Empty--100 Words

Empty.

John Ortberg recently wrote: “Often in ministry I feel like Jesus (that’s a dangerous comparison!) when He was touched by a woman in a crowd ‘and felt the power go out of Him.’ Ministry can be the most draining activity known to human beings, because it draws on the soul. So I have to know what the signs are when my reserves are running low: I get easily discouraged, I get preoccupied in my relationships, my motivation and energy drop, sin looks more tempting.”

80 of my 100 words allowed.

But, I can’t describe running on empty any better.

Which Will Come First, Death or A Tax Increase?

Just when you think it can’t get worse, the federal government seems to find ways to make it worse for all of us!

A federal commission (appointed by Congress) is recommending a 50% increase in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes to finance highway construction and repair until the government devises another way for motorists to pay for using public roads.

The National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing, a 15-member panel created by Congress, is the second group in a year to call for higher fuel taxes.

Want to know why they are recommending this? Simple. You and I are responsible for it!

You see, we are driving less and buying less fuel these days! Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t that the solution that was offered to us to reduce our fuel consumption costs just a few months ago, when gas prices were $4+ a gallon?

But, with motorists driving less and buying less fuel, the current 18.4 cents a gallon gas tax and 24.4 cents a gallon diesel tax fail to raise enough to keep pace with the cost of road, bridge, and transit programs.

In a report expected in late January, members of the infrastructure financing commission say they will urge Congress to raise the gas tax by 10 cents a gallon and the diesel fuel tax by 12 to 15 cents a gallon. At the same time, the commission will recommend tying the fuel tax rates to inflation. The commission will also recommend that states raise their fuel taxes and make greater use of toll roads and fees for rush-hour driving.

“I’m not excited about a gas tax increase, but the reality is our current gas tax doesn’t pay for upkeep of the system we have now,” said Adrian Moore, vice president of the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank in Los Angeles, and a member of the highway revenue commission. “We can either let the roads go to hell or we can pay more.”

The dilemma for Congress is that highway and transit programs are dependent for revenue on fuel taxes that are not sustainable. Many Americans are driving less and switching to more fuel-efficient cars and trucks, and a shift to new fuels and technologies like plug-in hybrid electric cars will further erode gasoline sales.

Folks, I’m all for having good roads and when I go across a bridge, I want it to hold up under the weight of my car. But, give me a break! You and I already work from January–early May each year to pay all of the federal, state, local, and other taxes that we pay. Nearly five months of my annual salary goes to pay taxes. Five months! Count them, nearly five months.

Do you realize that the reason the American Revolution started was because the British government wanted to raise taxes on the colonists? They wanted citizens to pay taxes that would take from January 1 to about mid-January to cover! Did you get that? About 15 days—Not five months!

When will of the craziness stop? When will we as American citizens say “Enough is enough!” How much more can we take? With the economy like it is today and with projections that it will only get worse during 2009, can we tolerate another tax increase or surcharge like this?

I don’t know about you, but I’ll be communicating my thoughts to my Congressman.

Monday's A+ Award of the Day

Attorney Willie Gary of Fort Pierce, Florida, gets the A+ Award of the Day.

And, by association, all lawyers get a pass today on the telling of any lawyer jokes! This is only a one-day pass though! Tomorrow, they will be fair game again! :)

Last Wednesday, Willie Gary and radio station X102.3 teamed up to give away thousands of gallons of free fuel to motorists. Cars snaked through the parking lot and out onto the street in front of the WalMart where the gas was given away.

Gary originally planned to give away 102 vouchers for gas, but ended up passing out more than 400!

It took several hours to get everyone through the line and off with their full tanks.

Mr. Gary said, “Just to help someone get gas to go to work, go pick up the kids or take the kids to school, and I have people saying to me, ‘I’ll be able to get my kids out of school tomorrow,’” Gary said. “You know it makes you feel good.”

Gary’s firm pumped 2,162 gallons of regular unleaded gas, worth more than $10,000.

What a great, positive, encouraging story! A+ Mr. Gary, A+

Fast and Furious

Friday morning, on my way to work, I did something I normally don't do--I stopped and filled up with gas. I was getting low, but I usually like to wait until the weekend to fill up. Don't why that's my normal schedule, but it is. I guess I just like to have a full tank to start the work week.

So, I stopped, and paid $3.51 a gallon, for the cheap grade of gas. Not a great prices, but it was $.02 cheaper than the next lowest price.

On the way home after lunch, I drove past the very same gas station where I had filled up 7 hours earlier. In seven hours, gas prices had risen to $3.95 a gallon. Did you read that? Gas has risen $.44 in 7 hours! I was shocked!

Little did I know how much more shock I would experience over the weekend. By Saturday morning, gas was selling for $4.19 a gallon, again for the cheaper gas.

And, it continues to go up! And up! And up!

My wife heard on the radio on the way home Friday afternoon that gas could go to $5.00 - $6.00 a gallon...all because of Hurricane Ike.

Now, I fully understand that 25% of our gas refineries are located in Texas and Louisiana, I can appreciate that. However, at the time gas rose $.44 in 7 hours, the hurricane had not hit yet, and no gasoline had arrived in Birmingham from Texas. I can understand why gas prices would go up the next week or so, I really can. However, I am really struggling with the obvious gas gouging that is going on!

You cannot convince me that someone isn't making a killing off of us with gas! Again, remember, the hurricane hadn't hit on Friday. No gas has been refined on Friday or Saturday that made its way to Birmingham--all we were seeing were managers and companies raising rates--all because they could! And, this was on the day that the a barrel of oil dropped to $100 a barrel on futures.

Saturday afternoon, we went in my wife's car to Sam's Wholesale Club. We must have passed a dozen gas stations before we got there. We saw prices in the $4.19 - $4.25 range. Then, miracle of miracles, we found a station selling the cheap stuff at $3.83 a gallon. Who thought I'd ever be happy to pay $3.83 a gallon!

I filled up. I was proud to fill up, paying $.32 a gallon more than I had paid the day before. A man next to me was filling his truck and 5 or 6 five-gallon gas containers. The mid-grade and the highest grades of gas were out at this particular station.

Looks like rough and expensive days are ahead. All because of a hurricane named Ike. Who likes Ike!

What are gas prices doing in your part of the world? Seen prices rising or staying the same? I think your answers will either remind me that we don't have it that bad...or it will aggreviate me more on the gouging that is going on!