b'Quarterin History . February, March and Aprilcontinuedinvestigation by the Attorney General into the high priceWA: Legislature had over 2,000 bills introduced in themembers activity before the of gasoline in Idaho. The Idaho Association, in tandemfirst two weeks of the session. legislature and the regulatory with the State Tax Commis- agencies involved. Last, but sion, introduced legislation toprobably most important, provide a credit against taxesan association can keep as an incentive to file motorthe membership informed fuel distributor reports andof governmental actions and the most effective way to payments of taxes electroni- deal with them. An association has a great opportunity cally. The tax credit for eachto prove its worth during troubled times, and a member marketer who compliedwho does not lend his support is wasting his past invest-would be $2,500.Motor fuelment, just at the time it can pay off the most.distributors who had alreadyExecutive Director JA Murphy (JAM): Believe it begun to file electronicallytodayForget it TomorroworI Dont Know would receive the tax creditwhether to believe what I hear today or wait until tomor-as well. The Bill passed therow.Weve been told that inflation causes recession. Now House and was in the Senateits the opposite.We dont hear much about mass Transportation Committee. transit lately and the cry was to get all those cars off MT: In 1904 Montanas Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.2000 (Feb 13) The final original Peanuts comic strip the road.instead of training the auto worker for newmade the famous comment, Taxes are what we pay forwas published, following the death of its creator, jobs, they are trying to figure out how to get them all back civilized society. Ronna also gave some Montana factsCharles Schulz. on the automobile assembly linesContrary to popular and figures: 5,699 miles (8.1%) of all Montana roads(Feb 17) Microsoft released Windows 2000. belief, small business is the largest open to public travel were on Indian Reservations. There2000 (Mar 7) Texas Governor George W. Bush and USemployer and is the main complimentwere more public road miles in Montana than inter- Vice President Al Gore emerged victorious in theto big business. Some 97 percent of the state miles in the entire 50 US states.Over 82% of allRepublican and Democratic caucuses and primaries 5.4 million licensed businesses in the US manufactured goods were moved in and out of Montanaof the US presidential election. are small businesses. Over 55 percent of by truck. The combined populations of Idaho, Montana,2000 (Apr 1) The unemployment rate dropped to a the nations work force is in small business, and it is small South Dakota and Wyoming equaled only 1.5% of the na- business that brings in over 50 percent of the revenue tions population, yet the combined land area was 13.3%low of 3.8%, the lowest in 30 years. dollars. Big business relies on small business to provide the of the nations land area. Seventeen of Montanas 129(Ap r 1) The 2000 US Census determined the residentsupport, products and services which it is too big to provide incorporated cities had less than 5 miles of roads open topopulation of the US to be 281,421,906. economically for itselfLooking to government for solu-public travel. Sixty cities had less than 10 miles.tions to our problems never has brought about NV:New Conference format - we are please that oureconomical answersWe should counterparts from California, Oregon and Washington arenever invite government participation in joining us at Lake Tahoe in June.our business when we can better handle NM: New Mexicos Governor for the second time hadit ourselvesBe this not the case, then vetoed Senate Bill 2 on tax repeal, and also the we will have only one oil companyBudget Bill, and called for a Special Session on Marchwith headquarters in Washington, DC.27th. Although the Democrats controlled both the HouseOn Alcoholism: I object, said the and Senate, they did not have enough votes to overridetemperance man, to the custom of a veto. Senate Bill 109 dealt with the imposition of achristening ships with wine. dual tax on Non-Native American-owned businesses onI dont, replied John. I think theres a tribal or pueblo land, and was passed by both houses andtemperance lesson in it. How can that be? signed by the Governor.Well, immediately after the first bottle of UT: Association lobbied to keep the Motor Fuel Marketingwine, the ship takes to water andAct unchanged. The gasoline tax increase was defeated,sticks to it ever after.and a Navajo Motor Fuel Tax Agreement failed. This act al- The Last Word: In committee meetings,lowed the Navajo Nation to collect 18 cents in motor fuelI Am clam-like, silent, mute;I ask no questions, tax on all fuel sold on the reservation, leaving the Statenor engage In rambling dispute. I give the of Utah to only collect the remaining 6.5 cents. The Utahchairman only terse Yeas or nays in turn;Department of Transportation was unhappy, because itBut speak out promptly When he wantswould lose $300,000 in tax revenues for roads but still50 Years Ago FEB 1975 IOMN Cover A motion to adjourn.1975 [February Intermountain Oil Marketer News1975 (Feb 2) The 7.6 Ms Near Islands earthquake hit the have the responsibility to maintain the roads on the res-ervation. Utah marketers lobbied the Legislature, claim- (IOMN)] IOMA President Ken Kellerstrass fromAleutian Islands in Alaska with a maximum Mercalli ing that if the Navajos were to realize $300,000, theyKellerstrass Bros. in Ogden, Utah, It is an undeniable factintensity of IX (Violent), injuring 15.should also be given the liability of road maintenance.that we are in the midst of a major recessioneconomic(Fe b 21) Watergate scandal: Former US Attorney General Utah Senator Beverly Evans worked out a solution withproblems are so linked to governmental actions. This linkJohn N. Mitchell, and former White House aides H. R. the Ute Tribe, in that all State motor fuel taxes would beadds another dimension to the value of an association.Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, were sentenced to collected by the State and a refund provided to the UteFirst, an association can help to solve the operating prob- between 30 months and 8 years in prison.Tribe for all Native American motor fuel purchases.lems encountered. Second, an association can represent the 34 www.wpma.com / Spring 2025'