Days - eType Services

OpinionPage 6 Sakonnet Times January 24, 2013EDITORIALSales tax border warsIf it comes to pass, Massachusetts Governor DevalPatrick's plan to cut the Massachusetts sales taxto 4.5 percent is great for business on that side ofthe state line but miserable news for competitorsnext door in Rhode Island.Dealing as it must with New Hampshire's zero percentsales tax to the north, Massachusetts realized some timeago that charging more sales tax than the neighbors is badfor business.It's especially bad when you are a tiny state with low-tax■ WHERE TO WRITE:Sakonnet Times, 1745 Main Rd.Tiverton, RI 02878. Letters mayalso be sent to: sakonnet@eastbaynewspapers.comcompetition just minutesaway. Rhode Island packagestores near the bordertook a hit last yearwhen Massachusettseliminated its sales tax onalcoholic beverages —state line billboards andnewspaper ads trumpet that savings.Rhode Island, already heard-pressed to pay the bills,clings desperately to its near-tops-in-the-nation sales taxbut must someday realize, as did Massachusetts, that thisis a losing proposition.If borderline businesses wither, 7 percent of nothingwon't do much for Rhode Island's bottom line.Let the East Bay payAnd speaking of taxes, Rhode Island GovernorLincoln Chafee's 'no tax increase' budgetboast is an affront to this corner of theOcean State.Here, taxes will rise and in a big way if hisSakonnet River Bridge toll plan comes true. The toll reallywould be a tax, after all, since little of the revenue raisedwould actually be used to maintain this particular bridge.The countless people who must cross that neighborhoodbridge every day twice, four times or more will pay manyhundred of dollars more each year for a privilege that hasalways been free.It is in part by shifting statewide road and bridge repaircosts onto the backs of these few that he manages to keeptaxes down for everyone else.Chafee's office credits "terrific fiscal discipline" for theno-tax hike pledge. Sending the bill to the East Bay is morelike it.SAKONNET TIMESEstablished in 1967Matthew Hayes, PublisherBruce Burdett, EditorR. S. Bosworth Jr., Publisher EmeritusLetters policyThe Sakonnet Times encourages all citizens to comment publicly on the events and times in which we live.We will print any letter sent to us, adhering to guidelines for taste, accuracy, fairness and public interest.Letters must be signed by the author and must include telephone number and street address. Letters arelimited to 500 words. Direct letters to: Sakonnet Times, P.O. Box 90, Bristol, R.I. 02809. Letters may also besent to sakonnet@eastbaynewspapers.comCorrection policyWe adhere to the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and ethical responsibility. If you feel we have notmet those standards, please notify us. We will correct any errors brought to our attention or that we discoverourselves. They will always appear on this page.This newspaper does not assume responsibility for errors in advertisements printed herein, but will printwithout charge that part of any advertisement in which an error occurs. One-year subscription rates are $35($27 w/E-Z Pay) in county, $57 in New England ($53 w/E-Z pay) and $67 nationwide ($63 w/E-Z pay).Periodicals postage paid Tiverton, RI 02878 and at additonal mailing offices. The Sakonnet Times office islocated at 1 Bradford St., Bristol, R.I., 02809. Telephone 624-3035. POSTMASTER send address changes toSakonnet Times, 1 Bradford St., Bristol, R.I., 02809.LETTERS TO THE EDITORCoyotes do indeed seemto be growing more boldTo the editor:In response to your January 10coyote piece, I'm sending a pictureof a coyote near 412 JepsonLane, Portsmouth, in the QuonsetView Farm field above SissonPond in 2011. This may be Jepsiewith a goose in his mouth.Later we spotted another — orthe same — coming up from Sisson,boldly crossing the back yardby the garage and crossing Jepsonto an unknown destination headedwest. I got a picture of himbefore he disappeared around thegarage but have misplaced it.It takes a rugged critter to carrya heavy goose all the way up fromthe pond that you can see in thebackground.My daughter lives on ArmandoDrive next to St. Philomena's andhas had a whole pack of youngcoyotes in her yard. The fact thatthey have lost the fear of people isnot a good thing. I would worryabout small children playingunattended where these animalsare packing up. Every time I haveseen a lost cat sign, I haveremarked to my wife that it probablyfell victim to predators.Growing up in rural Maine I haveno problem with these animals inthe wild, but packing up in developedareas and losing the fear ofpeople is, as the article points out,a precursor for ending badly. Lookat the conservation agency trackmaps mentioned in the article andyou get an idea of the ratherORIN LOWEA coyote carries a Canada goose across a field above Sisson Pond inPortsmouth.intense activity on the island andwhere the "hot" spots are. I nowlive on Seneca Road and we seemto be in a "cooler" zone. Hope thisis of interest to someone.Respectfully,Orin LowePortsmouth