Municipal Services Bureau Is a Bloated Bureaucracy That Doesn’t Belong in Texas

It’s ironic that a state as proud of its liberty and individualism as Texas would give so much cart blanch authority to as bloated, hateful, and inhuman organization as the MSB, “a private corporation.” Not strong enough? I despise this company with the burning heat of a thousand suns. Still unclear? If it were possible to see a picture of the staff’s personalities and people skills, they’d look like the picture of Dorian Grey.  I’ll have to consult my priest, but I’m not sure it’s possible for anyone who’s worked at the MSP, (particularly in the absurdly named “Customer support” capacity), to escape the grasp of purgatory, let alone cross St. Peter’s threshold and actually see the Celestial city!

Ok deep breaths…                 I recently received word that my license was suspended for failing to pay another hundred dollars for a ticket I received a year and a half ago for failing to realize that my driver’s license had expired. The dead line for the payment was a mere seven days prior and they had already suspended my license! The great part is I had not received a single notification prior to the suspension.  When I “consulted” with one of their “experts,” she insisted that their computer showed the notices had in fact gone out. “What good is that” I asked “IF I NEVER RECEIVED THEM?

Ok where do we go from here?” I asked. “Well, sir” she persisted, “It’s important for you to understand that we did in fact send you the notices.” “No, it’s not” I replied, “because, I never received them.”  When I volunteered to pay she informed me that there would be a forty eight hour turnaround before the payment actually cleared, followed by another seven day turnaround before my license could be reinstated, at which time I’ll need to visit the DPS office where I’ll presumably be treated to yet another round of fleecing. To top it all off, when I attempted to make a payment, I was informed that she could not or would not; (whichever) take a credit card payment. I would have to call back and pay through the automated service.

I consider myself an upstanding citizen. I live here legally, I own a small property, I pay my bills, and I’ve never been to jail for any reason. But I’ve just been informed that a faceless bureaucracy can charge perennially me for a very minor past traffic offence, without adequately informing me they’ve done so, and then suspend my driving privileges when I fail to pay. I should say as well that I’ve spoken to numerous other people who’ve had precisely the same experience, so simply looking at a computer screen that may or may not say they’ve attempted to inform me is not evidence enough.   If there are any state senators, or officials who happen to be reading this, or if my readers know any personally, please, please, please this “law,” needs to be repealed! It’s an absolute mess! It’s the kind of law I’d expect to come from a wing of the bloated federal government, like the IRS or the KGB, not my home state of Texas!