Political Scene: Only Four Legislators Attended the Governor’s Rah-Rah Tolls Event Featuring VP Biden
So reports today’s must-read-as-always Political Scene in the Providence Journal
The four Democrats who attended the event under an East Providence highway overpass: Senators Gayle Goldin and Josh Miller, and Representatives Aaron Regunberg and Arthur Handy.
All other legislators, including those who voted for Governor Raimondo’s RhodeWorks toll plan and, notably, the House Speaker and the Senate President, apparently had other plans that precluded them from attending this high profile event.
Oh dear. What happened? Are tolls so politically unpopular with voters that they caused legislators to forego a significant opportunity to get some juicy media attention during an election year? (Don’t be misled by your legislators’ absence. See how your rep voted on tolls here and how your senator voted here.)
Important side note: the attendance of Senator Goldin and Rep Regunberg, who represent Providence, at this event is especially disturbing as, under the preliminary list of gantry locations, five business-strangling gantries would encircle Providence. Respectfully, honorable legislators, how could you attend an event to publicly condone (much less vote for) a new revenue stream that will inevitably heavily damage the residents and businesses in the city that you represent?
Monique is a political gadfly, data junkie and contributor to the Ocean State Current and Anchor Rising. Please consider supporting the terrific work of the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity here:
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