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Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc.
Oregon Truck Dispatch
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Jana Jarvis
OTA President
What a Year!
As we wrap up the final edition of our
Dispatch
for
2016, it seems appropriate to reflect back on what has
been accomplished and what is ahead of us in 2017.
First on the list—what an election! Regardless of
how you voted—or if you declined to vote for
President this year—the outcome of a Trump
victory is one for the history books! As I watched
the media react to the returns election night I
was overcome with several thoughts.
To begin,
the premise that the media is a neutral observer
was crushed as you watched reporters and
anchors react as results poured in. Being
surprised is one thing… but I saw a reporter cry
as it became more obvious that Trump had won!
We, as citizens of this great nation, need to
demand more objectivity from our media and we
need to question what we see and hear. Our
freedom depends on an engaged, informed
citizenry. If we don’t stop to question what we see
and hear we run the risk of losing that freedom.
Secondly,
the pollsters were wrong! How often
have you decided that your vote wasn’t important
when you see a poll that looks like everyone else
disagrees with you? Not only were the national
polls wrong—but many of the polls we were
relying on in Oregon were wrong as well. What’s
changed? Are people not being honest with
pollsters or are pollsters not sampling correctly?
Whatever the answer is—the political game in this
country is changing and we need to better
understand the new rules. While Oregon
remained a strong, blue state we elected the first
Republican in a statewide office since 1994! And
there were a few other surprises as the evening
wore on.
Lastly,
the importance of full participation in the
political process was clearly demonstrated that
night. Don’t complain—don’t riot—if you don’t
take the time to get informed, participate, and
vote. To quote Lincoln, “The ballot is stronger than
the bullet.” I wonder what it will take to make the
rioters in Portland that broke windows and
smashed cars (and our trucks) to value what
unique privileges we have as Americans and to
learn how to better engage in the process.
And that point—that you need to take the time to
engage to make anything better—works just the
same for your business and your trade association!
The Oregon Trucking Associations is dependent on
informed, involved members to provide direction to
the organization that speaks and works on its behalf.
There are lots of ways for you to get involved. From
the Southern Oregon Mixer on January 26, 2017, to
the Safety Conference, Maintenance Fair, and
SuperTech in April, the Truck Driving
Championship in June, and the Leadership
Convention in September as well as a host of classes,
council meetings, TruckPAC events, and OTA
committee meetings there are a wide variety of
opportunities for your involvement. Come and share
your expertise and opinions as well as learn from
others in your industry. OTA is always looking for
volunteers that are willing to take the time.
One of the best ways to do that will be at
Trucking
Day at the Capitol this coming February 22, 2017.
OTA has not done an event like this for years—but
with the pressures on our industry this is exactly
the time to re-engage. We have reserved a meeting
room at the Capitol, space in the Galleria to
showcase our industry, and space out front to park
a few trucks and highlight our new technology and
our dedicated drivers! We are scheduling speakers,
legislator appointments, and lunch so plan on
spending the day in Salem with us. There are a
number of issues we will be facing—including some
form of a transportation package—so mark this day
on your calendar today!
WE NEED YOU.
2016 has been a year of change but a good year for
the trucking industry and a productive year for
OTA. The OTA team, many of them new this year,
want to help you succeed. Our newest member,
Gregg Dal Ponte, former ODOT Motor Carrier
Administrator, has joined us to help you with your
regulatory questions and problems. We are
constantly looking for ways to improve our service
to you—and I am pleased to have such an
accomplished staff to work with.
While listening to ATA’s economic forecast
yesterday it appears that 2017 will be an even
better year for our industry. That means that you
are likely to be even busier, but it will be even
more important for you to invest your time, your
TruckPAC contributions, and your sponsorship
support for all that we do. It will make all the
difference in our success.
Most importantly, I want to wish you a very
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
“Like” us on
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1,000 “likes” we
will randomly
select a winner
for a $100 gift
card giveaway.