I just added a video to this post. Be sure to check it out!

I LOVE the Liberals when they get bit in the ass by their own policys. Raize Taxes. Impose tollls. These protesters are not conservatives. Conservatives don't show up with signs. Just sayin'.

April 24,2009 the construction of the Sakonnet River Bridge began. The contract with the construction company includes an early incentive clause, up to $5 million. The total cost of the bridge was 163.7 million.

The bridge sees 40,000 vehicles per day.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) in 2009 had obligated more than 50 percent of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). RIDOT received over $137 million in stimulus funding from the federal government. The federal government had an imposed timetable time table of July 2009. RIDOT reached this point on March 16, 2009.

Did the Sakonnet River Bridge ever receive any stimulus funds and if not why not ? The bridge was a shovel ready project prior to March 2009 and did not start until April of 2009. It seems odd that the state web sites make no mention ARRA funds for the bridge. Who pays the 5 million incentive clause payment to the contractor?

Did the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) lose out on stimulus funds for this project and now they want the tolls to pay for it ?

The Providence Journal reported that federal funds were used to help pay for this project. We have been told tolls could not be placed on other bridges or roads because of "federal funds" but this one can.....What is the real story?

Why then are they placing tolls on the Sakonnet Bridge which is under construction and not all the other bridges in the state that are under construction ? I think it has something to do with federal funds .The bridge does have a bikepath. .

RIDOT should explain the reason for the tolls along with how the two bids were given out . At the time of the two bids it was called " unique "

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) issued bid specifications for two types of Sakonnet bridge designs for the same structure. One steel the other concrete. The steel bid was accepted by the state .The steel option saved $25.7 million less than the concrete.

Under federal rules if ARRA /stimulus funds were used to build the bridge with foreign steel the EPA would have to grant a waiver of the Buy American requirements of ARRA Section 1605.

If the bridge was built with concrete at an additional cost of 25.7 million using concrete was it possible half the total cost of the shovel ready project could have been paid for with stimulus money as no waivers are needed for concrete made in USA ?

Has anyone got answers ? If they want to collect tolls the whole project should get a review .

http://www.ri.gov/press/view.php?id=7441

http://www.epa.gov/ogd/forms/Buy_Am.pdf

It has nothing to do with federal funds you can not toll an interstate highway without federal permission rt. 24 is a state highway not an interstate that is why they can toll.

I am opposed to the tolls, but Councilor Staven front and center protesting? Really? She finds fault with the state imposing a toll (user fee) on the bridge but charges me $135.00 a year to use the transfer station and now an additional $75.00 for a load of construction debris from re-shingling my shed? And her new Town Administrator is going around talking about raising mooring fees, making money off the Sandy Point Beach, and on and on. At Tuesday's meeting I'm sure you'll hear all kinds of rhetoric from Ms. Staven, Kesson, Pedro & Robicheau against the tolls but how can anyone take them seriously when it is the same approach they and the PCC have always taken to local government: whether its the transfer station or after school activities like sports, art, or music, for students, their response is "let the user pay". If we have a hurricane this year and they set up an evacuation center at the high school be prepared to pay a cover charge at the door.

Forget trying to make judgments based on the logic of specific tolls and fees. The only logic to be applied here is to realize that Chafee and the GA will tax anything and everything to support education, hospitalization, medicare, housing, food stamps, welfare, etc. for the illegal aliens being recruited daily--there is no end to this progression unless some serious logic is applied in the November elections--but don't hold your breath you could die.

There will not be a charge, since previous councils did not see the need for the field house to be built to specifications for designation as an emergency shelter. Further, the transfer fees were instituted by previous councils, as well. Finally, you failed to mention that it's all President Bush's fault.

What they should do is charge a Rhode Island resident with a transponder no fee at all to cross the Sakonnet Bridge. I know that RI residents only pay 83 cents to cross the Jamestown Bridge . The problem now is the people who do business on the main island will have to pay either way Jamestown or Sakonnet Bridge - NOT BUSINESS FRIENDLY- Toyota of Newport gives you a real US two dollar bill if you get your oil changed there and your from Jamestown . The two dollar bill idea is cute but how many businesses in Portsmouh can afford to give customers the toll charge over the Sakonnet Bridge - You wonder if more shops will close - It almost looks like the Rhode Island General Assembly is trying to destroy business in Rhode Island on purpose.
When does it end ? When everyone is eating C rations or MRE -meals ready to eat?

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/5254

DO what was first proposed, raise the fee's on the Newport bridge, when it was built there were tolls and everyone knew it,for decades , anyone crossing that Bridge for work schoolr play did so knowing they would have to pay to maintain it, From what i heard the first plan was $1.00 for residents with a transponder $5.00 dollars for out of state or no transponder, did they think to tolls would never rise, i you can't use the gas taxes because to be fair about it then you gotta remove the Newport bridge tolls so thats out, Not alot of folks use that bridge to go to the doctor, go shopping, to church to school or college or to visit family, they had to be aware toll fee's were going up sometime SO the elephant is now in the room the the us and them fight begin thats the best way to do this period everyone knows this nobody wants to say it to bad, the and i hate to say it because i'm a semi democrat but the democrats did this period, when this was first even whispered about they should have been everywhere letting ell the newport county voters know, why was it a dirtylittle secret what deals were made and where are the economic and other studies put it right where it is and let the folks using it pay for it, And I will not vote FOR anyone who says we must mitigate( make less harsh) this, bull!!!!! do your job and help us stop this and anyone who says this petition effort is a waste of time especially anyone holding office should be voted out of office period.

If people are going to make this fight about liberal verus conservative, Democrat versus Republican you have lost already. Guess what? Everybody is going to be charged the same amount. Leave the partisan signs at home. The only message should be No Tolls!

I think I may have forgot something: LIBERALS Run the state..SO..The TOLLS you people are looking at came from ...FROM WHERE...?? Please enlighten me...

Gov Chafee will be in Portsmouth August 23 on Thursday morning at 8:30 AM.
He will be talking to the residents of Portsmouth about the bridge.
August 23 is the correct date

The politicians have a formula for getting votes .They know that for every one person that shows up at that meeting it equals ten votes for their political party .

The protesters need to get together and have a strong showing at this meeting . If they don't let you in hold a rally at the front door - get the media involved -how much is enough ?

August 23 - Thursday Gov Chafee

http://www.sakonnet.com/news/2012/aug/06/governor-host-small-business-forum-portsmouth/

jesus folks it not time to play someone did this card, it's time to play "hey i got the folks who are voters card, " again if any state rep had taken off their shoe and beaten a desk or tossed it at Fox or Piava Reed It would have gone National instead we got and still get"this can be mitigated" god damn any world war in history started out with Mitigation, F the folks who placed this on us and f the folks who want to appease us by mitigation i'm not talking DEM OR REP OR TCC any one who tiptoes around this issue like i caN FAKE IT LONG ENOUGH TO GET REALEGTIED or what ever the word is edwards spend more time chasing the eveil tcc than he did protecting all of us jeseus folks wake up Vote the Person and his convictuions not who they n know, step up and help each other on this one, we may all be monkeys in a barrel but we can still beat the chimps throwing bannana peels at us fron upstate. Really what deal was cooked that folks with a big voice just say roll over and believe us. I would run for public office right now but i don;t suffer fools gladly as my dad use to say" don't pee on my head and tell me it's raining"Just stop this stupid idea cold tell your reps stop this cold. i am and other are ready to lay in front of bulldozers to stop this , will you let you reps sit there and go "oh well?'

August 23 on Thursday morning at 8:30 AM. This is typical of Gov. Gump. Hold the meeting when the majority have to work. Why not at night so business people can be there.

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.

I find it rather disturbing that the biggest newspaper in the state is acting like none of this exists, like newport county is just an amusement park for the state to be ignored and used just for money, Why would anyone advertise in pro jo if it's going to cost any one without a transponder just to come look at your product

I just have to say, Peggy, plenty of people who plan to vote for Romney wear tshirts and backwards hats. Do you think all Conservatives wear golf outfits 24/7 or something? I suggest you make an effort to get outside the social stereotype box before you insult even more people.
mjm, there are lots of folks who are legal US citizens who legitimately need food stamps, unemployment, and other types of assistance. Properly administered it is a civilized way to ensure nobody ends up homeless, hungry or without medical care.
I live in Portsmouth and commute to Providence for work every day. I am less concerned about the 83cent toll each way than I am about the overall combative and uncooperative attitudes most people have these days as well as the lack of information most people have about the much more serious national issues before us.
Instead stereotyping each other making uninformed remarks about immigrants, please try to educate yourselves about the deep &@$; you will be in as middle class citizens if the Romney/Ryan ticket is elected. Seriously. Really do some research. Go outside your comfort zone and learn who these men really care about (it's not you & me) and you won't be worried abou the toll anymore!

I did the research. That's why I'm voting for Romney/Ryan. The national debt has grown faster than ever. We need to get the Tax and Spenders out of Washington . The Tea Party is the only hope for our nations long term health.

Jane - aren't the middle class ALREADY in deep &@$; ? It has only gotten worse since Obama got in office. Everyone has this "Tax the Rich" attitude. The problem is, when you "Tax the Rich", they stop spending money. They don't buy new cars, new houses, travel as much, etc... And while that is a far cry from a travesty, the issue becomes that when ANYBODY stops spending money, most of us suffer in the form of job losses. And no, I am not rich. My husband was out of work for 18 months and I have taken 3 pay cuts due to the wonderful economy Obama and his buddies have inflicted on us. And please,,, don't tell me it was Bush's fault.

The Bridge Toll has been on the table for the past year or so, these rallies, petitions and radio talk shows should have been going on 5 months ago...not now. The only way to fully know whats going on is to do research...real research. People should forget voting by party lines and listening to what the candidates stand for, who they are and how've they've acted in the past. Although there is a chance they may vote in the state on certain topics because of party lines, there is a better chance they will stay the course of their character.

Do your homework.

Sorry Jane, but I'm not worrying about buying a car or a trip. I'm trying to buy food and prevent my house from being foreclosed on. You totally misunderstood my comment.

The Newport County Chamber of Commerce held a meeting with Senate Preident Paiva-Weed the day that the legislature voted to give the bridge to the RITBA. Buddy Croft (Dir of RITBA) was there. He said that out of state commuters are already allowed to use the commuter rate to go over the Newport Bridge, and there wouldn't be any reason to have out of state commuters pay more than this rate to use the Sakonnet River Bridge.

This means that you would pay $5.46 for 6 crossings ($.91 per trip) for 6 crossings in 30 days. I guess if you use this plan and only cross once, you are going to pay $5.46 for one crossing, but it is meant for commuters, so this really should not happen to anyone. You can view the different rates for the Newport Bridge here: http://www.ritba.org/nbtolls.html

This doesn't make the problem of the unfair bridge toll go away, but might make it a little easier to swallow for some. I have not seen anything from RITBA officially stating what the rates will be for the SRB, other than that they will be 'the same'.

how does an out of state commuter get that rate" i went over the Newport bridge today and back again, took $8.00 bucks out of my Jersey transdponder, What about the the girl living in ma who drive to her job in a pizza place in portsmouth then back to fall river for school and back to work and then home, and what about the vice versa girl school in prov, back to island?
How many out of state commuters are there on that bridge? Folks from Conn are cummuters? REALLY?
So we will all still be FORCED to buy transponders just to leave the island? unlees we detour threw Bristol stupid idea, NO TOLLS
leave the where they are make that out of state c ommuter pay more instead of shafting al of Newport county

Mount Hope Bridge can't handle extra traffic. About 40,000 cars a day go over the Sakonnet Bridge . The tolls will send thousands and thousands of people seeking to avoid the tolls over the Mount Hope Bridge.

The Town of Bristol has a population of around 3000. What happens whem 25 percent of the vechiles decide to avoid the toll bridge or an additional 10,000 cars across the Mount Hope Bridge into Bristol up 136 and 114 A per day ? The bridge can't handle it !

It's time to start thinking rebuilding the intersections on both sides of the Mount Hope Bridge to give the traffic somewhere to go and police details 24/7 .

You wonder if the Towns of Bristol and Warren have any idea of what gridlock looks like ?

Bristol and Warren already have traffic problems, especially at rush hour. Metacom and Hope streets were not designed or built for the traffic they have now. When the Sakonnet Bridge is tolled, their traffic woes will only increase. Residents of Bristol & Warren should be opposing this toll just as vehemently as residents of Newport County. Write to our Governor at 82 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02903 and tell him just how you feel. His office doesn't respond to emails anyway.

Mike Burke such a good deal you got the folks in TIVERTON

Vote all embumbants out !!!!!!!!!!!!! They do not deserve the right to represent us. they embarreses us and only complined with the rest of the town after the fact they already jknew a toll was going up. the rest, like gov chafee coming is all polical BS. If any one deserves a praise it is Jeannne Smith who started this poetition. Many good people, Joe souza, Mr( cicocco?) The courageous ones stood out in therain, got poetitions signed, and stood for all for people,. Represnting them for a better life here on the Island that is going to close down within 5yerars. Lifewwont be the dame. Praises to those whio got out thier and hada voice. You ae the people with the courgae and guts. God bless you. I hope we don't hear the last from the good peole out there who care. Politicians in office..........vote OUT