Truckers Protest Record High Gas Prices
Truck Drivers Gather In Washington To Blast Horns, Rally At Capitol
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Truckers drive by the Capitol while blaring their horns in protest of high fuel prices, in Washington on Monday, April 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Members of Truckers and Citizens United circled the National Mall before parking their rigs at RFK Stadium. From there, about 100 protesters marched and took shuttles to the Capitol, where an afternoon rally was held.
"The high price for oil is hurting our economy," organizer Mark Kirsch said. "It's hurting middle class people."
The national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline is a record $3.51, according to a recent survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. The price for diesel - used to transport most food, industrial and commercial goods - is $4.20 a gallon.
Independent trucker Dave Gares of Lebanon, Pa., is among those reeling from the soaring prices. He said it costs up to $1,400 to fill up his tractor-trailer rig with 220 gallons of diesel fuel.
To bring relief, the truckers are urging Congress to stop subsidizing big oil companies, release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves, and end exports of oil from Alaska, among other things.
Many of the truckers drove to Washington from Harrisburg, Pa., and other areas to the north. One passenger circling the Mall held a sign that read "Enough is Enough," and a driver used a bullhorn to yell at Congress as he passed by.
William Lockridge of the Washington Metropolitan Area Truckers Association said independent truckers are barely breaking even. "If the truck stops, the economy stops," he said.
Nathan and Tara Horn of Normal, Ill., said they were visiting museums and other sites, but came to the Capitol to see the truckers' protest.
"Just knowing the influence that our citizens have to talk to our congressmen and senators ... This is awesome," said Nathan Horn, stopping to watch the trucks pass in the rain."
Tara Horn said she works at a food bank where more people are seeking assistance because of rising food prices. The price of fuel has made transporting goods across the U.S. more expensive.
Traffic was not significantly affected by the convoy of vehicles, though a few truckers drove through red lights as they honked their horns.
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Bush said they need to be arrested and thrown in prison. Possibly tortured. They might be terrorists.
Yeah, I did, said Cheney. SO!
Hooray for the truckers, and why is diesel now MORE expensive than gas, when it used to be cheaper? It seems there''s an agenda to price people out of groceries and everything else that''s trucked to its destination.
The food banks that I have to depend on have at least doubled their clients in the past year. And we get less of the more useful canned goods like meats -- even tuna and such are a rarity now.
God help us all. Bush sure isn''t going to, he''s only helping himself.
Google "Cowboy Starter Kit" and see what nonsense is going on. This money should go to real farmers and truckers and food banks etc. etc. It seems this admininstration is bent on doing every possible thing to cause more stress on everyone. Are they absolutely insane? Can we have them psychoanalyzed to see if they are fit for employment in the federal government? If not, WHY not???
Fact of the matter is that other modes of transportation like rail and water use much less energy. It is inevitable in our world of high energy use and especially the U.S. that the days of cheap energy are over. It''s too bad our government and big business has had a policy of cheap energy not paying the true price. Europe has been taxing petroleum products at a high rate and now we see the much better position they are in with their network or rail and canals. Our country has allowed rail and canals developed a century ago to be abandoned instead of improving them.
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Wow! Hooray for the truckers! They have it right! Stop the bloody subsidizing of these bastaards and stop the exports. It''s like we are paying them through our taxes and then again at the pump, and they go HO Ho HO we have great profits this year! Nananana!
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Posted by MichelleM99 at 02:17 AM
In my area, the government had the rails removed. They had been there nearly a hundred years and then they removed them. They called it "rails to trails"
Understanding what you read is just as impoprtant as reading. The average price is $4.20, that means some places lower, some places higher.
If diesel is 4.20 a gallon in say, New Jersey, what good does that do Mr. Gares if he is in say, San Diego, where fuel prices tend to be the highest in the nation? Can he drive on an empty tank to Jersey to fill up? Can someone bring him a full tank from Jersey?
C''mon, think while you read.
They are putting in light rail to move people in Seattle. People use to walk on the tracks and when I first met my friend he would..I told him that was not smart. Like the big rigs they can''t stop on a dime..We need to use the truck,rail.
I''d like to know where you get your statistics. Most working-class people tend to vote Democratic. Perhaps your just venting because you voted for Bush twice. I didn''t vote for him either time, personally.
If they do shut down on the 5th, they''d be wise to publicise it. They will garner more support if we know it''s coming, so we too can stock up.
Otherwise,, we''ll be pis/sed if we run out of food, and all support will be lost.
With the record salaries, and record bonuses for oil company executives the profits still rise to. Don''t forget that American oil companies aren''t paying the record high prices for oil. They own their own oil wells.
Posted by BohemianMob at 07:45 AM : Apr 29, 2008
Me too, but for different reasons. But, I don''t have much more money either, than before I quit!
Posted by BohemianMob at 07:45 AM : Apr 29, 2008
Me too, but for different reasons. But, I don''''t have much more money either, than before I quit!
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Posted by slim1h2o
I really quit because it was killing me, but it has helped me with the money situation.
BLAH BLAH BLAH - that is all they hear. They don''t care what anyone thinks of this - they don''t care that a few upset truckers are driving through Washington D.C. - they DON''T CARE WHAT YOU THINK!
The people at the top don''t care because they can still afford it.
This is Bush''s REAL secret alternative energy policy. Make it SOOOO Expensive that demand will fall off and that will reduce the U.S.''s need and dependency on foreign Oil. Wow, Maybe Bush is Smart. NAH!!!1