Hope Rivenburg needs your help for “Jason’s Law” The Safe Trucker Parking Bill
Despite what the organizations who represent truckers say they are doing, the truth is that “Jason’s Law” needs your Voice to be taken seriously right NOW!
Hope Rivenburg is the young Widow of toddler twins and a 2 year old who has just emerged from her trucker husband’s murder and the trial of his killer who shot him for $7 while he waited to deliver milk parked in an unsafe area.
Hope Rivenburg and her family have fought to raise awareness of the truck parking issue since the senseless murder of her Husband Jason Rivenburg in March 2009. She is asking for your help to make calls and write letters.
There are 4 particulars states she needs YOUR help: Arizona, Washington, Pennsylvania & Virginia.
Our Twitter Campaign on the Virginia topic of rest area closures gained a good deal of attention. This collaborative effort helped to negotiate the reduction of 25 rest area closures to 19. The 2 hour time limit signs were removed & the Virginia Governor has just announced that the remaining rest areas will be reopened using inmate labor to maintain the rest areas that were affected by a budget crisis in Virginia.
This is something to celebrate that Social Media greatly impacted. Each one of us has a voice and we can help by getting involved.
Let’s forge ahead to help Hope Rivenburg who is helping Truckers and anyone who cares about Highway Safety make Safe Trucker Parking a reality.
Please make some time TODAY to make calls and/or write letters and emails to help.
Here are some guidelines to keep it simple:
Write to Congress/Senate
I have provided a link here to Open Congress which has an easy way to “Write Your Representatives & track progress of: JASONS LAW
Whether you will be calling or writing, please prepare with relevant information. Here are some additional tips:
Properly address your letter with the following headings:
To your Representative: To your Senator:
The Honorable (full name) The Honorable (full name)
(Room #) (Name) House Office Building (Room #)(Name) Senate Office Building
United States House of Representatives United States Senate
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20510
Dear Representative: Dear Senator:
Your letter should address topic of “Jason’s Law H.R. 2156 OR S.971 – The Safe Trucker Parking Bill”. (H.R 2156 to House & S.971 to Senate) Type a one-page letter formatted in a three-paragraph letter structured like this:
- Say why you are writing and who you are. List your “credentials.” (If you want a response, you must include your name and address, even when using email.) *Understand that if you are not a voter in this Congressperson’s district they may dismiss your letter. Therefore you can do one of two things: Call with prepared talking points and open conversation with: “Hello, I am representing Truckers in your district who …” AND/OR network to others through Facebook and Twitter using hashtags and ask them to help us raise awareness for “Jason’s Law” (this is what we did on Virginia topic)
- Provide more detail. Be factual not emotional. Provide specific rather than general information about how the topic affects you and others. Use the correct bill number and cite it in your letter. The House Bill is HR 2156 and the Senate Bill is S976 for “Jason’s Law”. The following links are to help you gather CREDIBLE information for your letter or call: A. C-Span Video introduction of the Bill B. Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduces “Jason’s Law” C. Text of the Bill was written out on a Conservative website (this bill is a non-partisan no brainer) D. 3 question survey which was prepared by @Longhawl due to the misinformation being spread by “The Trolls on Twitter”.
Close by requesting the action you want taken: In this case we need more co-sponsors for “Jason’s Law”, a vote for the bill to be passed. We are also raising awareness that this issue is urgent. There are some things to remember about effectively writing your elected officials.
DO’s:
- Remain courteous & respectful but refrain from over doing it.
- Say who you are. Anonymous letters go nowhere. Even in email, include your correct name, address, phone number and email address. If you don’t include at least your name and address, you will not get a response.
- Use specific examples or evidence that support why safe trucker parking is important.
- State that you are ready to help them and other co-sponsors to get Jason’s Law- the Safe Trucker Parking Bill passed and will be following their actions with regards to this important piece of legislation for Highway safety.
- Thank the member for taking the time to read your letter.
DON’TS:
- DO NOT Use vulgarity, profanity, or threats. Being rude right off the bat will only discredit any valid points you make later in your letter. Also, making implied threats ARE NOT protected speech and can get you a visit from the Secret Service. Simply stated, don’t let your passion get in the way of making your point.
- DO NOT Forget to include your name and address, even in an email.
- DO NOT Demand a response.
All calls, letters and emails are helpful but particularly to Arizona, Pennsylvania, Virginia & Washington. There are 2 Senators for each state. You can locate their Facebook on Google and sometimes on their official contact page.
For Twitter try TweetCongress to look them up, and use hashtags for to get attention in other subgroups such as: #AZ #Arizona #Phoenix #USBill #HR2156 etc.
U.S. House of Representatives: Contact Information
U.S. Senators: Contact Information
Below I have listed links to give you ideas how you can participate in this action by using Social Media and studying how other are utilizing it as well.
Arizona Senators: Contact Information
Pennsylvania Senators: Contact Information
Senator Arlen Specter Facebook Twitter
Senator Robert P. Casey Jr. Did not locate active FB or Twitter
Virginia Senators: Contact Information
Senator Mark Warner Facebook Twitter
Senator Jim Webb Facebook
Washington Senators: Contact Information
Senator Maria Cantwell Did not locate active FB or Twitter
Senator Patty Murray Facebook
You can also write to members of the Transportation Committee who you can look up on the links I have provided and the appropriations committee to raise awareness of the importance of this bill. Don’t let truckers be forgotten again when you have a shot right now to be recognized thanks to Social Media.
Remember, our Twitter chatter goes into Google and it’s hard to ignore so if you are for Highway Safety that benefits everyone who travels on the interstate system please help make calls for “Jason’s Law”
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6 Responses to “Hope Rivenburg needs your help for “Jason’s Law” The Safe Trucker Parking Bill”
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This topic came up many times as I watched the FMCSA ( Federal Motor Carrier Ass. ) HOS ( hours of service )rules listening session by web cast . Before I go any further I would like for ALL drivers to start educating yourself and stop leaving up to your SAFETY Dept. to inform you of the all the new rules that ALL drivers must follow out here there are many places you can do this for free and it will save your job if you do. So GONE are the days of saying ” Well nobody gave/told me about that rule.” info is at your finger tips and all you need to do is read/listen. Ok back to why I am here the ” PARKING ISSUE ” came up many,many times not mentioned as ” JASON LAW ” but the same issue ” SAFE and SECURE ” parking the fact that SHIPPERS and RECEIVERS are running us off telling us move or be towed what most driver were asking for is ” SAFE HAVENS ” along the major routes and although it may not be called ” Jason’s Law ” is that not in fact what WE would all like see happen ? Hope if you read this I am not trying to dis-credit the memory of Jason by any means as much as to say will it not be the same even if it is called ” safe havens ” ? Even though for now we all seem quite that is not the fact I am very much working on this a little every day and when I speak,write or call I myself refer to it as ” Jason’s Law ” . This may or may not of been done but another good place to push for ” Jason’s Law ” would be these groups like CRASH.
Thanks Turtle,
On twitter I have received tweets from @T4America @Infrastructure2 & @BillRedding who was with the Truck Safety coalition that say they support “Jason’s Law”.
The ATA has also said they support it but have also not done as much as they could do to make this non-partisan no brainer a slam dunk. Yesterday they tweeted an article that regarding a CNN Report on how 8 in 10 American want stimulus funds to go to roads and bridges yet they do not use their power to inject Safe Trucker Parking unless they are backed against a wall.
Ellen Voie of @WomeninTrucking has a former truckers wife went further by hiding brocheres under her table at the Dallas Truck Show last summer.
I believe there are efforts to attach “Jason’s Law” into something that provides a gain rather than simply doing the right thing for truckers and those who support highway safety.
Trucking leaders have not made this a priority but the social media chatter has helped get the word out despite their lack of effort on behalf of the drivers.
Hope Rivenburg does not care how it gets done, as long as the goal is accomplished.
Her wish is that no other family has to experience what she and her family has gone through.
Truckers are sitting ducks to criminals when they sit in unsafe areas waiting to pick up or deliver products and the general public needs to become more aware of this when they shop.
“Jason’s Law” is an opportunity to awaken people who are complacent about what risks truckers endure to make their lives convienient.
I ask everyone to take a few moments to reflect on this and please make calls and write to support “Jason’s Law” the safe trucker parking bill.
People keep perceiving the bill as being a fix all to the problem. They can’t take it as being a pilot/study program to see what might be the most effective way to provide safe and secure parking for truckers. Yeah, 20 million dollars wouldn’t go a long way to expanding and upgrading facilities but that isn’t what this is about. Would they rather just not have anyone look at the issue? Plus it’s coming out of general transportation funds. Would they rather have it spent on landscaping to improve highway appearances? The money will get spent somewhere whether they like it or not. I don’t understand why they’re so adamant that it not be spent towards the benefit of truckers instead of flowers.
I see a lot of folks berating this bill based on some minor points. Don’t know whether it’s out of jealousy because they’re not the main ones involved in the issue or what but I bet a lot of them just whine about most everything just for the heck of it.
Randy,
The fact that every trucker is not behind Jason’s Law could only be one of 2 reasons: Ignorance or Jealousy
1) Ignorance- From reading the comments on the ” Flip-Flop Opinion Trucker Blog” I can now say that people are ignorant. They have not read the truth, nor do they want to know the truth about this because they would then have to admit they were WRONG. Pride and Ignorance are a very lethal combination. So instead,what these people do is, they stand steadfast, Justifying their totally delusional beliefs that “tax payers money for safe trucker parking” is like a welfare system, or wasted government money, or the government shouldn’t be involved, or it can’t guarantee that truckers won’t be shot anyway ( whew is that a winner of a comment)
HELLO? ANYBODY HOME in THERE?
Here’s the deal here. THE MOENY WILL BE THERE FOR SOMETHING!!WHY NOT SAFE PARKING?!!
You can just admit that you made a mistake and didn’t realize that the money for safe parking would be better than pretty flowers. Admit that you didn’t realize that this isn’t a request for EXTRA GOVERNMENT MONEY, but money ALREADY THERE to be used for SOMETHING. Admit you would rather have the bureaucrats decide where the money goes rather than you.
Now, if you still feel strongly, then be honest and say “I would rather have the money spent on “anything else” but Not SAFE PARKING.
2) Jealousy & Hatred ( like I’ve never seen before from those claiming to be Christians.
I am totally convinced that if Desiree started blogging and tweeting about her love for Jesus Christ, that those claiming alliance with Jesus would turn on our Lord Savior and God Almighty just not to be aligned with her.
Donna Smirh´s last blog ..Country Music Artists Have Their Eye on the Trucking Industry
In Hazardous Materials regulations there is are provisions for drivers hauling hazardous material, to be able to request “safe haven”, for the material and the equipment used to haul it, at any facility, such as chemical manufacturers, capable of handling hazardous materials. Having received such a request, the facility must provide “Safe Haven”, providing secure parking for the vehicle, away from public exposure. Knowing this, I scratch my head wondering, if it was obvious to legislators, way back when at the inception of “Hazardous Materials” regulation, that there was need for a “safe haven” provision, protecting the public from hazardous materials, why can no one seem to understand that there is a need to protect drivers from the public.
Heather Rose´s last blog ..My Ol’ Donkey’s Justa Smokin’
Okay, I’ve thought some more and I’m still fuming at the hypocrisy that is going on and I’m so over it….and all of you should be too.
Let me explain:
When Desiree started exposing awhile back the
“bad apples in trucking” for the sake of helping the trucking industry clean up, these same people WHO ARE now against “Jasons Law and SAFE PARKING” cried out
“you’re making us all look bad Desiree”… Then they’d scream to everyone…
“Desiree is saying that all trucker are bad”… She’s the reason “That we have a bad image”
And here’s the Reply to Desiree’s exposing criminal activity in her Student story
**** ****
“Desiree you’re wrong, most of the truckers that I know are decent good Christian men” *****
….and the saga began…
Well, those with 1/2 a brain knew what DESIREE was saying in her story: ” The Bad apples are making good truckers look bad and we need to expose them for what they are so we can have a better trucking environment. Period, end of story.
Now, Here’s the hypocrisy: YOU READY for THIS?
On the comments section of the “Flip-Flop Opinion Trucker Blog”,these same people who criticized Desiree for exposing less than desirable characteristics…. are now crying out,
“The reason we don’t have safe trucker parking is because of all the truck drivers who throw their crap and garbage all over the parking areas…now nobody wants us to park in their lots” They go on to say…”IT”S THE DRIVERS FAULT we do not have safe PARKING!!
OMG!! DO you believe this? What happened to, ” Most of the truckers I know are good Christian men”?
Are these good Christian men throwing their urine and feces and garbage in the “safe parking areas”
Are you Saying that All Truck Drivers are pigs and that’s why people are getting shot? Is that what you’re saying, huh?
Or is it possible you mean that only THE BAD APPLES are making truckers look bad? Is that what you mean? I’m sure that’s what your reply would be.
Sooooooo, when Desiree was exposing people within the industry that should not be there because of the things they were doing WERE WRONG… and…BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING DRIVERS IMAGE LOOK BAD!!
YOU TURNED IT AROUND TO SAY,
“DESIREE IS SAYING ALL TRUCK DRIVERS ARE BAD!”
Buuuuuut, IT’S OK FOR YOU TO SAY COMMENTS ABOUT TRUCKERS, ( But not Desiree) Because…Because…Because why? Because you are holier than thou and it’s ok.
Well, I’ve had enough of it and like I said everyone should see this picture for what it is.
Now, for those “Trucking Organizations” who will buddy up to these hypocrites, all I can say is that I am shocked and sadly disappointed…and A LOT of folks feel the same way.
If you don’t know who I mean then use the old saying:
If the show fits…wear it!
The time has come to get over yourselves. If you spent 1/3 the time trying to help others like all of us do, instead of spreading lies and justify why we should not have SAFE TRUCKER PARKING, then perhaps you could be a viable tool for positive change within this industry.
AND…You’ll sleep much better at night.
Donna Smirh´s last blog ..Country Music Artists Have Their Eye on the Trucking Industry