The Wise Report
Henry M. Wise, P.G.
May 22, 2012
Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Christopher C. Mathewson of College Station to the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2017. The board licenses and regulates the public practice of geoscience.
Mathewson is a regents professor emeritus and a senior professor of geology at Texas A&M University. He is a licensed professional engineer in Texas and Arizona, and a licensed professional geologist in Texas and Oregon. He is a life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of American Military Engineers, a fellow of the Geological Society of America,and is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Division of Environmental Geosciences, and the American Geophysical Union. He is also a member of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical & Petroleum Engineers, American Institute of Professional Geologists, the International Association of Engineering Geologists, the International Code Council, National Association of Geology Teachers and the South African Institute of Engineering Geologists. Mathewson is also a member of the Council of Examiners of the National Association of State Boards of Geology and participates in the writing and review of the licensure examination for professional geologists. He is past president and former executive director of the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists, and is past chairman of the Texas Section of the Association of Engineering Geologists, the Geological Society of America Engineering Geology Division, and the U.S. National Committee for International Association of Engineering Geologists. He is past president of the American Geological Institute and a former trustee of the Geological Society of America Foundation. He also served as a commissioned officer in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Mathewson received a bachelor's degree from Case Institute of Technology, and a master's degree and Doctorate of Geological Engineering from the University of Arizona.
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Seems the movement to get rid of the TBPG during the next legislative session is beginning once again. On April 10, 2012 the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce held a hearing (http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/commit/c510/c510.htm) during which Occupational licensing was discussed (starting at the 49.21 mark). The item consisted of 1) Bill Kunz (TDLR Executive Director) providing testimony regarding TDLR’s work; 2) Sherri Greenberg, Director, Center for Politics & Governance providing more general comments about the need to be judicious in licensing professions and the impact on the economy; and finally, 3) Marc Levin, Director, Center for Effective Justice, Texas Public Policy Foundation. Mr. Levin’s written testimony can be found at: http://www.texaspolicy.com/pdf/2012-04-10-testimony-occupationallicensing-CEJ.pdf. He lists the TBPG as one of the licenses that should be considered for elimination. While Mr. Levin’s suggestions, in general, were very good, the TBPG should never have been included in the list as it serves a legitimate purpose.
In an editorial in the April 18, 2012 Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/default/article/There-s-still-room-to-cut-government-waste-in-3492521.php), Senator Talmadge Heflin, director of the Center for Fiscal Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committeein 2003, used the TBPG as a waste of taxpayer dollars that should be targeted for sunsetting. Ron Kitchens, Chairman of the TBPG, responded to the editorial to Senator Heflin and the Houston Chronicle via email on April 25, 2012, who pointed out that the TBPG actually brings in more than twice as much revenue to the State of Texas than it spends, so getting rid of the TBPG would actually be a net loss of revenue to the State, not a net savings. Chairman Kitchens also pointed out that “the general public's health and safety is impacted to a great deal by decisions made every day by geoscientists throughout the state, and I feel that assuring that these decisions are made by competent and trained geoscientists is an important service to our citizens.” He also suggested that they meet to discuss this matter.
It appears that we may have another fight on our hands in the next Legislative Session, again. We’ll need to impress on the legislators that we aren’t an expense to the State, but a revenue generator and that we need and deserve a Board of our own. The idea of “getting government off people’s backs” has become very popular over that past few years, but we need to impress upon them that, prior to the instituting of the TBPG (at the request of the Geologic Community of Texas, not some faceless bureaucrat) there were many unqualified persons performing geology and making geologic decisions and recommendations that were affecting the health and welfare of the public that resulted in improper environmental assessments, recommendations and remediation, as well as not taking geology into proper account for a number of building projects (housing, pipelines, drainage, etc.).
Henry M. Wise, P.G.
The Wise Report
May 22, 2012
