Council could be on wrong side of history

Posted 2/23/12

To the Editor: As a business owner in Warwick for almost 20 years, I am troubled and frustrated by the City Council’s actions involving the Airport expansion. My business pays a hefty sum in …

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Council could be on wrong side of history

Posted

To the Editor:

As a business owner in Warwick for almost 20 years, I am troubled and frustrated by the City Council’s actions involving the Airport expansion.

My business pays a hefty sum in taxes to Warwick every year and the council’s actions have put that in jeopardy, not to mention the jobs we provide. Those of us on Airport Road are held captive in a state of limbo by the council’s ill-advised last minute actions. How much longer must this situation drag out? Where has the council been over the last 10 years as this expansion has been kicked around? This seems to be politics at its worst.

Anyone who lives abutting the airport is aware that at some point their homes could be taken and businesses would either close or move. It is this state of perpetual not knowing that is the problem, not environmental issues or where a park will move to. How much longer must we fight a bad economy and our own elected officials? How can we finance our businesses when we do not know what the future holds? How do homeowners take advantage of all-time low interest rates and make the move now? We can’t do anything while the City Council postures.

If this very beneficial expansion is not approved, it is Warwick and the rest of our state that will pay the price and when the dust clears, it will be the council on the wrong side of history.

Robert Horlbogen
Airport Valet Parking
Warwick

Comments

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  • Michael2012

    WELL SAID !!!! We need more business men and women to come forth and express your similar concern. With out businesses in Warwick paying taxes and creating jobs the city will end up like Central Falls !

    I hope we get a resolution soon and the homeowners that want to move allowed to move and move on, and the businesses to gain from this project, and the jobs...

    If RI can give Studio 38 78 million dollars or what ever it was, I'm sure the state along with the federal gov't can invest in this worth while project

    Thursday, February 23, 2012 Report this

  • RichardLangseth

    Perhaps Mr. Horlbogen is not aware of the fact that the Airport Corporation will raise his accommodation fees through the roof to pay for the $550 million program that Michael2012 thinks is a great idea -- and thinks will create "billions" in new business in Rhode Island.

    Thursday, February 23, 2012 Report this

  • bendover

    TY michael 2012, aka Mike Sapatoni of the Builders Trade Council, nothing like objective comment. Yep, just what we need, more rental cars tearing up our roads, along with those high paying rental car driving jobs. Tu habla Espanol? At this point go ahead and build it as it will speed up the pending insolvency of this State. Ask Dillon, Reed, Chafee, and the airport corporation to show you the pro forma and economic projections of direct monetary benefit to Warwick and the State. Fuzzy math doesn't count. Paul Arpin is very busy so have a nice day!

    Friday, February 24, 2012 Report this

  • Knowing54

    Dear Mr. Horlbogen, The City Council COULD NOT appeal until the ROD was completed. It is a process. This information is public.

    Saturday, February 25, 2012 Report this

  • Knowing54

    Please, read "Only logical to question airport study." Written by Raleigh Jenkins.

    Saturday, February 25, 2012 Report this

  • schwanee

    Airport expansion is going to do nothing for the city of Warwick. Less tax paid by the people whos houses are being taken by Airport, More paid by the Residence who are left in the city of Warwick.

    Saturday, February 25, 2012 Report this