To support the fight against the tools, have your local group join STOP = Sakonnet Tolls Opposition Platform. The Portsmouth Business Association invites Portsmouth Businesses who are not members to join us to have a stronger voice. Send an email to TIVERTONSTOP@GMAIL.COM to offer to volunteer. For more information on how to join an organization, call me at 682-2007.

Good information Ray! Yes, this invitation is for ALL in the state of Rhode Island. We need your help!

Anybody who would like to join our petition drive or have a copy of a letter stateing how these tolls will harm you business revenue should cantact this site also, or me

Keep those Emails going to our Federal Delegation. Let them know you want them to stop the process of transfer at the meeting of the Federal Highway Administration. They can stop the tolls if they get involved. Don't take no for an answer.

Good point Joe!

I agree, DOT went and spent a fortune. But the question is, who gets to pay for
a $163 million bridge? Is it the users, or the RI public at large? (The latter is called “socializing the costs”, Obama-style.) If there’s a toll, we pay 83
cents, off-islanders pay $4. If we don’t, we pay 100%, and subsidize all
the Massachusetts people coming here. And Aquidneck Island gets subsidized by all Rhode Islanders, which is the kind of deal EBEC was pushing. Is that what
we want? This is spending that has already taken place. The only thing we can influence is spending that hasn't happened yet.

Businesses in Newport, Middle town ,and Portsmouth will be hurt by a toll on the Sakonnet Bridge. Thousand of Mass residents come to Aquidneck Island spending dollars in Stores Restaurants,and other businesses . Islanders already pay higher prices for fuel food and other goods. This toll will only increases it more as revenues from sales drop. We need to work as a State to fix our long term problems . Tolls on more roads and bridges are not an answer. Sound fiscal policy and a legislature that works toward a better economic environment is what we need.

dont toll.com

We need to get 100,000 Plus signatures statewide to show voter disgust against governor Chafee and the Rhode Island legislature. We need to have people in place in all areas of the state collecting petition signatures. Family friends business associates and large RI corporations with large number of employees.

We will not accept a lower cost toll tax and will not negotiate PERIOD... NO TOLL

Folks; Organizations have formed, are getting organized and are expanding to coordinate and synchronize the efforts to oppose the tolls. To volunteer on several subcommittees such as solutions, media, legislative, letter writing, information, and more, send an email to TIVERTONSTOP@GMAIL.COM to get involved. If your group wants to support the effort, there is a coordinating group called STOP (Sakonnet Tolls Opposition Panel) that already has a dozen groups as members. Call me at 682-2007 and we can figure out a way to work together to oppose the tolls.

could someone PLease explainto big manny i'm trying to stop tolls on here, and also ask the tiverton patch editor why only she allows such comments,

We'll get the 100,000 Plus petition signatures and if Governor Chafee were to ignore that number of voters against this proposed toll his political career would be over. That would be political suicide for Chafee or any politician that supports the toll on the Sakonnet River Bridge.

http://tiverton.patch.com/articles/tiverton-stop-lanch-meeting-unites-town

Any commuters here? Yeah, the costs are rediculous! But what about the traffic back-ups these toll booths will cause! Yikes! It'll take forever for anyone to move on or off the island! NO tolls!

TEABAGGER (n.)
A whining fool shouting loudly for liberty but not willing to pay the bill.

I love the hypocrites who don't want to pay for governmental services such as education because they say they don't use it ...yet don't want to pay the bridge tolls....because they use it. Which is it you fools? Someone has to pay the bill. If you don't like the government's bridge, build your own private sector bridge. Let me know how that turns out.

Hey BD! Do you commute over this bridge daily? No, didn't think so!
Oh, I'd rather be a "whining fool" than a Sheep any day!

This toll is NOT fair to those of us living on the island, nor is it efficient for everyone coming on and off the island especially on a daily basis.

They can't get the tolls started fast enough for the CHEAPSKATES..... Pay up!!!! I do everyday...

All I hear is "What about Raytheon wah, what about small business wah, what about MA commuters wah". Keep crying. Why dont you have the stones to say you dont want to pay. The STOP bafoons are the cheapest people out there. Just admit you can't afford .83 cents...

Well i guess that makes all the former arm services, members whining fools on here by your standards right,Bd all the vets at Raythoen And else where, even active duty Folks who Don't make much, and now the GA wants $30.00 month from some enlisted man family, great payback for his whining sacrifice right, Sad, SAD <SAD, OH NO TOLLS

Folks, I think the point here is that we have ALREADY paid for these services through our taxes and our 33.5cents on every gallon of gas that we buy. The funds were not managed properly and now they want more.

We wont be getting any support from Newport and Jamestown thats for sure. They are bitter about paying there own Tolls. Ya see the comments everywhere, "Ugh. Well Why Does Newport Have to Take the Bill for the rest ah yas?!?!"

BD, What makes the Sakonnet River Bridge any different from the other hundreds of bridges across Rhode Island??? Who's Bridge is it State or Federal Government?
Federal dollars were used to build new bridge...What did the State of RI do with federal highway money,,state income taxes, gas taxes, sales taxes and car registration taxes since 1957??? Thats 55 years "NO MAINTENANCE" ON THE SAKONNET RIVER BRIDGE. Should we get a refund because the State failed to equally fund highway maintenance on the Sakonnet River Bridge??? Any toll tax on the Sakonnet River Bridge would be DOUBLE TAXATION on the people of Aquidneck Island and Newport County.

This is a failure of government and not the people of Aquidneck Island Newport County.

Maybe I'll start a petition to take the Newport bridge toll down. I use the Newport and Jamestown bridges on a almost daily basis. I almost never use the Mt. Hope bridge, yet I have to pay for maintenance on that bridge as well. Then there will be a weight limit on those bridges in 5-10 years because the state can't handle the infrastructure they have now. Not to mention once the state is involved, they'll take any "road tax" money to pay for brunches, company cars, toilet seats, etc. Get over yourselves people...use the bridge, pay the price. I don't see why any of you should be different from the rest of us.

Here is the link to the State of the State show on Sakonnet Bridge Tolls:
https://vimeo.com/channels/365354/50471223

BD, What makes the Sakonnet River Bridge any different from the other hundreds of bridges across Rhode Island? Who's bridge is it State or Federal Government? Federal dollars were used to build new bridge... What did the State of RI do with federal highway money ,state income taxes, gas taxes, sales taxes and car registration taxes since 1957??? Thats 55 years "NO MAINTENANCE" ON THE SAKONNET RIVER BRIDGE. Should we get a refund because the State failed to equally fund highway maintenance on the Sakonnet River Bridge??? Any toll tax on this Sakonnet River Bridge would be DOUBLE TAXATION On the People of Aquidneck Island and Newport County. This is a failure of Government, not the People of Aquidneck Island Newport County.

The silience from upstate on this is getting deafening, New commitee's formed to atract bussiness, panel being formed to study what's wrong, not one word about TOLLS , Tolls that will suck money right out of every person and Business in Newport County, Even Gordon Fox gets on a panel, What ?he doesn't see or care about this issue It is up the us the people to change this, When We got our first little blip of pubplic attention (Thanks Buddy and Clements Market) the qyestion was asked, ? Show us another way! We have been there and done that, Watching the folks who got us here I see no help from them, That leave just Us, American citizens armed with the right to vote and petition our goverment for redress, if the long elected to upstate folks chose to just ignore us, Then We are the bigger fools for keepng them there, 36 days from now we go to the voting booths, SIGN THE PETITION ! WRITE A LETTER!CALL THE RADIO! Join STOP, Contact and help donttoll, This is not a game (at least not to us) 35 thousand by voting day or more would be good, it's in sight, and thousands more by Jan 15, NO TOLLS

1420 new signatures on Aquidneck island yesterday, ! that and 3 new bussiness, just amazes me, How can so many people see the effect tolls on the sakonett river bridge will have and and elected officals only see the money coming in?When this started the buzz word was "it's a done deal" because we have no other way to fund bridge maintance, Well Stop and donttoll hve presented more than 3 or 4 ways to solve this, By Nov, 6th I/we you/us. hope to have over 30,0000.00 thousand signatures and be well into our letter campaige, from then it is the goal to collect signatures from everyone anywhere in RI who agrees that it's insane to #1 Make Newport county the ATM of Rhode Island,# 2 hand millions of tazpayer dollars over to a private company that has no state oversight, put our gas tax and car registration money towards what it is for, we have to stop that money from being a cookie jars for leaders to had out rewards , just patting taxpayers on the head and giving them present paid for with their own money, NO TOLLS, This has to stop

I find more and more Newport addresses on petitions in Middletowntown now, thats fine by me, The toll issue in Newport is almost like the civil war, one guy pay's tolls for the Pell bridge, next guy doesn't, I haven't got an answer for that, well maybe Stop or donttoll do, but I'm just the petition guy, The more folks that sign the the bigger my smile.The thing is tho this isn't about the fairness of Pell bridge tolls, it's about the entire economic engine that runs Newport county and the fuel that runs it being removed from it, Here's a thought, Bars hire bands , WHY? to attract customers right? when the bands that play Newport start paying $10.00 a member just to get to a gig in town do any bar owners think the band will just eat that? Do you think folks coming to see said band wiil pay the stateline cover charge of $10.00 and another cover at your door? just a thought, but i think a thought someone better be thinking about Thats money some bar with never see, tips your bartenders and waitress's never touch, food tax not paid for stuff your cook never makes, Why this is my problem I really don't know, it seems like it's all of our problem, isn't it??? NO TOLLS

Brendan Doherty will be at the new bridge opening tomorrow on the Tiverton side of the old bridge, come and lend support to the only guy who seems to be willing to help us all, or just show up to support no tolls, either PLEASE come. it will be off great help to our cause

TOLLS? NEVER!! So here I am again thinking about how bad tolls will be, but then another question comes into my mind. Now it is said that ALL the toll money will be used for the 4 major bridges and roads in Newport county RIGHT?I would assume that would include paving? road repairs, cleaning and fixing catch basins, sand removal? snow plowing? where will the bridge guys get the equipment needed to do this? Will the toll money go to them and then THEY with hire the DOT to do these jobs after they siphon their cut off the top? I mean i see no other way for this to work, do you?

We all need to be clear on this Toll tax matter. Chafee wants to use our sales taxes, gas taxes,Income Taxes, Registration and license taxes along with our share of federal highway monies from our federal gas tax and federal income taxes we pay. Chafee then uses our tax dollars to pay for the rest of the state bridges and roadways. Then Chafee wants us to pay with the Pell toll tax and the Sakonnet River Toll tax to pay for our own bridges and roadways I call it DOUBLE TAXATION THE AQUIDNECK ISLAND DOUBLE STANDARD.

I have to laugh at all the "83 cents" comments. Do you know that if your vehicle is in excess of 7500 pounds gross vehicle weight, (any typical van or 3/4-ton pick-up) you still pay full toll price, even with a Speedpass? And you have to pay $25 for the transponder. My only source of transportation is my work-van. I cannot afford to own two vehicles in this economy. Sometimes my work requires several trips per day over the Sakonnet Bridge. Tolls would be VERY financially hurtful to my struggling company. I feel that I pay enough in fuel taxes, and registration, which is also based on vehicle gross weight, and more taxes should not be forced on small businesses right now. Thanks for listening to me "whine".