If It Smells Like Bacon, It’s Probably Pork

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TMPA often claims it is not a labor union. However, TMPA negotiates police labor contracts, operates a law enforcement officer legal assistance plan, holds votes of no-confidence against law enforcement agency heads, lobbies local governments, runs local association campaigns for state police civil service as well as lobbying the state government.

While it is clear that TMPA attempts to present itself as some entity other than a labor organization, it fails because in fact, it is a labor union.

While TMPA attempts to masquerade as something other than what it is; it has taken, at a minimum, nearly $10 million in government grants away from local police agencies, local council of governments and institutions of higher learning.

TMPA attempts to make the claim that it is just a police training organization that exists to “help” police officers get much needed training. However, training in Texas for peace officers was state of the art when it came from universities, local police agencies and regional training academies. The training is still the same, only a new middle-man has emerged.

TMPA has grown fat siphoning millions of government training grants away from LEGITIMATE training institutions and using that money to offset costs of running their labor union. TMPA is on corporate welfare.

• After years of renting a small office in Austin TMPA has recently purchased real estate for a statewide union headquarters in downtown Austin and pays itself rent from grant money.
• After years of having only one lobbyist TMPA has registered up to 8 registered lobbyists after the windfall of the taxpayer funded grant money. TMPA employees are paid performance bonuses from grant money.
• TMPA pays its union headquarters phones with grant money. TMPA pays for its union cell phones from grant money.
• TMPA pays for hotel, airfare, fuel, food and whipped cream for Latte’s from –you guessed it—taxpayer funded grant money!
• TMPA actually conducted state required police training seminars in their union shirts, handed out union business cards and the materials actually had the union logo printed on training manuals and materials. Furthermore, according to local police chiefs and law enforcement administrators TMPA handed out grant checks to local police departments in the same manner.

THIS ENTIRE EXPLOSION OF EXPENDITURES HAS OCCURRED AFTER THE GRANT DOLLARS BEGAN ROLLING IN.

CLEAT believes that training for constitutional officers should come from law enforcement agencies or institutions of higher education, not from the labor unions that represent, advocate and defend those officers. CLEAT believes that you cannot serve two masters; and that training is so important that it cannot be left to organizations actively serving in another capacity for the police.

Below are a few links to just a sampling of the taxpayer abuse that we uncovered as TMPA uses these tax dollars to offset and indirectly fund its labor union. Click on the links below to view the actual documents.

Taxpayers helped pay for the TMPA union headquarters!

03-04 CJD Grant   TMPA Building Expenses   04-05 CJD Grant   05-06 CJD Grant  

Prior to taxpayer grants TMPA has only one lobbyist; after the grants they hire more!

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities    Texas Ethics Commission Lobbyist Website  

Texas taxpayers fund cash bonuses (merit awards) for union employees!

October 04-March 06 BU Pay Merit Award  

Taxpayers pay statewide union headquarter's phone bill!

Union Phone Bill  

TMPA is caught and fined for illegally using union dues to fund political contributions

TMPA Ethics  

Taxpayers pay for union organizers cell phones!

February 2006 PTS Internet Cell Rent  

Taxpayers pay for union Internet connection!

February 2006 PTS Internet Cell Rent  

Millions in grants go directly to union from TXDOT!

TMPA Budget   June 2005 Personnel Outlays   October 03 PTS DWI Salaries   March 2006 PTS Timesheets   October 04-March 06 BU Pay Merit Award  

More Millions in grants from Texas Criminal Justice Division!

03-04 CJD Grant   04-05 CJD Grant   05-06 CJD Grant  

Union endorses Federal candidates while using Federal money (an act prohibited by the grant)!

State Grant Assurances   TMPA endorsed federal candidates  

Police union funded by taxpayer grants criticizes City of Allen Police Department and Chief!

Allen Police Survey Response  

Taxpayer funded union does pay and morale study for Corsicana Police Department!

Corsicana Daily Sun News Article, February 8, 2006
Corsicana Daily Sun News Article, February 22, 2006  

Taxpayer funded union makes salary presentation in Waxahachie!

Waxahachie Agenda  

WANT YOUR MONEY BACK?

The only way Texans can get their tax dollars returned to them is to work to change the law so that it is illegal for state police unions to be funded through state tax dollars. Enter your name and email to tell state lawmakers that you want the law changed!

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