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I am the owner of 1987 Peterbilt Dump Truck and will effectively be
out of business come January 1, 2015.  I do not qualify for any
upgrades, retrofits or extensions.  My family, as have many others,
are just coming out of the worst four economic years of our
generation.  I have used all our life savings and taken out a
second mortgage on our 980 sq foot home just to get by and struggle
to stay in business that we felt would eventually recover.  My wife
and I did what we had to in order to responsibly take care of our
family and keep a roof over our heads while taking any and all work
that was available and then wait and wait in order to get paid and
sometimes not at all should the business we worked for go under.
Now there is a proposed option of Economic Hardship in order for us
to extend the life of a perfectly good truck.  We would probably
qualify for a loan, our credit is good because we were responsible
and paid our bills.  What would not be responsible is taking on the
loan for a new truck, and used compliant trucks just don't exist.
There isn't enough work to justify the payment and the down time
that many of these new trucks are experiencing. Everyone would love
to drive a new truck. That combined with the fact that our
dealerships have long sold their allotments of new trucks for the
year, with a waiting list well into 2015 now for a newer truck.
Should we somehow qualify for EH distinction, then we would proudly
display that sticker for all to see on the side of our truck?  That
isn't right.  We don't do that to people anymore.  People aren't
required to wear signs around their neck that says poor. In what
other areas of government is this kind of treatment tolerated? 
Check yourselves. 
Here's a solution that could help a great deal.  Most of us have
benefitted from government jobs and that has been what started the
economic recovery process.  How about requiring or giving a break
to hiring local companies?  I see city, county, state jobs all over
our area using trucks from far away, that drive 60-100 miles in the
morning before they ever start their day and then return back to
their terminals at night.  Local contracts would reduce total
mileage thus reduce pollution. We have had to drive long distances
as well because local jobs went to out of towners.  Thus our total
mileage is far higher than it should be and disqualifying us for WT
distinction.
In conclusion, we're not poor, we're just not poor enough. Come
January 1, 2015, we will be.