I discovered the most unusual thing about April. Did you know that it is National Humor Month? I didn’t and that got me thinking. Maybe we need a little more humor in our lives. Just look around you…there is more out there that will make you cry than laugh and that is not healthy. News about gas prices due in large part to severe Federal regulations, Amber alerts in Spotsylvania, the War on Terror, illegal aliens, and still no state budget could make anyone depressed. So I decided to start my message for this newsletter with a little levity. Now if you know me well you know I love to laugh but am not the best joke teller. I doubt that I have ever perfected a punch line even. So here goes (and note that the subject matter is pretty easy pickings these days): Johnny said to his friend Billy: "My uncle ran for Senate last year." Billy said: "Really? What does he do now?" Johnny replied: "Nothing. He got elected."
Ok? So now that you have had a good healthy laugh please know that Sen. McDougle did not authorize this message. In all seriousness, the Senator is doing a great job, working hard and holding the line on taxes much like me. I hope that you will take the time to salute him for his efforts. April was a busy month for your legislator as the Special Session continued on and the budget remains a captive to those who desire to raise taxes and justify doing so by claiming a resolution to the transportation issue. Now we can all agree that that is wrong and intellectually dishonest. Transportation can be addressed much like the state’s other core service areas but it will be an important subject for the next twenty years if not longer. Do we ever claim to “fix†health care or “solve†mental health? Clearly, no. Still each budget cycle we look again at how we can do more and this is what we have done with transportation. The House plan does not raise your taxes but it does put about $500 million new dollars to transportation needs across the state over the next four years. If you believe that we are doing the right and responsible thing to hold the line while funding the other core services of government then remain patient. It is my hope and prayer that by next month’s newsletter an agreement will be reached.