To the editor:
The Coalition to Lower Fuel Prices In Maine is asking the help of all Maine people. Help which may only take a few minutes but can make all the difference in the world in Maine fuel prices and related fuel issues.
In a four-way telephone interview between U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe’s staff in her DC office and me, I was informed that the Coalition and Maine’s people could make all the difference in the world in the Senator’s quest to get the unfair weight limit of 80,000 pounds on Maine Interstate highways raised to 100,000 pounds statewide. Their part — a massive letter writing campaign.
The Coalition is asking that all Maine people, companies and organizations included, interested in seeing the majority of trucks off their secondary roadways and onto the interstates, write a letter, making two copies and mailing one each to the following addresses:
The Department of Environmental & Public Works
Chair, U.S. Sen. Boxer (D-Calif.)
Majority Office
410 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6175
The Federal Highway Administration
Administrator, J. Richard Capka
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590
Twenty-eight of the 50 states have this interstate weight standard already in place. Maine is at a very unfair competitive disadvantage by not having equal opportunity and equal access to the same.
A statewide limit of 100,000 pounds would enable operators in the transportation industry to conserve fuel, minimize maintenance cost to their vehicles by reducing the number of trips necessary to haul the same amounts of freight, prevent unnecessary idling (increasing cleaner air and less fuel energy consumption) by eliminating the slower travel that takes place on local roads not designed for this kind of traffic, increase safety for both the truck operators and the public at large by not forcing these trucks onto Maine’s secondary roads, with winding roadways, hills, unlimited stops and in winter stress filled road conditions. Not to mention that secondary roadways’ conditions would improve with less of the heavier weight vehicles on them.
Maine tractor-trailers pay large revenue into the Maine highway fund, approximately $20,000 per truck, which entitles to use Maine’s infrastructure. They should be allowed to use Maine’s interstates.
The Coalition received a letter from Sen. Snowe which states that, Administratior Capka, of the Federal Highway Administration responded to a letter requesting the weight limits on Maine’s interstates by increased to 100,000 pounds by stating that his administration simply does not have the authority to lift the restrictions. U.S. Sen. Snowe stated in a letter to the Coalition that she vehemently disagrees with that interpretation and will “move heaven and earth” to finally put this matter to rest, by introducing legislation, and seeking any means available to her to eradicate this unfair, inconsistent standard that compromises safety, increases maintenance costs for our local roads, and forces Maine’s trucking industry into competitive disadvantage.
In additions the Coalition would also like all Maine people to assist them on getting a factual answer from Governor John Baldacci and his administration as to the following two questions:
• Why is the price of fuel, twenty to thirty cents higher, before the states fuel tax is added in Maine?
• Why does Maine have the second higher fuel tax in the nation? (And if the answer given for this one is it supports Maine’s road and bridges/the transportation highway fund, ask if that fund being used as the Maine Constitution declares in Section 19, limitation on expenditure of motor vehicle and motor vehicle fuel revenues?)
You may write the Governor at Governor of Maine, Governor John E. Baldacci, 1 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333 or call 1-207-287-3531.
The Coalition has asked consistently for the answer to the first question since forming in November of 2007. No one seemed to know the answer. Speaker of the House, Glenn Cummings called for the same answer at the meeting between him and the Coalition.
These two matters are also addressed on the Coalition’s new Web site: www.coalitiontolowerfuelprices.cfsites.org, which has had thousands of hits thus far.
The Coalition has been asked to encourage the independent truckers to continue to fill this hole in the push for fairness in industry and small business in Maine. A hole which was not filled because independent truckers were missing from the equation.
Sen. Snowe’s office e-mailed the Coalition a copy of her “Address to the United States Senate” in DC, where she speaks highly on the floor of the Senate of the independent truckers holding meetings statewide in an effort to bring down the high fuel prices in Maine. Stating that these savvy consumers strongly suspect these prices are being manipulated and that frankly, their analysis is supported by a Senate subcommittee report, leading economists, the GAO and most recently the CFTC. Coalition members are looking into the possibility of a Maine branch of one of the national independent truckers associations; to include forestry trucks as well.
The Coalition asks that the public contact their area legislators and ask them to be supportive of the measures concerning the on road fuel tax rebate, the axle weight, sales tax and fine structures. That if asked to sponsor them, that they do so. Knowing that without this help Maine’s forest products industry, loggers, truckers and mills included will not be able to prosper in Maine and may be forced into an involuntary shut down, which will affect thousands of Maine families and businesses alike.
The Coalition will be making sure that the public is aware of any and all public committee hearings on these same measures. They will work hard to fill and overfill the statehouse and it’s surrounding parking areas, on these dates, trucker’s rigs included.
In closing, I might add that, area legislators have joined the public and the Coalition by signing their Petitions To Lower Fuel Prices In Maine. That highlight statements from legislators this weekend in Presque Isle included: Rep. Jackie Lundeen, whose husband Garth drives an over the road truck calling for the answer as to why is Maine fuel 20 to 30 cents higher per gallon then other states, before the state fuel tax? Stating that we are not void of refineries close by. Adding that her husband had documented fuel prices all the way home from California this past week, which support the facts that the Coalition was doing a super job, that she has followed their articles since they started November of 2007. She feels that the public needs to continue to work with the Coalition and to also contact legislatures individually, that a temporary shutdown making a show in August may be what is needed. She congratulated the Coalition on having achieved a record in the time taken to introduce and get a bill passed at the Maine Legislature.
Rep. Charles Theriault, whose father hauled logs on a straight line truck as he was growing up stated that living in Madawaska he understands fully that if the loggers and truckers go down, the mills go down with them. He is willing to listen and do what he can to help.
Rep. Everett McLeod, who has been to all but one of the Coalition’s meetings stated that we are in dire straits, that all Maine people are tired of high fuel prices and that we need to get the message out loud and clear. With Exxon Mobile announcing $40.6 billion in profits that the public should pack the house at these area meetings and when it comes time to support the Coalition’s efforts in Augusta. He added that efficient energy is desperately needed in Maine. He challenged the President to keep his stimulus checks and simply cut fuel prices across the nation by a dollar per gallon, stating that this would truly stimulate the economy.
Rep. Peter Edgecomb stated that he had learned a lot at this Coalition meeting and would be taking that knowledge with him to Augusta.
Coalition co-founder
