Letter: Press your lawmakers on truck tolls

Posted 2/4/16

To the editor:

As in the case of the 38 Studio debacle, the General Assembly was misled with erroneous information resulting in the inclusion of the Sakonnet Toll, Article 20, in the fiscal year 2012 Budget. A toll on the Sakonnet Bridge …

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Letter: Press your lawmakers on truck tolls

Posted

To the editor:

As in the case of the 38 Studio debacle, the General Assembly was misled with erroneous information resulting in the inclusion of the Sakonnet Toll, Article 20, in the fiscal year 2012 Budget. A toll on the Sakonnet Bridge would not have help the economy nor create jobs, and the state stood to lose anywhere from $15 to $30 million in tax revenue due to lost tourism and lost business.

The bills passed in the House and Senate in 2014 was said to:

• create a statewide solution to a statewide problem;

• eliminate redundant spending and save the state money into the future;

• eliminate all RIDOT debt and the need for RITBA bonds;

• ensure gradual, equitable and flexible funding for future adjustments;

• provide a fiscal solution that is fair and equitable to all residents, eliminating undue burden on individual communities (only 1.65 percent of identified funds are from “new” money);

• redirect state spending into a sector that would support/create construction jobs over 10 years, reinvesting sate monies back into our own economy;

• boost the economy without hurting and depleting tourism and state tax revenue;

• prove that the General Assembly is willing to “choose the harder decisions” and is open to bold and innovative legislation;

• demonstrate to residents and businesses that Rhode Island is serious about fixing infrastructure;

• set the conditions for RIDOT’s implementation of a proactive maintenance plan for all bridges and roads; and

• protect the public welfare by restoring the structural integrity of all State bridges and roads, targeting those that are critically deficient.

What has happened? The General Assembly, Speaker Mattiello and the governor continued spending and implementing another tax through tolling the trucking industries, an industry that delivers our food and goods, instead of eliminating waste, fraud and abuse.

Majority East Bay Legislators refused to go on the record when asked, Do you oppose new tolls of any kind? It’s up to you to stop this kind of nonsense. Please contact them and ask them where they stand: Rep. Edwards, rep-edwards@rilin.state.ri.us, 401/624-8879; Rep. Canario, rep-canario@rilin.state.ri.us, 401/683-4926; Rep. Gallison, rep-gallison@rilin.state.ri.us, 508/677-4235; Sen. Felag, sen-felag@rilin.state.ri.us, 401/245-7521; Sen. DiPalma, sen-dipalma@rilin.state.ri.us, 401/847-8540.

Go to www.stoptollsri.com, click on “Issues” and read the top 10 things wrong with the toll plan. Click on “RI Legislators” and see which legislators have not responded or are undecided on the issue of any new tolls.

Antone Viveiros 

Chairman, STOP (Sakonnet Toll Opposition Platform) Committee

Middletown

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