Brad Swail welcomes Charles Blain—Houston Chronicle contributor, Manhattan Institute City Journal writer, Fox 26 panelist, author of the forthcoming The Brotherhood of Facts (Johns Hopkins Press, spring 2027), and founder of Local Insights.

Charles shares how an accidental AI-assisted review of Houston Metro contract documents uncovered a $215k-to-$4.2M ballooning deal tied to board chair conflicts—ultimately leading to cancellation after public pushback. He explains how Local Insights aggregates Texas local government data (budgets, bonds, agendas, campaign finance, property records, business ownerships, jail stats, court filings) into searchable dashboards, cross-references, trend alerts, and interrogatable interfaces—empowering everyday citizens, journalists, and activists to hold officials accountable without needing newsroom resources.

They discuss AI’s role in leveling the civic playing field: parsing dense agendas, flagging anomalies, aiding open records fights, and educating users on government mechanics (strong vs. weak mayor systems, charters, CAFRs vs. budgets). Charles critiques Trump-era talk of banning institutional homebuyers (mostly mom-and-pop investors, not mega-corps) and argues Texas should focus on permitting reform, standardized processes, property tax relief (e.g., incentives for first-time buyers near aging parents), and deeper transparency mandates to boost affordability.

Essential for anyone tracking Texas local governance, transparency, housing policy, or AI in public accountability. Visit localinsights.ai (or follow @CJBlain10 on X) for more. Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify for Texas Talks.

00:00:00 - Welcome to Texas Talks
00:00:06 - Guest Intro: Charles Blain – Writer, Commentator & Founder of Local Insights
00:00:51 - Meeting in Person After Years of Online Collaboration
00:01:36 - Charles’s Background: Houston Chronicle, City Journal, Fox 26, Forthcoming Book
00:02:19 - Origin of Local Insights: Accidental AI Use on Houston Metro Contract
00:03:45 - Metro Scandal Breakdown: $215k → $4.2M Contract & Board Chair Conflict
00:05:30 - How AI Flagged Issues & Led to Contract Cancellation
00:06:26 - Building Tools: From Templates to Civic Data Platform
00:07:23 - Hermann Park / Ben Taub Eminent Domain Dashboard Example
00:08:06 - Civic Engagement Mission: Leveling the Field for Citizens
00:09:35 - Who It’s For: Citizens, Journalists, Busy People Seeking Transparency
00:10:23 - Presentation to Water Board Directors & Early Demand
00:11:41 - Special Purpose Districts, Water Districts & Citizen Tools
00:12:51 - Full Platform: Every Texas Local Government Data (Budgets, Bonds, Agendas, Campaign Finance)
00:13:40 - Cross-Referencing: TDCJ, Campaign Finance, Property Records, Business Ownership
00:15:19 - Agenda Interrogation, Alerts & Jurisdiction Comparisons
00:17:11 - State-Level Data (Contracts, Legislative, Open Records)
00:18:13 - Public Information Act Tools: Collaboration, Filing Help & Trends
00:19:51 - Disappointing Need for This Tool + Future of Civic Transparency
00:21:22 - Educational Library: Government Basics (Strong/Weak Mayor, Charters, CAFRs)
00:22:51 - Property Taxes Confusion at Council Meetings & Clear Visuals
00:24:40 - Building Connections: Why Votes Happen, Potential Anomalies
00:26:34 - State Policy Ideas: Standardization, Deeper Transparency Mandates
00:27:35 - Jail Data, Court Filings & Missing Details Across Counties
00:29:02 - Personal Financial Statements & Persistent Denial Issues
00:30:31 - Who Uses It: Busy Citizens, Journalists, Activists
00:31:47 - Urgency: Local Accountability Drives Bigger Change
00:32:26 - Housing & Institutional Investors: Critique of Ban Proposals
00:33:47 - Mom-and-Pop vs. Mega Investors & Affordability Realities
00:35:21 - State Fixes: Property Tax Relief, First-Time Buyer Incentives
00:36:57 - Permitting Reform & Standardization as Key to Affordability
00:39:56 - AI in Permitting, Protests & Exemption Tracking
00:41:51 - Closing Thanks & Plugs: @CJBlain10 on Social

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Using AI to Improve Transparency w/Charles Blain

Texas Talks