Free Republic

The city of Houston's main pension program has a billion-dollar funding shortfall because benefits have been boosted so high that many employees will earn more in retirement than they received while working, according to a report obtained by the Chronicle. A few will retire as millionaires. To properly reduce the shortfall, taxpayers would have to put nearly $100 million extra into the fund next year, according to an analysis prepared for the pension's board. Further, the city cannot reduce the benefits for any employee who already has worked five years, thanks to a Texas constitutional amendment passed by voters last...

Metro's board approved a resolution Thursday to name the agency's new downtown headquarters for Mayor Lee Brown, who many credit for spearheading the construction of Houston's first light rail line. The Metropolitan Transit Authority's headquarters -- under construction at 1900 Main St. -- is adjacent to the Downtown Transit Center stop on the light rail line. The 14-story structure, which should be completed in early 2005, will be christened the "Lee P. Brown Metro Administration Building." A resolution unanimously passed by the board of directors states that Brown "has been unwavering in his support of public transit" and efforts "to...

Minority groups Wednesday applauded Metro's decision to add rail lines to the Gulfgate and Sunnyside neighborhoods in its final 2025 transit plan. Lingering questions about funding the plan, however, still has small-city mayors jittery about the money they get from Metro to build and repair roads. "They are really ignoring the multi-cities," said Hedwig Village Mayor Dee Srinivasan. "Part of the whole overall mobility plan is you have to have roads to get to rail stations. You can not ignore the road system." The Metropolitan Transit Authority will formally present its system expansion plan to board members Friday. The board...