It becomes clearer than ever that the truck lobby pulled a fast one on the legislature. They’ve jerked the rug out from under a proposed diesel tax increase to pay part of the cost of fixing freeways trucks destroy and now they don’t want to give up a sales tax exemption offered as an offset (probably more than an offset) to a diesel tax increase. This is on top of any number of other special schemes that benefit trucking companies.
The truckers’ greedy grasp on a $4 million tax cut comes, coincidentally, as legislators hear about cuts in human services to make the budget balance, including a cut of as much as 50 percent in the payments to foster parents who care for special needs children. Disabled kids or trucking companies? The legislature in January will get to make the call.