To the editor:

I attended candidate night at Portsmouth Town Hall on Dec. 10 for the District 11 Senate seat.  There will be a special election held Jan. 5, 2016.

Candidates James Seveney — Democrat and vice president of the Portsmouth Town Council, and John Pagliarini — Republican and a lawyer, were asked questions on various issues.

I noted that during the question and answer period that James Seveney didn’t use facts, didn’t seem very knowledgeable on important issues.  Instead he said how he felt and his feelings on various issues.

John Pagliarini used facts to back up his answers to the questions.  It was very alarming to me to hear James Seveney, when asked about truck tolls, say that he was not opposed to the tolls.  John Pagliarini was very firm, no tolls period.

John also stated that there is a law, Dormant Commerce Clause of the US Constitution,  that prevents toll discrimination where one group has to pay tolls and others don’t.  He said what could happen is that the trucking association could file a lawsuit against the state.  Then all vehicles would have to pay tolls.  He also wants the gantry removed from the Sakonnet Bridge.

When the moderator asked the candidates about their stance on RhodeMapRI,  James Seveney was not opposed to that either.  John Pagliarini was very much against it.  He stated it would interfere with the cities’ and towns’ right for sovereignty.

Many of us worked very hard to fight tolls on the Sakonnet Bridge STOP.  To hear a candidate state he is not opposed to tolls was very upsetting to me.

Registered voters in Senate District 11, please vote in the special election on Jan. 5, 2016.  Don’t let tolls happen.

Donna Cook

Tiverton