HomeMy WebLinkAbout71-070RESOLUTION ZN dPPOSITI0IV TO THE MODIFICATION OF THE FARM
TRUCK DRIVER QUALTFICATIONS R~CENTLY DECREED BY THE
U.S. DEPARTMEE[~ttT OF TRANSPORTATION EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 1971
WHEREAS, the Butte County Board of Supervisors has reviewed the
qualifications recently decreed on a~.l drivers of farm trucks by the
U.S. Department o~ ~'ransportation, and find them unacceptable; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of this Resalution is to inform a11
counties in this State, as ~ae11 as our Iegis].a~ors, tha~ we are in
full support of the opposition presented by the American Farm Bureau
Federation regarding these changes, and to ask their repeal by the
U.S. Departmen~ of Transpor~ation.
WHEREAS, agrzculture is Butte County"s largest single industry
and it contributed $68,792,390 gross product in 1970 to our County's
econompo '~he decreed regulations would seriously e~fect all ~arm
truck hauling not only in Butte County but throughou~ the nation.
WHEREAS, the use of trucks in Agriculture is a major part of
farm productian and the marketing operationo The 2,800,000 nation-
wide farm operators operate 3,700,OQ0 trucks o~ a11 sizes. These
trucks are driven both regularly and occasional.ly by at 1.east 4,000,000
persons ~ mostly members af farm ~amilies, assisted by neighbors and
hired employeese
WH'r"~REAS, the structure of agriculture trucking is fundamentally
different from the structure of large scale common, contract and
private carrierso A regulator pattern which may fit the comparatively
large operators o~' the common and contract carriers, simply does not
~it an indus~ry consisting of 2,800,000 small units operating an
average of 1.3 trucks.
WHEREAS, it is noteworthy that the safety recoxd of farm
truck drivers is dramatically better than that of non-farm trnck
drivers accnrding to the latest report of the Netional Association of
Independent ~nsurers.
!~.`~~
WHII2EAS, we find another governmental paradox in these re-
gu~ation changes, on the one hand farmers are asked to employ the youth
and he~p the transient or seasonal worker and at the same time re-
g~lations to prevent such actions are being mandated on the other.
WHEREAS, we find that in California an 18 year old can qualify
for a chauffer's license, but~r-der the modified regulatzon he will be
unai~l.e to drive a farm pick-up truck, quite an interesting factor
now that ~8 year alds are able to vote and old enough to defend their
country.
WHEREAS, young men under twenty-one years of age (often sons
of farmers) represent a substantial percentage of the work force
engaged in transporting farm products from the farm to the local
processing pLants.
WHEREAS, due to the varying seasonal needs the labor force
fluctuates causing problems in obtaining steady employees. The farmer
frequently does not know who will be driving his vehicles for him
prior to the harvest season. Such employment usually comes at a~zme
when farmers themselves are spending many hours of overtime in the
fzelds during a crucial time of crop production.
WHEREAS, we feel that the agriculture community should have
been represented in the drafting of regulations that will affect
farmers so diversely - unfortunately they were not.
WHEREAS, qour support is again so~icited in behalf of agri-
cu~ture as well as for the thousands of sma~l farmers in this State.
NOW, THIIt~FOR~, B~ IT R~SO~VF,~ by this Board of Supervisors:
1. That we strongly oppose this regulation.
2. That copies of the Resolution be sent to the Honorable
A1an Cranston, United States Senator, Honorable John Tunney, United'
States Senator, John A. Volpe, Secretary o~ the U.S. Department of
Tran sportation, Washington, D,C., Honorable Harold T. A"Bizz" Johnson,
Member of the House of Representatives, Honorable Ronald Reagan,
Governor, State of California, Honorable Fred Marler, Senator, Honorable
Ray ~ohnson, Assemblyman,
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_ _~ _. _ _ _ _ ~~ Il
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Bu~te County Board of Supervisors
this 20th day of Apri~, 1971, by the fol~owing vote:
~y~S: Supervisors Gilman~ Madigan, Maxin~ McKillop, and '
Chairman Reynolds
N4E5: None :
ABSENT: ~one
NOT VOTING: ~one
~ ~, , ~
JE E. REYNOLD , C airman o t e
~i rd of Supervisors
ATTEST:
CLARK A. NELSON, County C1erk
and ex-offzcia C1erk of the
$oard of Supervisors
By ~~--l~ ~~~~%~`a~--
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