Knoxville, Tenn (WVLT) -- Since his confrontation with Barack Obama over increased taxes, Joe the Plumber is getting a lot of attention as a real face of middle America.
Volunteer TV's Stephen McLamb flushed out the Knoxville version and other plumbers who gave their thoughts on Joe, taxes, and the election.
Several plumbers feel an increase in taxes in this economy would only make things worse.
As far as Knoxville's Joe the Plumber, he's enjoying his stardom on a local level.
"What's your name?," asks Barack Obama.
He's now known as Joe The Plumber, the Ohio man concerned about Barak Obama's tax plan.
"Your new tax plan is going to tax me more isn't it?," asks Joe the Plumber.
That little confrontation is giving a lot of attention to Joe Shanks, owner of Joe's Plumbing Service here in Knoxville.
"The next day I got quite a few calls from tv and newspaper interviewers and suddenly, I'm in the middle of it," says Joe Shanks.
But the publicity isn't bothering Joe a bit.
Joe says, "My businesses name and my name is Joe and I'm definitely Joe the Plumber. I'm hoping it's going to steer some people our way in the yellow pages."
Joe says the economy has really made it tough on plumbers.
"People don't have as much money as they used to and a lot of people are having to make payments to us," says Shanks.
So like Ohio Joe the Plumber, Joe Shanks and other small plumbing businesses are concerned about any tax increase.
Shanks says, "How can they come up with more tax money when they're having such a hard time.
Edward Updegraff with Ready Eddie's Plumbing agrees. Tax increases would not be good for businesses or customers.
Undegraff says, "Usually raise rates in order to compensate for it."
So who are these plumbers pulling for in the election?
Ready Eddie says he's still undecided.
He was pulling for Ron Paul.
"They would both be smart if they could pick his brain because he could do a lot of straighten the economy out with his ideas," says Undegraff.
For Knoxville's Joe the Plumber, he's tried to call the local Republican party but says he hasn't been able to get through.
"I was just going to tell them I'd be glad to put some of those stickers on our plumbing trucks and personal truck if we could just get a hold of them, so McCain, give Joe the Plumber a call so we can help you," says Shanks.
In this economy, Joe says, why not? He's hoping to use the "Joe the Plumber" theme as long as he can for business.
Unmarked now, Joe says he hopes to have his trucks lettered in the next couple weeks and will include McCain stickers if the local McCain camp will contact him.
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