Finally: Hope for Homeowners!

Austin, Texas; Travis County, Texas:

The Texas Residential Construction Commission, or "Train Wreck," could be closed early next year under a bill approved Saturday by the Texas Senate.

The TRCC which has done nothing but close the doors of the courthouse to Texas homeowners could occur as early at February 2010. Governor Perry, who has taken tens of thousands of dollars, signed Train Wreck into law after being urged to do so from his homebuilder-buddies.

Perry made sure buyers were not able to sue his friends by signing the bill into law. Governor Perry has taken numerous steps to make sure his homebuilder and insurance pals would not have to pay for their negligence.

If the shutdown occurs in February 2010, as approved by senators, it would be the first state agency closed in years. The agency has 80 employees.

Last year, the Sunset Advisory Commission staff recommended the agency be abolished, labeling its operations as "fatally flawed" and saying that it does more harm than good for consumers. Lame duck Perry is likely feeling pain from the idea that Texans would, once again, be able to stand on equal footing with his campaign contributors.

Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio, author of a House bill that would continue the commission's operations, said the Senate wants to kill the agency because the House version would have beefed up consumer protections.

The House bill would have done away with a $250 filing fee for homeowners, developed a licensing process for builders, created an ombudsman's office in the agency and set deadlines for agency action so that homeowners could then proceed to file suit in court against builders.

Created at the urging of homebuilders, who sought a process to make sure they could not be held accountable for shoddy work, the agency quickly became the target of complaints.