Well, Mayor White’s been great when it comes to telling private industry how to make allowances for their employees for some time now (or even what to pay them, if they’re unionized janitors), but apparently someone got his ear and pointed out that he ought to set the example. As a result, in the middle of last week, the City of Houston belatedly began to offer ice, water, and MRE’s to employees without power, who had to be at work, rather than scrounging for the necessities. Wednesday, just as a few more gas stations were opening and the early lines easing, they also made gasoline available. However, I think they inadvertently let some information slip that they didn’t intend to bandy about.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 9:02 AM
To: COH – All Employees
Subject: Fuel to all City Employees

All City Employees who can show a City of Houston active Employee Identification Badge are allowed to get 5 gallons per visit, maximum of two visits, at the below designated fuel locations. Employees will be charged our cost for fuel, $4.35 per gallon, through payroll deduction. When an employee approaches the site for the fuel they will be required to sign that they received the gas and that they agree to the terms of the deduction from their paychecks.

There’s only one thing I can say the city purchasing gas at $4.35:

Four-freaking thirty-five? Who wrote this contract? And was the city embarrassed by this gaffe? You decide:

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 11:39 AM
To: COH – All Employees
Subject: (Revised) Fuel to all City Employees

All City Employees who can show a City of Houston active Employee Identification Badge are allowed to get 5 gallons per visit, maximum of two visits, at the below designated fuel locations. Employees will be charged our cost for fuel through payroll deduction. The city’s price per gallon fluctuates, and is dropping right now.

Are they trying to suggest that it came down to $4.35? Look, I’m no stranger to wasted money. Aside from my own, I’ve worked for the City for too long to think it doesn’t waste it’s unfair share. But this is just appalling. Texaco can deliver it to a gas station and price it at $3.69 in a crisis (albeit supplies were somewhat spotty), but the city rations it out by the 5 gallon can at 65 cents a gallon more? And claim that’s what it pays normally?

Wow, those convenience stores must really be raking it in on those over-priced drinks and snack foods, to be able to sell gas so cheap. I’d say we should promote conservation by banning sales of those at gas stations (thus forcing them to raise their prices to compensate), but I don’t want to give Peter Brown any ideas. . .