heres the paper clipping from when i met jb please read this and decide for yourself who is telling the truth
i hold no punches andam straight up i tell it how it is
some like that some don't but you always know where i am coming from!!
truckerstrike please read this then decide who is right or wrong i hate to keep bringing this shit up but i am tired of being told i am wrong!!!!
Truckers plan protest convoy
By REBECCA MACKEN Lebanon Daily News
GRANTVILLE -- Their mantra was "Power in numbers," a phrase that encapsulated the feeling of truckers from all over Pennsylvania -- and other parts of the country -- who rallied at the Gables truck stop near Grantville recently. A convoy is planned for Monday.
An organized convoy to drive I-81 from Grantville to Harrisburg in protest of diesel prices. The drive is set to begin at 8 a.m. Monday, March 31. Those participating expect to meet at the Gables station at 6 a.m.
The rally, organized by local independent truck driver Mark Kirsch, arose in opposition to the rising gas and diesel-fuel costs across the country. Nearly 200 truckers and others gathered in front of the gas pumps to participate in the rally, which aimed to have the issue heard on the state and national legislative levels.
The event follows a meeting last Sunday at Esther's Restaurant in Fredericksburg, attended by 70 to 80 truckers and supporters. Since the meeting, Kirsch's measures have gained momentum, with groups from the Pittsburgh area and South Carolina showing their support. Kirsch said he has received letters from Sen. Arlen Specter's office and from Gov. Ed Rendell.
But that isn't enough, the truckers say, and action is required. Michael Shaffer, a Texas trucker and creator of The American Driver, a resource Web site for truckers, spoke to the crowd in support of Kirsch. He offered his Web site,
The American Driver,
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as a resource for organizations but urged individual truckers to contact representatives in their areas to spread the message.
"The more outlets we have to express our protests, the louder we get," he said.
For many in the crowd, rising fuel costs are directly affecting their livelihoods. With diesel fuel at more than $4 a gallon, drivers are finding it harder and harder to operate at a profit. While emotions ran high yesterday, the tone of the crowd was not one of strike, but of resolution.
"We don't want a shutdown or a strike," Kirsch explained, noting the protests that followed the gas crisis of the 1970s. "Back then it got really ugly, and we don't want that again. Now is the time to take action. It's now or never."
But the truckers agreed that fuel costs were not the only issue. Ron Wenger, owner of a local truck-repair business and fellow organizer with Kirsch, spoke on the plan to privatize the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which will affect the tolls on I-80, heavily used by big rigs traveling across the country.
"Every freight that travels across Interstate 80 is paying $100 more," he said, adding that he hopes to organize a group of 25-50 owner/operators to represent the group in meetings with state legislators.
Kirsch said he hopes to have other states organize similar convoys. A group in South Carolina is joining with Kirsch and supporters and was to hold a similar rally this afternoon in their state. The eventual goal is to organize a convoy to Washington, D.C.
Hummelstown's Don Chappell gave the crowd a nontrucker perspective. "As a citizen I'm feeling the pain indirectly through the rising cost of goods," he said. "I think this is the beginning of a national movement. Let's not lose momentum."
