President Obama weighed in on high-speed rail projects today in an address to the nation's governors at the White House. In his address, he reiterated that the nation can't afford not to make infrastructure investments a priority, a concept which most Floridians understand.
Unfortunately our Gov. doesn't grasp this concept, or if he does, he doesn't care. Given another week to "come around" on taking that $2.4 billion for high-speed rail in Florida, he's still saying "no deal" on the money AND the 23,000 or so jobs that would have come with it.
Gov. Scott, incidentally, was in Washington this weekend along with those other governors, but whether Scott got the message from President Obama's address is anyone's guess. While the President didn't mention any names, he did mention how high-speed rail has become a partisan issue instead of a matter of common sense.
Oh Gov. Scott, I think he was talking to you, among others:
(President Obama) he argued that spending on infrastructure projects "hasn’t traditionally been a partisan issue. Lincoln laid the rails during the course of a civil war. Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System. Both parties have always believed that America should have the best of everything. We don’t have third-rate airports and third-rate bridges and third-rate highways."
He said that new businesses are going to want the "fastest, most reliable way to move goods," whether its Chicago or Shanghai. And he wants them to stay in the United States.
New businesses.
Gov. Scott claims to be the king of "bringing business to Florida" and is the self-proclaimed "Let's Get To Work" guy, so you would think this would be an obvious step in the right direction for Florida. Not to mention moving tourists from point A to point B in the state via high-speed rail, especially those from countries with high-speed rail who have their choice of Orlando vs. some attractive tourism destinations on the Continent, but who must rent cars or take buses from Orlando to visit Florida's beaches.
But Gov. Scott has what he thinks is a better way to bring tourists to Florida. Today he came up with something he calls his "Share A Little Sunshine" tour. (And no, the "Sunshine" he plans to share has nothing to do with his conducting of state business. That will still be conducted under cover of darkness. Sorry "Government In The Sunshine" fans, dream on.)
His "tour" will consist of a two-day whirlwind visit to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and Chicago along with his "Sunshine Ambassadors" in which 120 people will be awarded a prize: a free trip to Orlando on a plane with "Mr. Sunshine" himself, Gov. Scott. (I know, I know.) That's some idea there, Gov. No one has EVER thought of making a free trip to Disney World a prize before.
I'm sure those 120 people will make all the difference in Florida's budget woes. Unless of course, taxpayers are footing the bill for Scott's big brainstorm. If not, thank Disney the next time they raise prices for their help in this "contest." Of course, Southwest Airlines is no fan of rail as potential competitors, so it's no surprise they're kicking in as well. Are their prices going up or down these days?
But getting back to infrastructure and business, it would be nice to think that Gov. Scott stuck around to listen to the President's advice and perhaps take it, but I have my doubts.
In Scott's initial refusal letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, rather than rail Scott recommended widening the Interstates through Tampa and Orlando, as if that's not been done before. Or as if there aren't plans in place to do more on that already. That was it for Tampa and Orlando, whose economies otherwise would have benefited from the $2.7 billion to build the project, let alone the businesses built up around it.
Instead Gov. Scott is preparing to show a handful of prize winners a real rail system, Disney's Monorail that only goes in circles, just like Gov. Scott's transportation planning.
Of course he better hope the Florida visitors don't find out that Disney put in a newer monorail at Disneyland in California, the state which will probably get Florida's high-speed rail money as well.
This diary was cross-posted at Beach Peanuts
Updated by Inkberries at Tue Mar 1, 2011, 01:53:37 PM
Two Florida Senators have just filed a lawsuit in the Florida Supreme Court to prevent Gov. Scott from killing the proposed high-speed rail project. The suit, filed by Democrat Arthenia Joyner and Republican Thad Altman would force Scott to accept the $2.4 billion in federal funds for the project.
Thanks for the recs!