Re: the License Plate again

March 30, 2004

Ron,

The reason is that the Arts Commission has CLOUT and we don't. Period. End

of discussion.

We were not given the choice by DOT. Get the Arts Commissions permission or

don't have a plate. It has nothing to do with copyright, fairness, common

sense or anything else but Texas Politics. Go to the Texas Commission on the

Arts webpage and see who their board is. How many millionaires are on it? How

many millionaires are on EMSAT's board or the EMS Foundation? That should tell

you.

This is TEXAS BOY! If you ain't rich, WHY NOT? How many OIL WELLS you got,

son? How many insurance companies? If you wuz rich, you could own you a

Governor or yer own Senator or maybe even a piece of the PRES-I-DENT. But you

ain't and you don't so just sit down and TRUST YOUR GOVERNMENT! And don't think

too much, it gets you in trouble.

Dr. Grady

Resident Cynic and Curmudgeon

In a message dated 3/30/2004 1:56:39 PM Central Standard Time,

RMason247@... writes:

I don't understand why we were told to pick another design. The

Commission for the Arts doesn't have any particular rights to the

use of the ever popular " Texas Flag " motife.

The Star of Life in place of their five point start should have

constituted enough diference in the design.

I know it's not a copyright issue- but if it were, isn't there a

rule about having to have some measurable dsign difference (30%?) in

order to not violate a copyright?

I still think we should have the original design as presented to the

DOT, not one of the other options.

RM

March 31, 2004

In answer to the question of why we were refused the Texas flag design,

Gene Gandy has the answer nailed. They have clout, we don't. In a

letter to the TxDOT chief the Chairman of the Texas Commission for the

Arts stated that the Commission had worked hard to establish that plate

design as brand, and that while EMS is important, the arts are " just as

important " .

We could have fought the issue and probably eventually won, but when I

made the first attempt I found the path strewn with many bureaucratic

obstacles - including a challenge from the Counsel General's office to

prove that we were authorized to use the Star of Life.

I decided it wasn't worth it. The State of the Arts plate is TxDOT's

biggest seller and we have no means of proving we can generate that

kind of revenue. Specialty plate sales provide a large portion of

TxDOT's income. If we fought it we would have been lucky to see a plate

become available in my lifetime. As it is we will have one available in

a few weeks.

Regards,

Donn

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

D.E. (Donn) , LP, NREMT-P

" Yet it moves. "

~~ Galileo ~~

Don't Miss EMStock 2004

www.EMStock.com

Gene Gandy states:

> <tt>

> Ron,

>

> The reason is that the Arts Commission has CLOUT and we don't. & nbsp;

Period. & nbsp; End

> of discussion. & nbsp;

>

> We were not given the choice by DOT. & nbsp; Get the Arts Commissions

permission or

> don't have a plate. & nbsp; It has nothing to do with copyright,

fairness, common

> sense or anything else but Texas Politics. & nbsp; Go to the Texas

Commission on the

> Arts webpage and see who their board is. & nbsp; How many millionaires

are on it? & nbsp; How

> many millionaires are on EMSAT's board or the EMS Foundation? & nbsp;

That should tell

> you.

>

> This is TEXAS BOY! & nbsp; If you ain't rich, WHY NOT? & nbsp; How many

OIL WELLS you got,

> son? & nbsp; How many insurance companies? & nbsp; If you wuz rich, you

could own you a

> Governor or yer own Senator or maybe even a piece of the PRES-I-

DENT. & nbsp; But you

> ain't and you don't so just sit down and TRUST YOUR GOVERNMENT! & nbsp;

And don't think

> too much, it gets you in trouble.

>

> Dr. Grady

> Resident Cynic and Curmudgeon

>

> In a message dated 3/30/2004 1:56:39 PM Central Standard Time,

> RMason247@... writes:

> I don't understand why we were told to pick another design. The

> Commission for the Arts doesn't have any particular rights to the

> use of the ever popular & quot;Texas Flag & quot; motife.

> The Star of Life in place of their five point start should have

> constituted enough diference in the design.

> I know it's not a copyright issue- but if it were, isn't there a

> rule about having to have some measurable dsign difference (30%?) in

> order to not violate a copyright?

> I still think we should have the original design as presented to the

> DOT, not one of the other options.

>

> RM

>

>

March 31, 2004

I'm glad to know that it will soon be available. I was just about

ready to apply for a State of the Arts plate myself and put a white

reflective star of life in the appropriate place.

No wonder it's a good seller- it's probably the best looking plate

design I've ever seen...just kinda rubs me wrong about the arts

crowd.

The Texas Flag motife appears on barbecue joints, dry cleaners,

realtors, barn roofs, just about everywhere you can imagine in some

form or another.

And they think it was their idea? They have exclusive rights to it?

Ah, well- at least we got our own. Thanks for the update.

> In answer to the question of why we were refused the Texas flag

design,

> Gene Gandy has the answer nailed. They have clout, we don't. In a

> letter to the TxDOT chief the Chairman of the Texas Commission for

the

> Arts stated that the Commission had worked hard to establish that

plate

> design as brand, and that while EMS is important, the arts

are " just as

> important " .

>

> We could have fought the issue and probably eventually won, but

when I

> made the first attempt I found the path strewn with many

bureaucratic

> obstacles - including a challenge from the Counsel General's

office to

> prove that we were authorized to use the Star of Life.

>

> I decided it wasn't worth it. The State of the Arts plate is

TxDOT's

> biggest seller and we have no means of proving we can generate

that

> kind of revenue. Specialty plate sales provide a large portion of

> TxDOT's income. If we fought it we would have been lucky to see a

plate

> become available in my lifetime. As it is we will have one

available in

> a few weeks.

>

> Regards,

> Donn

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> D.E. (Donn) , LP, NREMT-P

>

> " Yet it moves. "

> ~~ Galileo ~~

>

> Don't Miss EMStock 2004

> www.EMStock.com

>

> Gene Gandy states:

>

> > <tt>

> > Ron,

> >

> > The reason is that the Arts Commission has CLOUT and we

don't. & nbsp;

> Period. & nbsp; End

> > of discussion. & nbsp;

> >

> > We were not given the choice by DOT. & nbsp; Get the Arts

Commissions

> permission or

> > don't have a plate. & nbsp; It has nothing to do with copyright,

> fairness, common

> > sense or anything else but Texas Politics. & nbsp; Go to the Texas

> Commission on the

> > Arts webpage and see who their board is. & nbsp; How many

millionaires

> are on it? & nbsp; How

> > many millionaires are on EMSAT's board or the EMS Foundation?

& nbsp;

> That should tell

> > you.

> >

> > This is TEXAS BOY! & nbsp; If you ain't rich, WHY NOT? & nbsp; How

many

> OIL WELLS you got,

> > son? & nbsp; How many insurance companies? & nbsp; If you wuz rich,

you

> could own you a

> > Governor or yer own Senator or maybe even a piece of the PRES-I-

> DENT. & nbsp; But you

> > ain't and you don't so just sit down and TRUST YOUR GOVERNMENT!

& nbsp;

> And don't think

> > too much, it gets you in trouble.

> >

> > Dr. Grady

> > Resident Cynic and Curmudgeon

> >

> > In a message dated 3/30/2004 1:56:39 PM Central Standard Time,

> > RMason247@a... writes:

> > I don't understand why we were told to pick another design. The

> > Commission for the Arts doesn't have any particular rights to

the

> > use of the ever popular & quot;Texas Flag & quot; motife.

> > The Star of Life in place of their five point start should have

> > constituted enough diference in the design.

> > I know it's not a copyright issue- but if it were, isn't there a

> > rule about having to have some measurable dsign difference

(30%?) in

>

> > order to not violate a copyright?

> > I still think we should have the original design as presented to

the

>

> > DOT, not one of the other options.

> >

> > RM

> >

> >

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