More Truck Toll Follies

Barrington, RI: Today Barbara Holmes, Chair of the RI Republican Conservative Caucus issued a prepared statement on the current situation with Truck Tolls in the Ocean State. Last week the Raimondo Administration lost its second consecutive court ruling on the matter. The State’s Superior Court is again on record as acknowledging the Federal Court jurisdiction over the matter. The suit in question was brought by the American Trucking Association to invalidate the state’s authority for selective tolling. “It appears that construction on Toll Gantries around the state has been proceeding on nights, weekends, and holidays since it began.” RCC Chair Barbara Holmes noted. “Yet there seems to be a sound legal argument against the Administration’s plan to use them on trucks. What Gives?” She asked. The usual spend first and then increase taxes or, in this case, toll, and the people won’t notice, she answered.

At its March meeting the consensus of the RCC Membership was clearly against continued construction on the Toll Gantries, given the likely injunction the Administration faces against using them on Class A trucks, only. “Without a doubt.” Ms. Holmes continued. “The hidden agenda here is to sink so many public funds into the capital investment that the Governor will be able to claim she has no choice but to recoup those costs through universal tolling.” Public statements by the Raimondo Administration on the scope and intent of its Tolling Program have been met with cynicism from all quarters. “The accepted wisdom is that tolls on privately owned cars would have been too inflammatory to ever receive initial Legislative support, so Trucks were chosen as a politically palatable alternative, at the beginning of this effort.” Holmes said. “Once the tolling infrastructure is bought and paid for, most Rhode Islanders believe that court ordered universal tolling will be just fine with the Governor.”

If, in fact, the construction is proceeding with maximum overtime in the nearly certain knowledge that tolling trucks, alone, will be invalidated, the people’s will is being ignored in the blind quest for revenue. “If the real objective is actually that duplicitous.” Barbara Holmes remarked. “Then the panic to satisfy short term funding needs will only succeed in further burdening the Productive economy of our state.” Rhode Island already ranks at or near last in all national measures of favorable business environments in America.

The Republican Conservative Caucus is an arm of the Rhode Island Republican Party. The RCC concerns itself with identifying, recruiting, and supporting State Legislative Candidates and with speaking out on issues which threaten individual choice by imposing collective requirements. Learn more on Facebook at RI Republican Conservative Caucus.

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