Cape Cod citizen activist, Ron Beaty, Jr. declares that he staunchly believes that all Massachusetts public office incumbents and candidates should sign the Citizens for Limited Taxation, “Taxpayer Protection Pledge."
In a self-described effort to get the hours of service rules "right" for professional truck drivers, the Obama Administration missed the mark in many ways with their December 23, 2010 proposal.
The Obama Administration’s proposal is “overly complex, chock full of unnecessary restrictions on professional truck drivers and, at its core, would substantially reduce trucking’s productivity,” commented Bill Graves, President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations.
The proposal has three main elements. It would: (1) likely reduce the maximum daily driving time to 10 hours; (2) reduce the maximum daily working time window by an additional hour; and, (3) counter to the government’s news release, abolish the 34-hour restart as it exists today.
The trucking industry’s safety performance while operating under the hours of service rules in place since 2004 “has been remarkable,” said Graves. Crash-related fatalities are down 33 percent from the 2003 level; both fatality and injury crash rates are at their lowest level since the USDOT began keeping records. Trucking’s never been safer.
“When viewed against trucking’s sterling safety record,” said Graves, “it’s plain that the Obama Administration’s willingness to break something that’s not broken likely has everything to do with politics and little or nothing to do with highway safety or driver health.”
Hard-pressed to argue safety benefits of further restricting truck driver productivity, the Obama Administration is trying to justify its proposed changes as needed to improve driver health. A big problem for the Obama Administration, however, is that FMCSA has consistently gone on record over the last 5 years, with supporting information and data, stating the current rules are having no negative effect on driver health.
Especially troubling is this Administration’s disregard for the negative safety impacts the proposed changes would have – impacts expressly recognized by FMCSA in the past. For example, FMCSA previously found that the 11th hour of driving time does not increase driver weekly hours; is used for flexibility purposes; does not increase driver-fatigue risks; and that eliminating it would promote more aggressive driving (to meet time constraints) and lead to placing tens of thousands of less experienced drivers on the road who would pose greater crash risks. With respect to the 34 hour restart, FMCSA has correctly found in the past that requiring two nights of sleep would disrupt drivers’ circadian cycle and add to more daytime driving in congested periods, again increasing crashes. FMCSA’s reversal on these crucial matters is hard to explain in other than political terms.
The changes proposed today “will be enormously expensive for trucking and the economy,” said ATA’s Graves. FMCSA estimated, just two years ago, costs of over $2.2 billion if the daily drive time was reduced by 1 hour and the restart provision was significantly changed. In fact, FMCSA had concluded that “eliminating the 11th hour is unlikely to be cost effective under any reasonable set of circumstances.” “This proposal includes even more restrictions than what FMCSA previously considered,” said Graves, and “as a result, we will be evaluating FMCSA’s proposed costs and benefits very carefully.”
For more information on the Hours of Service rules for professional truck drivers, visit www.SafeDriverHours.com.
The American Trucking Associations (www.truckline.com) is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States. Follow ATA on Twitter @TruckingMatters (www.twitter.com/truckingmatters), or become a fan on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Trucking-Associations-ATA/144598425170).
WASHINGTON – El National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) hace un llamamiento al Congreso de los Estados Unidos para que apruebe la Ley DREAM y cree un camino hacia la ciudadanía para los estudiantes inmigrantes que fueron traídos a los Estados Unidos cuando eran pequeños, sin que mediara ninguna acción ilegal de su parte. “La Ley DREAM saca de las sombras a los jóvenes inmigrantes: posibilita que los jóvenes que son modelos ejemplares en cuanto a su rendimiento académico o servicio militar, que no han conocido otra vida que la de ser estadounidenses, tengan la oportunidad de participar plenamente en la vida cívica y económica de los Estados Unidos“, dijo la senadora Iris Y. Martínez (Illinois), Presidenta del NHCSL.
La Ley DREAM, apoyada en Congresos anteriores por resoluciones del NHCSL y que ha tenido el respaldo bipartidista en el Congreso durante muchos años, apoya a las empresas estadounidenses al hacer crecer la base económica e impositiva, aumentar la cantidad de personas que podrían ingresar en las Fuerzas Armadas de los Estados Unidos y ofrecer una oportunidad para que los estudiantes cumplan su sueño de asistir a la universidad, luego de haber invertido en su educación desde el Jardín de Infantes hasta los 12 años.
“La Ley DREAM es una buena política para los jóvenes que viven como estadounidenses y que serían extranjeros en sus países de origen. Los beneficiarios de la Ley son estadounidenses en cultura y en lealtad a este país, y deberían tener la oportunidad de participar plenamente en el sueño americano”, dijo el representante Roberto Alonzo (Texas), presidente del Equipo de trabajo sobre inmigración y comercio internacional del NHCSL.
La Oficina de Presupuesto del Congreso, que es independiente, concluyó en su análisis que la aprobación de la Ley DREAM aumentará los ingresos en US$2,300 millones y reducirá el déficit en US$1,400 millones durante los próximos diez años: un gran éxito para la economía de los EE. UU. al encontrar crecimiento luego de la recesión.
Acerca del NHCSL
El NHCSL es la asociación nacional de legisladores estatales hispanos más destacada que trabaja para diseñar e instrumentar políticas y procedimientos que mejorarán la calidad de vida de los hispanos en todo el país. El NHCSL fue fundado en 1989 como organización 501(c)(3) sin fines de lucro e independiente, con la misión de ser la voz más efectiva para los más de 300 legisladores hispanos. Para más información, visite www.nhcsl.org.
FUENTE NHCSL-National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators
Political Graffiti is a new social networking site started in United States dedicated especially to politics. The website offers the most authentic and latest political updates to its members.
Fran Becker has moved to “Contender” status,
the second step in the National Republican Congressional Committee’s
(NRCC) Young Guns program. NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) said,
“Fran is part of a strong pool of candidates who are frustrated with the
Democrat majority’s big-government ways and aren’t willing to stand by
any longer. The success of his campaign has put partisan incumbent
Carolyn McCarthy on notice that New Yorkers are ready to turn the page
on an agenda that spends too much, borrows too much and taxes too much.”
Becker,
who represents the Republican, Conservative, Independence, and Tax
Revolt lines, is tired of the incompetence in Washington and the
misrepresentation of New York’s 4th Congressional District. He states,
“McCarthy has voted for Nancy Pelosi’s liberal agenda 97 percent of the
time. This district needs a representative who will stand up to the
radical liberal tax and spend agenda of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi,
which is killing jobs instead of creating them.” Becker continues, “I am
a fiscal Conservative and have solutions that will return our country
to fiscal sanity and stop the current policies that are bankrupting our
nation!”
Professionally, Becker
is a Certified Financial Planner and owns Becker & Associates
Planning Services. Becker states, “As a Certified Financial Planner, I
help people plan responsible financial futures. One of the main
principles of financial planning is you can’t spend money that you don’t
have.” He continues, “If elected, I will use my experience to restore
fiscal responsibility in Washington.”
Becker has a clear vision and plan that will help our country overcome its economic malaise. His Five Point Plan is as follows: 1. Reduce Spending to free up capital markets for private sector borrowing.
This will create jobs and create an environment of economic growth and
innovation. Start by eliminating so-called "stimulus programs" that
create nothing sustainable. 2. Cut Taxes for New Businesses 2-5 years old. Cuts will be given
as a refundable credit equal to the FICA tax on the first $50,000 of
wages for all non-owner employees. This creates additional capital for
survival, growth and expansion, fueling the nation's engine of economic
growth. 3. Extend The Tax Cuts Set To Expire December 31, 2010 to keep the
tax burden on our economy from increasing in this time of recession. If Congress fails to extend these cuts, we will face the largest tax increase in history. 4. Repeal Obamacare Tax Increases on insurance companies, businesses and individuals. Businesses will not hire new employees if forced to pay additional taxes on each new hire. 5. Free Us From Foreign Energy Dependence by adopting an "all of the above" energy policy. By
increasing our production of domestic energy sources, we will create
productive jobs that will stimulate other sectors of our economy.
Fran Beckeris the Republican candidate for New York's 4th Congressional District.
He is running against incumbent Carolyn McCarthy (D-Garden City), who
has held the seat for 14 years. Fran is a business owner, an employer,
and a certified financial planner. Fran has the background, experience
and qualifications to get the job done in Congress.
For more information, visit www.beckerforcongress.com.
Fran Becker has officially won the Republican nomination for the Fourth Congressional Seat. With the victory Becker will represent the Republican, Independence, Conservative, and Tax Revolt parties in the general election on November 2nd.
Becker states, “I would like to thank all of the people of the Fourth
Congressional District who voted for me yesterday to be the Republican
nominee, and I’m blessed to have the Conservative, Tax Revolt, and
Independence lines. With these four lines, we can finally retire Carolyn McCarthy in November.”
He continues, “People are out of work and the national debt is
increasing at an ALARMING RATE. With my experience as a Certified
Financial Planner, I will stop the out of control spending and implement
my Five Point Plan so that we can create jobs and restore the American
dream.”
Becker’s next opponent is Carolyn McCarthy (D-Garden City),
who has held the 4th CD seat for 14 years. As a business owner,
employer, and Certified Financial Planner, Becker has the background,
experience and qualifications to serve the interests of the citizens of
the 4th CD instead of the interests of the Democrat party, as his
opponent does.
Becker has a clear vision and plan that will help our country overcome its economic malaise. His Five Point Plan is as follows:
1. Reduce Spending to free up capital markets for private sector borrowing.
This will create jobs and create an environment of economic growth and
innovation. Start by eliminating so-called "stimulus programs" that
create nothing sustainable.
2. Cut Taxes for New Businesses 2-5 years old. Cuts will be
given as a refundable credit equal to the FICA tax on the first $50,000
of wages for all non-owner employees. This creates additional capital
for survival, growth and expansion, fueling the nation's engine of
economic growth.
3. Extend The Tax Cuts Set To Expire December 31, 2010 to keep
the tax burden on our economy from increasing in this time of
recession. If Congress fails to extend these cuts, we will face the
largest tax increase in history.
4. Repeal Obamacare Tax Increases on insurance companies, businesses and individuals. Businesses will not hire new employees if forced to pay additional taxes on each new hire.
5. Free Us From Foreign Energy Dependence by adopting an "all of the above" energy policy. By
increasing our production of domestic energy sources, we will create
productive jobs that will stimulate other sectors of our economy.
Becker is the first elected representative of the 6th
Legislative District in the Nassau County Legislature. He is a fiscal
and legislative conservative, who has been re-elected to the legislature
by wide margins for eight consecutive terms.
Fran Becker, candidate for New York’s Fourth Congressional District,
remembers the attacks on 9/11. "I like, so many of my fellow Americans
will spend time this Saturday honoring our heroes and grieving the
innocent lives lost on September 11,” said Becker. “It is a day of sorrow, but also a day when the American people came together and the American spirit prevailed.”
Becker acknowledges the ongoing threat of terrorism to
America, “On this day we must reaffirm our commitment to fight terrorism
on all fronts and to remain vigilant.” He continued, “If elected to
Congress, I will be vigilant in my support for our Armed Forces,
Homeland Security, and our returning Veterans, our hero’s.”
This day of honor and regret justifies the controversy of the planned Mosque and Islamic Center at Ground Zero. Becker stated,
“I reissue my call for Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City officials
to find an alternate location for the Mosque and Islamic Center.” He continued, “The NYC officials should not inflict further pain on our 9/11 families by allowing this project to go forward.”
Fran Becker, recently endorsed by Rep. Peter King (NY-3), is the Republican candidate for New York's 4th Congressional District. He is running against incumbent Carolyn McCarthy (D-Garden City), who has held the seat for 14 years. Fran
is a business owner, an employer, and a certified financial planner.
Fran has the background, experience and qualifications to get the job
done in Congress.
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