05.03.06
“Do something to help the people of Texas”
Such a simple statement. But that’s what one Texan asked of his neighbor and state representative Trey Martinez-Fisher.
A few days ago, I noticed Willie had an additional car in his driveway—a fuel efficient Daewoo. What got my attention wasn’t the car, but the PVC pipes and 2×4’s sticking out of the backseat window. Breaking the ice, I asked Willie if he bought himself a new car. “I borrowed it from a friend,” he replied, “because I cannot afford the gas on my work truck.”
Willie owns a small plumbing business. Like most plumbers, he drives a large truck loaded with tools, supplies and equipment. Willie told me he averaged $100-$150 a week on gasoline costs exclusive of the gas bill for the family Suburban. For $20 a week, the Daewoo gets him around his job sites. The only problem—he now does more driving because he can only cram so much PVC in a Daewoo and the Daewoo lacked air-conditioning.
The representative was trying to extricate himself from an awkward situation and his neighbor sent him to Austin with a lot to think about with that simple statement.
Well Rep. Martinez-Fisher is doing something to help the people of Texas. He’s filed a bill, HB 120, and he’s got 32 coauthors. He’s started a website, www.gastaxcut.com, with a blog too. You can click here to “Get The Facts” and don’t forget to sign the petition.
I know this because I listened in on a blogger conference call yesterday with the representative and several other bloggers. Two of those bloggers have done the work already to chronicle the gist of the call and I highly encourage you to check out their posts at Capitol Annex and Off The Kuff.
This plan is not a magic bullet and will not save us all a ton of money. But it is doing something to help the people of Texas, and I commend Rep. Martinez-Fisher for leading on this issue. For this plan to make it through and become law it’s needs to get going through the Lege in a hurry. In that vein, don’t forget to call your state representation on this (Rep., Sen., Lt. Gov. and Gov.) and urge them to support this plan. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, click here to hear the Republican plan on this issue.
Capitol Annex » From The Blogs: Wednesday, May 3, 2006 said,
May 3, 2006 at 9:56 am
[…] Texas Gas Tax Holiday: Brains and Eggs tells us this makes a lot of cents, Eye on Williamson County, Off The Kuff, Just Another Blog. […]
Eye on Williamson » Gas Tax Band-Aid, Not This Time said,
May 9, 2007 at 9:44 am
[…] put this forward I posted on it. I had reservations, but after listening in on a conference call, decided it was worth a shot. Not anymore. Some of the issues with this is that it’s a Democrat reinforcing a Republican […]