Nuisance of the Day. Thank You Texas!!

[JedClampett]

Just had to get fingerprinted. Apparently Texas feels the need to do criminal background checks on all new and existing engineers.
Are there criminal elements becoming Texas PE's? Is this a huge problem? How long before this catches on in other states? With each one having a minor tweak making the checks in one state not applicable to the others.

 

[msquared48]

Someone has to be designing all those tunnels under the border!

Mike McCann, PE, SE

 

[miningman]

There's probably nothing illegal about designing tunnels under the border, or even constructing them. Its using them that the Immigration dept has a problem with

 

[JedClampett]

Leave it to a mining guy to defend tunnel building!
How about under prison walls?

 

[miningman]

Same thing, surely its only the use of said structure that really annoys the authorities. But on a serious note, surely its upto the Texas engineers to protest this new example of invasive government aquisition of data that theres no real justification for. As a Canadian I can view these things somewhat ambivalently, but I will always remember meeting a USA ex military guy who had served in the first Iraq invasion who told me "I love my country but I dont trust my government" I had no trouble appreciating the distinction and the depth to which he held these feelings.

 

[JedClampett]

I'm not even viewing this with my conspiratorial colored glasses on. I'm more annoyed that someone who owned a company that does these checks probably lobbied the Texas legislature (you know bought them a steak or a drink or a bag of chips) and came up with this.
And the very same people who complain about federal government intrusion in the states have no problem intruding in our lives.

 

[hokie66]

Maybe it has something to do with the number of structures in Texas which have recently had problems. Those that come to mind are the high school football stadium in the news lately, the Dallas Cowboys practice facility, the Texas A&M equestrian centre, and I think there may be some others. I know, Texas is a big state, but it does have more than its share of cowboys.

 

[IRstuff]

"Same thing, surely its only the use of said structure that really annoys the authorities."

Not really. Tunnels would fall under civil engineering works, so they need to be safe for those above, in case the tunnel caves in. Additionally, there is at least a violation of property rights; I think you'd be concerned if I were to dig a tunnel under your house, even if I didn't bother you. In my case, however, the oil company still maintains mineral rights, so you would be running afoul of a multibillion dollar company if you attempted to dig under my house.

TTFN
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[urgross]

I think you identified the problem already-you're in Texas.

 

[racookpe1978]

The Texas problem (loss of privacy, nothing gained by the state in doing this, expense, time lost, bother, etc.) are made worse for those of us who are out-of-state, but are keeping our TX licenses.

The very most maddening thing about this whole farce is that - supposedly, it is meant to "verify" that we are who we say we are when we ask for a state license to practice engineering ... BUT THEN THE FED'S ALLOW ANYBODY INTO THE STATE DELIBERATELY!
For voting? No ID's wanted.
For employment as an illegal? No id, no citizenship, no taxes, no safety? No problemo.
For getting welfare? No problemo.
For getting in-state tuition credits as an illegal alien? No problemo.

If you want to work legally? Muchos problemos!
Want to renew your license legally? Be ready to dig out your marriage license, certified birth certificate, fingerprint card, go to the office, pay the fees, take time off from work to get there, swear in front of the bureaucrat, ....

 

[JedClampett]

hokie66, you've been around long enough to know some great engineers who were drunks, cheaters, drug users, wife beaters and general scoundrels. And some of the worst engineers are choir boys. There's no correlation. I'm not saying we should encourage criminals, just that there are criminals and there are criminals.
Just because you got a DUI in 1978, shouldn't disqualify you from designing a beam (or becoming president).

 

[IRstuff]

"For employment as an illegal? No id, no citizenship, no taxes, no safety? "

Against the law to not verify employment status


TTFN
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[strucguy]

If only they can implement this in Wallstreet. Naah...they are born saints.

 

[hokie66]

Jed,
Understood and agreed. But confronted with a problem, bureaucrats just do something, whether there is any logic in what they do or not.

 

[glass99]

I am about to get fingerprinted for my TX PE too. I have to go down to my local cop shop to get it done. What problem does this solve? Its madness!

 

[JAE]

Just got my notice back from the Texas board....I guess I'm not a felon and can now renew.

Check out Eng-Tips Forum's Policies here:
faq731-376

 

[urgross]

Maybe their worried that a Hamas PE will help children tunnel under the border.

 

[cranky108]

You know we just can't have tunnels under the border being designed by fellons, can we.

They should only be designed by upstanding engineers.

 

[racookpe1978]

3-1/2 hours wasted today tracking through the paperwork and various web sites. Spent a good deal of time on the phone waiting for the Illinois business to answer the phone => The web sites are NOT clear about who does what when to get which number to get a permit to get a number to print a number to get get an ID card printed from the local office that has both fingerprints AND ID number on it to mail off.

I am out-of-state (GA, near Atlanta) so there was extra time lost getting my sheriff's department to take the fingerprints and pay them, their parking fee, courthouse security, extra driving, etc. More on Monday for mailing the printed forms off to Illinois to get an "ok" from the "secure database in the sky" to say I am who I say I am to the powers-that-be.

Then more time waiting for Illinois to get me their reply, then to get that reply letter to TX so I can pay them their money.

But, to vote for these cretins demanding these changes?
NO ID, no papers, no checks, no verification of anything. No NADA.

 

[cranky108]

Just be glad that there is a message on your SS card that lets you know that number is not to be used for identification.