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     As the owner of a small construction company in the central
valley I have spent thirty years building my business one piece of
equipment at a time.  Like many other companies my equity is tied
up in my equipment.  The proposed CARB regulation as written will
force me to begin replacing or retiring equipment that has been
paid for.  In an industry as volatile as construction it is hard
to know when to purchase new equipment.  
    This regulation will force me to either take on new debt
trying to maintain compliance or to reduce my fleet size and work
capacity, thereby reducing the number of employees I have.  
    Traditionally equipment purchases are made very carefully with
long term planning and one piece at a time.  This regulation forces
contractors to either reduce size or take on new equipment payments
year after year with no consideration to what the market will
support.  
    This regulation is structured in such a way that small
business' can't comply and survive.  I urge the board to
reconsidder the adoption of this regulation in favor of one that
will not put so many small contractors out of business.