February lettersRaymond H. Baca posted a comment on our blog post, Stop the Mileage Tax:I don't agree with this mileage tax; California democracy is full of criminals, better said, demons. Sherri Vieira has just posted a comment on our blog post, Assembly Democrats Refuse to Stop a Double Tax on Drivers: B.S. The Rural Reality vs. The Urban Luxury - Proposed Mileage Tax (AB 1421) Dear Neighbor, Last year, I drove 52,800 miles serving our district. Under the proposed mileage tax (AB 1421), I would be forced to pay $5,000 out of my own pocket—simply for doing my job. I don't have a private jet, and I don't live near a major airport. Like many of you, I drive to work, typically at least 15-20 hours every week because that is the reality of representing rural California. The Rural Reality vs. The Urban Luxury Rural Californians don't drive long distances by choice; we do it to work, seek medical care, and raise our families. The math behind this proposal is staggering: At just 4¢ per mile, a rural commuter could pay $845 a year, compared to $106 for an urban commuter working the same job with the same hours. Same work. Same responsibilities. Eight times the driving. Too Many Unanswered Questions AB 1421 is full of holes that will ultimately be filled with money from your pocketbook. We deserve to know: Who pays for work travel—the employee or the employer? What about driving to educational activities or our kids' games? What about our truck drivers who are already maxed out on fees, regulations and taxes? Are emergency services (Fire/Police) and school buses exempt? Do we have to pay if we drive on non-state roads? How does this affect travel for out-of-state trips or medical appointments? How are they going to track this? I want to hear from you. To help me fight this in Sacramento, please fill out our survey with your typical monthly mileage and the county you reside in by clicking HERE: How Would a Mileage Tax Affect You? Equity must account for geography, not ignore it. I will continue to push back against any policy that treats rural life as a taxable luxury. Sincerely, Heather Hadwick Assemblywoman, 1st District Hope you can keep the print going. Would miss the Valley news. Sure would like to see more “Old Rancher” news if there are any of us left. I'm a high school rodeo club kid and roping club. 4-H horse project if any has news. Barbara “Marcus” White Fallon, Nevada Come to the sunrise Come to the sunrise Where every tip of every branch Of every tree Shines in temporary glory The mountains and hills glow In the rise of dew from the earth (Once covered in dank darkness) Now offering up a psalm of softest light Pastures appearing freshly mown Are simply the recent thaw and growth Of infant spring still sometimes overcome By sudden wind and snow The bluest you will see the mountains today Is at dawn But soon they will be blushing from the attentions paid to them By the rosy morning sun The morning itself is a newborn thing Screaming or sleeping into becoming More of something that it has yet to be Something that has all of the weight of uncertainty And possibility Possibility as red and bright as the robin's breast Possibility as long as the drifting clouds Possibility as temporary as the light holding for a time The flowers on my window sill As they look out on this new day This day of somberness and pleasure Of fear and awakening Of looking forward and looking back And seeing with first sight That where we have come from Is both ancient and new But the paths ahead of us are for a time Drenched in faerie hope Ephemeral but real A bright spot of something memorable To carry us through the day ahead Love, Jillian Makoutz Submitted: 02/17/26 Article By: Sierra Booster |