TexasCHLforum.com

anygunanywhere wrote:
Not to go too far OT but governments posting government buildings 30.06 has no penalty either.

I would vigorously support penalties for such laws.

Anygunanywhere

I understand your sentiment, but wo is it that actually pays thoise penelties? Maybe if they actually put jail time to this miscreants that actually ordered those signs? but fining a government agency probably isn't the answer.

snscott wrote:

Most laws that are written for government agencies have no penalties

Then what is the point?

It is not a "law" if there are absolutely no repercussions from not obeying it.

I don't think you understand how the law is created? A bill when passed by the house and senate, then gets passed onto the Governor If he signs it or ignores it it then becomes law. It might be meaningless law, but it is law all the same.

snscott wrote:

But I know I as a taxpayer wouldn't be happy paying off suits because DPS didn't have enough money due to an unprecedented increase in applications. Defendiing these suits would cost resources that could be better spent. processing applications

Well, then I submit that it should not be a "law" if we're not going to enforce it. Can I just ignore some laws because they are inconvenient to me? Absolutely NOT.

I've worked for the State before - I know it often is not a matter of "needing to hire more people", it is a matter of being inefficient with the people and systems you have. For example, when I worked for a State Hospital, there were only 8 of them in the whole state and they had 8 different ways of doing everything they all did in common.

Just because the state medical field is a bunch of inefficient bureaucrats doesn't mean all state agencys are.
There are some businesses that the government probably shouldn't be involved in. Medical care might be one of them.

Those that have followed this forum for any length of time understand that there are a bunch of very hard working dedicated people in the the CHL group of DPS. The investigation is manually done by local DPS officers who research the courts themselves. A 40 percent unforseen increase in the applications would put a strain on any agency. A state agency has no means of increasing staff on short notice.

About 2 years ago the CHL office was getting behind in the applications. slowly they were catching up. About a year to 6 months ago they were turning most of the new applications in about 30 to 45 days. Since then the political races have ramped up and folks started to realize that we have no friends in the presidential race and darn few in Congress. There is a new awareness that there are people that want to take away our second amendment rights that has created this 40% surge in applications.

snscott wrote: The DPS should not hold ME accountable and ticket me for not following "speed guidelines" - how does that sound?

Actually there are speed guidelines and we are not held accountable for them. See regulatory and advisory signs.

snscott wrote:

The reality is that the law sets a guideline

OK, so which is it, a LAW or a guideline? I thought it was LAW - but it is obviously not enforced. I suppose it would take someone suing the DPS for a late response before anyone would be held accountable - and I seriously doubt it even then. So, why even bother to specify a time limit?

Its a law without penalties. Most laws that are written for government agencies have no penalties. Remember DPS can't just hire people willy nilly. Any new hiring has to be done through the budgetary process and that has to be approved by the legislature every 2 years.

I thought i explained why the time limit was set in the law, I'm sorry if I wasn't clear enough to be understood. But I know I as a taxpayer wouldn't be happy paying off suits because DPS didn't have enough money due to an unprecedented increase in applications. Defendiing these suits would cost resources that could be better spent. processing applications.

Maybe we can lock up the clerks in jails over the weekend for not performing efficiently enough, or we can make them all take Fridays off without pay as punishment. I personally like the idea of making them all listen to a a bunch of frustrated applicants screaming at them over the phone for 2 hours a day.

snscott wrote:To bring this thread more back on topic...

The state is taking a month longer than the 60 days allowed by law to process original applications, the newspaper reported. Renewals are going 80 days past the mandated 45-day period.

Can someone explain what good it is to have a law like this when the DPS can apparently ignore it with no consequences whatsoever? I think it is great more people are getting their CHL's, but my point here is what is the value of a law like this and why isn't anyone held responsible for the law being broken and not only that, but the DPS openly admits they are doing it?

What is the penalty for them missing the "mandated" time period?

The law does a lot of good. Even if we don't get the pleasure of seeing some DPS managers tossed into the jail. The reality is that the law sets a guideline. When they fail to keep to the guidelines flags are raised and the press writes stories, special interests start calling their legislators and the situation gets fixed. Its called politics. and it tends to work even if not particularly graceful.