Posted on 12/09/2010 1:41:30 PM PST by devane617
TALLAHASSEE -- It appears Florida is getting an early Christmas present - more cash to build its high-speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando.
U.S. Senator Bill Nelson said Thursday the U.S. Department of Transportation is sending the state $342 million for construction of the planned rail route.
Word of the windfall came today from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood during a noontime phone call with Nelson.
The call came on the heels of reports that the transportation agency intended to give to Florida another huge chunk of high-speed rail money because Wisconsin and Ohio didn't want it. The newly-elected governors in those states are pulling the plug on such projects there.
The $342 million comes on top of $2.05 billion the federal government already awarded Florida. The state, meantime, has had to agree to pay $280 million. With the federal money today and the previous commitment, plus what the state has pledged, the $2.65 billion price tag for construction would be fully paid for, Nelson said.
"The federal government has stepped up and done its part," Nelson said. "There should be no reason now why this can't get done."
Statement from Senator George LeMieux:
“This continued support of the U.S. Department of Transportation is imperative for the success of the high speed rail project. This additional funding underscores not only the national support, but also Florida’s commitment to bring better transportation solutions to the state. I look forward to the day when people can travel to and from the major city and university centers in Florida, creating a mega region.”
Statement from Congresswoman Kathy Castor:
“This additional $342 million is a huge shot in the arm to Florida’s major jobs initiative, Florida high-speed rail. Thousands and thousands of jobs are tied to this initiative. With this additional money, on top of the $2.05 billion Florida already has received for high-speed rail, we are even closer to putting to work thousands of Floridians and boosting our economy.”
I know exactly how you feel! I am beginning to think I am insane.
Tell your newly elected governor to grow a pair like our newly elected Gov. Walker did in Wisconsin. The train between Orlando and Tampa is as big a joke as the one between Milwaukee and Madison that we just KILLED. High speed rail is a boondoggle everywhere but maybe the east coast between Boston and Wash DC. This keeping up with Chin the Chinaman has got to stop.
Where’s Willie Green when we need him?
A train ran over him the other day.
Aw, did Willie get banned?
Sheeeesh.. can we just start over?? Our Government is insane.
Picked a fight with Jim Robinson. Hardly the act of a wise and prudent man. Wrote his opus and walked away before the lightning could strike.
Willie got run over by a choo choo
Screwing with the big man at FR
You may say there’s no such thing as Jimrob
But as for me and willie we believe.....
I missed an opus?!! Darn!
I’ll second you on that one. Watching the missing BeeGee brother at the presser today he was asked why those states couldn’t use those funds for projects they actually wanted to implement. Gibbs answere that because the way the law was written it could only be used for those high-speed projects. Do you think one of those useless “journalists” in that room would have followed up with a question asking where in the law was it written it could then be given to another state? This is a comedy that isn’t funny.
Another target for reducing the budget.
I also don’t want to see my federal gov’t in the transportation business, but I have a hard time getting upset about a few of my tax dollars going for something I’ll occasionally benefit from while I pay orders of magnitude more money just in fraud and waste for programs that pay people to produce nothing such as EITC, Section 8, food stamps, unemployment ‘insurance’,
Let’s see changes in some big ticket items that will actually have a real impact on our taxes and reduce our debt.
I’m curious...How many people need to travel between Orlando and Tampa each day and not have a car when they arrive?
I think “journalists” are schooled that they can never question a fellow lib. {caaaack}
“Tell your newly elected governor to grow a pair like our newly elected Gov. Walker did in Wisconsin.” I plan to do exactly that as soon as he takes office.
Didn’t the good folks of Florida pass a referendum saying they did not want to pay for this boondogle?
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