Agriculture | Citizenship & Public Affairs | Conservation | Health & Education | Labor & Judiciary

TAXATION & TRANSPORTATION

POLICY STATEMENT

Taxation

The Grange supports taxing policies that levy both personal and business taxes based on ability to pay. We believe in and support a graduated income tax because we believe that most citizens have a greater understanding and respect for government when they have a part in providing revenue for the programs of government. Taxes should not be punitive or excessive. We feel that the tax deduction for sales tax in states that do not have a state income tax should continue beyond the proposed 2006 sunset provision.

The Grange has a long and consistent history in support of sound fiscal policy. We believe budgets should be balanced. We recognize there are times or circumstances to support deficit spending and the creation of debt, but that must be the result of a careful evaluation of the need and what delay will cost in the future, or how the delay will impact the current need.

We seek a simpler set of tax regulations. Previous federal tax reform efforts have resulted in more confusion. Many millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of hours are spent each year to file tax returns. This is an often over looked cost of our tax collection system.

We believe companies who engage in irresponsible or fraudulent business practices should not be rewarded with tax refunds, as a result of their practices.

For most farmers, and small business owners, their farms ands businesses are their largest retirement assets. New tax policies are required to assure that our current generation of family farmers and business owners are allowed to retire with dignity and that their productive resources are transferred to a new generation of family farmers and small business owners. Tax incentives and government backed Venture Capital Funds should be used to attract new residents and businesses to rural areas suffering from high out-migration.

We support user taxes with revenue used for the intended program. We support oversight/review of programs to eliminate spending on programs that have lost their value. Programs, once authorized, should receive adequate appropriations. We oppose non-funded mandates and using government funding to force compliance of a program that is not the result of a legislative support.

In all our dealings with government, and in our own fiscal policy actions, Grangers must follow and advocate for sound principles of fiscal policy.

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POLICY STATEMENT

Transportation

Throughout our history, the Grange has had a vested interest in transportation issues. Although there are many different modes of transportation in existence today, the Grange supports the continued improvement of all of our existing transportation systems. This has to occur if we are to efficiently and economically improve our current standard of living. The National Grange supports increased funding and training at all levels of pertinent governmental agencies to detect and deal with potential acts and devices of terrorism in all methods of transportation.

The National Grange continues to support federal surface transportation legislation, now known as the SAFETEA-LU Act, covering highways, highway safety and mass transportation. The adoption of transportation legislation that would benefit rural America is part of the National Grange’s landmark Blue Print for Rural America. The SAFETEA-LU Act is the largest public works legislation in American history.

Each and every area of the country, including rural areas, will receive an appropriate balance of transportation funding due to the fact that all states will receive more money under the current program than under the previous program. This increase in funding is possible because for the first time in two decades all federal fuel tax revenues deposited into the Highway Trust Fund will be spent on transportation programs.

This legislation also provides incentives to promote the use of agriculturally derived fuels such as ethanol and bio -diesel, within the highway and urban transit programs. These incentives will help insure that rural Americans can continue to enjoy their freedom of mobility well into the 21 st Century. We also encourage the development of increased refining capacity to avoid extreme price increases for fuel during natural disasters.

We have grave concerns regarding the health and competitive position of our nation’s railroads. Consolidation of railroad companies has resulted in tremendous concentration of railroad resources in the hands of a very few companies.

It is encouraging that the railroads recognize their responsibilities to serve the public interest by providing reliable and cost competitive bulk commodity transportation. However, talk is not enough. The Grange became involved at the national level more than a century ago in response to the need for a more effective public/private partnership between the railroads, their customers, and society as a whole.

The National Grange realizes the United States has the best postal service in the world, however we urge the postal service to vigorously pursue ways to keep the same quality service and to institute procedures to maintain the highest level of safety for the employees and patrons throughout the entire system.

The crucial link in providing universal postal service throughout rural America is our nation’s rural mail carriers. We pledge our support to fight to maintain rural free delivery and to defend the interest of the dedicated mail carriers that make rural free delivery a fact of life for millions of rural Americans.

The Grange believes that personal watercraft safety can best be enhanced through a combination of increased personal watercraft operator education programs and the implementation of personal watercraft operator certification requirements administered by the states.

The National Grange encourages the manufacturers and remanufactures of vehicles to consider the safety interests of approaching vehicles when designing, positioning and aiming the headlights. Each Grange should be encouraged to provide periodic regional child restraint seat safety checks or checkpoints.

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TAXATION

Personal Income Tax

1. The National Grange supports developing a simpler and fairer federal income tax, written in precise, plain, and understandable language. We further support simplifying the language that is used in the government’s instruction pamphlets for filing individual income taxes.

2. The National Grange favors a restoration of the full income averag­ing procedure. We especially favor continuing five and 10-year averaging of personal pension funds for income tax purposes.

3. The National Grange favors continuing income indexing.

4. The National Grange supports reinstating the income tax deductions for two-wage earner families by removing the “Mar­riage Penalty” from the U.S. tax code.

5. The National Grange supports deducting state sales tax from federal income tax returns.

6. The National Grange supports a 100 percent tax deduction for all qualified charitable contributions, regardless of what federal tax form the taxpayer elects to use.

7. The National Grange supports equalizing the mileage rates for volunteer services and medical transportation with mileage rates permitted for businesses for tax purposes.

8. The National Grange favors income tax credits for those families who care for their elderly or handicapped relatives who otherwise would become residents of a nursing home. We urge the Congress to enact legislation to allow a line item tax deduction, regardless of tax form used, for Long Term Care Insurance premiums and that the benefits paid on all Long Term Care Policies shall not be considered taxable income.

9. The National Grange supports increasing the child care deduc­tion that is allowed on federal income tax for working families to a maximum of $4,000 per year.

10. The National Grange favors making Social Security benefits completely exempt from personal income taxes.The National Grange further supports legislation that would prohibit any state from imposing an income tax on the pension income of any individual who is not a resident of that state.

11. The National Grange strongly supports the continuation of all current tax deduction s allowed on real estate mortgages. We further support s legislation allowing first time homebuyers to withdraw money from their IRA accounts, without penalty, to cover their down payment and closing costs.

12. The National Grange supports legislation to allow voluntary contributions of $1.00 to be solicited on all federal income tax forms to fund our national parks. The Grange supports permitting an individual to desig­nate $1.00 on his/her federal income tax return for the USA Olympic Program.

13. The National Grange supports the continuation of current earned income tax credit programs.

14. The National Grange favors legislation, which would provide a 100% federal income tax credit to law enforcement officers on purchasing their own bulletproof vests.

15. The National Grange supports legislation that allows a total of $500.00 in income tax credits for political contributions.

16. The National Grange supports legislation allowing federal annuitants, members and retirees of the uniform services and legislative branch employees to pay their share of health insurance premiums with pre-tax earnings. The National Grange supports a 100% federal income tax deduction for all medical insurance premiums. We further recommend that any year-end balance of pre-tax payroll deductions to pay medical expenses be rolled into the next year’s account or refunded to the employee as taxable income.

17. The National Grange believes that the collection of delinquent income tax should not be compensated on a commission basis.

18. The National Grange supports a 100 percent federal income tax deduction for all medical insurance.

19. The National Grange supports the elimination of the cap on Social Security taxable wages.

20. The National Grange supports a change in federal income tax regulations concerning the earned income tax credit so as to not reward a couple by giving them a larger amount of earned income credit on their federal income tax returns just because they are not married.

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Business, Investment, Capital Gains, And Inheritance Taxation

1. The National Grange supports legislation to permit farmers and others whose incomes are impacted by natural disas­ters and whose businesses are capital intensive to choose the method of depreciation that is most suitable to the uncertainties of their businesses. We will seek changes in the depreciation schedules on agricultural capital assets to more accurately reflect the useful life of an asset. In particular, we support a depreciation schedule of 15 years for single purpose farm structures (confine­ment houses, etc.). Other real property should have a depreciable usable life of no more than 25 years. We further urge Congress and the IRS to revise codes to eliminate the reporting of government funded environmental and conservation mandated cost-share monies as income to the recipients.

2. The National Grange supports the reinstatement of the Invest­ment Tax Credit or accelerated depreciation with a $100,000 value eligibility limit.

3. The National Grange urges Congress to reinstate the prefer­ential treatment for capital gains income. We support the abolishment of the capital gains tax. Until then, we support the concept of indexing the basic value of an asset, so that only the real gain and not the inflation value is subject to the capital gains tax. We further support legislation to change the Internal Revenue Code to exclude capital gains up to $500,000 from sale of agricultural lands as well as legislation allowing farmers to invest any un-excluded capital gains from the sale of real and personal property into tax-deferred accounts, such as IRAs.

4. The National Grange believes that employee benefits and/or the cash value buildup of life insurance or annuities should not be subject to increased taxation.

5. The National Grange strongly believes that employees should not be liable for un-remitted income or FICA taxes if the employer properly withheld those taxes from the employee’s pay but then failed to make the proper payments to the IRS or the state.

6. We reaffirm our longstanding opposition to “tax-loss farming” or the use of income tax write-offs from farming to reduce the amount of taxes that are owed on the earnings of non-farm businesses or professions.

7. We support current law that allows for the installment or seller-financed method of reporting sales of property. We further support maintaining a cap on the imputed interest rate for installment or seller financed real estate sales to not exceed seven percent.

8. The National Grange opposes the enactment of any federal tax on securities transactions.

9. The National Grange supports the uniform applica­tion of all timber depletion allowances in the tax code to all timberland owners regardless of the size of their timberland holdings.

10. The National Grange supports legislation that would abolish the federal estate tax, especially for small business and agriculture. Until the inheritance tax is gone we want the tax basis for inherited property to be at the current use value and not the prospective development value.

11. The National Grange supports legislation that would provide federal tax credits or tax deductions to growers or grower co-operatives that build or own ethanol production facilities.

12. The National Grange supports any legislation prohibiting employers from borrowing from an employee’s pension fund. The National Grange supports legislation that would place employees or former employees who had invested in their employers stock as a part of their retirement plan to be placed ahead of payments to other creditors.

13. The National Grange also supports action by the US. Department of Justice and State Attorneys General to actively prosecute and imprison cooperative executives and others suspected of illegal actions resulting in a cooperative declaring bankruptcy. Any illegal gains obtained via these prosecutions should be returned to the assets of the cooperative, along with criminal fines imposed on cooperative executives as punishment.

14. T he National Grange supports legislation that amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from capital gains taxes the proceeds on the sale or exchange of qualified farmland development rights to a tax-exempt conservation organization.

15. The National Grange supports the retention of the federal estate tax with the stepped up basis provision as is now in place. The Grange also supports the exemption amounts/tax credits for the federal estate tax having it based on a figure of five million dollars.

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Sales, Excise Taxes, and Internet

1. The National Grange opposes the enactment of any national sales tax or any form of value added tax.

2. The National Grange supports the current federal law prohibiting any charges or taxes on e-mail or the use of the Internet and supports legislation to make prohibition of Internet or e-mail taxation permanent. The National Grange supports legislation that would prohibit mail order houses or Internet retailers from being forced to collect state sales taxes on mail order or Internet purchases from out of state purchasers. We further support legislation prohibiting a Federal sales or use tax being imposed on mail order or Internet sales.

3. The National Grange supports the current levels of taxation of tobacco products at the federal, state and local level.

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Taxes - General

1. We support the present tax treatment of agricultural cooperatives.

2. The National Grange supports a federal prohibition on the imposition of any on water that is drawn from private wells, lakes, and irrigation ponds. We encourage Congress to keep all restrictions on private wells, lakes, and irrigation ponds to a minimum.

3. The National Grange urges Congress to maintain tax policies that will preserve the ability of this nation to find and produce domestic oil and gas resources. We support the current oil import fee or and the domestic crude oil fee.

4. We support current federal law that allows the individual states to levy severance taxes on minerals and coal.

5. The National Grange seeks a permanent tax exemption for income that is raised by non-profit organizations such as the Grange. Until then, we oppose IRS guidelines that classify corporate sponsorships as advertising revenue, and thus, unrelated business income for non-profit organizations. We further support legislation to raise the minimum gross income filing requirements for non-profit organizations.

6. The National Grange supports federal legislation requiring all tax changes must be enacted by July 1 st if they are effective for that calendar year. Any changes made after July 1 st will be effective on January 1st of the following year or at a later date specified by law. We firmly believe that tax increases should never be retroactive.

7. We support a further strengthening of the “Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights”. We support placing the burden of proof on the IRS - not the taxpayer - under due process of law and providing a course of action in which the taxpayer could defend himself and recover his costs and attorney fees should the IRS fail to prove its case. We support giving the taxpayer the right to record all interviews with IRS people and to set a reasonable time and place for the meeting. We support prohibiting the IRS from sending out bills that are in excess of owed taxes, except for interest and penalties.

8. The National Grange supports the rights of local governments to use tax-exempt municipal financing without further limitations being imposed by Congress.

9. The National Grange supports requiring a two-thirds vote of each House of Congress to increase taxes. We further support federal legislation to deny jurisdiction or explicitly limit the authority of the US Supreme Court, or any lower courts of the United States to in­struct or order a state or political subdivision to levy or increase taxes as a remedy for any civil litigation.

10. The National Grange supports legislation that will close the tax loopholes that allow foreign companies doing business in the United States to avoid paying United States’ income tax. We further demand that foreign investors pay U. S. federal taxes on their investments on the same basis as U. S. citizens.

11. The National Grange opposes any sale of information from individual tax returns to any agency or individual.

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TRANSPORTATION

Highway Policy, Interstate System and Federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF)

1. The National Grange strongly supports the continuation of the Highway Trust Fund yet will support legislation that it be removed from the Unified Budget. The National Grange also supports the creation of a Federal Mass Transportation Trust Fund from user tax revenues separate from the Highway Trust Fund and highway user taxes. The National Grange opposes increasing the federal gasoline tax for purposes other than the Highway Trust Fund. Current gasoline tax revenues that are levied for the purpose of reducing the national debt should be placed in a dedicated fund and used for that purpose only. We further support federal legislation to remove federal fuel tax from fuel used to operate farm trucks. The National Grange will oppose any proposal that would change the concept of dedicating all federal motor fuel taxes to the HTF to be used for highway and highway related purposes, including legislation that would use a federal motor fuel tax increase to reduce federal budget deficits. We support extending the HTF and will oppose impounding monies as a means of enforcement of federal laws. We oppose any increase in the federal gas tax until all of the present surplus money in the Federal Highway Trust Fund is released.

2. The National Grange favors full compensation for homes, farming operations and businesses when displaced by eminent domain for highway right-of-ways.

3. The National Grange will lobby for additional federal funds to be allocated to affected states for increased maintenance of the NAFTA roadways. Additionally, the National Grange calls for increased border surveillance to ensure that commercial vehicles and drivers based in Canada and Mexico are in full compliance with the United States’ motor vehicle equipment standards and requirements.

4. The National Grange commends the American Highway Users Alliance and other allied organizations for their hard work in achieving passage of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005 (SAFETEA). We particularly support expedited implementation of the following provisions of SAFETEA:

1. New funding for core safety programs that is properly directed to lifesaving roadway safety projects.
2. Provisions to reduce administrative delays at federal and state agencies responsible for approving highway planning.
3. Immediate action by States to obligate new congestion relief funding for projects that reduce highway bottlenecks.
4. Full funding by the Congress for all “guaranteed” highway funds in future Transportation Appropriations bills.
5. Full enforcement of new fuel tax fraud provisions and proper credit for the Highway Trust Fund for revenue enhancements related to the new tax collection on ethanol.
6. Development and implementation of a focused safety and mobility public-interest mission for the new Future Strategic Highway Research Program (F-SHRP) by the Transportation Research Board of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

5. The National Grange calls for the immediate convening of a national Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the Highway Trust Fund that will work with all stakeholders to develop a plan to maintain the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund as directed in the 2005 SAFETEA legislation. The National Grange urges the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the Highway Trust Fund to develop new ideas to educate the public, the media and policy makers about the: 1) contribution of good roads to jobs, economic growth and improved productivity; 2) pressing needs to replace or improve outdated roads and bridges; 3) need to develop transportation and land use plans purposefully designed to decrease congestion; 4) need to create additional safe and convenient parking and review the effect of parking restrictions and shortages on rural safety and urban convenience; 5) danger of tax or regulatory schemes designed to limit consumers’ choice of vehicles, increase costs for vehicles and/or increase the price of motor fuels and 6) current misdirection of highway user fees to programs and projects that provide little or no benefits to those paying the fees. It also urges the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the Highway Trust Fund to approach new user fees concepts cautiously and assure that such ideas contain a clear traceable relationship between highway user fees and highway investments.

6. The National Grange supports streamlining environmental requirements to expedite the completion of transportation congestion-relief projects in order to reduce pollution while promoting efficient land use and road capacity in areas designated for growth. We also support redirecting the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program (CMAQ) to fund new passenger and freight intermodal hubs in highly congested areas to serve trains, trucking companies and bus companies. Grants should be provided to improve intercity Amtrak stations and/or to construct public freight transfer stations that combine bus service, rapid transit and other transportation services, which operate on flexible schedules as a way of reducing traffic congestion and improving the environment.

7. The National Grange recommends that the interstate highway system adopt the use of a uniform transponder system for all-open road tolling nationwide.

8. The National Grange opposes the sale of any toll roads or bridges to any entity outside the United States.

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Highways – Non-Interstate

1 . The need to protect prime land prompts the National Grange to urge government agencies to give a high priority to conserving land for agricultural purposes when considering the location and design of highways. Actions could include planting trees and shrubs along highways in places where such growth could stop soil erosion and aid in snow control.

2. The federal-aid system of highways should be continued as a federal-state partnership with less red tape and more flexibility in the states’ use of money for safety, construction, and maintenance of state highways, including construction of local bridges that are built to the community’s needs as determined by county and local road commissions. The National Grange will cooperate with the American Highway Users Alliance and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in urging Congress to ensure adequate resources and attention for rural roads and bridges.

3. To promote driver safety the National Grange recommends that the Highway Safety Administration require surface highway reflectors on the center lane divider of all two-way highways on the federal-aid highway system and that the federal Department of Transportation adopt standards to ensure a better and more durable road surface.

4. The National Grange supports addressing the broader mobility needs of rural residents by seeking solutions to the loss of intercity bus, air and rail services.

5. The National Grange supports funding to construct adequate parking or rest areas to allow commercial and other drivers to stop and rest. Funding should also be provided for adequate policing and/or better lighting for the present and future parking areas for the safety of those who use these facilities.

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Highway Safety

1. Certain vehicle equipment, such as trailer trucks, buses and motor homes, are believed to require special safety features. We urge that added attention be given to vehicle safety features, such as fog lights, backup safety equipment, chain-secured loads, and covered loose loads, tire tread depths of less than 1/16 inch, safe coupling devices for vehicles, school bus construction standards, and uniform color lenses for turn signals.

2. The National Grange supports the enforcement of weight limits on vehicles operating on our highways and urges States to establish specific operator license categories for motor homes and travel trailers taking into account the various sizes and weights of these vehicles.

3. The National Grange will work with the federal Department of Transportation and the National Safety Council to develop truck regulations requiring the use of brushes and/or flaps that will channel the water down reducing the spray, and prohibiting the use of triple trailer trucks on all federal highways.

4. The National Grange supports the Department of Transportation (DOT) in requiring stricter regulation and enforcement of vehicles and operators transporting hazardous and explosive cargoes, and that the routes or alternate routes of these vehicles be registered with government entities through which the movement passes.

5. The National Grange urges all State Granges to seek legislation adopting vehicle safety inspection laws and maintain strong support for existing and new traffic and highway safety legislation.

6. Railroad crossings in rural areas should have ripple strips installed in road surfaces on approaches to crossings, be clear of brush and other vision-inhibiting material and be equipped with flashing warning ights.

7. The National Grange supports standards requiring that all motorcycle, bicycle, and moped riders wear protective helmets. We further recommend that federal standards for motorcycle helmets be raised to provide the best protection and visibility.

8. The Grange urges that adequate government resources be applied to maintain an effective federal Highway Safety Program.

9. The Grange supports the use of safety belts in motor vehicles and urges its members to promote and abide by laws requiring their use. We support and encourage research to improve safety belt comfort and the adoption of standards for uniform operating mechanisms for all safety belts.

10. The National Grange urges the enforcement of the federal regulation requiring all vehicles to have a rear bumper or undercarriage guard coming within 16 inches of the ground.

11. The National Grange urges the Federal Transportation Department to adopt a unified method of highway signing that is the same nationwide on all classes of highways. Signs at eye level or above should duplicate all road signs that are painted on pavements. The National Grange will lobby along with local Granges to demand safe and consistent exits and entrances to our highways and encourage the U.S. Department of Transportation to require all Interstate highway signs to include major cities to help indicate the direction the road is going for at least 1 mile before the intersection. Furthermore, the National Grange recommends that the Federal Highway Administration not use the metric system on road signs. We recommend that all applications and tests for driving licenses be given in the English language.

12. The National Grange urges automobile manufacturers to include the following modifications on their new models: a safety release that is located inside automobile trunks; uniformity in location of door latches; louder and more visible interior direction signal indicators; a spare tire that is of equal quality and size as the regular tires; darkened glass only when its use is in line with the regulations that were established by the National Safety Administration; uniform tow points; installation of light sensitive sensors that would automatically turn on automobile headlights at a certain degree of darkness; support and encourage automobile manufacturers to install daytime running lights on all new motor vehicles sold in the United States; at least one mirror on the right side of a vehicle to reflect an undistorted view of images and a curvature type mirror to pick up blind spots.

13. The National Grange recommends that current restrictions on truck drivers, bus drivers, and other commercial drivers regarding driving time and rest intervals be maintained and enforced.

14. The National Grange should develop educational programs to be used to educate farmers on the need to increase the visibility of their machinery and to use the new reflective materials. We urge all farmers that take their machinery on public roadways to apply the new style reflectors to their equipment to make them more visible to the motoring public and we urge manufacturers to use the new, better reflective materials on all slow moving vehicle signs . We encourage all motorists to be alert of improper uses of slow moving vehicle signs along the highway right of ways and report these improper uses to local law enforcement personnel.

15. The National Grange encourages and supports legislative action to standardize the cellular emergency numbers for the interstate highway systems throughout the country to just one number, Star 91.

16. The National Grange supports legislation that would penalize a driver for using a cell phone when it is a proven cause of reckless or unsafe driving or is the cause of an accident. The National Grange supports the inclusion of the proper use of cellular phones in the Defensive Driving Program of the National Safety Council.

17. The National Grange supports regulations that would strengthen the safety standards for smaller cars and opposes any weakening of the safety standards of sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

18. The National Grange strongly supports the development of state and national laws that would require reflective tape on all existing and new trucks to help reduce under-ride accidents.

19. The National Grange supports federal legislation to improve communication between the tire manufacturing industry and the government, that would require tire manufacturers to periodically report claims to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and would require auto and tire manufacturers to report any defects on American tires or automobiles sold in foreign countries.

20. The National Grange supports any effort that would increase enforcement of the right turn on red light law so that all motorists would make a full stop before turning right at a red light.

21. The National Grange supports legislation banning high intensity discharge (HID) headlights and/or driving lights and/or Xenon lights.

22. The National Grange urges the U.S. Department of Transportation to encourage all states to use the same laws pertaining to school bus operations and traffic control around school buses. We support legislation requiring all newly manufactured school buses to be equipped with strobe lights that are highly visible in all types of weather. The National Grange further requests that all school buses be required to have a sign on the back stating “Stay Back 50 Feet”. The National Grange supports the present U. S. Department of Transportation requirement for random drug and alcohol testing for school bus drivers, We consider any proposed requirement for installed school bus driver monitoring devices on school buses to be unnecessary, expensive and counterproductive.

23. The National Grange supports the Federal Highway Administration’s ambitious goal to save more than 3600 lives each year by preventing roadway departures, improving intersections, providing adequate truck parking on access controlled highways and improving safety at pedestrian crossings through improved national engineering education programs and statewide safety campaigns.

24. The National Grange supports legislation restricting the placement of any visual entertainment device within the driver’s area of vision within a motor vehicle.

25. The National Grange supports requiring all motor vehicle manufacturers to equip their vehicles with automatic daytime running lights by the year 2010.

26. The National Grange supports legislation requiring all vehicle manufacturers install safety releases inside vehicle trunks, beginning with the 2010 model year.

27. The National Grange urges Automobile Manufacturers to standardize the placement of air bag components and furnish a book on their operations to Fire/Rescue and EMS personnel for the safety of everyone.

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Impaired Driving

1. The National Grange recognizes the extreme danger of drunk driving as well as driving under the influence of drugs, which causes nearly half of the motor vehicle fatalities. We seek cooperation with other volunteer groups who share our objectives of getting drunk drivers off the road . We further support enactment and strict enforcement of effective rules, laws, penalties and fines and the transfer of drunk driving conviction records across state lines for all kinds of motorized transportation. We support a nationwide enactment of the “per se” law, which makes driving with a blood alcohol content in excess of .08 percent a violation and believe the dangers of drinking and driving should be included in the anti-drug campaign of the federal government’s information and education programs.

2. The National Grange supports federal legislation to maintain the minimum age for the consumption of alcoholic beverages at 21.

3. The National Grange recommends that transportation authorities, both government and privately owned, be vested with the authority to randomly test employees for illegal drug and alcohol use.

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Truck Transportation Policy

1. The National Grange will support legislation and regulatory policies that enhance stability and competition in truck operations for cost-effective and dependable service.

2. The National Grange supports new regulations requiring brake lights to be activated on commercial motor vehicles when a Jake Brake is used.

3. The National Grange supports legislation that would require reporting of positive drug tests for drivers with any commercial license to the Department of Motor Vehicles of the issuing state. The report of a positive drug test should remain in the driver’s file for a period of two years. We further support provisions to appeal positive drug testing results and mandate a second test by a different facility to eliminate false positive tests.

4. The National Grange supports Department of Transportation (DOT) reclassifying light-, medium-, and heavy-duty utility vehicles separate from on-highway (cross-country) trucks. However, we recommend that logbooks not be required on light-, medium-, and heavy-duty utility vehicles.

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Water Transportation

1. The National Grange supports a moratorium on user fee increases for agricultural products on coastal and inland waterways. If user fees are increased, such fees should be based on the percentage of federal expenditures attributable to opening said waterways to barge traffic. These fees should be placed in an Inland Waterways Trust Fund and used only for construction and maintenance of inland waterways.

2. In an effort to contain costly and devastating environmental oil spills, the following actions should be taken on tankers that are entering United States’ coastal waters: a) tankers should be built to prevent oil spills (double hulls); b) should have expeditiously deployable spill containment equipment; and c) enforcement and periodical inspections of ships, equipment, and crew should be carried out by the U. S. Coast Guard.

3. The National Grange supports maintaining the current United States Corps of Engineers’ season for transporting grain on the Missouri River.

4. The National Grange supports the immediate implementation of “ALTERNATIVE H in the UPPER MISSISSIPPI STUDY” which encourages upgrades to the locks on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, facilitating greater barge traffic and providing an economic engine to fuel growth and prosperity in the entire Midwest.

5 . The National Grange recommends that the Jones Act, which requires all freight moved between American ports being carried in American bottoms, be repealed.

6. The National Grange supports legislation to prevent any company controlled by a foreign government from taking over U.S. port facilities.

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Railroad Transportation

1. The National Grange recommends that the Department of Transportation (DOT) reconsider its proposal to abolish many of the scheduled AMTRAK trains in the United States and consider scheduling more commuter trains on their lines to offer better service to the public.

2. The National Grange urges the US Department of Transportation, the Surface Transportation Board (STB), the Interstate Commerce Commission and similar transportation agencies in Washington, D.C to consider economic impact and public interests when undertaking transportation planning with regard to the impact of rail line abandonment. We support integration of rail and highway system planning in advance of possible abandonment to maximize economies to the public and private sectors as well as federal assistance to states for this purpose and to assist in rail takeovers by states where maintenance of service is cost effective to local or state governments and to local shippers. We support economic and social impact statements from railroads to the ICC and state governments as well as meaningful local public hearings in the areas affected as a part of the abandonment process.

3. The National Grange urges that abandoned railroad crossings be returned to a smooth surface. All railroad crossing signals or signs should be removed within sixty (60) days following abandonment.

4. The National Grange encourages all levels of government to support the development and maintenance of a strong and effective rail network to enhance competition among and between rail carriers in order to ensure efficient rail service and reasonable rates, and for other purposes.

5. The National Grange supports legislation requiring warning reflectors to be placed on both sides of all railroad cars in the United States.

6. The National Grange supports legislation that would require railroads to reveal to each landowner, before abandonment, the full and complete legal basis on which the railroad has claimed its right to occupy the corridor. If the railroad’s right is less than fee simple ownership, the railroad should disclose to each landowner that its occupancy right would be extinguished upon abandonment. We believe that the right-of-way of an abandoned land grant railroad should revert to the last payer of taxes on the property, or by right of adverse possession or grant titles as well as the possible use of railroad right-of-ways, determined to be economically unfeasible, by adjacent landowners.

7. The National Grange will lobby for the discontinuation of remote controlled locomotives operated in the switch yards, or over a public or private highway rail crossing without an Engineer occupying the cab of the locomotive who has the required skills to stop the locomotive and its attached equipment nationwide.

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Air Travel

1. The National Grange encourages U.S. governmental agencies, particularly the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to increase funding for the purchase of new technology that can detect explosive devices.

2. The National Grange supports strengthening the English language certification for foreign pilots operating a commercial aircraft in the United States.

3. The National Grange supports repeal of the “Jim Wright Law” that requires passengers with flights originating or terminating at Dallas’ Love Field to or from destinations beyond Texas, or the four states contiguous to Texas, to land, disembark, retrieve their luggage and recheck in before they may continue their flight.

4. The National Grange will urge the continuing utilization of Air Marshals on random flights.

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General Transportation Policy

1. The Grange believes that it is in the best interest of farmers and consumers to continue efforts toward achieving a balanced transportation system at the lowest cost consistent with adequate and efficient service.

2. The National Grange urges federal and state weed control agencies to control noxious weeds on their highway right-of-ways and to work with the railroads in an effort to control noxious weeds along railroad right-of-ways but always respecting the landowners’ property rights and preferences.

3. The National Grange supports intermodel ownership of transportation carriers only if the acquiring carrier establishes that the following transactions are consistent with the public interest; will enable the acquiring carrier to use the other mode to public advantage in its transportation operations; will not unreasonably restrain competition and will not result in segments of agriculture and rural areas being held by captive shippers.

4. The National Grange supports creating a national uniform vehicle identification system to be used by disabled drivers. Until then, we recommend that Congress enact legislation that would require each state to recognize disabled parking permits that have been issued to handicapped persons by another state. Legislation should be enacted to include blindness as a provision for issuance of a disabled parking permit.

5. The National Grange supports the English language as the national language. We oppose efforts to replace current highway signs with multilingual signs.

6. The National Grange strongly supports a simple public announcement procedure for special needs citizens in intercity bus transportation systems.

7. The National Grange opposes the passage of any Federal legislation that will require the scrap page of vehicles over 15 years old.

8. The National Grange supports legislation that would expand the Lemon Law for all vehicles in all states. We further support legislation that allows independent vehicle maintenance facilities or car dealership garages to have access to the technology/programming needed to repair all makes of vehicles so that the consumer has a choice of where to take his/her vehicle for maintenance and repair.

9. The National Grange opposes the Trans Texas Corridor.

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U. S. Postal Service

1. The National Grange supports efforts by the Postal Service to eliminate waste, hold down operating costs and increase services and reliability. We continue to recommend that the U.S. Postal Service practice prudent fiscal responsibility and refrain from any management changes that would adversely affect postal rates.

a. We urge that any future postal rate increases be no greater than the rate of inflation.

b. We will also support stable rates or eligibility requirements for nonprofit organizations’ postal rates. We support the retention of the third class bulk mail rate for not-for-profit-organizations at a reasonable rate.

c. We will petition the United States Postal Service and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to print the monetary value on postage stamps, even in times of rate changes.

d. We support reorganization of the Postal Rate Commission to include representation of the interests of mail users.

e. We recommend that the U.S. Postal service be returned to a service branch of the Federal government.

2. The National Grange continues to support Rural Free Mail Delivery Service as an essential part of universal mail service. We support the continuation of rural Saturday mail delivery and all other mail services to rural areas. Patrons of rural post offices must be given six (6) months notice before their post office is closed and must be provided with an opportunity to express their viewpoint at a public hearing.

3. The National Grange supports the private express statutes of the U.S. Postal Service. We further support the Postal Service being allowed to develop new communication technologies and new sources of revenue that will enable it to compete with the private sector. The Postal Service should also be allowed to bid on, and sign, contracts to provide express mail and other mail delivery services to companies in the private sector who desire to provide their customers, and potential customers, with a custom-designed mail and communication network .

4. The National Grange will promote the proportional payment of retirement funds from the U. S. Post Office and the U.S. government in relation to the number of year’s retirees worked for each entity. We strongly oppose any change in the current postal employee retirement programs that would adversely affect the retirement of any postal employees, limit the retirement options of current postal employees or result in a reduction of retirement benefits for current or future postal employee .

5. The National Grange recommends that federal postal regulations require all future installation of cluster boxes be on the same side of the road as the residence or business.

6. The National Grange encourages the Postal Service to make their patrons aware that handicapped persons may apply for mail delivery to their door.

7. The National Grange urges that the penalty for vandalism of mailboxes be enforced.

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