‘Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave, When First We Practice to Deceive’

By Betty Plowman – Northern Membership Services Director

This saying was buried deep in my brain for almost fifty-years after I tried unsuccessfully to deceive my mother, and she shared that line on me.
With the chaos now gripping our industry, many struggle to understand all that has happened with the CARB regulations and now the proposed amendments, it should be obvious we are all caught in a tangled web of environmental based deception.

For those who have been involved with this process for the long haul, my thanks to you. Some of you were able to purchase new trucks or install filters; others were simply trying to buy groceries for their families. Now eight years later, the dire predictions that were made are coming true – Winners and Losers!
Until recently, any action opposing CARB went straight down to defeat along party lines in Sacramento. Democrats were reluctant so speak out against the “Greens” a great source of money for their political aspirations.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the deadline, trucking businesses began to close and former taxpayers were now increasingly unemployed. Suddenly some Democrat’s eyes began to open once the truth became inescapable, and politicians on the left began uttering: “Perhaps we should have been looking at this.”

Coordination Cause Continues

I attended a meeting at the Capitol last month (with another to take place just before the CARB hearing) and suddenly even some business friendly Democrats are now participating in discussions on this “tangled web” they have allowed to proceed.

The City of Redding and the Shasta County Coordination Committee held a meeting at the end of February to further discuss their action against CARB. Featured speaker was Fred Kelly Grant, who came from Idaho and has been instrumental in the fight for property rights using “Coordination” efforts throughout our nation.
The City of Redding sent their original letter to CARB invoking the “Coordination Clause” on November 27. It didn’t take long to receive a reply basically saying, “Go pound sand.” Not to be swayed, these gutsy rural folks sent another even more powerful letter on February 28, outlining CARB’s obligation to coordinate and pointing out all the instances where they had not complied. They were again given 20 days to comply, which they did with the same message, “Go pound sand.”
The next step will be a public meeting in Redding on June 11, 12 and 13 in the City Council chambers where they want to hear from all who are affected, including scientists who dispute CARB’s “health” science and statistics as well as the many business victims of this web of deceit. You can read all about the coordination process, view the letters to and from CARB and you can even make a donation by going to: www.shastacoordination.com.

Final Major Truck & Bus Rule Hearing April 24

Many of us will be attending the April 24, CARB Board meeting in Sacramento, which promises to be lively. I’m sure there will be some there saying “No more delays” and many others pleading for more extensions. There is a growing divergence among those that have and those that don’t. CARB intentionally or not has created winners and loser within the trucking and construction industry and the winners will no doubt have an upper hand in this game regardless of what CARB does.
I’m truly saddened for many, CARB chair; Mary Nichols smugly said it all last December that “These regulations will give us winners and losers,” which is true. Unfortunately there are far more losers than winners under her and others grand plan, I see and hear about it daily.

The bottom line is that we have all been victimized by an overzealous group of bureaucrats (CARB) and a state government agenda pushed upon us under the disguise of “being green for the kids.” And what’s even more disturbing is they all don’t want to see or hear about the disadvantaged people they were creating with this agenda. I’m sure Mrs. Nichols in her many media appearances brushes this all off as, “In war there are always winners and losers and this is war.” Make no mistake that’s what this has been, a war against small truck and construction business owners – with “deadly diesel” equipment. Let’s remind them all that we didn’t make any of this; engines, fuel, DPF’s and yet are being held solely responsible to pay for it – so that’s fair right?

I have to admit that because of my age, I’m a little more sympathetic to the older drivers and small contractors, many of whom have been friends and loyal members of CCTA. I suspect that this “purge” will be the untimely end to many and that’s what’s probably angering me more than anything. If all this social cleansing exemplifies our future with climate change, Cap & Trade, and other PM rules – the junk science based regulations it creates; one has to wonder what will be the real cost to our society. How will it all affect the disadvantaged – former and largely “New” American truckers, those who invested much into diesel powered trucks and equipment.

As an American with “Okie” roots, this all reminds me of the many Steinbeck novels and Capra films about the American Dream, rags-to-riches, the World War II films Why We Fight. The problem is – it’s in reverse, 180-degrees of what we all thought America was about. It’s kind of funny, it occurred to me that if the 1946 movie, It’s a Wonderful Life was recast today, CARB’s Mrs. Nichols would be cast as slumlord/banker Harry Potter and the Green Movement in this county as the heartless banking system during The Depression. How ironic is that?

So this all leads me to another saying that we women particularly love: “I told you so”