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.”
During the week, 27. On Saturdays, 34. On Sundays, 8.
Tampa and Orlando ? What kind of a Idiot proposed this?
I would have guessed lower...
Walker hasn’t taken office yet and he told the Feds to take their train and shove it. Your Gov elect should be saying the same thing even before he takes office.
“. . . 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.”
Perhaps our newly elected Governor will reject the money?????????
Anything to spend your money. You don't know how to spend it.
Where is the Rental Car lobby? Everything is working fine there.
In Florida, heck almost everywhere, you need a car to get out to the burgs where the real business is.
Notice, they will not release a justification for any high speed rail line. Just, spend the money.
“Notice, they will not release a justification for any high speed rail line. Just, spend the money.”
Exactly!
“And I’ll never smoke weed with Willie again!”
We voted against a proposed tax increase to fund this boondoggle last month!
Wow! Finally something good happens to me today...
Actually, more of a Christmas Curse! This will be a "Train to Nowhere" with very low usage and huge operating deficits for decades to come! This "Freebie" will cost Florida taxpayers in perpetuity!
Floridians have overwhelming rejected state funding on many previous occasions....
LOL!
Oh, wait!
They tried a canal before.
U.S. 19 passes over the canal in Inglis. The state is still wrangling over what to do with the remnants of the $70-million canal. [Times photo: Michael Weimar] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Built in the wrong century for the wrong reasons with the wrong numbers to justify it, the Cross Florida Barge Canal will forever stand as one of the biggest blunders in Florida history, one that permanently altered the state's landscape. Imagine the reaction if you proposed it today: Hey, let's cut a monstrous ditch across the middle of the state to link the Atlantic with the Gulf of Mexico, effectively turning most of the Florida peninsula into a big island, destroying everything in our path and letting seawater taint the underground supply of freshwater! Oh, yeah, that would fly.
Click here for the rest of the article and substitute "high speed rail line" for the word "canal"
“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.”
Totally waste of money..."throwing good money at bad money"...on a project that is a huge failure and only creating jobs for the union members running ("down") this stupid railroad!!!
We have really been railroaded, and you have a guy on the local Florida site getting orgasm every-time he is promoting this his pet project, hello???
I mentioned that during 30+ yrs living in Scandinavia, I could never remember we ever had power outage because everything is underground, and people gave me a very strange look!!
I was baffled, when I first came here between 1957 - 1983 to see all wires hanging over the street like an ugly spider-web, yet it was possible to send folks to the moon, hmmmm!!!
Here’s the “clever” and “logical”(?) thinking of people in Miami - (getting people out of rental cars) - on a stupid rail service which is bypassing all the three International Airports in the three counties. Go figure, hello???
I agree 100% about underground utilities. Our local news is filled with stories about electric utility companies cutting trees away from power lines and pissing off home owners. If the utility companies buried the lines...PROBLEM SOLVED!
“When I first heard about this a couple years ago at Dr. D. James Kennedy’s church, I said that kind of money would be better spent on bringing all Florida El-harness under ground to prevent frequent power outage!
I mentioned that during 30+ yrs living in Scandinavia, I could never remember we ever had power outage because everything is underground, and people gave me a very strange look!!
I was baffled, when I first came here between 1957 - 1983 to see all wires hanging over the street like an ugly spider-web, yet it was possible to send folks to the moon, hmmmm!!!”
Good point and the trees ready to fall across the lines.
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