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I find your last comment interesting. "And that, in turn, means that no one will be tolling automobiles for the benefit of the general fund." So automobiles may be tolled in the future? Just not for the General Fund?

I was raised to, "Say what you mean, and mean what you say." That being said, let me explain to you as a tax payer in this state what I expect from all members of the State Senate and House of Representatives.

1) I am barely able to afford to live in this state and I have a good job. No matter who you charge the costs to, I will ultimately paying more somewhere or somehow.

2) I expect, that you create a committee or legislative body or hire an organization that would be able to review exactly where the money from the DOT is being spent, what costs need to be cut to finance the road and bridge repair necessary.

3) Passing a bill that provides for eight new positions is unacceptable. If we can not do it with the personnel we already have then we need to eliminate those people or positions before you allow the Governor to hire anyone new.

4) I would question the Governor how a bill that was passed in less than 24 hours, gave her the time to hire someone from OUT OF STATE to ensure that was the best candidate for a position in which the criteria is not fully written or available to the general public.

5) I would have included verbiage that would ensure the "6,000" jobs this plan was to create would come from Rhode Island firms. Take a ride by any road work signs that do not belong to the DOT and you will see that most are registered in Massachusetts. Too many Rhode Islanders travel to Massachusetts and Connecticut to work.

6) Ensuring that the State of RI has additional debts that the taxpayers already cannot afford, reinforces that young people who do not want to pay for the inaction of previous generations will continue to leave this state to live where it is more affordable.

7) Taxpayers elect officials to be the "watch dogs" of our government officials and ensure that the public's best interests as well as their wishes are fulfilled. Based upon the actions, responses from my own elected officials this does not appear to be the case.

8) Regarding your claim that the Federal Government will not allow funds to be moved to the General Fund is true. Unfortunately there are loop holes in every law and many towns, municipalities and even the State has tapped into funds, such as pension funds, to move it to where they deemed necessary to use for an emergency situation. Often times, these "loans" go unpaid which just lead to further problems down the road.

9) You are missing the point about the "out cry" of taxpayers. We no longer trust the elected officials to do what is right for our State and the taxpayers they are elected to REPRESENT. We are not "ignorant" and when our voices go unanswered, unheard, or just plain ignored because someone else has an agenda we will rise up and become vocal and create a plan to ensure that the next time we contact our representation, they listen to us, postpone a major financial decision until all parts were clear. If not, we will exercise our Constitutional rights to remove the offending parties from office.