, Candy Barr, J. Frank Dobie, and Farrah. Forgetting James Michener’s Texas.

Cole Day in Hell

Bill’s Bungle

By not contesting Texas in the presidential campaign, Bill Clinton did more than throw away votes in 1992. He hurt the prospects of Texas Democrats in 1994 and beyond.

Unfriendly Skies

Merry-go-round

AUSTIN POLITICS ARE the nuttiest in the state. It all stems from an obsession with quality of life, and nothing quite brings out the daffiness like a threat to the city’s beloved Barton Springs. Even as a two-year legal battle continues to rage over development upstream on Barton Creek, a

Honesty is the Best Politics

When you hold public office, the difference between truth and fiction is more than a matter of degrees. Ask Lena Guerrero.

Hurricane Warning

Hurricane Andrew’s winds had a message for the Texas coast.

Copper Plea

AUSTIN POLITICS ARE the nuttiest in the state. It all stems from an obsession with quality of life, and nothing quite brings out the daffiness like a threat to the city’s beloved Barton Springs. Even as a two-year legal battle continues to rage over development upstream on Barton Creek, a

Party Poopers

Republicans stew over Democrats at the GOP convention.

Aggie Land

Can the Aggies turn land in Guam into a record donation?

Westward H2O

THE SHOCK WAVES ARE BEGINNING to be felt from the Texas Water Commission’s decision that the Edwards Aquifer is an underground river—meaning that surface owners can’t use its water without a permit. Another state agency, the Water Development Board, was quick to dust off the old idea of transferring water

Perot in ’92?

It’s his race to win—or lose.

Checking Out

Split Personalities

With the never-ending school finance crisis entering its umpteenth round, Governor Ann Richards and Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock appear to be on a collision course. Richards has decided that the educational problems of public schools should be considered along with their funding problems. Bullock has decided just the opposite. The

“This Is the Alamo!”

If Congressman Charlie Wilson has his way, the humble wood chip will be the focus of a trade war between East Texas and Japan.

Floating Crap Game

EVEN AS CHARGES FLY OVER the awarding of state lottery contracts, the next battle over gambling is taking shape for the 1993 legislative session. This time the issue will be casinos—on riverboats and on land. Lloyd Criss, a former legislator from La Marque, in Galveston County, who is now the

Battle Lines

The weird shape of a new Houston congressional district guarantees a power struggle between Hispanic and Anglo politicians.

Male Delivery

Bob Lanier’s victory in the Houston mayoral runoff guaranteed that all three of the state’s biggest cities will be led by white male political insiders for the first time since 1971. A year ago all three cities had women mayors. But the elections of Lanier, Steve Bartlett in Dallas, and

Uncandid Camera

What a puff piece! 60 Minutes, which has eviscerated many a victim over the years, gave Ann Richards the royal treatment in its October 27 profile. When interviewer Morley Safer wasn’t rewriting history (blaming Clayton Williams’ rape gaffe for the unraveling of his campaign, when in fact Claytie maintained a

Dirty Deal

Texas politics has seen its share of backroom deals, but for sheer brazenness, it’s hard to top the recent play by nineteen Democratic senators that effectively repealed the brand-new Senate redistricting plan and substituted their own creation—a nifty feat, considering that the Legislature was not in session at the time.

Conflict of Interest

1991: The Best and the Worst Legislators

We bring you the heroes and the villains of the Capitol circus. Guess which list had more contenders?

What a Dish!

We cleaned our plate at restaurants across Texas. Here are the results: 66 irresistible specialties of the house.

Smog Suit

New Ball Game

Introducing the Wild West Conference, the ideal league for Longhorn and Aggie football.

State Secrets

Getting My Kicks

How I learned that the toughest job in sports is umpiring girls’ kickball.

Ill Suited

Perils of Politics

Ann Richards, Bob Bullock, and Gib Lewis are headed for a crash over the stated budget.

Equal AstroTurf

Ann of a Hundred Days

Things around the Legislature are looking bleak, but so far, Governor Richards is having the time of her life.

Coming Home to Roost

Trade War

Twilight Zone

Sleeping Elephants

Into the Storm

In normal times, Fort Hood teems with troops training in tanks and helicopters. But in their absence, the huge base is left with a scattering of soldiers and a uneasy sense of peace.

Is the Legislature for Sale?

To reassure a skeptical public, members must pass an ethics reform bill this session. And here’s what it should say.

High Water

State Secrets

A quarter may not be enough to buy a newspaper much longer.

Family Ties

Boomtown

Don’t give up on oil yet, Texas. Come along to Pearsall, deep in the brush country, and learn how the new oil boom is different from the old.

Downgrading

Five-Year Plan

Iraqnophobia I

The Battle for Barton Springs

A determined developer’s big plans for Austin’s cool, clear water hole is bringing out extremes on both sides.

Brack and Ruin

The Unholy Trinity

“The heavens brought the rain, but Man brought the ruin.”

That Dog Won’t Hunt

State Secrets

Hunting for hunting land in the Panhandle: hunting for new legal theories in the Supreme Court: hunting for a reason Bill Clements does what he does.

State Secrets

Just when one education lawsuit is over, along comes another; how Ross Perot became an issue in the lieutenant governor’s race; why Coke-Stevenson, that is-is hard to swallow.