MAY 5, 2009
TPSA PRESIDENT CONTINUES CAMPAIGN OF LIES BY OMISSION
Recent Email Fails To Fully Inform
The TPSA leadership is maintaining a don't ask don't tell policy towards their legislative
agenda. It has come to our attention that TPSA President, Eric Johnson, sent a message to his
membership dated April 29, 2009. He spent little time misrepresenting the hearing held on April
22 and the testimony concerning HB 1069, and even less time on his own bill, Senate Bill 1388.
Once again, he failed to explain exactly what his bill will do to our industry and YOUR pocket
books.
He quickly glossed over the bill and said, "Besides the House side, SB 1388 (the funding bill)
was set for the intent calendar and is poised to be passed on the Senate floor anytime now."
TPSA leaders, including Mr. Johnson, have never been completely forthcoming about what this
bill will actually do. He is sure to explain how funding the PSRB is every process server's
obligation and how we must "pay our own way." However, he has never explained why
process servers will be forced to pay for the oversight of court reporters and guardians ad litem
as well. At the same time, he sidesteps questions about the current flooding of the market the
certification program is causing. He has never answered questions about why funding ever
became necessary for a program that was presented and sold to process servers as a simple
statewide blanket order that did not involve any need for funding. And, no TPSA leader,
including Mr. Johnson, can give a satisfactory answer as to why the PSRB was ever created in
the first place if hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding would be needed down the road.
The fact is, certification was supposed to be a simple sign up list that would keep criminals out
of the industry. (Mr. Johnson has testified before the PSRB to allow an admitted wife beater to
be certified.) It was NEVER presented as a program of oversight and the PSRB was never
presented as a regulatory agency. The reason the program and the board now need money is
because they are attempting to PULL A FAST ONE on us. Fifteen times, they asked the Texas
Legislature to give them what they wanted and each time, the Legislature refused. So, they
decided to go behind the Legislature's back, dangle a carrot in our faces to get us on board,
then changed the rules half way through. This is exactly why each and every process server
should be concerned about handing over their private, free-enterprise businesses to the
government. It's like signing away the rights to a child. You no longer have control or decision
making power. Eric Johnson represents that very danger. He wants your money. He wants
your support. He wants to be a part of an elite few who will have control over your career. All
the while, he is lying by omission to trick you into signing on with him and the TPSA leadership
agenda.
Let's look at these facts and possibilities:
TPSA leaders sell an expensive training course they want YOU to purchase.
TPSA leaders have attempted to change the current training every 3 years to a yearly
requirement, thereby tripling the profit they make off of YOU.
TPSA leaders have attempted to add more hours of class time, thereby increasing the profit
they make off of YOU.
Three TPSA leaders sit on the PSRB and make recommendations to the Texas Supreme Court
that will directly affect YOU, like the one to increase the training requirements; and they make
those recommendations without considering the industry's desires or even their own members'.
Rules relating to our industry have changed only 3 or 4 times in the last 21 years. TPSA leaders
cannot give satisfactory reasons why they want to force us to take yearly training.
The Supreme Court can, at any time, with or without industry approval, change any or all the
rules relating to process server certification.
At TPSA meetings, members are discouraged from discussing SB 1388 or any legislation.
Leaders routinely interrupt and shut down anyone who asks too many questions and those
who question the authority and leadership of the TPSA elite. But, at the Capitol, TPSA leaders,
including Mr. Johnson, speak for each and every member claiming that SB 1388 is a "TPSA" bill
and that he represents the wishes of the TPSA membership.
Eric Johnson's bill, SB 1388, will cost YOU money to do what many of you have been doing for
free for 21 years. Eric Johnson's support of this bill will benefit his co-leaders, Carl Weeks
(PSRB Chairman and TPSA past president), and PSRB members, Lee Russell (TPSA past
President) and Justiss Rasberry (TPSA current area Director.)
They are all in bed together. They are all working in concert to get control of YOUR business
and control of YOUR money. It's just that simple. Your blind support of SB 1388 will assist
them in achieving their goals. Ask yourself,
JUST EXACTLY WHAT DOES SB 1388 DO FOR YOU?
More importantly, WHAT HAS THE PSRB EVER DONE FOR YOU?
Please visit the TPW news page for informative news articles. Please begin with the April 16th
article titled, "WHAT?! TPSA LEADERS DIDN'T TELL YOU?:
TEXAS PROCESS WATCH TOP STORIES
Story by:
Tod E. Pendergrass