RHODE ISLAND

Rhode Island , like Connecticut and New York, and other states, is having a budget deficit.

Rhode Island's transportation infra-structure costs the state an estimated three hundred and fifty four million dollars ($354,000,000.00). To make up for the anticipated short fall in revenues to fund these programs, the state of Rhode Island is proposing new taxes.

One idea is to charge all Rhode Island drivers a half cent tax for every mile they drive. The tax could be made by charging drivers based on the weight of their vehicles.

Another idea would be to charge tolls of on interstate 95 at the Connecticut border. It is estimated the state could charge three dollars ($3.00) for cars and six dollars ($6.00)for trucks. It is estimated just doing the border tolls could raise another thrity nine million dollars ($39,000,000.00) annually. Just think how much could be raised if there was also a toll at the Massachusetts border on I-95.

Then there is the idea of charging tolls on the three (3) bridges leading and linking Aquidneck Island, and Newport to the mainland.

As for passenger cars, the state of Rhode Island, is thinking of doubling the registration fee from sixty dollars ($60.00) to about one hundred and twenty dollars ($120.00).

The state of Rhode Island is also thinking of raising the state gasoline tax from five cents to fifteen cents a gallon. The state is thinking of putting taxes on other petroleum based products.

As far as the tolls on i-95, that doesn't sound like a good idea based on two reasons: 1) the toll booths could cause possible accidents (Connecticut is a good example of this) and 2) people traveling north and south will turn and travel on I-395 and the Massachusetts Turnpike to avoid the tolls and added traffic.

There are basically three ways to fix Rhode Islands short fall. They are: 1) more and higher taxes, 2) cut the budget items and 3) a combination of the two.

Many of these proposals would require the legislature of Rhode Island to approve. In any event, it should take some time for these measures to be adopted, and to actually be implemented.