"We all know guys who were driving a year ago who are now out of business," he stated.
The Daily News also reported on the December 10, 2007 Quinnesec meeting and quoted Mr Tapani giving an example of how hard it is to make a profit hauling timber.
"Let's say I get paid $761 dollars for a one-way trip covering 160 miles," he said. "The cost of fuel is going to eat up nearly 50 percent of that."
"By the time I take money out for my truck payment, insurance, maintenance and other costs, I'm left with $22," Mr Tapani stated.
On November 25, 2007, Nathan Phelps reported in the Green Bay Press-Gazette, that rising diesel prices, "just a tick under $3.58 a gallon in the Green Bay area," is one of the challenges facing truckers and the industry this year. "When you're putting in 107 gallons of fuel at a time, those costs add up fast," he pointed out.
On February 29, 2008, Ellen Simon, in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, reported that Lebanon, Tennessee trucker, Robert Griffith, is on the road 3 out 4 weeks a month, but because the cost of diesel has doubled over the last four years, Mr Griffith's take-home pay has plunged from $50,000 to $11,000, in 2007.
Mr Griffith is literally burning money and "spent $64,000 on diesel in the last eight months," according to the Journal.
A one-cent increase in the price of diesel fuel costs the trucking industry an additional $350 million a year. In the latter part of February 2008, the average price of diesel hit a new record; with the on-highway retail average at $3.55 a gallon, according to the EIA.
Farm Industry
With higher energy costs, farmers are being hit from every which way. Increased prices means it costs more to grow and harvest crops because of higher prices for fertilizer, pesticides, and fuel.
Gasoline, diesel, natural gas and propane are needed to run the equipment used to plant, water, harvest and deliver crops to market. Poultry and pork producers use propane to keep chicken and hog houses warm.
The additional energy costs reduce the selling price and profits from crops because shippers and food manufacturers are also paying more for transportation and production.
According to the January 29, 2008 Rapid City Journal, the average net farm income for South Dakota's 31,300 farmers in 2006 was $28,400, down from an average of $58,000 a year earlier in 2005, citing the National Agricultural Statistics Service,
The costs for fuel and other energy-related expenses are offsetting good grain and cattle prices for farmers and ranchers, especially those who live long distances from nearby towns, Boyd Waara, vice president of First National Bank of Philip, and John Johnson, president of First Western Bank in Sturgis told the Journal.
In addition to the higher costs for fuel to run tractors, pickups and combines, farmers and ranchers are paying higher delivery charges on everything they buy, including fuel, livestock feed, fertilizer and equipment parts, according to the Journal.
Mr Johnson said the residents of rural towns are also seeing higher prices for groceries, clothing and other goods as well as for propane and electricity. "I think everybody is affected by it," he told the Journal.
Lower grades and not being president of law review - like her opponent was.
Not passing the bar like her opponent did.
Riding on your husband's record and his political machine, or building your own, like her opponent did.
Claiming her husband’s years in office to appear to have more "experience" than your opponent who actually has more years as an elected official than you.
Lacking the character to congratulate your opponent when he wins
Lying about NAFTA to dodge responsibility for the fact that you championed it and turning it around to create the false impression that your opponent supports NAFTA
Disloyally identifying with the opposing party’s candidate as having "a lifetime of experience," in common with you and mis-characterizing the 20 years of experience of your fellow Democrat as "a speech."
Casting yourself as the feminine victim: they call on me first, the press is coddling my opponent, placing people in the audience to ask if you prefer diamonds or pearls, surrounding yourself with sympathetic women who want to know "how you do it," and then getting "victimized" by men who tell you to "iron their shirts," just in time for the New Hampshire primary . . . Characterizing your opponent as getting a free pass from the press when the press reported everything they even guessed about him, and the wrongs of everyone who came into contact with him, multiple times. while never mentioning the skeletons in your closet like: travel gate; renting out the Lincoln bedroom; removing papers from Vince Edwards’ residence after his suicide; non-disclosed tax returns; undisclosed donors to Bill’s foundation; undisclosed donors to Bill’s presidential library, besides Saudi royal family $10 million donation; undisclosed earmarks; cattle futures scandal; Whitewater . . .
Not encouraging your supporters - like your opponent did, when you loose. Instead running out of town, leaving your supporters to fend for themselves when you loose, but showing up to bask in glory when you win. Kind of like George Bush making his appearance on a naval ship to announce the victory, that never was . . .
Not taking responsibility for your actions - "I voted for it but I hoped it wouldn't pass . . ." Give me credit for my husband’s administration, but not the things that go wrong, like NAFTA.
If you want a woman in the White House who perpetuates every stereotype about women who want to run with the big dogs, but who don’t want to take the responsibility that goes with that status, then Hillary's the one.
by
Hargrove (8 articles, 3 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 15 comments)
on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 1:38:14 PM
Gloria Steinem once said, "There won't be true equality until there are incompetent women in high places." Condolezza Rice comes to mind, and Hillary. Neither has accomplished anything of note in public life, let alone anything worthy of their lofty ambitions. All one need do for confirmation is examine the trail of utterly useless legislation Hillary has sponsored since taking her Senate seat. It's exactly the sort of chaff one might expect of a Junior Senator. It is not the sort of legislation one might expect from a presidential candidate.
There are any number of brilliant, dedicated women qualified to assume the presidency. Unfortunately, Hillary Clinton is not one of them.
JP
by
JonmarkP (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 64 comments)
on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at 3:21:37 PM
