Elections: Truckers back Proposition 51

Barb and I take our citizenship seriously. Voting is an important privilege, but it is darn hard to do it right. We’ve studied the voting pamphlet, read most of the letters-to-the-editor, called as many friends as we can for their opinion, and still feel confused. If one believes everything each candidate says about themselves it would seem they all are so wonderful that there would be no need for all the initiatives. Tim Eyeman would be out of a job. So what’s the real story?

One wonders why candidates spend more money campaigning for a job than the job will pay? What are the hidden agendas and motives? Where do they really stand?

Even though we are long-haul truckers, we have decided to vote for Proposition 51 that will raise the already high tax on the fuel we have to buy. Our nation’s infrastructure is important and we hope that the money will be properly spent for it. Will it? Being gouged for the sake of filling the pockets of those behind the scenes of these projects is a matter of concern. Are the claims of high accountability for this initiative true or is it like a pickpocket yelling at a crowd to look out for pickpockets so they can see who grabs which pocket and know what to pick?

One thing that gets so tiresome and needs some clearing up is the continual claim that our heavy trucks are doing all the damage to roads and that truckers should pay most of the taxes. Sure, we’re heavy and we do our share of road wear, but the next time you are out there fighting the ruts in the road take a good look at the distance between the ruts. Most of the time they are five to six feet apart which is the spacing of cars and pickup trucks. Did you ever notice that? No one else does. Axle width on our big trucks is eight feet. There’s no way we made most of those ruts, at least not the narrow ones, so where did they come from?

Everyone wants to blame someone else and we truckers get it all the time. How come no one ever mentions lame brained highway engineers who don’t design the specifications right, rip-off contractors who cheat on materials and workmanship, or sneaky politicians who skimp and scam on the financing? How about the studded tires on cars and pickups? Has anyone mentioned that or thought of a better alternative to them? They even gouge up concrete. Tire tread sipping just might be a good alternative solution and it is cheap. That ought to be looked into but instead all we ever hear is about those awful trucks. It’s time for a sun break on our tunnel vision about trucks.

Until we have legislators who spend more time with their constituents than they do with the French cook at the capital, we’ll need Tim Eyeman and his initiatives. Unfortunately Mr. Eyeman screwed up badly by not admitting paying himself for what he was doing. He must have been hanging out with too many politicians and learning the ropes from them. Outside of that he was on the right track. Truth in politics would sure be refreshing. It would make voting a lot easier too.

Al & Barb Williams

Oak Harbor

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