All over the nation gas prices are hitting a year's high and fast approaching historic highs.Whether it be in California, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, or any other state in the Union, hardworking men and women are feeling the pinch at the pump.
And the pinch does not stop with individual drivers. This crisis is also hitting county governments like Rhea County, hard as well.
The Herald News reports, "Dramatically higher fuel prices nationwide over the past year are going to cause more bumpy roads for Rhea County in the near future.
According to Rhea County Road Supervisor Tommy Snyder, the cost of asphalt jumped 50 to 70 percent over the past year, from $31.80 a ton to over $56 a ton, and there is not enough money in his budget to cover the cost of repairing all the roads that need working."
"Higher prices and less money, he said, "mean we will have to narrow down the jobs and eliminate some that we planned."
"Snyder then added with a grimace, 'We had a meeting last Thursday, and someone from Nashville said, "We are about to shut down the road department if prices keep going up.'"
This is unacceptable. Americans should not be held hostage everytime they go to the pump and fill up.
Congressman Ford agrees with that notion, that is why he has been so proactive in seeking out both short term relief and long term solutions to this crisis.
However, the same can't be said for his opponents for the U.S. Senate. To this date, they have yet to even address the issue of gas prices and energy, much less offer any solutions to the problem. (However, they have accepted huge chunks of dough from Big Oil)
I guess the "three consumers" just don't think gas prices are high. (Just as they don't think Iraq is an important issue and global warming isn't real)
Recently, I looked at my credit card statement and saw that nearly everyone one of my past transactions had been from ExxonMobile. Needless to say, that got me a little hot under the collar and now I am fed up everytime I fill up.
If you feel the same way, vote for change and vote for solutions oriented leadership this year.
Harold Ford Jr. is the man with a plan!
192 Days
Days of Congressional Inaction on Ethics
Above is the number of days that have passed since Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to bribing Congressman.
It is also the number of days in which Congress has failed to pass an ethics reform bill that would limit private travel, ski and golf junkets, and would call for a full disclosure of expenses by lobbyists on members of Congress.
It is time for Congress to step up and pass an ethics reform bill that would do all of the above. In addition, it is time to end the pork barrel spending system as we know it and establish an independent ethics commission that would review ethics complaints against members of Congress.
I am proud Congressman Harold Ford Jr. is fighting for that reform!
Read Congressman Ford's call for reform of the House rules here!
