I have contacted our state representatives for more than two decades attempting to have them address one issue that affects tens of thousands of small businesses in Texas — and every Texans' safety has been ignored every time.
The issue is raising the rates for auto safety inspections. The Legislature sets the rates and has refused us a rate increase for more than 26 years now.
Auto safety inspection stations are the reason we enjoy lower accident and fatality rates, not the police, not DPS. We take more unsafe cars off of the road every day than all the police combined do.
My latest attempt to have state Rep. John Raney deal with this issue resulted in the same response. The Legislature can't do it. He refuses to bring it up in session. But more disturbing was his suggestion that we hire a lobbyist.
People are also reading…
That seat Raney occupies says representative. We pay his salary; he is our lobbyist, or is supposed to be.
My issue wouldn't cost the state a penny but the problem is it wouldn't profit from it either, so it won't be discussed.
We have even less representation at the state level then at the national level. Of course, if we had money to buy a few representatives we could get all kinds of junk passed.
We need government reform seriously in this country. The people have no one representing them at all any more.
ALBERT GONTER
College Station
