OOU Recognizes an Issue and Takes Action
I was well pleased to note that Dan Little, President of Owner-Operators United (OOU) has dispatched a letter to Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell expressing his displeasure on behalf of OOU membership about the fuel tax increase that is scheduled to take effect in that state on July1. While some of the larger trucking associations have taken note of the action, any reporting of their activity in opposition has been disappointing. In short, nary a peep of action or activity has been discovered on the Internet.
TruckerToTrucker previously reported this planned increase to our readers and was glad to see that the OOU is picking up the gauntlet on our behalf.
This planned increase of fuel taxes in Connecticut which is to take place on July 1 is part of an automatic increase that was mandated in previous legislation. Instead of recognizing that a clear statement in opposition to this increase is a necessity to protect small trucking companies, independents and owner-operators from additional financial burdens, the Connecticut Governor seems to be testing the political waters by stating that she will entertain a deferral of the tax if the legislature can find the $25,000,000 that will be lost.
Connecticut has a budget of over $15 billion dollars and the loss of this revenue is akin to losing less than two cents when you have a $1000 dollars in your pocket. Seems to me that much more than that will be lost as trucking companies lay-off employees, defer new hires and retrench their operations to accommodate an additional 7.7 cent hike in already high diesel fuel prices in Connecticut. As we all know, higher fuel costs impact every segment of our economy and letting this increase take effect will harm not only truckers, but every citizen of Connecticut and those that may transit the state.
Absent any outcry both locally as well as nationally, it would seem that the increase will be allowed to occur. Thank you Dan Little for taking some positive action on behalf of the folks that are struggling. Make sure you voice your objections if you operate in or around Connecticut and the north-east corridor. This planned increase needs to be squashed as soon as possible and the voices of the tucking community need to heard. You can contact the office of Governor Rell and make your thoughts known here. Your support is a necessity.
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