Rallies are great but even better when they also offer a solution. Will they be offering a solution to the problem that supposedly brought on the toll? Even if that solution is to work to eliminate everyone the Assembly that voted in favor of this?

Patrick:

Of course, the legislators who voted for this unfair and unacceptable measure should be identified and campaigned against. But, in this case, it cannot end there.

For one thing, one of the legislators who voted in favor does not have an opponent.

More importantly, however, if opponents of the tolls simply limit themselves to campaigning against legislators, our elected officials would not become aware of the strength and multitude of the voices and voters who oppose these misguided tolls.

To simplify the legal situation, these tolls have become law. The "solution" that you request, therefore, is the reversal of this law. That cannot wait for an overturning of legislators at the ballot box.

If I remember correctly working with the RI Department of Administration, in 2003 Governor Donald L. Carcieri (R) relocated most all the departments from the top floor of the building to temporary spaces so he could setup 60 State of RI volunteers as the “Fiscal Fitness Team” to study ways for RI government to save operating expenses (they were being paid for their regular jobs while doing brain storming).

EZ Pass was one of the brain storming suggestions ideas because most of NY, CT, NJ and MA already had EZ Pass. It was an easy way to capture extra funds from those people traveling to CT casinos or Cape Cod driving through Aquidneck Island to bypass traffic jams on I-95 and I-195 in the Providence area.

This is why there was a push to put EZ Pass tolls on I-95 at the MA and CT boarders and back on the already paid for Mount Hope Bridge and now the new Sakonnet River Bridge.

This is really not about collecting enough funds for bridge maintenance as it is more about creating a funding stream.

Why do you think for RI drivers it is $0.83 with EZ Pass (which you must set up a pre-paid monthly account which you get no interest income from)) and $4 for out of state vehicles?

The “Don” got you with Deepwater Wind and soon to be highest electric rates in the nation and now tolls on all Aquidneck Island bridges for your travels.

There is a mindset that anything the goernment does is "free". The costs of maintaining a bridge are enormous. The only way to keep it "free" is to levy a tax on people who do not use it. Sort of the way that the taxpayers in Minnesota paid for the now defunct Providence-Newport ferry. While federal money subsidized it, ridership was high. Once it had to support itself, it folded.

I can't get too unpset.

The only people who care enough about the toll are people who use the bridge frequently. In other words, the minority. The toll will stand.

My business was assessed with a 10% tax on sales by the federal government to begin gathering funds to impliment Obamacare. Ten percent of the population uses or has or will use what I offer. Nintey percent didn't care even a little bit, it didn't effect them.

The tax stands.