It seems that the old position I have with Texas PUC is now available again.  Only after a very brief time with Texas PUC, Robert Giuntoli has gone on to a greener field and now is working for SorensonVRS as a regional VP installation manager of three states: Texas, Ark, and Okla.   Congrats to RG.

Click to this link to get full description of the Relay Texas Administrator position.  

RT Administrator Position

The range of salary is $4,590.00 and $5,834.00 – salary commensurate with qualifications.

Texas would not lead the nation on many "firsts" if not for wonderful administrative support of the TPUC and its Commissioners and willing to let me explore options for Relay Texas (when I worked for TPUC).  One, however, does have to work within government regulations.   Not always easy to do that – but I say that once one understand the check and balances of a government agency and learn to work within the system, one can go far. 

So good luck to those applicants who may want to take a bold move and apply for the prestigious Relay Texas Administrator position.  

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

This link will lead you to position available for Sprint Relay Texas Center.  The title of position is:

Business Development Manager

Sprint Position in Texas

I retired, then RG (Robert Giuntoli) took my place at the TPUC, thus the position at Sprint Relay Texas Center now is vacant.  I can tell you from working with Sprint Relay the last 18 years that working with Sprint Relay folks has been enjoyable work.   Sometimes they’re obstinate, but really most of the time we’ve been able to resolve lot of issues easily.

Now that RG is with TPUC and he understands Sprint Relay very well so I see a marriage in the making.  Maybe not?  ;-] 

Now the TRS industry is going downhill, so what is the security of this Texas Manager?  Safe cuz the Texas Request for Proposal had included required resident manager – meaning must have Sprint employee at the RT Center. The next RFP – is several years away.   If Sprint Relay wins the contract again, then safe; if not, then manager will either be laid off or transferred to another state (latter more likely).  

Well..if you apply, good luck! 

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

All..

All the hullabaloo about "earmarks" and pork barrel bills, I thought I would share a little bit of history on how Relay Texas was created in Texas. 

In 1989, Senator Chet Brooks – a veteran legislator – pushed the relay service bill . Senator Brooks got the bill into both House and Senate, and they were progressing along just fine.  Remember in Texas, legislation sessions are held once every two years and from Jan thru end of May.

There was an informal lobbying committee from Texas Assoc of the Deaf and the sole purpose of the committee was to lobby Texas Legislators to pass a relay service proposal. That was in 1989. Larry Evans who was executive director of TX Commission for the Deaf contracted with Eileen Alter (she now works at Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Office under DARS).   Pregnant Eileen and the committee – Jerry Hassell, Julius Seeger, and myself lobbied at the Capitol.   Vaughn House (independent living service for deaf/hoh) loaned their interpreters so we deaf persons can effectively lobby legislators.   I spent an average of 15 hours a week doing that.  Eileen probably spend 40-50 hours a week doing that if I recall correctly.   A few others did lobbying as well, but not as often.  

Towards end of May (May 31 is the last day where bills can be passed) the relay bill passed thru required phases to get into the calendar to be posted to the Legislators to finally become the law, but somehow at the last stage, the relay bill was not posted.  Legislators were scrambling and trying to get all the "high priority" bills posted to calendar so neglected to include relay bill.   Senator Chet Brooks read the crystal ball and knew relay bill won’t make it.  So his political savvy and probably did a few behind the scene deals earmarked relay bill onto a major telephone bill that is already on the calendar.   I remember that time – with just a few hours before the midnight hour struck, the major telephone bill passed along with relay service bill.  So the relay service was to be implemented on Sept 1 1990.  

All the negative news about pork barrel and earmarked bills are not necessarily negative.   If not for that, Relay Texas and VRS may not be available.    It was soon after the bill was created, Relay Texas Advisory Committee was formed, and ultimately I became its first Chair.    Shortly after that, I then applied for Relay Texas Administrator and got the job.  

The morale?  Don’t be so quick and look down on earmarked bills.   If the earmarked bill is to analyze mating of salamander to the tune of 25 million bucks, then that is clearly excessive!   If the earmarked bill is to replace old bridge with a new bridge at a small town, then this is a good cause.  Often, earmarked bills are the lifeblood of small towns.  

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B 

RT Newsletter Summer 2008.  This will be my last RT Newsletter as a PUC employee.   

RT NL 2008

By the way, the STAP Coordinator position has been filled to replace Kristen (she works for Viable now).  The Relay Texas Administrator has yet to be filled, but likely will be filled by next week.  

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B 

Special Event in Van Alstyne, Texas

TO view the video clip, please click here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6931489849473917558&hl=en

Any questions? Email to robert.giuntoli@sprint.com. 

More information can also be found at www.relaytexas.com and www.sprintrelay.com.

Tues., Aug. 5th 2008

Ken’s Pizza

4504 S. Broadway (Loop 323 and S. Broadway) in Tyler

5 PM to 6 PM             Sprint BlackBerry Sales Event

Come and learn more about the hottest selling wireless pagers for the Deaf.  Come and see the BlackBerry Curve, available in either black or red!  Our unlimited data only plan costs only $29.99 per month!  Come and meet the Sprint Regional Sales Manager, Ken Brown, who is Deaf.  He will be happy to answer any of your questions about Sprint BlackBerry.

If you bring your voucher for "2 Way Paging Device" to this event, you will be able to pick your BlackBerry right there! 

6 PM to 6 30 PM         Free PIZZA and DRINKS

6:30 PM to 8:30 PM      Relay Texas Town Hall Meeting

Come and share your feedback, comments, and concerns about Relay Texas (711) program.  Ed Bosson from TX PUC and Robert Giuntoli from Sprint will be there to hear your comments and share new information on new relay technologies.  They both are Deaf and will give presentation in ASL.  CART (Captioning) will also be provided.

Open to the public.  Open to all Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Speech-Disabled customers and their families and friends.

Any questions?  Email RG at robert.giuntoli@sprint.com.

More information can also be found at www.relaytexas.com and www.sprintrelay.com.

Effective July 21, 2008, the Customer Protection Division of Texas Public Utility Commission has openings for a Relay Texas Administrator and a STAP Coordinator. 

Please check the HR website PUC Positions for further details.

In the afternoon of August 29, 2008 the last working day - actually strictly speaking, it will be midnight of August 31 – I will retire.  So the position will be available.

Please do check out these two positions and see if you qualify.  

One is Relay Texas Administrator which oversees Relay Texas (state relay service) and portion of Specialized Telecommunications Assistive Program (STAP). This one is open until filled; and the other is the STAP Coordinator which oversees STAP per statutes of STAP law which applies to the PUC. This one is open until August 1. 

Both of these jobs are challenging yet fulfilling.  

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B 

Two Special Events in Lubbock, TX

Wed., July 30th 2008

Mr. Gatti’s Pizza

5001 50th St.  Lubbock, TX  79414

5 PM to 6 PM                        Sprint BlackBerry Sales Event

Come and learn more about the hottest selling wireless pagers for the Deaf.  Come and see the BlackBerry Curve, available in either black or red!  Our unlimited data only plan costs only $29.99 per month!  Come and meet the Sprint Regional Sales Manager, Ken Brown, who is Deaf.  He will be happy to answer any of your questions about Sprint BlackBerry.

If you bring your voucher for "2 Way Paging Device" to this event, you will be able to pick your BlackBerry right there! 

6 PM to 6 30 PM                  Free PIZZA and DRINKS

6:30 PM to 8:30 PM            Relay Texas Town Hall Meeting

Come and share your feedback, comments, and concerns about Relay Texas (711) program.  Ed Bosson from TX PUC and Robert Giuntoli from Sprint will be there to hear your comments and share new information on new relay technologies.  They both are Deaf and will give presentation in ASL.  CART (Captioning) will also be provided.

Open to the public.  Open to all Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Speech-Disabled customers and their families and friends.

Any questions?  Email RG at robert.giuntoli@sprint.com or ed.bosson@puc.state.tx.us

More information can also be found at www.relaytexas.com and www.sprintrelay.com.

All..

Texas Public Utility Commission along with Sprint Relay is proud to announce a still another FIRST in Relay Texas.    

Before I tell you what it is, here is the rationale.  I’ve received feedback from persons with speech disabilities that it often is difficult to make a 7-1-1 call.  The issue is that sometimes relay agent does not understand what he/she wants which is just to transfer the relay call to Speech-to-Speech (STS) service or relay agent simply hang up thinking it is a prank call or STS user wait forever to finally get transferred and connected to STS service.  

In checking with Father of STS, Dr Bob Segelman, he suggested why not add an option to the 7-1-1 where a person with speech disability simply have to hit one number and be routed directly to the STS center.    Well, I checked with Sprint Relay and they said can be done.    A few weeks ago Sprint Relay with TPUC’s blessing went ahead and changed 7-1-1 to add the STS option.  

For those of you who can’t hear, the new 7-1-1 message goes like this:

 "You have reached Relay Texas

Press 1 to place a relay call

Press 2 for a speech to speech relay call"

Approx after 10 seconds or so of no action, TTY message from relay agent automatically pick up.

I wanted to mention that TPUC fully appreciates Sprint Relay for not charging for this wonderful service. 

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B
RT Admin

Texans who live in or near Corpus Christi, Texas,

On April 14th, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM, Sprint Relay and Texas PUC will have a Town Hall meeting in Corpus Christi.  THM will be held at

The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center
5151 McArdle
Corpus Christi, TX  78411

You will meet Robert "RG" Giuntoli from Sprint Relay and Ed Bosson, Relay TX Administrator with TX Public Utility Commission.   The purpose of this is just to share with you what’s happening with Relay Service on state and federal level.  We especially want to hear your feedback about anything you wish to talk about. Compliments or gripes, all remarks are encouraged.

Free PIZZA and beverages will be served.  

We’ve had several town hall meetings; we try for 5 town hall meetings per year.  Spread the word and let us have some fun and learn a few things from each other!

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B
RT Admin