SURPAC NEWS

Happy New Year ! We have a lot of work to do this year in SURPAC. First and foremost we need the support of the membership in the SUNSET Commission hearings, debates or actions. If you don't know who your local governmental representatives are they can be found on the web at Texas Legislature Online.  Jay Canine is the new SURPAC representative for Chapter 9 and will be spearheading the effort to muster support. Please contact him to help at 281-531-1900.

 

 

 

Why SURPAC?

What is SURPAC?  

 SURPAC is the political fundraising arm of TSPS that works in conjunction with the Governmental Affairs Committee and the TSPS legal counsel.

Why do we need SURPAC?

·        SURPAC provides TSPS the means to create and maintain a presence in the legislative process by providing financial contributions to those legislators that have helped us in the past and those we feel will be needed for future assistance.  We anticipate a need for 8 bill sponsors, 4 in the House and 4 in the Senate, for the upcoming Session.

How do we decide who & how much?

  ·        The TSPS leadership and legislative counsel determine the legislators in the positions that are deemed necessary for support of our legislative initiatives.  This could be an influential committee chair or member, an individual legislator with a special interest in an area in which we are involved, a legislator we feel could carry a particular bill effectively, or a legislator we feel might oppose us without our support

·        The “industry standard” for worthwhile or effective political donations is a minimum of $1000 for Senators and $500 for Representatives.

Where does the money go

·        Typically, contributions to legislators are used for campaign/election expenses and officeholder expenses.  Where political contributions come from, and what they may be used for, is strictly governed by law. 

What does TSPS get for making contributions?

·        We get recognition and access.  Recognition as a serious association when an individual legislator sees our name associated with a legislative initiative, and access to individual legislators when we need assistance or the opportunity to get our message across at the appropriate time.  We get put on “the friends to help” list when items come up that affect our profession.  That is why we must have a broad-based approach in our contribution efforts.

Are we buying votes?

·        No, we aren’t.  This is simply the way the political process works; we can choose to be an active participant, or we can opt out, but either way our profession is going to be impacted by whatever happens during the Session.  Remember, there are many people and organizations with interests contrary to ours who are spending large amounts of money to either pass legislation detrimental to the surveying profession or to defeat our initiatives  

What is the most effective way to make contributions?

·        To be effective, TSPS members need to contribute not only to SURPAC, but also directly to their local legislators.  By attending the fundraisers of local legislators, our members make themselves more visible and give TSPS a stronger presence in the legislative arena.

·        We must “cover both sides of the fence.”  Contributing only to one individual or group of legislators will soon wear out our welcome.

How can we contribute to SURPAC?

·        Donations by personal check are the best way to contribute both to SURPAC and local legislators.  Corporate donations can only be used for administrative expenses of SURPAC; to be most effective, we must make contributions directly to the legislators, and these contributions can only come for personal donations.  The Governmental Affairs Committee anticipates a need for a minimum of $ 30,000 prior to the upcoming Session, which begins on January 1, 2003.  By law, contributions cannot be made during or within the 30 days prior to the Session; it is imperative that all contributions be received in the TSPS office prior to December 1, 2002

 ·        More importantly, the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying faces Sunset Review in the Session that begins January 1, 2003; committees have already begun meeting to look at the various State agencies which will be reviewed during that Session.  The Governmental Affairs Committee and TSPS legal counsel have already started preparing for the challenges we’ll face in 2003; to meet those challenges will require substantial contributions from, as well as the participation of, all TSPS members.

Send your check, in any amount, to the TSPS office today – simply put, the future of your profession is at stake!