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Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Wrong choice to Regulate Truck Safety?

ARLINGTON, VA (October 5, 2009) – Families of truck crash victims and a coalition of safety advocacy groups today sent a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee asking them to reject the nomination of Anne Ferro, currently the president of the Maryland Motor Truck Association. The letter comes on the heels of a New York Times editorial on September 23rd stating, “Ms. Ferro’s record, we believe, is disqualifying … Americans cannot afford conflicts of interest in the running of their truck safety agency.”
“Today, approximately 15 people will die in truck crashes. Yet this nominee is a trucking industry insider and lobbyist,” said Jennifer Tierney of North Carolina. “The New York Times got it right when they said she would regulate the very industry she has advocated for. This is the perfect example of the fox guarding the hen house.”
The letter, signed by thirteen safety groups and family members of truck crash victims, said “in addition to our initial serious misgivings about a trucking industry official leading the federal agency responsible for regulating the safety of the motor carrier industry, Ms. Ferro’s refusal to commit to the implementation of proven, effective safety policies and regulations, both during our meeting and in response to questions at the hearing, have led us to request your opposition to the nomination of Ms. Ferro as FMCSA Administrator.”
P.A.T.T. Founder Daphne Izer of Maine said, “Safety has been on the back burner for too many years, resulting in thousands upon thousands of needless deaths and injuries. I want safety put before profits. Even the Bush Administration wouldn’t have had the gall to make this move.”
“Ms. Ferro’s responses at the committee hearing and her current position as a trucking industry lobbyist have led us to oppose her nomination to head this critical safety agency,” said John Lannen, Executive Director of the Truck Safety Coalition.

posted by Mark Avera at 10/06/2009 11:26:00 AM

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