That's all I ever hear is that bills get submitted. And then they just sit and die? Push to get them passed. What is the problem? Or does telling your constituants you submitted a hallow bill cover your reelections? Pass a bill already!

The incompetence in the budgeting process at the State level is a known fact. Till we change the players the game will be played obtusely.
The Rhode Island legislature approved the $7.7 billion state budget on June 29, 2011,[1] and Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed it the following day, the day before the start of fiscal year 2012.[2]

Rhode Island has a total state debt of approximately $19,497,824,000 when calculated by adding the total of outstanding official debt, pension and other post-employment benefits (OPEB) liabilities, Unemployment Trust Fund loans, and the budget gap

The headline is quite misleading. There is no plan to put tolls on BOTH the Mt. Hope AND the Sakonnet.

Put a toll on the new bridge after the first exit giving those who live in Tiverton a way around it.....those going to Mass and beyond must pay.....keep the DOT away so it will last

Putting a toll on both bridges would effectively make residents of Aquidneck Island prisoners. You simply would not be able to leave the Island without a fee. That is outrageous!!

A couple of quick options.
1. "Aquidneck Island, A Gated Community of the Future"
2. Secede, we could finally control where our taxes go.

I can't believe the governor wants tolls again - oh yes, we're talking about our governor who won't have to pay to go over the bridges I'm sure. Take care of the people who work on the island and have to leave east bay or tiverton to get there - they aren't making a lot of money as it is, and you want more tolls plus an increase on Newport Bridge. We have to attend functions as part of a military group in Quonet from the east bay and now it's $8.00 round trip and you want to increase that again - shame on you - you should have taken care of the bridges on a regular basis instead of waiting till they got bad, had to be replaced and now you want the taxpayers to pay again. Shame - elections coming up - governor out. Keep up the good work to gallison, felag and bates to trying to keep the tolls off.

If we got the local government to get rid of many nonsense positions and stopped wasting money on pet projects and only spent money on what we need this wouldnt be a problem. The problem is too much Govt, for such a small state. Govt. Doesnt Create Jobs it only steals money from the people that have them

Putting a toll on all the entrances to and from Aquidneck Island is punative to every person who lives here or any buisness that is on this island. We pay TAXES to maintain and build bridges to the state. Put tolls on the bridges to the Porvidence Plantations and see what happens!

I am a retiree with a fixed income. I live on Aquidneck and volunteer in Bristol. If I
have to pay to get there ... even if it is -$40/mo.I will no longer be a volunteer. How
many other people will lose the opportunity to assist where needed?

As a resident of Jamestown, I have been paying tolls on the Newport Bridge since 1985 while the revenue paid for the maintenance of it and the Mt. Hope Bridge. I commute to North Dartmouth 3 times a week and would not consider driving through Providence to access RT 195. And some residents and politicians object to paying a .52 cent for the Mt. Hope Bridge? Give me a break! It's a question of equity and shared costs.

There are many people that pay toll on the Pell Bridge every day. Why not give them a break and let the residents of the Bristol and Tiverton areras anti up for a change?

Why not put toll plazas on I-95 at the Connecticut and Massachusetts borders? Or charge cars to enter Downcity Providence, as they do in London England? Why do the Governor and DOT think that the ONLY option is to put tolls on essentially the only three bridges in the state? Ridiculous!

Gotta cut some fat elsewhere.. We are living in a state where people foolishly think that its a good thing that Police are pulling people over for seatbelt violations.. Its all about the money. We have too much of everything going on. It was a mistake to over develop Middletown for the BIG store like Bestbuy, Staples, Officemax etc. How about the Petco plaza on West Main? Our local Govt has single handedly allowed for the demise of our local economy by letting those companies in. Taking business away from true local families. They better not allow something else to really grab the rest of who is left by the throats.

As someone looking at this from the outside looking in, I've got to say it looks pretty stupid. So if I get this right, the Authority, who's purpose is to maintain the bridges, that have deteriorated under it's watch, needs more money, to support the Authority, and maintain the bridges, that have deteriorated under its watch ??

how much money they getting for the old bridge steel? that could be enough to maintain the bridge lets be fair put a ten cent toll gate in front of every town hall in the state share the pain
o r better yet put a tool booth up on rt 24 just past fish road coming to newport i know all the loacls can figure out how to get around that, then only the out of town suckers get it, of course plenty of places in newport will close but so what, at least the bridge is in good shape, i mean whats more important, maintaining a bridge or jobs, seems simple to me!!

I live on the island and travel over the Mt hope bridge everyday for work....i don't really like the of a toll but if they're going to put it back on there, there should be a toll on all of the bridges

This is all with EZpass. Aquidneck Island, Jamestown, Bristol/Warren, Tiverton residents all pay flat rate .25 on all RI bridges. All other RI residents .83. Out of state power users (10+tolls per week) pay $1 all other out of state Ezpass users $4. OOS cash $5. I wrote something like this the other day.

Wow. Even though I am opposed to the tolls this is a better idea then the damn govt. Would like to see a referendum rider also so that tolls cannot rise unless approved by those residents.

That's an awesome idea.....just hope that's how it would actually work.

Thanks guys

Chafee will sign it. He is signing anything that he can to make money. Why don't they just take all our money and then they can pay all our bills for us and just give us a little spending money. The government wants to run our lives totally.

I'm buying a boat that way i don't have to pay tolls and in RI there are no taxes on boats like there is on cars it's a win win.

I do see both sides of the argument. The people that use the bridges the most thus get the most benefit of those bridges existing should pay to maintain them. Think about it, if you lived in Cranston would you be this up in arms? Of course not, classic case of NIMBY. However trapping people on the island isn't fair or equitable either. I like Matt's suggestion. Locals need to get a better rate. Just like how they put a bigger burden on tourists crossing into Newport, do the same for Sakonnet.
Also, there should be some way to not pay 4x if you drive from Bristol to Tiverton and back - being on Aquidneck for about 3 miles and 5 minutes.

The idea that island residents don't leave the island will become a reality if all of the bridges are included in this toll plan. Plus, we have people here who don't want stores like Target, so we're stuck with Walmart crap, we've lost Best Buy, as well as stores that Walmart forced out like JoAnn's Fabrics. What's left for those of us living and working on the island? We can't even go to Warwick or Fall River then w/o paying a penalty. It must be made equitable for those who live and/or work here.

I am lucky enough to work off the island <sarcasm>. I spend a pretty penny on gas every day and pay my daily toll. My pocketbook can't take much more. I already save all of my shopping when I am over the bridge. This island and the prices on it are pushing islanders like me to purchase goods elsewhere. The only store worth shopping at here is BJ's. The Walmart and Michaels in Warwick are actually priced lower than those on the island. Makes no sense!

I say no to tolls. I don't want to have to pay extra to go get my gas in Fall River. :-p

Very frustrating! Aren't there bridges, used by many, in Providence that can be tolled? Washington, New I195? Why not distribute the tolls fairly rather than concentrating them in one location?

The solution is so Simple and makes so much Sense.

One of the yokes-in-charge previously said that such a large percentage of Sakonnet Bridge users are from out-of-state and that locals would therefore have to pay tolls, too. No way around it, they say. So sorry, they say.

Plates will be photographed and toll fee bills mailed to bridge users.

BUT, wait a minute! IF we HAVE to have tolls- How about all vehicles registered in Newport County do NOT get toll bills sent to them, just the "large numbers" of out-of-towners?

What's so wrong with you use it, you pay for it.

give it a little time, the big huricane will blow into ri knock the bridges down, and all the roadway structures they are ready to fall, then they will get rebuild

Thanks for changing the heading - it's a choice of increasing the toll on the Newport and re-tolling the Mt. Hope OR putting a toll on the Sakonnet. At least the bridges will be maintained.

I'm pretty sick and tired of hearing my fellow island residents complain that they have to pay for the continued upkeep of their technically complicated salt-air besiged direct links to the mainland. YOU LIVE ON AN ISLAND! You aren't supposed to be a part of the mainland and that feature has costs to go with it's (admittedly dwindling) benefits.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH!. Do you think the taxpayers of Podunk ID, Screwed NE and WhattheH MS relished chipping in for the Pell Bridge despite it's complete lack of necessity back in 1960-something? Or, for that matter, in helping to buy us a brand new bridge over the Sakonnet after the island and the state took such crappy care of the old one it couldn't be fixed?
Frankly we better start growing up here on the island and in the state because one of these days a Republican dominated congress is going to show some Federal Parent tough love and if the infrastructure we don't pay for will end up looking like this: http://youtu.be/C31IlOHNzbM
So buck up and start paying for your contrivances....or.....get off the island and start living in the real (cheaper) world.

I agree with Tom. Get rid of the overabundance of unnecessary crony positions on ALL levels of management. Former Gov Alamond stated that state government was top heavy but did nothing except add to it. Go to the Vets Home sometime when they have a dept head meeting & peek into the Conference Room. Not only does every chair around the table have someone sitting in it every chair along the walls have someone in it too. A Lot of people with titles. That's just one small facility in this state & a perfect example of the corruption & cronyism that is woven into the fabric of state & local government as well in RI Now multiply that by every facility in every department. Plus does anyone actually believe that these tolls if enacted would actually go where we are told?

Maybe I can't get my head wrapped around these figures to maintain these bridges, but I find it an awful lot of money in maintaining the Mount Hope and Newport bridges at a 1/4 billion dollars a year? Maybe I need a better breakdown of that $250 million dollars. If we are talking just for the upkeep of these structures(ie. paint, change light bulbs, structual inspections,etc), I find it outrageously expensive. Perhaps I misread the statement of Mr Darlington. How much of this money if given by the Federal government? Look at the Braga bridge in Fall River. The construction on that bridge has been going on for several years now. Is that project funded from the state of MA? Does it come out of there maintenance budget or is it federally funded also?

I live in Tiverton and use the Sakonnet Bridge once or twice a day each way. For those telling us to grow up and pay our fair share to maintain the bridges, I respond that I don't object to paying for maintenance on the bridges I use. But Mr. Lewis cited the poor condition of the Wampanoag Trail bridge in East Providence. I didn't use that bridge at all last year, but Mr. Lewis wants me to pay repair/upkeep on that one, too. So why can't the folks in East Providence help to maintain the bridges here? Rhode Island has a LOT of bridges. EVERYONE in Rhode Island benefits from SOME of those bridges practically every day. Therefore the pain of paying for them needs to be spread through the entire state. My ONLY objection to the tolls is the implication that, because I use the Sakonnet Bridge, I should see it as my civic duty to pay for repairs to bridges in Providence, East Providence, Westerly, and wherever. Sorry, but I see that as the civic duty of everyone in the state, not just the folks in the East Bay. Would it be fair for the governor to say "Okay, no tolls, but everyone in the East Bay has to pay a higher state income tax to pay for the bridges in Westerly"?
What's the difference???

what about the students? I go to PHS but I live in Little Compton, and I do not want to have to pay a toll fee to drive to school, sports, friends houses, or school activities.

So far, this comment by “Robert E” makes the most sense.

Greg Dawley
7:57 pm on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
What's so wrong with you use it, you pay for it.

Robert E
9:57 pm on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Nothing if you did that for every bridge in the state the problem is they want me to
pay extra for the bridges in Newport county that I use and at the same time pay
for bridges in the rest of the state that I don't. Get rid of the gas tax and
everybody pays for only what they use but do not single us out when the rest
of the state gets a free ride. This is nothing more then discrimination because of
where we live.

Maybe if the state wasn't giving Kurt Schilling $75 million plus what ever amount they give to keep him afloat they would have the money to maintain the bridges in this state. Things like this is why we have no money in this state $75 million for video games $0 for infrastructre.

Our bridges are purposely made higher than they need to be in order to accommodate shipping and boating.

That's a cost borne solely by drivers. There is no toll for crossing under our bridges.

Next time just make the bridge 100 feet high and save the drivers who pay to maintain these bridges a whole lot of money.

If they toll the new Sakonnet we'll know fairly soon since the DOT has said they would have to set that up before the new bridge is finished.

I've read some opinions from people who live in Jamestown that they are sick of paying a higher toll on the Pell bridge in order to maintain the Mt Hope.

If that's not calling the kettle black I don't know what is since the maintenance of the Jamestown bridge is paid for without any tolls as are 600+ bridges in the rest of the state that we pay for.

what is amazing is 4 years ago the bridge auth told everyone that the bridge auth make platy of money off the pell bridge. now e-z pass is here an now the bridge auth is short on money, get rid of the middle man an the state take e-z pass cut an the bridge auth get the rest. all of the surrounding states laugh at rhode island , taxes, insurance, electric, gas , the school system, . mean while mass is creating thousands of jobs , rhode island cant creat a 100 jobs. oh wait rhode island has 75 millions for 14 month and 350 jobs , way to go, here an idea take care of the working class family an you might find people might have some money to spend, dont forget 44 percent of the people that go to hi li r from mass. dont forget rhode island has 9 city an town that cross over to mass to buy their gas an food. thanks i hope.an maybe one day i will move back into rhode island.

Add insult to injury with DOT Blunders.......New Westerly AmtrakStation built with DOT and Fed. funds cost 44 mil....currentl only 139 regular users of this new state of the art DOT $$ facility....COST PER USER " $ 316,546.76 " We have the money for this but need tolls on Aquidneck Island.......

It's time to REVOLT !!!!

Folks you REALLY need to take a few minutes to email all the reps. Google RI house of reps and you will find a list with all 75 members and emails. EMAIL THEM ASAP. Aside from the 10 "auto replies" I got, a few from the other side of the state did get back to me and stated that if our reps talk to them about it they would be inclinded to help us. Gov. Chafee can veto what he wants but he is 4 and out. That man has no chance in hell of winning again if he vetoes any bill opposing the toll on the Sakonnet.

EMAIL EVERY STATE REP NOW. THE VOTE IS THURSDAY.

Rep Edwards is a good man and is fighting for us but needs our help!

Rhode Island has 754 bridges. 604 of them are owned by the State and there are tolls on only one bridge with tolls proposed on 2 other bridges all connecting to Aquidneck Island.

No tolls on the Jamestown bridge which has already needed major repairs and that bridge was paid for with funds originally earmarked to upgrade the Bristol County roads.

$28 million for a train station in South Kingstown, $48 million for a train station in Westerly, $1 billion for the new iWay, hundreds of millions spent upgrading Rt 4 and access to Quonset Point, ................. Massive subsidies for schools in Central Falls, Providence, Cranston, Pawtucket, Woonsocket while they are taking money away from nearly every single East Bay community.

When was the last time the State rolled out some grand taxpayer funded project in the East Bay? Roads? Bristol's State roads haven't been paved for 20 years. The current project is rolling along at the pace of a tortoise.

Pick Pocket Politics called tax targeting here.....

The sheep we send to the State House don't know how to get loud " Baaaaaaa"
Revolt !!!

Governor Gump has no clue how to fix the States economy. The death spiral continues. Till people stand up and raise some hell things will never change. I'm not holding out Hope. After Rhode Islanders get kicked in the teeth , then we may hear a little grumble.

1st- ALL Pro-Toll persons for the new Sakonnet bridge *please* let us know what town YOU live in!

No B.S, please, thank you..

2nd- Of all the comments good and bad?

DownTown has it Down!

DownTown gives us valuable FACTS that show the hosing our area gets!

The ORIGINAL Sakonnet bridge is not coming down for lack of tolls, she's coming down because of the various maroons-in-charge over the years kept diverting the funds for the frickin' thing..so WE and WE only should be penalized for the stupidity of our fearless Leaders?! sheeesh..

TOLLS on ALL RI bridges OR just LEAVE things ALONE!

ALL RI bridges having tolls means ALL Rhodites pay THEIR share!
Fair is FAIR is fair..

Gat Dang It All..

the residents affected by these tolls should force their town to give gas tax waivers to all gas stations in town. If they aren't going to pay for our roads, we shouldn't pay their road taxes!

I remember a time the DOT had federal money left over so they cut holes in the bridge deck so they could patch them to use up the federal money so they did not have to pay it back. A year later they had to replace the deck because of their lousy patch job. It is not just a matter of lack of maintence but also destructive actions on the part of DOT that lead to the deterioration of the bridge.

Another $7.5 million for West Bay subsidies with the dredging of the bay to Quonset Point (owned and financed by the EDC).

As usual no announcements about the State spending money in the East Bay.

Remember the State built these bridges to generate revenue through the sales tax from out of state spenders. When these bridges were built, some of that sales tax went to the community itself so we the taxpayers had a stake in it. Now we don't see a penny from the sales tax yet they want us to pay for everyone else's costs. Money that the DOT would have spent on bridge maintenance will go to fix roads elsewhere in the State.

Let's see if the State actually 'gives' the bridges to RIBTA. I had read a year or so ago that RIBTA would buy the bridges from the DOT with the money going to fix the rest of the roads in the State.

From the Fall River Herald
"Local representatives say that despite their opposition, tolls may be implemented on the new Sakonnet River Bridge as soon as December.
The new tolls would be part of Gov. Lincoln Chafee’s proposed budget, which the House is set to vote on today.
"It’s something that I am adamantly opposed to... It seems a little unfair to me and the 35,000 people on Aquidneck Island," said Rep. John G. Edwards, D-Tiverton and Portsmouth, R.I.
"And you might as well cede Tiverton and Little Compton back to Massachusetts."
Read more: http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x40875408/RI-reps-say-despite-their-opposition-tolls-may-be-implemented-on-the-new-Sakonnet-River-Bridge-by-December#ixzz1x9qflzXH

HEY Larry!

NO, Aquidneck Island being the ONLY TOLLS in RI???

NO TOLLS ON THE OTHER 600 and SUMPIN bridges????

If just ONE area of the state pays all the TOLLS, just HOW is that FAIR??? huh, Larry??????????

it's NOT FAIR is right, bucko!

From now on I am buying all my gas in Massachusetts if I have to pay a toll to maintain the bridge then I am not going to pay another cent to Rhode Island in the form of a gas tax.

Aquidneck Island is now effectively tolled off from the rest of the State. Of course when it comes to taxes the State is right there to claim you as a State resident.

From the little I can gather area legislators and one from Cumberland made some impassioned arguments to help the area but to no avail.

No mention of the Mt Hope as far as tolls go but for all practical purposes the Mt Hope is not an escape route from the Island and for me when I go over the Mt Hope it's a prelude to the Sakonnet into MA.

http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2012/06/ri-budget-house-7.html

All of these bridges are now completely ineligible for any Federal transportation funding for repairs while the other 700 bridges in the State are eligible.

Not only are we losing whatever State funds that would be spent on them we are also losing any Federal dollars.

Add those losses up with the State education funding losses and look at the State spending here in general versus the rest of the State and you should be getting the idea that as an area the East Bay is completely unappreciated and for all practical purposes unwanted by the State except as a source of tax revenue.

Has anyone else noticed that the new bridge seems to have a list to the north? Before we accept this bridge from the contractor this need to be checked out we wouldn't want the new bridge to fall over after it is open.

Our Legislators got punked by the Democratic Leadership. . It's time to revolt!

On November 5, 1990, President George H. W. Bush approved the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. It embodied a compromise the Republican President had reached with the Democratic-controlled Congress to reduce the Federal budget deficit. The Act increased the Federal gas tax by 5 cents, with half the increase going to the Highway Trust Fund, the other half to deficit reduction.

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, signed by President Bill Clinton on August 10, 1993, increased the gas tax by 4.3 cents, bringing the total tax to 18.4 cents per gallon. The increase was entirely for deficit reduction, with none credited to the Highway Trust Fund. However, the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, which President Clinton approved on August 5, 1997, redirected the 4.3-cents general fund gas tax increase to the Highway Trust Fund.

That is where the gas tax remains today.

Joe as 24 is a State road rather than a Federal highway tolls do not have to be approved at a Federal level.

How about they leave the old bridge up for locals

What should be done is the federal goverment should be asked to allow RI to place tolls on 95 next year and remove the bridge toll, i believe we could get this done, no reason we couldn't get ALL the reps and senators to approve that, and have our washington folks push it hard, or just get the money from curt shilling

And make the tolls tax deductable, for anyone who is instate or works here

Will school buses be exempt from this/ or did all school sports just rise in cost again?

Hey Larry!

wow, you are one WITTY guy! now, let's take a look at one of your comments, shall we?

" Larry Welsh
12:52 pm on Thursday, June 7, 2012
I live in a town where I pay tolls, and if you pass through my town you will pay tolls too. Fair is FAIR is fair."

WOW! upper case letters! and don't give me that 'ohhhh, i wuz only copying you'
you wrote it kettle..

WHY BRIDGES so TALL?

Newport was built to accomodate a then thriving naval base and all it's ships, my guess is same for the other bridges.

Actually the Navy was against its construction, as it negated the new carrier piers built at Quonset that were to be used for, well carriers and never used but once for the Wasp. They instead settled for the bridge being built with a long center span than would collapse if Bombed into pieces small enough to sink below water to allow ships to pass over it. The towers are also in piece length that would even if straight up in the channel would be below the draught of the ship, if I remember right. Doing all this from memory ;-}.

The Wasp had to remove its antenna structure when it came here to get under the bridge, it was a small class carrier even back then from WWII. I believe there was a Tall Ship that has to take something down also when they do around about the bay parade also.

But you are correct that Military considerations are always involved in any bridge where a military or any ships for that matter travel. Height, width, and depth of the center water opening being the main requirements to be dealt with.

It all became a non issue anyway after the Atlantic fleet was pulled out. On 15 June 1968, Wasp's home port was changed to Quonset Point, R.I., and she arrived there on 10 August to prepare for overseas movement.She played a prominent role in the manned space program, serving as the recovery ship for three missions: Gemini VI, VII, and IX.

She was retired in 1972 and sold for scrap in 1973.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Wasp_(CV-18)

Tiverton dad someplace on here i asked about school busses and the like, the tolls will only add cost to the school budget with kids being bussed around the state for sports, and other towns will have to pay the tolls to, of course the payment for these tolls will fall directly on the taxpayer, i don't know why fire and ambulances would rise, most tiverton folks go to fallriver for health care, of course so do alot of portsmouth folks so their getting a real porking, i think school busses will spend alot more on tolls the ambulances, so that should cover your question about them of course now ever taxpayer in Tiverton now knows their property tax is going up just to pay for school sports, Outrage? the tolls are the most stupid un fair thing the state has done in a while, they should set up the toll booths before fish road coming from fall river, that way locals can get around with out paying thru the nose, I

the toll booth should be placed so thar every local can avoid them, just like in NH, last exit before toll, it's the only way I can see this being fair to local citizen
, someplace before fish road, or after the common fence point exit

Robert E , I am aware of the mutual aid agreement, and i wonder how the tolls will effect this, clearly this whole idea was not thought out, just a hidden tax

And it's not every time Robert E, it's when nessary

" Larry Welsh
1:42 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
Don't tell me about the Navy, Ralph. I actually served in the Navy. Sorry I mocked you, by quoting your "Fair is FAIR is fair" nonsense (I mean that in the literal sense: it makes no sense.)
See you at the toll booth. Don't bother waving."

Yo Larry? WHAT, because YOU were in the Navy MEANS I CAN'T present a FACT about the Newport Bridge?!? I wasn't telling you SQUAT "about the Navy", it was about the bridge.

NOW, Mr Larry, hear this:

My Father was in the Navy 25 years. He was stationed at Newport Naval base in the early 1960's.

I was BORN in the Newport Naval Hospital in 1965.

I REMEMBER taking the Ferry from Npt to Jamestown BEFORE the Newport bridge was BUILT. I REMEMBER the bridge being built to accomodate AIRCRAFT carriers. I REMEMBER the FLEET at the Newport Navy Base was sent to Virginia by Nixon. The Navy had Dad stay here, thankfully. I was THERE through it all, cheify.

Next time you cross said Npt bridge please look UP and see the SHIP OUTLINES in the framework.

So, PLEASE don't give me the 'ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I was in the Navy boo hoo' crap!

I believe in the long run this added toll will be a detriment to the State economy.

The only answer to any question in this State is to spend more and tax more which is why we are 3 points higher than the national unemployment rate.

FOLKS THE SENATE VOTE IS MONDAY. SEN BATES FOUGHT AGAINST THESE TOLLS AND WILL AGAIN ON MONDAY. HE STATED TO ME THAT THIS CAN WAIT AND DOES NOT NEED TO GO IN UNTIL AT LEAST NEXT SESSION IF IT MUST AT ALL.

THESE ARE THE STATE SENATORS. CALL THEM ALL WEEKEND LONG. FLOOD THEM WITH CALLS.

1 Senator Maryellen Goodwin sen-goodwin@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 272-3102 Bio
2 Senator Juan M. Pichardo sen-pichardo@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 461-2389 Bio
3 Senator Rhoda E. Perry sen-perry@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 751-7165 Bio
4 Senator Dominick J. Ruggerio sen-ruggerio@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 222-3310 Bio
5 Senator Paul V. Jabour sen-jabour@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 751-3300 Bio
6 Senator Harold M. Metts sen-metts@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 272-0112 Bio
7 Senator Frank A. Ciccone III sen-ciccone@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 275-0949 Bio
8 Senator James E. Doyle, II sen-doyle@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 729-9988 Bio
9 Senator Michael J. Pinga sen-pinga@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 276-5594 Bio
10 Senator Walter S. Felag Jr. sen-felag@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 245-7521 Bio
11 Senator Christopher Scott Ottiano sen-ottiano@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 222-2708 Bio
12 Senator Louis P. DiPalma sen-dipalma@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 847-8540 Bio
13 Senator M. Teresa Paiva Weed sen-paivaweed@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 222-6655 Bio

14 Senator Daniel DaPonte sen-daponte@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 222-3438 Bio
15 Senator Donna M. Nesselbush sen-nesselbush@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 728-3244 Bio
16 Senator Elizabeth A. Crowley sen-crowley@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 725-8526 Bio
17 Senator Edward J. O'Neill sen-oneill@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 728-3295 Bio
18 Senator Frank A. DeVall, Jr. sen-devall@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 433-4353 Bio
19 Senator Bethany L. Moura sen-moura@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 222-2708 Bio
20 Senator Roger A. Picard sen-picard@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 769-4902 Bio
21 Senator Nicholas D. Kettle sen-kettle@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 473-7784 Bio
22 Senator John J. Tassoni Jr. sen-tassoni@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 233-2602 Bio
23 Senator Paul W. Fogarty sen-fogarty@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 949-0895 Bio
24 Senator Marc A. Cote sen-cote@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 765-3360 Bio
25 Senator Frank Lombardo, III sen-lombardo@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 270-1379 Bio
26 Senator Beatrice A. Lanzi sen-lanzi@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 946-7125 Bio
27 Senator Hanna M. Gallo sen-gallo@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 942-8566 Bio
28 Senator Joshua Miller sen-miller@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 276-5582 Bio
29 Senator Michael J. McCaffrey sen-mccaffrey@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 739-7576 Bio

30 Senator William A. Walaska sen-walaska@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 737-1065 Bio
31 Senator Erin P. Lynch sen-lynch@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 739-8500 Bio
32 Senator David E. Bates sen-bates@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 246-1379 Bio
33 Senator Glenford J. Shibley sen-shibley@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 222-2708 Bio
34 Senator Francis T. Maher, Jr. sen-maher@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 222-2708 Bio
35 Senator Dawson Tucker Hodgson sen-hodgson@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 203-3256 Bio
36 Senator James C. Sheehan sen-sheehan@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 885-1988 Bio
37 Senator V. Susan Sosnowski sen-sosnowski@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 783-7704 Bio
38 Senator Dennis L. Algiere sen-algiere@rilin.state.ri.us (401) 222-2708 Bio

Sen David Bates asked where the economic impact study was on the Senate floor today. I told him the study will ready five years after the toll goes into effect and the State says "whoops".

For me it's not a big deal. I can go 24 to 195 to 103 or 136 to get to my job and family. But with that goes my gas tax dollars, lunch and dinners I stop for, morning coffees, etc. My main fight against this is the stupidity these people have for not seeing the economic impact and the serious loss of money to the state via business taxes. It really blows my mind that these people are suppossed to be so smart!

Heyyy Larry, ONE word- WEAK

Who the heck was BRAGGING?

I SET your ARSE Straight and you come back with

"get off your duff" ???????????????????????????

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAA-HAAAAAAAAAAAA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I gave you my BACKGROUND to tell you:

I WAS THERE and KNOW wtf Happened!

WERE YOU??

'ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm Larry and BRAG about my being in the Navy, ohhhhhhhh, but if YOU mention the Navy I will accuse you of JUST what I DO'

Who gives a fermp if you were in the Navy- it has NO bearing on this article. YOU are the one who brought it up to DISCREDIT my FACTUAL information about the bridge..

So I let you KNOW that I WAS THERE when the bridge WAS built, buddy boy.
And YOU don't LIKE it, huh Larry?

'ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm Larry and talk some bullcrap'

face it now, you ain't got squat ;o)_..

Larry Welsh says to me-

"Maybe it's time you stopped just watching other people do the work and chipped in a little to pay for the bridge maintenance. Get off your duff."

What are saying, Larry? That I should go work on the BRIDGE???

DON'T judge MY work ethic without knowing a thing about it, JUNIOR!

Larry,

giggle- you did NOT even know about the Ships Outlines on the bridge, didja?

So you get mad and fire-off some total WEAK NONSENSE at me..get a life..

p.s. The NAVY SPECIFIED that Aircraft Carriers MUST be able to go under the Npt bridge, or they would have to pull the Fleet O-U-T!

Ya didn't know that either, didja?

giggle

27000 people cross the pell bridge every day at a buck a piece to keep it simple . that’s just under 10 mil a year . Over 43 years that’s 430 mil .The bridge only cost 54 mil to build .which is a great for ribta. Being as it’s the only toll road in Rhode island you would think that the funds from that toll would only be allocated to that road , ah but it isn’t . thank you Rhode island turnpike and bridge authority for maintaining our beautiful bridge . I mean it’s a nice smooth ride if you like off roading . The toll is a cash cow with out a doubt . why do you think they want to toll the new bridge ? The state is broke . There’s about 60,000 of us on the island and we all use the bridges one way or another . The tolls are a horrible idea because the revenue isn’t going to be used to maintain the roadway where the toll is it will pay for all the other roadways that are in need of major repair across the state in the RIBTA care cause they are doing such a great job already . Seeing as I only use the bridge once in a while I don’t really care about the cost to me personally . But our bread and milk and everything else which crosses that bridge will cost us more than it already does . that’s everything for everyone . Not to mention the business we will lose .And if you don’t live around here well then you can just pay the 4 bucks each way and pound sand because ribta and your reps don’t care about you .

tHE POINT IS, THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE(opps sorry) to not use the newport bridge, residents of Tiverton LC portsmouth and otherswill have no choice , it is a tax directed at 5 towns in newport county, no where else in the state will money be raised to maintain this bridge, how much will this effect school sports? frieght? just going to go see mom? I don't know how class action works but i think it may be the way to go, Newport bridge has a much larger tourist number than we fo, and it also has nowhere near the number of daily commuters we do, just insane, will newport county get more school aid, or property tax relief from this, Don't bet on it

I Travel Over The Sakonnet River Bridge 5 Days A Week. If They Put A Toll On That Briedge, I'll Pull A Dukes Of Hazard And Build A Ramp On One Side Of The River And Just Jump Accross. YEEEHAWWW!!!!

My GAWD Larry, are you even paying ATTENTION?!

you said "was referring to the fact that you seem to believe that being spawned by a sailor is equal to actually being a sailor. It's not, because thinking that is just sad."

WHEN did I say that? hmmm, Larry? or even imply it?

I was talking about a BRIDGE and you go ALL 'ohhhh, I was in the navy blah blah blah blah so don't TELL me about a bridge blah blah blah'

And I gave you some INFO as to why I might know about the BRIDGE Larry BRIDGE..say it slow B..R..I..D..G..E..BRIDGE!

My old man ALSO worked in local shipyards after retirement, am I ALLOWED to speak of that? He drove a Chevy Impala, CAN I speak of CARS, Larry?

Okay, Larry, PLEASE give your reply some THOUGHT, good sir!

Hey Larry!

you say "You should pay for the work others do on your behalf. If you are able to but don't, some might think of you as a leach who thinks the world owes him a bridge. The world does not owe you a bridge, Ralph."

Yup, you got me..my whole LIFE has been a QUEST to get a FREE bridge from the WORLD!

Larry? Quit being an ASS! Fair is FAIR, and having the ONLY two TOLL bridges right here is UNFAIR!

Ralph and Larry,
There are some good comments and discussion on this thread. For some reason the two of you continue to squabble about irrelevant things like who severed in the military and who didn’t. That doesn’t have anything to do with tolls on our bridges. If you must continue your argument do us all a favor and take it to private message or email.

Oh, I'm withya on that, TAMORI!

BUT, please read ALL the comments from start to finish and you will see that my "squabbles" are replies to the False words Mr Larry was putting in my mouth.

That said, my sincere apologies to any/all persons traumatized by that crap AND I promise that as far as Mr Larry goes I will/have drop the whole thang!

PEACE

Read them yet?

On the discussion of tolls/bridges I presented what I remembered from back then and THEN Mr Larry comes-back with 'ohhhhhhhh I was in the Navy you can't tell me anything' CRAP

In none of my re-buttals do I SAY or IMPLY I was in the service! And yes, it ticked me off to read his delusions.

That said~ I then let myself go wayyyyyyyyyyyyy to FAR with Mr Larry.

Sincerely Sorry to All!

the stupid military argument in the middle of this basically killed any real conversation that could have taken place. Ridiculous.

@ Dan D,

Bullshite!

What, because I stood-up for myself towards a man lying about me you were PREVENTED from commenting on the bridge?? ANY comment is EASILY ignored, why did you read them?

I apologized for the lack of restraint regarding Mr Larry and NOW you're gonna pile-on and give me crap?!

3rdx~ My Sincere Apologies to Any and All Readers/Commenters!

Seriously

PEACE (you too Dan D!)

Okey Dokey Dan D!

Let the "real conversation" resume!

;o)_..

No, I said my piece because you blamed the whole thing on him, said you were done, and posted twice about it, now you respond to me THREE times. Im done, wont respond to you again. Geez louise.

I think NOT Dan D! It was OVER until you just had to leave a brain-fart of a comment for me. Done and Done THEN ya had to start chirping ..?

I did NOT blame anybody. I merely presented the FACTS of what transpired. And I certainly will not take any BULL from you, good sir!

After I apologized I THOUGHT of a little more to add. Beacuse you can't add to a posted comment I had to use "another" comment box.

SO, it was over.... BUT... nOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Dan D, you just HAD to flap your gums at me when it was done and OVER!
Why did you wait so long to say something? As SOON as someone ELSE made a valid point about it you decided to KEEP it going.

As I felt you did NOT take the time to COMPREHEND exactly what was said betwixt myself and Mr Larry I let YOU know about it and thought it courteous to again relay that I really was sorry about DRAGGING it out.

Hmmm...aren't you doing what you bitched at me for?!!

Now, after spewing erroneous dribble at me you say 'ooooh, I won't respond'

Passive Aggresive MUCH??

I have long wondered why boaters in this state get off without taxation. Geez that would be a lot of revenue. Is that not a tax that would go to the DOT…and could thereby help pay for the bridges? This article (from 2011) explains that if boating taxes returned to RI that it would be a detriment to our economy.

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/home/509294-rhode-island-debates-lifting-boat-tax-exemption

Can Newport County institute a boat tax on its own?

should get our state reps to put in the bill to tax boats, but only those without newport county addresses

http://patch.com/A-v4xb  Check out what I wrote about the tolls and how it could really diminish the quality of the Sunset League.  The oldest living amateur league in the country.

Anybody wonder why Sen. John Kerry (D) MA) keeps his $7 Million Yacht in Rhode Island. ....RI doesn't have TAXES on Yachts. I support Sen.John Kerry for his business acumen. Beyond that.....?? He's a LIMO Liberal.

Larry: I think you are remiss: John Kerry served in Viet Nam and recieved 3 Purple Hearts in three months before he was transfered OUT of Viet Nam due to security raesons.

BTW: I have SEEN John Kerrys Yacht (Isabel) at Hinkleys Yacht Yard in Portsmouth.
I never thought the Yacht was worth 7 Million..(More like 1.5 million)..max. But I just followed the MEDIA Reports. The Media never lies.

If the RIBTA and the State go ahead with the toll on the Sakonnet River Bridge, We the people of Aquidneck Island and Newport County should file suit against the State Of Rhode Island and seek an immediate court injunction to stop the toll for Unfair taxes and discrimination. I feel this toll is uncontitutional and illegal based on southern Rhode Island residents paying a higher tax rate than central and northern Rhode Island communities.

Hey Herb, not certain of that options viability BUT great idea!

If it is possible small donations by a lot of us could cover legal expenses.

Any attorneys out there who could shine a little legality light on Herb's idea?

We all remember all of those Transportation Bonds that voters kept approving on each election cycle, right? Well, guess what? The dummies at DOT were playing the taxpayers for chumps - approve a bond so we can pay the debt service on the others you approved. I stopped voting for those damn things over a decade ago and urged my friends to do likewise. Now you have a debt bill that sucking out approximately half of the DOT budget. No wonder they have no money. They are paying the bank. What fools these people are.