Blog Post from American Trucking Associations
Ports groups still bitter over court ruling
March 27, 2009
Written by: Brandon Borgna
To say that officials of the City of Los Angeles, the Port of Los Angeles and the Natural Resources Defense Council are not taking well to their recent defeat in the U.S. Court of Appeals is like saying the Titanic took on 'a little bit' of water.
Since March 20, when the Ninth Circuit court ruled that part or all of the Ports' Concession Plan was unconstitutional, the parties above have complained non-stop, distorting the truth to anyone who will listen.
Even Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined the game, making it sound like the ATA suit was against the clean truck program, which it wasn't. "We are committed to fighting this case because our clean truck program is the most sustainable plan for ensuring a clean, safe and secure trucking system for the long-haul at the Port of Los Angeles," said the Mayor.
"These parties continue to mislead the citizens of Los Angeles and Long Beach by claiming that ATA is trying to kill the Ports' Clean Truck Program," ATA Vice President of Public Affairs Clayton Boyce says. "ATA has supported the Clean Truck Program, including the Ports container fee for financing the replacement of older trucks, the banning of older trucks and the Ports Drayage Registry, and continues to do so. ATA has opposed only the Ports' Concession Plans, especially the Los Angeles ban on independent owner operators."
Boyce explains that "the deception goes beyond public relations "spin" and may have two purposes"
1) To lower public expectations for the Ports' unsuccessful defense of the lawsuit
2) To distract from the reason that Los Angeles, but not Long Beach, bowed to union influence and banned owner-operators. Requiring that drivers be trucking company employees will allow unions to organize the drivers.
Contrary to everything the Ports' constituents have crafted, the public's health, safety and security are not at risk in the ATA litigation," Boyce said. "This litigation is about removing unconstitutional and illegal red tape, and about protecting the rights of the owners of small businesses that the Port of Los Angeles has trampled."
Since March 20, when the Ninth Circuit court ruled that part or all of the Ports' Concession Plan was unconstitutional, the parties above have complained non-stop, distorting the truth to anyone who will listen.
Even Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined the game, making it sound like the ATA suit was against the clean truck program, which it wasn't. "We are committed to fighting this case because our clean truck program is the most sustainable plan for ensuring a clean, safe and secure trucking system for the long-haul at the Port of Los Angeles," said the Mayor.
"These parties continue to mislead the citizens of Los Angeles and Long Beach by claiming that ATA is trying to kill the Ports' Clean Truck Program," ATA Vice President of Public Affairs Clayton Boyce says. "ATA has supported the Clean Truck Program, including the Ports container fee for financing the replacement of older trucks, the banning of older trucks and the Ports Drayage Registry, and continues to do so. ATA has opposed only the Ports' Concession Plans, especially the Los Angeles ban on independent owner operators."
Boyce explains that "the deception goes beyond public relations "spin" and may have two purposes"
1) To lower public expectations for the Ports' unsuccessful defense of the lawsuit
2) To distract from the reason that Los Angeles, but not Long Beach, bowed to union influence and banned owner-operators. Requiring that drivers be trucking company employees will allow unions to organize the drivers.
Contrary to everything the Ports' constituents have crafted, the public's health, safety and security are not at risk in the ATA litigation," Boyce said. "This litigation is about removing unconstitutional and illegal red tape, and about protecting the rights of the owners of small businesses that the Port of Los Angeles has trampled."
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