DownTown
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On the Blog Post Real Estate Market Heating Up
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On the Blog Post A Letter of Support for Education
DownTown
5:30 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013
ReplyRealistically without some standard for high school graduation what does a diploma actually mean?
Three years ago or the head of the Nursing program at RIC stated that most of the incoming freshman who were in the Nursing program were not qualified to be there. They needed remedial education in order to continue.
"With 83% of Rhode Island's special needs students and 90% of the state’s limited English students scoring substantially below proficient on the last NECAP math test,* even with remediation, many of those students will likely not graduate in 2014."
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On the Blog Post No Toll on Sakonnet River Bridge
DownTown
8:47 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
ReplyHere is a good example of the State spending OUR tax dollars on the dead beats. The State is $80 million in the hole between the $30 million from this fiscal year which needs to be filled in and the $50.1 million for next year YET Woonsocket gets an extra $2.5 million from the taxpayers to balance their budget instead of them PAYING THEIR OWN WAY.
"The state House of Representatives, on a 65-6 vote, passed its version of a $2.5 million end-of-the-fiscal-year supplemental tax to help the city of Woonsocket balance its 2012-13 budget."
If anyone here has a good rapport with a State Representative asked them how much Bristol and Newport Counties get back from the State and Federal Government as opposed to what these counties pay into taxes.
People we are getting the short end of the stick and being told we need to pay our own way when in fact we are paying everyone else's way.
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On the article So You Think You Know Bristol?
DownTown
5:12 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
ReplyCan that actually be seen from the street or did some busybody trespass on that property and take that photo?
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On the article Board Of Ed's Mancuso On Tests, Teachers And Gist
DownTown
3:59 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
ReplyI have read that the per student spending in B/W was just over $17k per student and there is an 11 to 1 student teacher ratio but these numbers mean nothing if special education costs including teachers, aides cost etc aren't excluded. Those costs (special education) are enormous.
It would be nice if someone from the schools to post the numbers aside from special education.
Bristol schools did rate high in Newsweek and GoLocalProv so they must be doing something right.
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On the Blog Post No Toll on Sakonnet River Bridge
DownTown
3:49 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
They want something along the lines of $80 in total between historic tax credits and state funding plus a sweetheart property tax deal with Providence - and this is just to convert to Condos.
Historic District homes, who must pay a much larger cost for exterior maintenance for their homes lost the tiny tax break they used to get.
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On the Blog Post No Toll on Sakonnet River Bridge
DownTown
3:45 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Reply1 square mile Central Falls gets enough State aid every 4 years to build a new Sakonnet Bridge. Central Falls was never really was bankrupt. From 1991 to 2010 they raised property taxes there 3.2% while the rest of the State's communities on average raised property taxes 133.6%.
Providence, West Warwick, Central Falls, Pawtucket, North Providence & Woonsocket all must get $2-3 back or more for every dollar in taxes collected.
The bridge gateways to Cape Cod have no tolls because the Army Corps of Engineers maintain them free of cost to users. So we pay for those bridges also.
None of the States 600+ bridges has any tolls either, just the ones coming and going to Newport County.
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On the Blog Post No Toll on Sakonnet River Bridge
DownTown
3:38 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
There is a Federal hold on making Federal roads toll roads. They have allowed 3 or 4 exceptions for Virginia and a couple of other States but turned RI down flat when RI asked.
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On the Blog Post No Toll on Sakonnet River Bridge
DownTown
3:35 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Yes, Stanley time to pay for the Jamestown bridge with tolls also and toll the 80+ year old Mt Hope to pay for a new 3 lane bridge so that traffic isn't tied up all summer by maintenance.
Dead beats in Jamestown need to begin paying their way when they commute to Washington County. Then let's tax Washington County for the hundreds of millions used to support infrastructure for Quonset Point and the $70 million in State cash that ends up there from State support for URI or the $28 million spent on a train station that no one uses there.
I'll wager Newport and Bristol Counties get less than 50 cents for every dollar paid in taxes here. Yes, we must pay our way.
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On the Blog Post No Toll on Sakonnet River Bridge
DownTown
9:14 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2013
ReplyI imagine that after the traffic in Bristol and Warren gets really bad at least some people will be resigned to paying the tolls.
Of course that increase in traffic will be much worse when the annual Mt Hope maintenance from 9-3 takes place making it a one lane bridge for most of the day.
DownTown
8:41 pm on Thursday, May 23, 2013
Bristol home values are down 10.2% yoy according to Zillow.
I agree with you about Coventry, Heather. Something is deeply wrong financially with that community. Someone has been cooking the books and it's just now coming to a head.