Opinion from Experience

Email to President Bush:

This email may not amount to a "hill of beans" to you, but I would like to speak my peace from first hand experience.

Your government is robbing the backbone of this country. What I am referring to is the trucking industry.

It may be true that trade has increased since NAFTA went into effect; however, one must realize that it is now illegal immigrants, rather than Americans, moving the merchandise. Furthermore, the drivers that lease their trucks to trucking companies are responsible for paying for the repairs, specifically tires, on trailers they do not own.

Third, the increasing legislation geared toward the trucking industry, due to the numerous fatalities, is not solely the fault of the truck driver(s). It is a known fact, not statistics, that the majority of trucking fatalities are caused by two sources: passenger car driver's stupidity and foreigners that do not or cannot speak english.

Forth, the buyer/seller wants the merchandise at its destination "yesterday", but the increase in legislation prevents truck drivers from moving goods/services in a timely fashion. All the while, the illegal immigrants, and some African Americans, travel U.S. highways with tractor-trailers far below U.S Dept. of Transportation standards; thus, seldomly shut down for violations.

Finally, and most importantly, while you government and the CEOs of corporate America sit in your plush offices, the working class citizens, those that put you in your positions are paying the price at the pumps and in the stores.

The major point to this letter is that your government and corporate America have forgotten what makes this country productive.

Until your government learns to work for the working class citizens, this country will continue to detoriate. Then, who will be the ones paying the price for you and corporate CEOs lavish lifestyles?