This'n'That; May Thirty-First #1; New York Stupidity

New York Legislature, In It's Infinite Wisdom...
    ....and in retaliation for the release of damaging information, is attacking yet another segment of New York taxpayers.  A couple of days ago, The Tax Foundation released some information gleaned from IRS public information as well as the latest census activity.
    Between 2000 and 2010 3.4 million persons left the State of New York.  During the same period, 2.1 million persons foolishly migrated INTO the state making a net population loss of 1.3 million lucky persons.  The departing citizens took $45.5 billion in earnings with them!  With the State of New York being Number Two on the 'states with the highest state and local tax burden' list, the departures mean a hell'uva bite in the expected revenue to the state treasury. 
    Given said loss in tax revenue over the 2000-'10 decade, the New York legislature has found a solution:  find another taxpayer segment and tax THEM out-of-existence!!  They've decided on independent contractors in the state's trucking industry.  With enactment of
"The New York State Commercial Goods Transportation Industry Fair Play Act," the state's legislative miscreants will essentially force the state's segment of the trucking industry companies to bear costs originally the responsibility of the independent contractors (also known as 'owner-operators).  The so-called 'Fair Play Act' is anything but fair!!  It makes said independents trucking company employees, to be organized and ruled by that evil Teamsters Union.  And adding unmanagable expenses to the individual trucking companies.
    I know from whence I speak.  I was an over-the-road truck driver for almost eleven years (7 years of that as an owner-operator) until an insane federal law forced me out of the tractor I owned.
A bit of definition:  Those independent contractors were different than myself, in that they relied on 'load-boards' to find loads.  I leased my tractor to Crete Carrier Corporation who offered me loads, rather than me having to find them on my own through said 'load-boards'.
Various manufacturers--actually, anyone with frieght to have hauled--list on  load-boards from time-to-time for unexpected freight movements.  Independents consult these boards, contact the shipper and negotiate various aspects of 'the deal.'
    The 'arschlocher' in the New York legislature are grasping at straws to continue to fund:
one of the best--worst, if you're a taxpayer--welfare benefit systems in the country;
one of the best state employee union retirement systems in the country;
one of the best state employee union medical benefit systems in the country;
one of the best legislator financial perquisite systems in the country, et al.
The way to continue the lavish career of a state politician must not be partially on the backs of the state's trucking industry.  These guys--and gals--'fight-tooth-and-nail' every day just to make ends meet in the caree they love.
Every arschloch that votes to enact this legislation must be resoundingly kicked out on their collective asses at the next election!!
Blogger sidebar:  I thoroughly enjoyed my eleven years 'on the road.' Even better were the seven of those years as an owner-operator.  Without the federal interference I'd still be out there, discovering something new each-and-every-day!  Anyone who's nomadic by nature would bode well to check out the trucking industry for his--or her--next career endeavor.
    I've met retired doctors, dentists, nurses, accountants, corporate executives, among us 'commoners'' who call ourselves truck drivers.  There are handicapped drivers, one of which was a wheel-chair bound driver I met in a truckstop, somewhere!! Truck driving as a career--while it looks cool--is not for the fainthearted; the stress levels can be hellish!!  With an open mind, the rewards can far outweigh the negatives.
Til Nex'Time....
http://tax.d7.qorvisdev.com/tax-topics/state-tax-and-spending-policy
http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=76188
http://www.cretecarrier.com/
http://www.nysenate.gov/senators
http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?sh=search