
Monetary expert, Dr. C. Fred Bergsten, recently spoke at the Baker Institute at Rice University about the impact of the Plaza Accord. The Plaza Accord was a pro-growth agreement signed in 1985 by the G-5 nations of West Germany, France, the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom. The program, signed at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, was designed to force the United States to devalue the American dollar.
by Peter Maffitt22 Oct 2015, 8:45 AM PST0

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship held its 13th annual Energy and Clean Technology Venture Forum September 17th at Rice University with over 460 attendees and 60 innovative energy technology company presentations.
by Peter Maffitt28 Sep 2015, 8:09 AM PST0

Jonathan Sandys, great grandson of Winston Churchill and Wallace Henley have written an extraordinary book on the inner values of Churchill: “God & Churchill, How the Great Leader’s Sense of Divine Destiny Changed his Troubled World and Offers Hope for
by Peter Maffitt25 Sep 2015, 6:56 AM PST0

Ambassador Charles (Chas) W. Freeman, the former career US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, (US Foreign Service Retired), has outlined the Saudi Arabia position on the Oil Price Collapse. Ambassador Freeman served as President George H.W. Bush’s representative to Saudi Arabia from 1989 to 1992.
by Peter Maffitt25 Sep 2015, 6:52 AM PST0

The City of Houston has become swamped by its debt owed to employee pension funds.The Laura & John Arnold Foundation recently issued a very clear report on the condition of the City of Houston Pension funding. The eleven-page report is titled, “Swamped: How Pension Debt is Sinking the Bayou City,” is attached at the bottom of this article.
by Peter Maffitt17 Sep 2015, 7:41 AM PST0

Estimates vary, but the Greater Houston is home to between 250,000 to 270,000 Texas veterans. The number is growing because, according to Congressman Ted Poe, one out of ten active duty military is from Texas and many of these will likely retire in Texas.
by Peter Maffitt12 Sep 2015, 6:32 AM PST0

On television, we are watching the beginnings of a mass migration from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe. If you google “Middle East Population and North African Population” you get the 2014 CIA population estimates nation by nation. The Middle East has a population over 600 million and North Africa has a population of 198 million for a total over 800 million.
by Peter Maffitt8 Sep 2015, 6:32 AM PST0

HOUSTON, Texas — The funeral service for Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth was held 11 AM, Friday, September 4, 2015 at the 2nd Baptist Church on Woodway. On August 28th, while in uniform, Deputy Goforth was putting gasoline in his
by Peter Maffitt4 Sep 2015, 5:01 PM PST0

The Department of Commerce announced this week that U.S. companies can now export some crude oil to Mexico. There is a vigorous debate in Washington over crude oil export policy. Exxon and other industry groups lobbied to remove the prohibition on exporting crude oil.
by Peter Maffitt27 Aug 2015, 6:48 AM PST0

The Mexican peso has fallen over 20% against the US dollar in the past year despite efforts to prop up its currency.
by Peter Maffitt12 Aug 2015, 9:53 AM PST0

The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugarland, Texas metropolitan area is the largest export market in the United States. This is according to a Department of Commerce International Trade Administration report that just released the 2014 Metropolitan Merchandise Export figures.
by Peter Maffitt12 Aug 2015, 9:09 AM PST0

Mexico’s energy reform program is critical to the pursuit of energy independence in North America. This is according to Dr. Tony Payan, director of the Mexico Center at the Baker Institute at the University of Houston, who testified before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. The topic was “Pursuing North American Energy Independence, Mexico’s Energy Reform.”
by Peter Maffitt1 Aug 2015, 7:39 AM PST0

This weekend the Houston Astros’ great, Craig Biggio, 5 foot 11, 185 pounds, number 44, was inducted into the 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. He was elected with 82.7% of voters in his third run. Biggio was one of the famous “Killer Bs” of the Houston Astros.
by Peter Maffitt27 Jul 2015, 9:00 AM PST0

The City of Houston appears to be following the path of the nation of Greece in terms of financial ruin. News sources daily are keeping us appraised of the continuing Greek debt crisis. Greece has a debt of 170% of their Gross National Product.
by Peter Maffitt26 Jul 2015, 8:31 AM PST0

The US oil & gas drilling rig count has plummeted in the past year and this week 24 July the rig count gained 21 rigs. Last week the rig count fell 7 rigs. The two prior weeks the rig count increased.
by Peter Maffitt26 Jul 2015, 3:40 AM PST0

The Mexican peso on July 20th continues it fall and it broke 16 to 1 US dollar. An economic and political stable Mexico is essential for the United States and Texas. Over the past year the Mexican peso has been weakening. A year ago it was 12.97 to the US dollar; 6 months ago 14.66; one month ago 15.34; and July 20th 16.02. On July 22, the peso exchange rate is 16.09.
by Peter Maffitt22 Jul 2015, 11:13 AM PST0

Social media and the general conversation both in Mexico and abroad is that Mexican President Peña Nieto is rumored to have prostate cancer. He has already undergone at least three major operations since 2011–the last two within this past year. But as usual, the foreign press says more and speculates considerably more on this delicate matter than the Mexican press.
by Peter Maffitt6 Jul 2015, 6:17 AM PST0

Over the past year the Mexican peso has been falling. A year ago the peso stood at 12.94 to the US dollar; six months ago, 14.75; one month ago, 15.49; and on June 30th 15.73.
by Peter Maffitt2 Jul 2015, 9:08 AM PST0

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed the current state budget that includes $25 million for the continuation of structural repairs for the Battleship Texas, BB-35, located at the San Jacinto Battlegrounds.
by Peter Maffitt30 Jun 2015, 6:00 AM PST0

ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, operates the electric grid for 24 million Texans, for about 90% of the state’s electric load. Potomac Economics is the independent market monitor, with no enforcement ability. Platt’s Management Daily reports on the daily electricity usage. The mission of ERCOT is to avoid brown outs and black outs. Several years ago ERCOT cut off electricity to the Dallas Medical Center and that was a mess. When there is an approaching brown out or black out, ERCOT can raise price of wholesale electricity to bring on line mothballed, inefficient or otherwise withheld power plants to increase supply.
by Peter Maffitt29 Jun 2015, 6:35 AM PST0

There are demonstrations in Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Mexico. Ex-presidents in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua are being investigated for corruption.
by Peter Maffitt16 Jun 2015, 12:04 PM PST0

The 2018 presidential, governor, senate, and lower house election are in play. No one is a clear leader for that presidential election. And Mexican are seeking routes to consolidate their democracy well beyond their political party system.
by Peter Maffitt12 Jun 2015, 8:11 AM PST0

A stable Central America is highly beneficial to Texas and the United States. The CICIG, a UN funded investigation group, has been very active in Guatemala. In May, President Otto Perez Molina asked for the resignation of several high level public officials.
by Peter Maffitt12 Jun 2015, 7:51 AM PST0

The Texas oil & gas industry has been hard hit by the drop in crude oil prices. As of June 5 the Texas oil & gas rig count is 364, down from 891 rigs a year ago, or a drop of idle 518 rigs.
by Peter Maffitt6 Jun 2015, 9:16 AM PST0

Texas benefits greatly from a stable, democratic Mexico with 125 million citizens. Thus, Texans should deeply care about elections in Mexico. To raise awareness of the importance of this 2015 election, the Baker Institute, under leadership of Dr. Tony Payan, invited Mexican political and moral leader Cuauhtémoc Cardenas to Houston for a talk on the state of Mexican Democracy.
by Peter Maffitt2 Jun 2015, 7:28 AM PST0