

October 2, 2008 Volume 4, Number 39
In This Issue Legislative Pressure Pro-Life Dinner Make a Difference Why Gas Prices Vary A Little Bit of Humor… Contact Me *Representative* *Cynthia Davis* 19^th District *Majority Floor Whip* Missouri State Capitol Room 112 201 W. Capitol Ave. Jefferson City, MO 65101 Phone: 573-751-9768 Website http://www.cynthiadavis.net/ E-Mail cynthia.davis@house.mo.gov Committees Interim Committee on Poverty *Chair* Health Care Policy *Vice Chair* Family Services *Vice Chair* Elections State Links State of Missouri *Official Homepage for Missouri State Government* Missouri General Assembly *Official Government Homepage for your Missouri Senator and Representative* House of Representatives *Look up Missouri House Bills – View Entire Text, Summary, and Last Action* Missouri State Senate *Look up Missouri Senate Bills* Attorney General's Office *Consumer Complaints & Fraudulent Activity, No-Call List* Local Links St. Charles County Government City of O'Fallon City of Dardenne Prairie City of St. Peters City of Wentzville City of St. Charles Federal Links Congressman Todd Akin Congressman Kenny Hulshof Senator Kit Bond Senator Claire McCaskill Other Links Missouri State Constitution Missouri State Jobs		Photo by Chuck McNabb State Representative Cynthia Davis with U.S. Senator Kit Bond at his home in Mexico, Missouri. Last Sunday, our Senior U.S. Senator Kit Bond invited me to his home with some other friends. While there, Senator Bond told me some of the story of the first bailout bill that was recently proposed in Congress. He said he received about 5,000 phone calls. About 4,999 were from people against the bailout and one was in favor of it. Last Monday, both Todd Akin and Kenny Hulshof voted against the bailout, and we can all be grateful for their strength and integrity. If we get a better bill, it will be because of their efforts. Since the first vote, the pressure to pass a more acceptable bill has increased. I know what this kind of pressure feels like. In the Missouri House, we have had our own differences of opinion on how to resolve unsupportable issues. At times, I was one of the few who just couldn’t support a bill even though our leadership wanted it to pass. Ultimately, each elected official is charged with voting his or her conscience. It is never appropriate for an elected official to vote for a bill that is harmful to our future just to get special status, positions and favors from party leadership. This is the part of politics that disappoints average citizens and makes them feel like all their efforts are a waste of time. We need people who have convictions to do what is right rather than go along with whatever is popular at the time. Remember that no matter what happens, our government was forged by brave men and women who had the character to persevere through far greater hardships than anything we are seeing today. While some of us may have concerns over our investments, we do not have to fear whether we will survive a winter at Valley Forge with bloody feet. When our country was founded, there was no such thing as Wall Street. The southerners rebuilt the south from ruins with no credit and with their currency declared worthless. On occasion, I will try to explain to my children how pampered their generation is with all the comforts and conveniences they enjoy. History may prove this struggle to be a great opportunity to correct indiscretions in our financial system. Our current economic circumstances may turn out to be a great catalyst for defining and measuring our character as well as revealing in who and what we place our trust. These economic conditions may have begun with greed, but may end with a renewed commitment to financial discipline that will bring greater health in the future. A storm is not so bad if you have candles, matches and good company. Wealth is not as important as having family and friends. “The American Spirit” is not defined by our money, but by what is in our hearts. God has blessed this country beyond any other in history. Our charity and compassion have likewise exceeded any other nation. The heart and soul of America are summed up every time we say, “One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” Our strength does not come from our finances, it comes from our values. Focusing on what made us strong will keep us strong. *Your thoughts are important to me, so please let me know what you think about the bailout. You can send me your opinion by clicking here: Cynthia Davis. Vitae Dinner in St. Charles Gov. Mike Huckabee is the featured speaker at the Vitae Caring Foundation 13^th Annual Pro-Life Benefit Dinner, to be held on Monday, October 20, at the St. Charles Convention Center. A reception will be held at 6:30 p.m. and the dinner and program will start at 7:00 p.m. Cost is $50 per person, of which $25 is tax-deductible. The Vitae Caring Foundation is dedicated to restoring value to human life. Reservations can be made through October 13 by calling (800) 393-5791. Make a Difference Day The Show Me Your Hands organization is sponsoring a day, October 25, when it is encouraging all of us to make a difference in someone’s life. There is an expression, “One person can’t help everybody, but everybody can help somebody.” You can make a difference by a small act of kindness to a friend, neighbor, stranger or relative. If we can band together and make a difference for just one person, the world will be a better place. You may find you like it so much that you want to continue after the special day is over. For more information, contact Thomas Twin at Show Me Your Hands, (636) 293-3478. Gasoline Prices: Why They Differ When I left O’Fallon on Sunday to go to Mexico, Missouri, I noticed gas prices around $3.59 per gallon. When I arrived at Kingdom City, it was about 20 cents less. By the time I reached Mexico, only 18 miles north of I-70, it was down to $3.23 per gallon. One of my constituents e-mailed me that he had seen gas for as little as $3.09 in Raytown, which is near Kansas City. Now, I don’t expect my readers to feel like you must drive to Raytown to fill up, but this wide swing does make us feel taken. Many of my constituents have asked why. According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the short answer to the variance in gasoline prices is that both Hurricanes Ike and Gustav have messed up the whole fuel distribution system. The long answer is a bit more complicated, as real life tends to be. Many different refineries and pipelines supply gasoline to Missouri, and federal and state regulations also play a part. Specifically, prices are higher in St. Louis right now for these reasons. The majority of gasoline shipped to St. Louis is refined in Texas, and these refineries were shut down due to the hurricanes. One of these refineries is still not back in production. The pipelines that ship the gas were also shut down, and electric power to some of the pipelines took time to restore. It takes more time after that to bring the pipeline back into service. So shipments of gasoline have been behind schedule, creating a shortage of supply. Because of a combination of federal and state air quality standards that have not been met in St. Louis, dealers in St. Louis are required to purchase a more expensive blend of gasoline that has a lower vapor pressure. Some St. Louis gasoline is refined in Illinois, and that refinery is still operating. However, Chicago has been experiencing a mild shortage of gasoline and therefore is willing to pay higher prices to the pipelines for gas. Because St. Louis is competing for this gasoline, dealers have to match the higher Chicago price in order to purchase gas from the Illinois refinery. At this time, prices are lower in Kansas City due to the following factors: The majority of gasoline shipped to the west side of the state is refined in Oklahoma and Kansas. These refineries were still running during the hurricanes. Pipelines from these refineries were also kept running. Similar to the problem in St. Louis, Kansas City is also required to purchase a specific blend of gas due to air quality standards. However, the air quality issues haven’t been as serious in Kansas City; therefore, while the price of its required gasoline is still higher than in cities without air quality problems, the blend is not as expensive as what St. Louis stations must purchase. In addition, the requirement to purchase this gas is only in effect in Kansas City from June until Sept. 16; therefore, this expensive restriction was recently lifted there. However, it is also against Missouri law to take advantage of a desperate situation by drastically increasing prices on gasoline beyond normal market conditions. If you suspect price gouging, you can report a consumer complaint at: Missouri consumer complaints. On the other hand, some factors are now operating to make gasoline prices lower. For example, the state of Missouri is now allowing winter gas to be delivered and sold. Winter gas contains less butane than summer gas. The state estimates that this move has increased supply by about 5 percent and should help to keep prices down. The good news is that the trend is in the right direction for now. A Little Bit of Humor… A vacuum salesman appeared at the door of an old lady's cottage and, without allowing the woman to speak, rushed into the living room and threw a large bag of dirt all over her clean carpet. He said, "If this new vacuum doesn't pick up every bit of dirt, then I'll eat all the dirt." The woman, who by this time was losing her patience, said, "Sir, if I had enough money to buy that thing, I would have paid my electricity bill before they cut it off. Now, what would you prefer, a spoon or a knife and fork?" This Capitol Report is a weekly newsletter by Representative Cynthia Davis*, from the 19^th District, covering events in the Missouri Legislature and district-wide issues. J If you know of anyone else who would like to receive my Capitol Report, please send an e-mail to Cynthia.Davis@house.mo.gov with the person’s name and e-mail address. We’ll add them to the list. L If you would like to stop receiving the Capitol Report, email us at Cynthia.Davis@house.mo.gov with “unsubscribe” in the subject line.