You’ve probably heard about the Dallas to Houston high-speed “bullet train” proposal, but you may not have heard many of the details beyond the claim that it can make the trip in less than 90 minutes and will be privately financed and won’t cost taxpayers a dime. The reality isn’t so clear-cut, and taxpayers should…
Today we need a rational discussion on energy policy that isn’t run by a single group or agenda. There aren’t any perfect solutions, because we don’t live in a perfect world. We need to evaluate and manage the risks and rewards from different energy sources; and we need consumers, business owners, energy companies and environmentalists…
What does the recent tsunami of energy companies downsizing have to do with tenants in need of office space in Houston? Everything. Houston’s office market has not been this dysfunctional since the mid-1980s. Nominally 23 percent vacant, I believe the market is actually closer to 30 percent vacant. Companies with leases expiring on the horizon…
What’s one simple thing the federal government could do to strengthen the U.S. economy and Texas oil companies? Repeal an outdated law known as the Jones Act. You probably heard about it after Hurricane Irma slammed into Puerto Rico. It restricted the amount of goods from being transported to the island and delayed recovery efforts….
This article by Jay Wall first appeared in the Houston Business Journal. After the historic flooding from Hurricane Harvey, many of us spent so much energy dealing with the personal effects of the storm that we don’t even want to think about its implications for our business. That’s a huge mistake. While it isn’t especially…
This article by Jay Wall originally appeared in the Houston Business Journal, July 30, 1999 As the muggy summer heat overtakes Texas and the rumble of thunderstorms echoes, Houstonians begin to daydream about those cooler days of December, the holiday season and ski trips to Colorado. It would be a safe bet to assume that…
This article by Jay Wall originally appeared in the Houston Business Journal, November 28, 1999. Selecting a broker to assist with office leasing details and negotiations is a delicate and sensitive task — somewhat like choosing a dentist, except there are no pain killers to protect the prospective tenant from an inept broker. Basically, the…
This article by Jay Wall first appeared May 19, 2017 in The Houston Chronicle. The Texas House wisely stripped $43 billion in funding from the Texas Enterprise Fund and redirected that money to improve the state’s foster care system. The governor and others want to restore and even increase the funding. With the state Legislature…
The man who sold very good hot dogs There was once a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs. He was hard of hearing so he had no radio – he had trouble with his eyes, so he read no newspapers and of course he didn’t look at television….
Three times in the past two years the Texas Supreme Court has found that the mayor and City Council of the city of Houston misled, or attempted to mislead, city voters regarding a ballot proposition before them: once with the city’s Rain Tax proposition, and twice in connection with the HERO, or equal rights,…
