PLC Logger's Voice Winter 2017

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As We See It—November 2016 “November” By Ken Martin First I would like to thank Richard Schwab for his Leadership of ALC during the last year and the great job he has done. Richard is always interesting in his thought process as well as entertaining in the delivery of those thoughts. He was certainly born “Out of the Box” As 2016 moves right along, Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching. We have a lot of serious decisions to make in the coming months that will affect us, not only as individuals, but our country for years to come. I am sure most of us remember 9-11. Our country was united, as we have never seen it before, following this tragic event. Being united is what America has done for more than 200 years. We became the nation that the world looked to for Leadership, Financial Stability, and a Model Democratic Government. Today America is as divided as most of us have ever seen in our Lifetime. We appear to have run low on leadership at every level of government. We stall meaningful legislation in Congress because we are so divided. Where is the humility that our founding fathers had when writing a document that has served us for more than 200 years? Our very presence as a Democratic Society is at stake. This may very well be the most important election of our lifetime. When we go to the polls in November, we must elect Leaders who will bring Americans back together. Leaders that truly want to inspire and serve the people and not their own financial interests. We must elect Leadership that will pass Laws that will create an environment encouraging entrepreneurs to develop new, productive technology and equipment, to exert the U.S. in global trade, and allow American industry to once again lead the World with our ability to produce quality products at a competitive price while employing American workers. We must select Leaders that inspire us to be the very best we can be. Make no mistake, the men and women we elect in November will set the tone in Washington, while the world evaluates our decision. The next President will most likely have the opportunity to appoint several Supreme Court Justices for life, to make appointments that shape the attitude for Clean Air and Clean Water Standards, and transform our Transportation Industry, just to name a few. These are serious times, do not take your choice of elected official lightly. Become an informed voter before you go to vote this year and vote for candidates that will unite us and inspire us, to once again, be the best that we can be. Ken Martin is the current President of the American Loggers Council and owns and operates MarCal, Inc. based out of Mendenhall, Mississippi. The American Loggers Council is a 501 (c)(6) not for profit trade organization representing professional timber harvesters in 32 states across the United States. If you would like to learn more about the ALC, please visit their web site at www.amloggers.com, or contact their office at 409-625-0206. 16 Professional Logging Contractors of Maine Loggers Serving Loggers Since 1995
As We See It—December 2016 “Happy Holidays” By Danny Dructor It is always difficult to try and speculate what might happen between the time that this editorial is written and then goes to print 30 to 45 days later, and this is one of those particularly difficult times when the elections have been held and yet as of this writing we do not know the outcome. Regardless, we will have to work with whatever President and administration that is elected, and our issues will not go away simply because one political party defeated the other in the Presidential race. Let’s just hope that whomever is elected will listen to the will of the people and place their values and needs over that of any party. As you read this, the staff of the American Loggers Council has already made plans to visit DC in mid- December to get an idea of what the transition might look like from one administration to the next, and to see if there is a better opportunity to work across the aisle in completing legislation in the 215th Congress set to begin work in January. Just because the American Loggers Council is working for you, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be involved in what’s happening. Regardless of the results in the November election, we need all hands on deck with loggers engaged at the grassroots level to get the policy changes we need and ensure our industry is prosperous for the future. We have many issues to deal with for the industry, including truck weight reform on the Federal Interstate Highway System, attracting and retaining employees to the logging and log trucking industry, working to develop and support markets for the products and services we provide, and ensuring that our Federal Timber lands are sustainably managed to support a viable timber sale program that would help the many timber dependent communities across the Nation. While these are some of the issues, we know that there will be many more to contend with in the future as we strive to tell our story to the public where they will have a better understanding of what we do and why we do it. Here at the American Loggers Council, we will do our best to keep the public informed of your professionalism in harvesting timber and dedication to protecting the environment as you continue to provide the fiber that is consumed on a daily basis by those that do not know it’s true source or the people that work tirelessly to provide it. Many of you will be able to be with family and friends this Christmas, and it is justifiably right that you, as a member of this invisible industry, come out of the woods and take the opportunity to enjoy the companionship and fellowship of those that appreciate what you do and keep you going. God bless, and have a Safe and Merry Christmas! Log safe! Danny Dructor is the Executive Vice President for the American Loggers Council with offices near Hemphill, Texas. The Logger’s Voice ▪ Winter 2017 17
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