Instead of handing it out HERE:
Posted on 12/09/2010 11:38:32 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
Congressional sources say the Obama administration is taking $1.2 billion in high-speed rail money away from Ohio and Wisconsin and awarding it to projects in other states.
Wisconsin can keep only a fraction of the $810 million it won in federal high-speed rail money, while the rest will help fund train lines in California, Florida, Illinois and other states, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Thursday.
Governor-elect Scott Walker had vowed to kill the planned 110-mph Milwaukee-to-Madison passenger train route that was to be funded with Wisconsin's share. Ohio Governor-elect John Kasich had issued a similar promise for a planned 79-mph line connecting his state's three largest cities, funded by $400 million in federal cash.
Now, almost all of the $1.2 billion from the two projects will be divided among other states. California is the big winner, with up to $624 million, followed by Florida, up to $342.3 million; Washington, up to $161.5 million; and Illinois, up to $42.3 million. Smaller amounts will go to nine other states.
The announcement from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood held out some hope that Wisconsin may not be on the hook for all of the $9 million or so it has already spent on the project, plus another $5.25 million in cancellation fees and other contractual commitments. Ohio was allowed to keep $15 million that had been committed for preliminary work, and the Federal Railroad Administration "will work with these states to determine whether they have already spent money under their contracts that should be reimbursed," the announcement said.
Walker called the decision a "victory," in a meeting with reporters in Pewaukee, because he called the rail line a symbol of excessive government spending.
The governor-elect said he talked with LaHood on Thursday morning and was assured that Wisconsin would not have to repay money already spent.
"That's the decision they've made and we're going to move forward," Walker said.
Wisconsin also was allowed to retain up to $2 million to fund upgrades on Amtrak's existing Milwaukee-to-Chicago Hiawatha line. But that won't cover the $19.4 million cost of renovating the train shed at Milwaukee's downtown Amtrak-Greyhound station or the $52 million cost of building a new maintenance base for two newly purchased trains, two projects that would have been covered by the original $810 million.
Outgoing Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's administration had suggested Walker's stand also would jeopardize a separate $12 million grant for upgrades to a Hiawatha crossing and the platform at the Mitchell International Airport station, but the federal announcement made no mention of withdrawing that money.
Doyle called the loss of the high-speed rail funds a "tragic moment for the state of Wisconsin."
"Eight hundred and ten million dollars that would have gone to create thousands of jobs in Wisconsin will now create jobs in other states," he said in a written statement. "Bogus arguments that this money can be used for roads have been proven false . . . Together with many others I have worked hard to move Wisconsin into the future. I obviously am deeply saddened to see us take a major step backward."
Other Democrats were also swift to denounce Walker for stopping the train.
"This is nothing short of economic suicide," said a statement from state Rep. Tamara Grigsby (D-Milwaukee).
"A month before he's even been sworn into to office, Governor-elect Walker has lost good jobs for Wisconsinites," U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore of Milwaukee said in a written statement. "He's denied our state an opportunity to be part of a new, nationwide transportation system that would have brought economic benefits along with it."
Willie finally got banned!!
http://www.freerepublic.com/~williegreen/
He got a warning from Jim Robinson to shut up or get the ZOT.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2607597/posts?page=65#65
If Wisconsin really needed (or wanted) high speed rail there would be a thriving and highly profitable express bus business between Milwaukee and Madison already filling that space using existing resources. Please, let's give Washington back the money we don't want to build a railway we don't need and can't afford to subsidize.
“The money will be redistributed to Blue states. They will not stop spending or reduce debt.”
Well, that’s a given. But at least some of us taxpayers won’t be saddled with billions of dollars down the road to subsidize this stupidity. :)
Take no prisoners! :)
I can not agree more! The ONLY reason I live on Oahu is a job. This place is like an ant hill. The litter and trash is appalling. Tens of thousands of drug addicts, alcoholics, worthless bums have taken over the parks and beaches.
If we could get the ferry, I’d move to Kauai in a heart beat. I would still work on Oahu the 6 or 7 days a month, but Kauai is Heaven compared to Oahu.
Oh, sure...the three begging sisters, CA, FL, and IL, will be glad to take it to keep more union government workers at the public trough. There won’t be a single mile of additional track laid in these miserable failed states, and no one will ever find out where the money went.
You've got that really lame train the goes around the Dole Plantation Tourist Trap on Oahu.
It goes past plywood cutouts of Asian pineapple harvesters and some rusted out machinery. I'll bet Hawaii hasn't commercially grown a pineapple for 30 years.
They even bring their own food with them. Wouldn't want to buy anything from the round-eyes.
That too!
OORAH!
Instead of handing it out HERE:
Yay! And Yay! to the redistribution of the choo choo train money.
And it wasn’t a “high speed” train at all. It was supposed to operate at 70 mph. Cars operate at 70 mph and take you where you want to go.
I worked at the Bank of Hawaii and Kaiser Permanente while I was there....was also in the Reserves!
I don’t know about that, but it sounds right. I avoid Waikiki like the plague. Way too many drunk, belligerent, wealthy, arrogant punks from all over the planet. Lots of ‘ladies’ with that ‘rent me’ look too.
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