The rebuilding of the Washington Bridge is going to be done with GARVEE bonds.  In other words, the State of Rhode Island is going to borrow against future money that we will receive from the federal government.  You may think that sounds reasonable until you understand that RIDOT will be receiving $334,580 million and RI taxpayers will be paying an additional $204 million in interest to get it. That means taxpayers will be paying $538,580 million, but only $334 million will actually fix the bridge. We are wasting 40% on interest payments. Might as well light a match to it. 

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If you’re like me, you hate wasting money.  Well, that $204 million is wasted money.  Wasted because no one has been providing oversight to RIDOT. Wasted because Director Alviti was allowed to neglect regular maintenance of the Washington Bridge. Wasted because small trees, weeds and refuse were allowed to clog the drains. Wasted because RIDOT was allowed to cut trained engineers from the staff and replace them with interior designers, a furniture store salesman, a zoo manager and other inexperienced people with degrees in political philosophy and theater.

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When I say no one, I mean no one.  Governor McKee lets DOT do whatever they want. Even after the federal government found contaminated filler being dumped at the 6/10 project, Sheldon Whitehouse and the other members of the Congressional delegation didn’t care enough to investigate the problems plaguing the department that has received massive amounts of federal money.  Speaker Shekarchi and LIUNA employee, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio failed to provide any supervision. In fact, they fight against it.  The entire Democrat political leadership closed their eyes and ears to any idea of providing meaningful oversight. 

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From engineering reports in 2015 they knew the bridge needed care and preventive maintenance.  The bridge engineers had submitted multiple reports on the aging of the bridge and steps that could be taken to strengthen it and prolong its life. They were not acted upon.  Our Democrat politicians from top to bottom didn’t just cover for the incompetence and waste, they ignore any evidence that would have cast doubts about the effectiveness and competency of RIDOT.

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This past week we were told that not one bridge construction firm from across the nation had submitted a bid on the Request for Proposals to rebuild the bridge. Not one wanted to make hundreds of millions of dollars in Rhode Island.  Releasing that RFP was a waste of time and will prolong our driving misery by additional months.  

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That can happen when the state sues every firm that ever did any kind of work on the Washington Bridge but takes no personal responsibility.  That can happen when you don’t pay your vendors in a timely manner and instead make them threaten legal action.  That can happen when the RFP you released was so poorly written that not one construction firm was willing to accept the risk of working for RIDOT. In other words, our Democrat political leadership passed the buck for their negligence onto others, on to any one in the past or future who might build our bridges. 

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Again, who suffers?  Taxpayers will be wasting $204 million to get $334 million. At all times of the day, drivers will be sitting in bridge traffic wasting gas, time and money to cross it. Our economy, especially in the East Bay, will continue to suffer financially as restaurants and small businesses bear the brunt of the bridge fiasco.  Ultimately, the high cost of living and our quality of life will suffer. 

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Voters must hold them accountable for the waste, fraud and abuse they enable.

 

VOTE Patricia Morgan for US Senate!