WHEW THAT WAS CLOSE!
Posted on 02/17/2011 9:08:00 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
Florida Governor Rick Scott avoided a costly train wreck this week by hitting the brakes on his state's high-speed rail project. Alas, the White House continues to charge full-speed ahead.
Mr. Scott rejected $2.4 billion of federal money for an 84-mile line from Tampa to Orlando, saying that it would likely end up costing state taxpayers an additional $3 billion when the state's budget deficit this year is $3.6 billion. Then there's the half a billion dollars in operating subsidies that the train would need every decade, which could be more depending on how much the state has inflated ridership projections.
The state has estimated that about 2.4 million people would take the train in its first year, which is about two-thirds of the ridership for Amtrak's Acela, which travels along a far more populated urban corridor. Call us skeptics, but we think most people would prefer to drive from Tampa to Orlando. It's cheaper and only takes half an hour longer.
Rather than allowing Florida to redirect the money to more productive and cost-effective projects like highways and ports, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood plans to redirect Florida's rail money to other states. When new governors in Ohio and Wisconsin killed their rail projects late last year, California scooped up more than half of the cash. New York, California and Washington state have all lined up for a share of Florida's leftovers.
This means taxpayers in fiscally prudent states like Florida could end up having to subsidize these and other states' reckless projects. Or maybe not. House Republicans in Washington are already proposing to cut Mr. Obama's high-speed rail request by billions of dollars. The Senate will try to keep irrational hope alive, but more Governors would be wise to follow Mr. Scott and cut their inevitable railroad losses.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Choo Choo Ping.
I dunno, guys - I think we may be wrong on this one. When you need to see the Magic Kingdom, you need to see it RIGHT NOW!
Willie Green could not be reached for comment.
Willie Green ping
HSR moves people, not freight. The number of passenger rail lines that have made money in the entire history of the US can probably be counted on two hands. Leaving thousands and thousands of miles of rail projects.
There is nothing wrong or perverted or obtuse or otherwordly about that. It is, however, the reality!
To make money, such trains would have to move large numbers of people on a consistent basis, meaning, in essence, jobs. Not travel for the sake of travel. So where and how will we create jobs or the environment wherein jobs will gush forth by creating a transportation between point A, B, and C.
The CA line is a case in point. What opportunity exists in LA that is unmet by the people who live around LA, such that allowing No CA people to travel there would fulfill the spectrum of opportunity that you claim exists? None. Or Vice versa. Do we think people from LA or Oakland will rail travel to central CA so they can pick tomatoes? Or central CA people to LA so they can star in movies? Or write software?
I mean it just doesn't connect, the start of the sentence to the end of the sentence, the start of the proposition to the end of the proposition.
While I would welcome normal rail service throught Dayton, I agree with our new Governor Kasich plan to cancel the HSR here in Ohio.
The CA rail is going to Corcoran California, so at least the prison guard union will be able to make it to the Lakers game on time. They’ll probably have plenty of room to spread out and kick their feet up too.
Dems like bullet trains because they’re European. There’s no justifiable reason for them but just to try and make us be more like them. They are not profitable and aren’t practical in a country this size.
Here in Central Florida Alan Grayson’s favorite newspaper “The Orlando Sentinel”
had at least 5 anti Governor Rick Scott articles. Several local Tv stations are also taking shots at the Governor.
The big story here should be the use of ILLEGAL aliens working on the new Veterans hospital were American citizens, real veterans. cannot get hired.
High-speed Rail (90 miles with 3-4 stops) in Central Florida is an Oxymoron!
Completely backward economics
The I-4 corridor IS heavily populated and a 220 mph train would get you from Tampa or Orlando in say 45 minutes.
But no such high speed train is going to ever be built in this country.
Its a scam.
Let's not forget the time it takes to drive to the train station, purchase a ticket from a government employee who happens to be "on break", and wait for boarding.
And then, once you've reached Orlando, there's the problem (and cost) of securing local tranportation (on the return leg too!).
I live in Tampa - this "high speed rail" is of, by and for MORONS!!!
Gov Rick Scott tied Willie to the tracks or threw him off the train.
You’ll have to get through a security check, too. There will be TSA type security at such new HSR facilities.
It’s not going to be a good alternative to driving, for lots of reasons.
“This whole obsession with high speed rail is so completely...backwards to me.”
You need to rethink things in the future. This is all about expensive slush fund projects and then you get union govt rail workers and then you have govt bailing it out and more money disappearing. It all has to do with looting taxpayers. Logic never enters into it - it is all about power and theft.
Ding ding ding! We have a winner!
That’s my view. Ridership is never going to be near projected levels and its a money pit. The losses would mount every year it would be in operation. Rick Scott made the right call in canceling this white elephant project.
My thoughts exactly. Atlanta is about 400 miles away and it takes about 7 hours to drive. A plane can do the trip in about an hour. I can leave my driveway and be at my buddies driveway an hour quicker than going the airport/rental car route and save money even if gas goes to $10/Gal.
Apparently, some states are wising up to the fact that taking federal money will eventually put THEM out of a job. Really, why do we need state government if the feds are calling all the shots? What purpose does it serve to have a Texas EPA if the feds overrule them? Why have a governor or legislature if the feds do an end around to impose their rules?
AK is refusing money to implement DeathCare; ID has nullified the act; FL, OH and WI are refusing rail money and NJ killed the tunnel project. Keep it up, we need more states to join in.
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