My Governor has guts

February 16, 2011 | SoundOffSister | | ,

Today, Florida Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida will be rejecting $2.4 billion of your money earmarked by President Obama to build a high speed rail from Orlando to Tampa.

Governor Scott’s press release cites numerous reasons why this project makes no sense, not the least of which are that Florida would have to come up with $280 million in “matching funds”, (which it doesn’t have), plus any cost overruns, (of which there are sure to be many).  Further, the state would be on the hook for future operating deficits, which are guaranteed.  As to this last point, the Governor said,

It is projected that 3.07 million people will use the [Orlando/Tampa] train annually.  Keep in mind that Amtrak’s Acela train in Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, New York and Baltimore only had 3.2 million riders in 2010.  And that market’s population is 8 times the size of the Tampa/Orlando market. [emphasis supplied]

In his letter to Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, the Governor lists a multitude of other transportation projects that Florida could actually use the money to build, but, sadly, under President Obama’s plan, it’s shiny new trains, or nothing.

Unfortunately, for all of us, those funds will not be used to reduce our $13 trillion deficit, but will rather be spread around among other states that have no problem burdening their residents with “matching funds”, sizable cost overruns, and continuing operating deficits to build and maintain trains to nowhere.

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SoundOffSister

The Sound Off Sister was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and special trial attorney for the Department of Justice, Criminal Division; a partner in the Florida law firm of Shutts & Bowen, and an adjunct professor at the University of Miami, School of Law. The Sound Off Sister offers frequent commentary concerning legislation making its way through Congress, including the health reform legislation passed in early 2010.

8 Comments

  1. sammy22 on February 16, 2011 at 11:10 am

    I suppose he has not heard about "don't look a gift horse in the mouth". An old proverb.



  2. mathlady on February 16, 2011 at 2:09 pm

    Ask the people of Troy how that worked out.



  3. mathlady on February 16, 2011 at 2:09 pm

    Ask the people of Troy how that worked out. Smart move on the Governor's part, if you ask me.



  4. johnboy111 on February 16, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    free gifts are not always free??



  5. Tim-in-Alabama on February 16, 2011 at 2:55 pm

    Since Thomas Jefferson owned slaves, we have to ask ourselves, "Would he support federal funding for an intra-state rail system?" Just because the federal government offers to borrow the bulk of the money from China, doesn't mean a state has to agree to borrow its share from China. Gov. Scott, who never has owned slaves, was right in his decision.



  6. winnie888 on February 17, 2011 at 9:37 pm

    Turned down the gift of debt–I LOVE IT!…Hey, SOS, you guys have a smarty for a governor.  Can we trade?  Or at least borrow him?



  7. sammy22 on February 18, 2011 at 2:27 am

    Happy gridlock! Keep spending money on roads (gridlocked) and on airports (crowded). Very smart!



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