Environmental Leader

This is interesting. I thought I remembered that the trucking industry was on the opposite side of the debate the last time that national speed limits were discussed by Congress.

It is always fascinating to see the various requests to Congress – both in terms of everything included in the stimulus bill and everything else that Congress will have to deal with. I’m curious to see how this particular Congress will handle all of the competing priorities. Like in this case, I generally support the original proposal but the previous national speed limit debates have always seemed very long and drawn out. I hope if Congress does debate it again that they can come to a decision quicker.

The Democrats are touting their first 100 days as the time when they are going to get a tremendous amount accomplished. I hope they do accomplish something significant in the first 100 days. It seemed like the last Congress didn’t accomplish much in all of 2008. I saw that the Friends of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is asking people to give their opinion on the most important thing for Congress to do in their first 100 days. Then they’re going to work to get Congress to accomplish what the public actually wants them to do. Make sure to add your opinion so Congress can know what our priorities are – http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/email/email4.cfm?id=200

JJ | January 30th, 2009

The last paragraph of this story misrepresents the nature of the American Trucking Associations’ lawsuit against the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The lawsuit is very specific in opposing only parts of the Ports’ concession plans. ATA supports the banning of older trucks from the ports, the program to subsidize newer trucks through a container fee, and the rolling schedule for banning older trucks from the ports in favor of newer trucks that produce less emissions. The ATA opposes only those parts of the concession plans that will have no effect in cleaning the air and which the Constitution, Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court have declared improper and illegal local government intrusion into interstate commerce. These parts of the concession plans regulate rates, routes and services that trucking firms can offer their customers, and, in the case of Los Angeles, bans independent owner operators from the business.
Clayton Boyce, American Trucking Associations

Clayton Boyce | February 2nd, 2009