Toll+Booths+in+RI

Democracy and Active Citizenship Project
 * What should be prepared for the Dialogues in Democracy Night? Click the link below to find out: **

__Bill or Policy:__


** Lobbying Plan ** **Statement on your project:** Rhode Island’s roads and bridges are falling apart and only by increasing revenue can we bring our infrastructure back to good working form. **Find a sponsor (State Rep, Town Council, School Committee):** - Governor Chaffee **Build coalitions of support:** - Drivers will be asked to help because the condition of the roads mostly affects them. **Try to work with your opposition:** - Citizens who are against raising more revenue. - Connecticut drivers who cross over to Rhode Island every day. Are there ways for you to work with opposing groups? - Yes, we can show them the conditions of the roads and then tell them that they will all be fixed if we add tolls. **Plan for attending committee meetings:** What testimony will you provide? - Our roads are in very bad condition and need to be fixed as soon as possible. - Increasing revenue will increase Rhode Island’s overall income and we will have money to fix roads. - Increasing revenue will also help stop Rhode Islands growing debt. Will you produce signs for your meeting? - Yes, they will say “Ease the burden, support raising revenue!”
 * __Lobbying Plan:__**

__Direct Action Plan:__
Planning Direct Action
 * Our goal is to add tolls on i-95 near the Connecticut border, as well as the Massachusetts border. Also to put a tool in router 146 near the Massachusetts border.
 * With our direct action, we will get about 40 people who have had issues with the road conditions to meet at one of these locations and hold a rally to show the drivers how the amount of problems that we are getting out of the horrible condition the roads are in.
 * This will be held near Lischio field. We will be holding our event there because the roads are in a miserable condition
 * Hopefully this will bring in revenue so the state of Rhode Island will have money to help fix our roads.

__Leaflet / Flyer:__
Fixing up Rhode Island’s Roads

**What we plan to do. ** We plan to raise money and fix the roads in Rhode Island to create a better driving experience.

**What you can do. **  Join us at Lischio Field and help us convince people to add tolls and fix our roads. **Zachary Culhane and Peter DaSilva ** Zachary Culhane Rhode Island Peter DaSilva
 * Phone - 401-523-8267
 * Address- 37 High Street North Kingstown,
 * Phone- 401-741-0171
 * Address- 104 Butternut Drive, North Kingstown

__Letter to Elected Official:__
Peter DaSilva, Zachary Culhane Students Against Crumbling Infrastructure ** 401-295-2340 ** Peterddasilva@yahoo.com 104 Butternut Drive North Kingstown, 02852

May 19, 2010 Lawrence Ehrhardt Room 323 State House 82 Smith Street Providence, RI 02903-1105

Dear Representative Ehrhardt

I am writing to you today to address the major infrastructural problem in Rhode Island. Needless to say Rhode Island has been having problems funding the many projects and improvements needed for our roads. According to a report sent out by the Blue Ribbon Panel in 2009, Rhode Island only has 42 % of its roads in good or excellent condition. Furthermore 164 bridges are considered structurally deficient, 61 with weight limits. According to the Blue Ribbon Panel, Rhode Island transportation funding to maintain good road conditions has been predicted to be approximately $640 million, and actual funding for transportation is approximately $350 million a year. This creates a spending gap of nearly 300 million dollars in unfunded needed transportation. This has become a huge problem, especially since Rhode Island has needed to issue $40 million worth of bonds for every fiscal year to help pay for the $350 million of transportation funding we do have. These bonds are a huge problem and are worsening Rhode Island’s major debt problem, which is the worst, or near the worst, in the nation. Furthermore, besides bonds, the only way Rhode Island pays for transportation is the gas tax. In this day and age Rhode Islanders cannot be asked to pay more for gas, which is already extremely high. Representative, I propose to you that you get serious about transportation funding. There has been talk about putting tolls on road like I-95 near the Connecticut border, and I urge you to support this cause. No one like tolls, but if it is the only way to fix our roads, and reduce our deficit and debt, then Rhode Island needs to consider it.

Sincerely,

Peter DaSilva Zachary Culhane



__Letter to the Editor:__
To the Editor, The roads and bridges in Rhode Island are falling apart. The revenue for transportation in the state is generated through the gas tax, bonds, and federal aid. In all, Rhode Island gathers about $300 million in revenue for transportation, when it really needs closer to $600 million. On top of this, Rhode Island only provides 27% of the transportation revenue in the state, the rest being either borrowed or federal aid. This borrowed money is much of the reason for Rhode Island’s debt problems. To fix these problems Students Against Crumbling Infrastructure supports the creation of tolls on interstate highways. This will produce //much// needed revenue, by taking in $2 to $3 in toll revenue from people coming in and out of the state. Furthermore this will not only affect Rhode Islanders, but will be shared by citizens from Connecticut and Massachusetts who come to Rhodes Island to work. It will be placed on I-95 near the Connecticut and Massachusetts border and will be placed on route 146 near the Massachusetts border. These tolls could produce greater than 60 million dollars in revenue for the state per year. Many states have tolls such as this to produce important revenue, Rhode Island needs to join in if we are to improve and maintain the conditions of our roads and bridges

Sincerely, Peter DaSilva Zach Culhane

__Public Service Announcement:__


REMINDER: Dialogues for Democracy will be held at 7:00 PM Thursday June 9th in the high school cafeteria. You are required to be there.

Project Completed by: Add your names here. You can add you email addresses if you want people to be able to contact you