Dan Little says $4-a-gallon diesel fuel and other soaring costs forced him to temporarily halt his cattle-hauling business in Missouri several days ago, and he may have persuaded truckers across the country to pull their rigs off the road next week. Officials at several organizations that represent independent truckers say that a widespread shutdown could have a noticeable effect on the country's transportation network within a matter of days. Truckers have tried to organize shutdowns in the past, with little success. NY Times 3/29/08
U.S. truckers caused minor traffic snags in parts of the country on Tuesday to protest soaring costs for diesel, according to members of a major trucking association and law enforcement officials. Reuters 4/1/08
Attorney General Jerry Brown joined officials in 17 other states Wednesday in demanding the federal Environmental Protection Agency release its internal finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health. The move comes after EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson wrote last week that he plans to open a months-long public comment period on greenhouse gas emissions, a procedure that critics say serves to delay action on emissions until after President Bush leaves office. Sacramento Bee 4/2/08
California High Speed Rail Blog responds to Dan Walter's Bee column the other day questioning the need for a bullet train in California. Chief in his arguments are Walter's failure to mention Butthe words 'peak oil' or soaring gas prices. 3/31/08
Frozen credit markets, sky-high gas prices and a rising federal budget deficit are hurting cash-strapped states as they confront increasing congestion on the nation's deteriorating roads and bridges.
From Texas to Pennsylvania and New Jersey to California, states are more desperate than ever to tap every possible source of funding -- tolls on leased roads, sharp hikes in motor fuel taxes and partnering with the private sector -- to finance the building and repairing of roads and bridges. CNN Money 4/1/08
Senator Jim Battin of Riverside recently spent a week in Japan leading a bipartisan delegation that met government officials and studied the country's high-speed rail system. In November, Californians will be asked to approve our own high-speed rail project. From what he saw, he recommends taxpayers need to approach the idea with great caution. He argues the Japanese "Shinkansen," or bullet train, model has been a success, but that California needs to be sure to maximizing the private sector's role, and investment, and most importantly, protecting taxpayers and advocates AB 3034, currently in the Legislature, which would encourage greater use of public-private partnerships and limit the amount of bond money spent on environmental studies and consulting fees. Desert Sun 3/30/08
Financial advisors for the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) held a "Request for Expressions of Interest for Private Participation" session on 3/27. Advisors from the Infrastructure Management Group and Lehman Brothers discussed the public-private partnership (PPP) have determined that funding the multi-billion-dollar system will require an upfront state funding commitment, as well as a significant investment of political capital to obtain other necessary funds. Progressive Rail Roading 3/28/08
The number of Americans heading abroad for medical procedures is surging as the country's 46 million people without health insurance look for treatment they can afford and cash-strapped U.S. companies struggle to find cheaper ways to provide high-quality medical care to their employees, according to the American Medical Association. Wouter Hoeberechts, head of WorldMed Assist, the California-based firm they used, said India is the most popular destination for high-end surgeries among his patients because the costs are so low. Dallas News 4/2/08
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is probably the least military organization associated with America's military. Members of the Auxiliary help the regular Coast Guard by patrolling the nation's waterways, coming to the rescue of boaters in distress, running safety checks on recreational boats, and helping out whenever the Coast Guard needs assistance. Last year, Auxiliary members in Northern California sailed in 2,000 patrols, assisted 285 vessels, and ran 6,953 safety checks on recreational boats. SF Chronicle 3/30/08
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