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Municipal Services Bureau Is a Bloated Bureaucracy That Doesn’t Belong in Texas

July 23rd, 2012

It’s ironic that a state as proud of its liberty and individualism as Texas would give so much cart blanch authority to as bloated, hateful, and inhuman organization as the MSB, “a private corporation.” Not strong enough? I despise this company with the burning heat of a thousand suns. Still unclear? If it were possible to see a picture of the staff’s personalities and people skills, they’d look like the picture of Dorian Grey.  I’ll have to consult my priest, but I’m not sure it’s possible for anyone who’s worked at the MSP, (particularly in the absurdly named “Customer support” capacity), to escape the grasp of purgatory, let alone cross St. Peter’s threshold and actually see the Celestial city!

Ok deep breaths…                 I recently received word that my license was suspended for failing to pay another hundred dollars for a ticket I received a year and a half ago for failing to realize that my driver’s license had expired. The dead line for the payment was a mere seven days prior and they had already suspended my license! The great part is I had not received a single notification prior to the suspension.  When I “consulted” with one of their “experts,” she insisted that their computer showed the notices had in fact gone out. “What good is that” I asked “IF I NEVER RECEIVED THEM?

Ok where do we go from here?” I asked. “Well, sir” she persisted, “It’s important for you to understand that we did in fact send you the notices.” “No, it’s not” I replied, “because, I never received them.”  When I volunteered to pay she informed me that there would be a forty eight hour turnaround before the payment actually cleared, followed by another seven day turnaround before my license could be reinstated, at which time I’ll need to visit the DPS office where I’ll presumably be treated to yet another round of fleecing. To top it all off, when I attempted to make a payment, I was informed that she could not or would not; (whichever) take a credit card payment. I would have to call back and pay through the automated service.

I consider myself an upstanding citizen. I live here legally, I own a small property, I pay my bills, and I’ve never been to jail for any reason. But I’ve just been informed that a faceless bureaucracy can charge perennially me for a very minor past traffic offence, without adequately informing me they’ve done so, and then suspend my driving privileges when I fail to pay. I should say as well that I’ve spoken to numerous other people who’ve had precisely the same experience, so simply looking at a computer screen that may or may not say they’ve attempted to inform me is not evidence enough.   If there are any state senators, or officials who happen to be reading this, or if my readers know any personally, please, please, please this “law,” needs to be repealed! It’s an absolute mess! It’s the kind of law I’d expect to come from a wing of the bloated federal government, like the IRS or the KGB, not my home state of Texas!

The American Freedom Museum and H.A.M. Museum, A Teachers Perspective

April 25th, 2012

As April rolls into May, teachers and students alike experience a little foretaste of purgatory. The school year is nearly over, but finals haven’t started yet. Classes are covering their last topics of the school year, and the students glaze out the windows daydreaming about the vacation that is only weeks away. As a little tide- you- over till summer getaway, I took my eight graders on a daytrip to a couple of local stops. Both have been well covered here but I thought I’d offer fresh insights. The class is a group from a private school in a neighboring town, and as such, represents a new audience for the establishments in question. Our first stop was the Brook Hill, American Freedom Museum. As always, the exhibits are so much more than one expects to find at a local private school. It chronicles the history of the American military through all the nation’s conflicts. There are rare weapons, flags, even vehicles on display throughout the facility. The hall of presidents contains documents and signatures of every American executive. Anyone planning a visit to our area, hosting out of town guests, or compiling a list of summer activities should definitely keep the museum in mind.

Our second event for the day was a place old and dear to my heart, the Historical Aviation Memorial Museum. But first we sat down for lunch at the Skyline Café adjacent to the museum. We had planned this lunch ahead of time and the young men in particular were eagerly awaiting the huge ten inch hamburgers the restaurant serves. With as much food as our crew ordered, all that cooking took a little while, but it proved well worth the wait.

The Aviation Museum is filled with all manner of artifacts, charts, maps, flags, models and uniforms from all periods and nationalities of aviation history. Outside the building are a number of aircraft on display spanning the period from the Korean War through the skirmishes of the nineteen eighties. I love visiting this place and so does my young son and I have every intention of returning. The one caution I would offer to the group that visits is to be sure that your younger more active members lower their voices and restrain their energy, as some of the older docents (much like my grandfather actually), can be a touch prickly. Hey their vets so I’ll extend that deference. Otherwise this is always a fun stop and I will continue to bring my students until they bar the door.