Turning to trucking

When I was a small boy, there were 40 or more working dairy farms in the small town where I live. Those farmers were put out of business by state and federal regulations, so some of them turned their farms into raising chickens. When the state and federal governments realized this, they in turn put regulations and demands on them that put them out of business. Now there are no working dairy or poultry farms left in my town.

Now that there are no more farms, they have turned their attention on the trucking industry, because they see a place where they can collect some revenue from hard-working people that do not have the time or resources to combat their attack.

First, I would appeal to the 57,000 commercial drivers of this state to join the few that have seen the writing on the wall before state and federal regulations put the trucking industry in such a state that no young person would think of joining the industry for fear of going to jail.

Second, some issues that no one seems to want to mention while they are trying to pick the pockets of one of the hardest-working groups of people in Maine, are the amount of tax collected from the trucking industry which is an awesome amount of money.

Third, I appeal to consumers and manufacturers to remember what has happened to other industries that the state and federal governments have regulated out of business, and that the consumer pays for transportation in goods they buy.

Fourth, I appeal to state senators and representatives to remember they represent all the people of their districts and the state, not just the four families who were victims of the tragic accident in Gray. David Dunton Carmel