Union shop steward Mike Ambrosio said Allman was upset about scrutiny over his performance record, according to the report. Ambrosio, who was shot but survived the gunfire, said Allman believed that the criticism on his record was racially motivated, the newspaper reported.

Reports on the number of people killed and injured have varied. An initial report from Lehigh Hanson on Oct. 5 indicated that at least two employees were killed with an unconfirmed number of employees injured. However, the Oct. 10 San Jose Mercury News report indicated three workers were killed and some six others were injured.

At Aggregates Manager press time, the Permanente plant had begun the process of bringing operations back online. The plant was open for business and anticipated that it would be fully operational within one week, according to a press statement from Lehigh Hanson, which is part of the HeidelbergCement Group.

“The company’s priority continues to be the well-being of the plant’s employees,” the press statement noted.

Following the shooting, Lehigh Hanson President and CEO Dan Harrington said, “We are shocked and saddened by this morning’s [Oct. 5] events. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. I have committed the company’s resources to assist our affected employees during this difficult time.”

Kari Saragusa, president of the company’s West Region issued a statement (http://www.tinyurl.com/Lehigh-statement) on Oct. 6 calling the incident “a great tragedy — one unparalled in the 70-year history of this facility.” Saragusa noted that “the community is still very much in a state of shock.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and their families,” Saragusa said following the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department announcement about the shootings. “Our first priority right now is taking care of our people. We are working closely with grief counselors and making sure our employees are prepared to deal with this terrible day. We are proud of our workforce — many have worked here for decades and even generations. Nothing is more important than their well-being, and the well-being of the shooting victim of Sunnyvale who also was assaulted.”

$500,000 tax break available for work truck purchased

Potential truck buyers may be able to find favorable tax treatment of commercial truck purchases this year.

According to the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (IRC), Title 26, Section 179, a taxpayer may elect to treat the cost of any qualifying property as an expense, rather than a depreciable capital asset. Using this tax code provision, business owners may be able to deduct the full purchase cost of a qualifying work truck or trucks, up to the $500,000 limit, for vehicles placed in service in 2011.

As the tax legislation currently stands, the IRC 179 maximum allowable deduction for tax year 2012 and beyond is set to revert to $25,000, so operators considering the purchase of a new FUSO truck or trucks, should certainly consider the tax implications of buying this year versus postponing the purchase beyond 2011.

IRC Section 179 contains a number of limitations and provisions that may affect the extent to which any business can deduct any specific purchase. Consequently, business owners should consult their own tax advisers and accountants regarding their individual situation and the applicability of IRC 179 to it.

Correction: The author of October’s Operations Illustrated segment was incorrrectly identified. It was written by Contributing Editor Mary Foster. We regret the error.

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