Florida editorial writers and some fellow Republicans are giving newly elected Gov. Rick Scott a thrashing over what can only fairly be described as his loony rejection of federal funding for the first leg of a high-speed rail line that backers hoped would eventually connect Tampa with Miami via Orlando. On the heels of Scott's incomprehensible decision, newly elected Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown says he's eager to see some of that Florida HSR money redirected to California, which has already received more money than any state for its ambitious 800-mile line.
One key Florida Republican, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure John Mica, expressed dismay that he had been unable to sway Scott from rejecting the HSR funds, a decision he said (being charitable) "defies logic." Many Republican state legislators also are irked. In fact, a veto-proof majority of the Florida Senate is asking the federal government to give the state the $2.4 billion in HSR money even though the governor doesn't want it.
A few of the state's newspaper editors offered acid commentary of their own:
St. Petersburg Times:
It is a reckless, devastating decision that has nothing to do with the merits of rail and everything to do with Scott's obsession with courting the tea party movement and fighting the Obama administration. ...
The consequences of Scott's grandstanding are clear. More than $2.4 billion from Washington? Gone. Five thousand construction jobs? Gone. A modern transportation link between two of the largest cities in the fourth-largest state? Gone. Thousands of additional jobs serving the line; billions of dollars more in private-sector investment; and the chance for an ever bigger bang by extending the system from Orlando to Miami? Gone, gone, gone.
Tampa Tribune:
He is throwing away countless hours of bipartisan work applying for and winning the money. Florida overcame competition from just about every other metropolitan region in the country. ...
Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio calls it "the worst decision by a governor in my 26 years in public life." It will doom Florida, she says, to "the same-old, same-old," while other states invest for the future.
Orlando Sentinel:
On Wednesday, he seemed utterly clueless about what the state would gain from a high-speed rail line from Orlando to Tampa. ...
Mr. Scott needs to do what would benefit all Florida, not what might play well before his Tea Party fans.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
Moreover, state transportation officials had fashioned agreements where the train's private operator — not the state — would pay any cost overruns and the cost of operating and maintaining the trains for 30 years. The project would have generated an estimated 23,000 construction jobs and about another 1,000 permanent jobs needed to operate and maintain it. Yet Gov. Scott seemed oblivious to much of this in announcing his ill-advised decision.
Clueless, reckless, oblivious. That's the fellow a shift of just 35,000 votes in the 5.3 million cast last November would have kept in the private sector.
Meanwhile, as Robert Cruickshank has pointed out at the California High Speed Rail Blog, California's leaders see Scott's action as good news on the Pacific Coast.
"The $2 billion that Florida rejected are more than welcome here," California Gov. Jerry Brown said.
California. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, both Democrats, wrote to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking that all the Florida money be sent here. "It is now clear that California will lead the way in demonstrating the viability of high-speed rail to the rest of the country," they wrote.
In their letter, the two Senators noted:
California is leading the Nation in the development of high-speed rail. As you know, voters in our state have committed over $9 billion in bonds to high-speed rail – a unique level of public support that demonstrates that our state is a reliable, long term partner in this initiative. Combined with Federal grants, we have over $5.5 billion in funds allocated for construction that will begin in 2012. Californians know that these additional federal funds represent over 80,000 new manufacturing, construction, and technology jobs in our state. We are eager to expand our partnership with the Department of Transportation and get to work.
They may well get their way. When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich rejected federal dollars for their high-speed rail projects late last year, the money was redirected toward other states, including California, Illinois and, ironically, Florida. But there are a few obstacles. And surprise! they're Republicans. Cruickshank notes that one of these is the new Republican Congressman from California's 19th district, Jeff Denham.
The HSR will pass through part of his district, which, along with others in the state's Central Valley, has high unemployment and could use the jobs the rail line will create. But Denham is sponsoring an amendment to the Continuing Resolution on the federal budget that would prohibit funds being used for high-speed rail in California. Just one more pretend-leader who is clueless, reckless and oblivious. If he and the rest of them were just piddling around in their own little sandbox, we could ignore them.
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SemDem is discussing the issue in the diary Rick Scott's 7 Biggest LIES on RAIL (Before Killing It).