State Rep. Steven Costantino, the Chairman of the House Finance Committee, has recently given several interviews stressing the need to maximize the value of the Port of Providence and Quonset/Davisville as state-wide resources that can help drive Rhode Island’s economy out of the current downturn.

12/7 interview on Channel 12’s Newsmakers:

• 20:50 – Local permitting is overly burdensome
• 22:30 – Port of Providence is an underutilized asset that needs to be maximized
• 23:20 – Needs to be a plan for port development, container or other shipping opportunities, at Quonset

11/7 interview on Channel 10’s News Conference:

• 5:48 – Better utilize the Port of Providence
• 5:05 – Need to develop state assets without undue interference from local communities
• 3:00 – George Nee (Rhode Island AFL-CIO) advocates for a statewide maritime development organization
• 1:10 – Rep. Costantino makes a quick mention of need for a “super zoning law” before being cut off

The Providence Working Waterfront Alliance looks forward to working with Rep. Costantino and other leaders in the Rhode Island General Assembly to develop policies and legislation to better protect and promote the Ocean State’s ports.