STATEMENT: Two Reasons Why Trucker Toll Plan is Misguided
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2015
|
| Trucking Toll Proposal Demonstrates Lack of Discipline; Disguises Spending on non-Essential Projects |
| Spending Priorities Must be Set; Strip Out RhodeMap RI type Mass Transit Plans |
| It was a lack of fiscal discipline that allowed the Ocean State’s bridge and road conditions to become degraded in the first place, therefore renewed spending priorities must be a major part of the solution. This according to the Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity, nonpartisan public policy think tank.
The proposed trucker toll represents the typical status quo method of taking the easy approach of tapping some group to pay for costly government programs, instead of taking the more responsible path of prioritizing spending over other elements of the budget. Also, as part of that discipline, the state should only spend money on essential repairs and upgrades, and not on new, non-essential mass transit projects that could cost billions in extra public funding. “Clearly, something has to be done to ensure we have a safe infrastructure. And we must seek to find that money in our existing budget,” commented Mike Stenhouse, CEO for the Center. “Mass transit is not a pressing need. We urge legislative leaders to strip out all non-essential spending from this effort.” Governor Raimondo has hinted, but provided few details, that some of her infrastructure program would include major mass transit programs, which arguably are not necessary. Heavy taxpayer investment in mass transit is one component of the unproven ‘sustainable development’ philosophy, which was the basis for the controversial RhodeMap RI plan. “Often, major mass transit programs turn into bloated government boondoggles; clearly something Rhode Islanders cannot afford right now,” concluded Stenhouse. |
| Media Contact: |
|
Mike Stenhouse, CEO
|
| About the Center |
| The nonpartisan RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity is Rhode Island’s premiere free-enterprise think tank. The mission of the 501c3 nonprofit organization is to return government to the people by opposing special-interest politics and advancing proven free-market solutions that can transform lives by restoring economic competitiveness, increasing educational opportunities, and protecting individual freedoms. |
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!