American Truckers At War

Below is the transcript of Glenn Beck’s interview with Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM).  Senator Dominici hits on some very good points regarding the fuel situation (from CNN.com).  It’s not “big oil” that is our enemy, it is liberal Democrats and environmentalist whackos….

BECK: Well, if you`ve been paying any attention to the news over the last week, you probably heard something about a gas tax holiday. But in some cases, the gift of lifting that gas tax comes along with something they like to call a windfall profits tax, a tax on excess profits made by the greedy oil companies. Oh, they`re twisting their moustaches in their office right now.

Sounds pretty good, doesn`t it? Not so much. Everything you ever wanted to know about windfall profits — I don`t happen to know all that much — but we`ll make it interesting in tonight`s “Real Story,” coming up.

All three presidential candidates now continue to weigh in on the idea of the gas tax holiday for the summer. John McCain is in favor of it. Hillary Clinton has jumped on board, calling it a “real and immediate solution.” Barack Obama disagrees, saying it would only save the average American a few bucks a week and what`s that, really?

You know, maybe an elitist like Barack Obama doesn`t really care about a few extra bucks in his pocket, but I`ll take it. I mean, people who live in the real America, you know, we`ll take anything we can get.

What none of the candidates, however, will say is that the gas tax holiday is a red herring. Why are we arguing about this? It might feel like relief in the short term, but it doesn`t address any of the real problems. And that problem is, we need more oil. Supply is low, demand is high. And that`s why prices are up. And it ain`t going away, Jack. Read more »

By: Capt. Matt Bruce
My Fellow Americans:

I am hearing more and more from my listeners and readers the phrase, “vote the bums out!”…

The voices I’m hearing are right about people being ‘fed up’ with the same old ‘business as usual’ attitude in Washington, DC and our State Capitols…

People are upset with both the Democrat and Republican parties. They feel that they have been betrayed by both Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid…

The fastest growing voting sector across America is now the Independent voter, or ‘I’, for short. Voter registrations have been and are being changed to Independent…

“Operation Chaos” has created an ‘illusion’ that the Democratic Party is growing in numbers when in fact the Presidential Primary process has been ‘manipulated’ by some Conservatives like Rush Limbaugh who started this movement… Read more »

Written by Dan of the Chicago Minutemen (used with permission)

”They” don’t obtain ”official documents” before hand to prove ‘they’ are Mexicans (like a passport). They throw away their Mexican driver’s licenses and telling IDs before sneaking across the USA border. This way they cannot be ID’d in USA as a Mexican when ‘illegally’ sneaking across US borders in to USA and sneaking (ten in a truck) into the Sanctuary State Of ILLINOIS.. and living here ILLEGALLY and enroll their children as students…

AS A REWARD: they get a visit from the Mexican national officials here in a Catholic church who give them ”official Mexican” ID cards.

SEE: http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=175119 Read more »

Congressman Tom Tancredo is demanding that President Bush grant a full pardon to two former Border Patrol agents who he believes were falsely convicted in connection with the 2005 shooting of a fleeing drug suspect who was in the U.S. illegally.

President Bush recently pardoned 15 criminals and commuted the sentence of another — a convicted crack-cocaine dealer. But Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado) notes that former U.S. Border Patrol agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos remain incarcerated after being convicted of wounding a fleeing drug smuggler, who had brought 743 pounds of marijuana across the U.S. border.  More from OneNewsNow

We are behind Congressman Tancredo and must continue to put pressure on President Bush to grant a full pardon to - and immediate release for - border patrol agents Ramos and Compean.  These men should not have spent one minute in jail.  It is a shameful thing for this country that we coddle a criminal illegally entering this country in order to sell drugs that could get in the hands of our children while punishing such fine men for doing their job!

RTaylor

Rush Limbaugh explains the free market system and “alternative” fuels. 

RTaylor

MEDFORD, Ore. —  Some independent U.S. truckers are planning to stop hauling freight on April 1 in protest of record-high diesel prices that are cutting into profit margins.

Independent truckers, who constitute 90 percent of the nation’s trucking fleet, are caught paying the high diesel price without any increase in their rates, according to a trade organization.

“Diesel used to be 30 to 40 cents cheaper than regular gasoline; now it’s 30 to 40 cents more,” said independent truck driver Gordon Gravely, of Helena, Mont., who stopped at the Phoenix Petro Truck Stop on his way to Roseburg, Oregon.  More from FoxNews

At least the concerns of the American trucker are getting through to the mainstream media - now to make our voices heard in Washington…  There isn’t much more that needs to be said here.  I’ll be calling Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) tomorrow, as well as Gov. Beebe (D-AR)….

RTaylor

Gov. Linda Lingle, while expressing sympathy for Aloha Airlines workers, announced a plan yesterday to fight the carrier’s intended shutdown of passenger service.

Lingle said the state would ask the federal Bankruptcy Court not to permit the shutdown until the airline has shown it has exhausted all avenues for staying in business. The state will also seek to have Aloha provide financial information to determine if the shutdown is truly necessary.

“We are deeply disappointed that Aloha Airlines has made the decision to cease operations of their interisland and trans-Pacific passenger flights,” Lingle said in a message posted on her Web site. “Our main concerns are threefold: first and foremost the 1,900 employees and their families, the need for continued air service for our residents and visitors, and protection of the state’s long-term fiscal and economic interests.”  More from the Star Bulletin

Perhaps if our representatives had as much concern for the trucking industry, we would not been talking about shutdowns.  Our fellow truckers would not be losing their rigs because the fuel bill is increasing almost daily.  Yes - let’s bail out the airlines so vacationers can spend a few days at the beach, but let’s ignore the truckers that deliver life’s necessities….  Don’t forget to call your Federal and state reps tomorrow and let them know the American trucker needs their attention now - not tomorrow - with realistic, common sense solutions to keeping the trucks rolling.

Reduce fuel taxes, increase domestic drilling to name just a few.  If Washington will keep an airline from shutting down, there is NO EXCUSE why they cannot give the American trucking industry a break!

RTaylor

There has been alot of chatter going on over the past couple of weeks about a truckers’ strike to protest high fuel prices.  Sitting at a Love’s Travel Center (aka truckstop) in Pennsylvania, I’m looking out my windshield at $4.17 per gallon for diesel fuel.  The Lebanon, Pennsylvania, LD News reports:

Encouraged by a local meeting that attracted between 70 and 80 truck drivers and supporters Sunday, independent truck driver Mark Kirsch is organizing a regional rally to bring attention to rising diesel and gasoline prices.

Among the ideas coming out of Sunday’s meeting at Esther’s Diner in Bethel Township was setting up a truck convoy to the state Capitol and possibly another to Washington to protest fuel prices. Independent, union and company drivers joined Sunday’s meeting, along with a representative from Swift Transportation.

For company drivers, freight is slow - it’s hard to pay the bills on less-than-minimum wage.  This weekend, I got yet another email from an owner/operator having to sell truck and trailer because they could not pay the fuel bill.  ATAW does not support a strike - the effects on the economy would be more disasterous than what is going on now.

ATAW contributor, Alan Burkhart, explains:

A strike would be a terrible idea. First off, most truckers can’t afford to shut down. The bills don’t stop just because the driver does.

Fourth, while independents can shut down pretty much anytime they wish, company drivers (like me) don’t have that option. If I don’t show up for work, I’m out of a job. The truck is going to roll - regardless of who’s driving it. I’ve had this job longer than ANY other place I’ve ever worked. I’m here because I like working here, and I’ll not jeopardize a good job with excellent insurance and benefits - especially for a strike that would do more harm than good.

I wish I had the answers.  Instead of domestic drilling, our government has sold out to environmentalist wackos.  We are told the “answer” lies in hybrids and biofuels - technology that is years away.  For now, the hardest hurt are the American trucker, struggling to support his/her family amid insane fuel prices.  We watch as the Fed talks of bailing out yet another mortgage company, yet it ignores the plight of those who actually keep this country moving - the American trucker…

Inviting comments from truckers and non-truckers alike.  Please keep it clean, civil and pithy.  This is a serious situation that effects us all.

RTaylor