Norm's View

Norman E. Hooben

Aside from the campaigning for the Presidency, what else is going on? Well let me tell ya, “A bunch!” But I’m not going there right now ‘cause I’m ticked off! It’s bad enough that two idiots are vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination and several million un-informed Americans are rooting them on unknowingly to a further decline of this once great country’s republic for which it stood…no, it doesn’t stand for anything anymore!

Some time ago, heck I don’t remember when, I wrote to my Congressman, U.S. Representative Terry Everett, regarding increases in the federal tax on gasoline promoted by the Democratic leadership (Leadership? What an oxymoron that is…they act like Dictators!) Well today a response by Mr. Everett reached my home via ye ole snail mail method still employed by the Congress at, I guess, a greater cost than a simple e-mail. Oh no, I’m not upset with Terry over the method of delivery. That’s the fault of the system. Meanwhile let’s get to the point of why I’m ticked.

Congressman Everett explains in his one page commentary that the federal gas tax has not been increased since 1993 (Yeah, that’s right, that was your friend Bill Clinton’s tax hike! Parenthetical comment mine.) However, after a two year study (What took so long?) by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission (The title alone should scare ya!) recommended a five-cent-per-gallon increase for each of the next five years along with other fees (Fees here is not clearly defined.) and tolls. Thank you, Mr. Everett for not supporting the fuel tax but we all know who’s running the show and Pelosi and gang will surely impose their will upon us victims.

Five-cents per gallon per year for five years! Wow! Now this old retired know-nothing knows enough that it’s going to cost him big bucks at the pump. In my current vehicle situation that means I’ll be spending $6.50 more per fill-up than I am now. Well that may not be a big deal to Pelosi et al, but this Commission Study is run by a bunch of bureaucrats from the various other bureaucracies including the Department of Transportation (DOT). And get this; the DOT employs almost 60,000 employees at a cost of over $61 billion. Sounds like a bunch of dollars and you’re right! But here’s the kicker: Federal gas tax revenues are slightly more than $20 billion! Do the math! DOT which could be run by my quick MBO (You remember that term don’t ya…Management By Objectives!) calculations with as little as 201 employees and billions of dollars less. The current forty-plus billion dollar deficit is eaten up by do-nothing federal employees…but I understand Ms Pelosi that represents 60,000 votes for your corrupt party!

So you see why I’m ticked. Gas tax revenues are not sufficient to pay for the bureaucracy for which it stands and Speaker Pelosi plus the idiots running for the Democratic Presidential nomination join the reverend Jeremiah Wright in G-D-ing Americans.