Loving County, in far West Texas, spent about $1,100 per resident in U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant funds from 2003 to 2008. Compare that with Harris County, which spent less than $6 per resident. Contemplate the disparity — and search for individual purchases with DHS grant money — using our latest data application.
Public Information Act
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Criminal Justice
On the Records: The Census. It’s Happening.
This week, most mailboxes across Texas will get a notice from the U.S. Census Bureau. The message: Participate in the decennial count, which begins next week.
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Criminal Justice
Data App: How Much Votes Cost
Was Farouk Shami, in fact, “on fire”? The Democratic gubernatorial candidate burned through campaign cash, spending $135 for every vote he received in Tuesday’s primary on the way to getting trounced by Bill White — more than any other candidate on the ballot, and by far the most of any losing candidate. By contrast, Democratic land commissioner hopeful Bill Burton spent only 2 cents per vote in a narrow loss to Hector Uribe, who spent only 7 cents per vote himself. All told, candidates spent, on average, about $14 per vote. Explore each campaign’s bang for the buck in our latest data application.
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Criminal Justice
On the Records: A Ballot Balance Sheet
Use our simple new data application to scan $150 million in campaign fundraising and spending by the major-party candidates on today’s ballot.
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Criminal Justice
On the Records: Bonus Round
Eleven employees in the state’s treasury division got $360,000 in bonuses last year.
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Criminal Justice
TribBlog: AG’s Office Fires Back At Blood Spot Attorney
The Texas Attorney General’s office is throwing its own punches at the attorney who sued the state over its storage of infant blood samples, saying all he wanted was the headlines.
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Criminal Justice
On the Records: 10 Days, Give or Take
Did it just get easier for governmental agencies in Texas to delay releasing public information?
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Criminal Justice
Data App: Day Care Danger
More than 120 federally subsidized day care centers had their licenses denied or revoked by the state for violations of regulations and minimum standards in the last two years. Map their locations and drill down into the records by the provider name or action taken by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
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Criminal Justice
On the Records: If You Can See This …
… you aren’t among the 40 percent of Texans who don’t use the Internet, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Only Mississippi and West Virginia have a lower percentage of residents using the Web.
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Criminal Justice
A Better App: Public Employee Pay
Find the salaries of more than 340,000 public employees with our enhanced data application, including those working at the largest state agencies as well as individual public schools, cities and mass-transit operators. And universities: Did you know, for instance, that of the 10 highest-paid professors at the state’s two largest universities, nine are Aggies?