Actually, the Board makes money for the State. It puts the money into the General Fund and then Texas gives some of it back to the Board, but overall the State gets more money from the Board than it gives to the Board. My understanding is that more than one other department wants the Board so they can get those monies.
That was the rumor going around on the legislative side, but each of the entities that were thought to be looking at us claimed to be content and had compelling reasons not to currently be looking to expand. When we get more information from the governors office we will have a better understanding of which forces are at work. At his time I just ask that everyone pay close attention and report any information you hear to TSPS.
James Redmon
Texas doing away with surveyors--soon all going bye,bye
> Licenses mainly exist to protect the current practitioners from competition.
Have to disagree, at least in the use of the term "mainly".
Many professions require a license, which helps ensure that the public will not be harmed by people who are not qualified to perform the necessary service. Doctors and nurses, teachers, attorneys, accountants, psychologists, social workers, and of course engineers and surveyors are just some of the professions and trade that require some form of regulation in the form of licensing.
In addition, the process for qualification of a license often weeds out many who should not be practicing the professions, as well as criminals, con artists and others. For example, licensing of home attendants and home care professionals can help to eliminate fraud and criminal activities, or if such occur, at least to provide a means of identification and establishing proof of criminality.
Just because the licensing process does not weed out ALL unqualified personnel, it is no reason to scrap the entire process. After all, most people who attain the level of skill to obtain a professional license take it quite seriously, and conduct their business and professional affairs accordingly.
While the example of hair braiding certainly seems to trivialize the situation, licensing is an attempt to maintain certain standards, whatever the profession might be.
Just a show of hands, how many on here would be willing to submit to a surgical procedure, or even a diagnosis by someone who did not attend medical school and does not have a medical license?
Texas doing away with surveyors--soon all going bye,bye
> Many professions require a license, which helps ensure that the public will not be harmed by people who are not qualified to perform the necessary service. Doctors and nurses, teachers, attorneys, accountants, psychologists, social workers, and of course engineers and surveyors are just some of the professions and trade that require some form of regulation in the form of licensing.
Sorry, got to call BS on this one. In this area, the public is not protected from unqualified surveys through licensing. The state merely licensed the unqualified. The license has elevated these jacklegs.
Texas doing away with surveyors>Politics
Here in MA the governor deleted funding for Barnstable County Sheriffs Department while funding all the counties. The reason? the sheriff appointed a "Special Sheriff" (a funded but not filled position) to his roles; A buddy that had run for office and failed, and also had contributed to his race for the sheriffs office.
Of course his buddy has a rather questionable history as a policeman and was found to exaggerate his scholastic achievements. (read Degree Mills)
Of course it will be funded at some point but maybe without the optional position being funded....
Texas doing away with surveyors--soon all going bye,bye
> > Many professions require a license, which helps ensure that the public will not be harmed by people who are not qualified to perform the necessary service. Doctors and nurses, teachers, attorneys, accountants, psychologists, social workers, and of course engineers and surveyors are just some of the professions and trade that require some form of regulation in the form of licensing.
>
> Sorry, got to call BS on this one. In this area, the public is not protected from unqualified surveys through licensing. The state merely licensed the unqualified. The license has elevated these jacklegs.
What's it take to qualify to sit for the exam in Tennessee? What kind of examination are you guys using to "elevate these jacklegs"?
😛
Texas doing away with surveyors--soon all going bye,bye
Well, we've got some old guys from DOT that were grandfathered in. We've got some other people that passed the test back when, "how many feet can a good chaining crew chain in a day" was one of the questions on the 16 hour test. We've got some young guys out there that know what goes on a plat and how to write a description, but don't have a clue abour senior rights, state plane coordinates, the difference in NAD 27 and 83, or any tenants of proper boundary reconstruction. Just because you got three surveyors to lie for you and say that you would be a good surveyor, and just because you knew how to pass a test doesn't mean you know what the heck you are doing.
Tommy
I guess I proved THAT a couple of years ago 😉
In Georgia our fees DO NOT go to the BOR. They go directly into the General Fund, then the Secretary of State gets a budget, then the SOS decides who and how much each BOR gets. Ours is SEVERELY underfunded.
Andy
James,
It would be appreciated if you can post some info here when it becomes available so that the ones that are not members of TSPS can keep track without some second hand info floating around.
I hope to think that it is just blowing smoke, but you never know with politics.
BTW,
I have never "questioned" TSPS, you guys do a good job, but it is not for everyone.
Thanks,
Randy
In the Cases Tommy Cited.........
.....I'd say the real problem is that the BOR isn't doing their job.
That's quite different from declaring that all licensing should be abolished.
Maybe just a few BOR members should be "abolished"..............
It's the same thing with CEU's.....people often complain that the courses aren't up to snuff, so they shouldn't have to take the courses.
The real answer is working to get better courses........doing away with the system isn't the answer.
My surveying buddy Bubba in Houston told me that the engineers
in Texas declared the architects as a subset of engineering. That
made the Texas architects really mad. The architects called their
political friend who I am sure was well compensated with political
donations. The politician went to bat for the architects and won.
The engineers came back and destroyed this politician's reputation.
He almost got thrown in prison; his sentence was probated. I think
the engineer lobby might be to powerful for the land surveyors.
Apparently just the fee increase under Administrative Code §1071.1521 put more than a half million into the General Revenue and School Fund, in fiscal year'09.
This sounds more like it. Not doing away with surveyors, but with the state agency, either by consolidation or self regulation. It's certainly not a call to repeal the act.
> I heard they were going to let some old west Texas surveyor run the whole show in Texas, he is going to be in charge of a legion of Geo-geocache'ers, mainly locating fences.
Lol - sounds about right, karma's a b!tch
Texas doing away with surveyors--soon all going bye,bye
> dane--the people decided nothing a hand full of legislators were conned by lobbyists spreading fear that if we don't control aa specific practice bad things could happen and btw the state can make money to boot--sounds innocent ?? its was not--has our profession improved ?? heck no,, we are forced to contribute at least 1000 dollars net 1600 gross to support a gamit of entities, holding the fear of the practioners hostage by the state-ie: board boogiemen that will fine you and take more of your earnings and control your livelihood--when i was a young jeep surveyor i thought licensing woud be a good thing--i was conned--regulation by the state in any for is a bad thing when it affects livelihood and individual rights--thats why some state are thinking of dumping licensing even drivers licenses--tdd
Licensing of surveyors started over 100 years ago, because various yokels who didn't know what they were doing were running around doing crap surveys and causing all kinds of problems. Bubba with a cloth tape and a boyscout compass. You think you have a problem with pincushions, unrecorded plats and all the other nonsense now? Gonna get a lot worse without licensure. That's the "protecting the public" part. At least the lawyers are still gonna make lots of dough with unlicensed nimrods running around all over the place.
Not to mention that all of you who DO know what you are doing will be out of business due to lowballing. There won't be enough work left to go around to make it worthwhile.
Like!
