On the subject of funds...

April 22, 2004

Howdy all.

While we're on the subject of funding EMS, I would like to share a preliminary

idea that donned on me on the way home from work today.

Some states issue ambulance driver licenses. What if we incorporated something

like that here in Texas? The state is big enough and there are enough people

that would have this DL, it would generate some revenue. I don't have the

specifics worked out yet, something about paying a service fee to get it issued

from DOT, while in conjunction with TDH (probably DSHS soon). And another added

benefit would be that, not only could it serve as another photo ID, but it would

be something along the lines of the previous discussion of the better cert

cards. I'm saying get an ambulance DL that looks like a TxDL, but is TDH too.

If that made sense to anyone else, I'd love to hear back from y'all.

Thanx and Gig 'Em!

Greg Scheffler

NREMT-Basic

Texas A & M Emergency Care Team, Medic In Charge

Texas A & M University EMS

April 22, 2004

kinda a combo ambulance DL/EMT cert card eh?

would this replace standard DL like if you get a class B? or in addition?

On the subject of funds...

> Howdy all.

> While we're on the subject of funding EMS, I would like to share a

preliminary idea that donned on me on the way home from work today.

> Some states issue ambulance driver licenses. What if we incorporated

something like that here in Texas? The state is big enough and there are

enough people that would have this DL, it would generate some revenue. I

don't have the specifics worked out yet, something about paying a service

fee to get it issued from DOT, while in conjunction with TDH (probably DSHS

soon). And another added benefit would be that, not only could it serve as

another photo ID, but it would be something along the lines of the previous

discussion of the better cert cards. I'm saying get an ambulance DL that

looks like a TxDL, but is TDH too. If that made sense to anyone else, I'd

love to hear back from y'all.

> Thanx and Gig 'Em!

>

> Greg Scheffler

> NREMT-Basic

> Texas A & M Emergency Care Team, Medic In Charge

> Texas A & M University EMS

>

April 24, 2004

Twice in recent years and on this very list I've tried to call

attention to language in some of the proposed legislation and rules.

Language something like " additional funding will not be required as all

costs will be borne by the regulated community. " Folks, *we* are the

regulated community.

Regarding a " sin " tax... Pray, just who will be allowed to

define " sin " for us? Will my definition of a taxable item be the same

as my neighbors? Do we tax only the easy targets? I don't smoke, so we

should tax tobacco, right? People wreck their cars and dial 911, so we

should tax gasoline? I'm a big beer drinker and you want to tax my

brew? You might get some argument there. Someone wanted to tax guns.

Why? Dallas wants to raise the hotel tax to build a new stadium for the

Cowboys, maybe we should tax no-tell-motel patrons to pay for EMS. To

get the most out of it we could apply the tax every time they changed

the sheets.

Where do the arbitrary judgements stop? In the current fiscal

environment I don't know the answer to how we will pay for EMS, but I

do know talking about sin taxes is a slippery slope.

Regards,

Donn

===============================

D.E. (Donn) , LP, NREMT-P

== Ubi dubium ibi libertas ==

>

> <tt>

> So we're going to fund ourselves?

>

> Not picking on an idea by any stretch of the imagination, but do we

want to

> add another fee or requirement to incoming personnel?

>

> I still like the idea of a sin tax, or a bad drivers law.

>

> Mike

>

> Re: On the subject of funds...

>

> & gt; Hey, Not bad for an Aggie!

> & gt;

> & gt; Ralph , LP

> & gt; Hook 'em

> & gt;

> & gt; Greg & lt;greg911@... & gt; wrote:

> & gt; Howdy all.

> & gt; While we're on the subject of funding EMS, I would like to share

a

> preliminary idea that donned on me on the way home from work

today.

> & gt; Some states issue ambulance driver licenses. & nbsp; What if we

incorporated

> something like that here in Texas? & nbsp; The state is big enough and

there are

> enough people that would have this DL, it would generate some

revenue. & nbsp; I

> don't have the specifics worked out yet, something about paying a

service

> fee to get it issued from DOT, while in conjunction with TDH

(probably DSHS

> soon). & nbsp; And another added benefit would be that, not only could

it serve as

> another photo ID, but it would be something along the lines of the

previous

> discussion of the better cert cards. & nbsp; I'm saying get an

ambulance DL that

> looks like a TxDL, but is TDH too. & nbsp; If that made sense to anyone

else, I'd

> love to hear back from y'all.

> & gt; Thanx and Gig 'Em!

> & gt;

> & gt; Greg Scheffler

> & gt; NREMT-Basic

> & gt; Texas A & amp;M Emergency Care Team, Medic In Charge

> & gt; Texas A & amp;M University EMS

> & gt;

> & gt;

April 24, 2004