Morning Roundup: The price of revolution edition

Good morning, Houston. Here's one of those things that ended up selling for much more than we would have expected: A Rosenberg man bought a lock of Che Guevara's hair yesterday for $100,000. Bill Butler, a bookstore owner, was the only bidder; he said he collects items from the 1960s and that the hair will fit in well. "A lot of his writings are still worth reading today," Butler said of Guevara. Gustavo Villodo, a former CIA operative who supervised Guevara's burial in Bolivia in 1967, consigned the lock of hair, which was sold at a Dallas auction house.

>> Cops caught on camera: The city's red-light camera system was put in place to catch drivers who run red lights, and it does its job well — maybe too well, in fact, when it comes to local police officers. According to KTRK, several officers have gotten $75 citations from the system because they ran lights while responding to calls. They're exempt from tickets in that situation under state law, but the cameras don't make the distinction, which means the officers often have to show up in court to explain why they were cited. "That's going to cost taxpayer money, because that officer has to be paid, and if it's on their off-duty time if they're required to go down there, now you're getting into overtime," Richard Cobb, an attorney with the Fraternal Order of Police, said. Court officials say they're just following the rules by setting court dates related to the citations; as Municipal Courts Director Berta Mejia explained, cops may challenge their tickets by mail, which means they don't have to appear in court. The Fraternal Order of Police is asking for more review of camera citations and a liaison at the municipal courthouse, and Mejia said the court will do its best to work with police in making the process go more smoothly.

>> What's next for Bill White?: So we suppose it's safe to predict that Mayor Bill White will be re-elected in a couple of weeks — but what will he do once his third term is over? The AP speculated on his political future yesterday, pointing out that he's not lacking for options: He could run for governor in 2010 or for Congress in 2012, or could end up with a Cabinet post if a Democrat is elected president. "The man is so capable, and he understands his own capacities, I think, and he will know where he needs and wants to be," Bob Krueger said. "He's capable of House or Senate or governor or president." White could leverage his leadership during the post-Katrina evacuee influx in a statewide election, TSU political scientist Sanders Anderson Jr. said; as the AP notes, he might need clout if he ends up in a gubernatorial race against Kay Bailey Hutchison. White is keeping mum about any aspirations, saying he's "not real keen on people who seem to spend more time thinking about what office they'll run for next rather than what they're doing every day in their current job."

>> This weekend's weather: The high pressure that's made the last few days so beautiful isn't going anywhere soon, which means we have a fantastic weekend in store: Totally clear skies, comfortable afternoons and cool nights. Look for a high of 74 today, with afternoon temperatures getting closer to 80 on Saturday and Sunday; nights will be around 50.

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