The fact that the new leadership team in the RI House of Representatives features two East Bay members (see link below) can only be a positive for the effort to eliminate tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge. Having Rep. Jay Edwards (Tiverton/Portsmouth) as the Majority Whip and Rep. Ray Gallison (Bristol/Portsmouth) as the Chair of the Finance Committee should give the major concerns of East Bay residents and businesses a clear voice in discussions as the effort to eliminate the tolls moves forward.
The new House leadership has a unique opportunity to solve two enormous problems at once. By enacting the Statewide transportation-funding bill crafted by East Bay legislators, State leaders can both finally put a reliable infrastructure-maintenance process in place (mostly without new taxes or fees), and also eliminate the wildly-unpopular, economy-destroying Sakonnet tolls. If they fail to act, neither issue is going away. Even RIDOT had to acknowledge that the funds generated would take the State's infrastructure from worst to first in the nation. And given that most (if not all) candidates for Governor oppose Sakonnet tolls, and opposition in the East Bay will only grow more vocal, Sakonnet tolls will not stand.
It's rare that such an opportunity is available to political leaders. There are two possible outcomes. One scenario is that State leadership approves the transportation-funding bill, and are hailed for both stepping up to address infrastructure needs and preventing the economic-disaster tolls would create. The alternative is that State leadership fails to take this opportunity to address infrastructure needs, the tolls continue and increase, and the battle on both fronts gets more heated and complicated.
The new leadership has rightfully called the economy and jobs their top priority. Passing the transportation bill will support this goal by improving our failing roads and bridges, as well as stopping the economic damage (and lost tax revenue) resulting from tolls. It's a historic opportunity that the voters of Rhode Island should push their elected officials to take, and not push these problems further down the road.
http://www.heraldnews.com/article/20140327/NEWS/140326396
Brian Medeiros
Tiverton, RI
No comments:
Post a Comment