From
National Journal.com - By
Cameron Joseph - Florida's Rick Scott is the latest Republican governor to reject federal money for high-speed rail, more evidence that President Obama's push for infrastructure investment, once seen as an area of bipartisan compromise, may be turning increasingly politicized and polarizing. The $2.4 billion slated for Florida will be rerouted to states willing to put up the matching funds, which in Florida amounted to $280 million. The state had already spent $66 million in preparation for the project, which was to run from Orlando to Tampa. In a press conference today,
as reported by the Orlando Sentinel, Scott criticized Obama's spending priorities. "You don't have to be an economic expert to know when you spend more money than you take in, you will fail," he said. Scott argued that rail ridership estimates are often too optimistic and that the money would be better spent on roads and other infrastructure needs, points echoed by other Republicans. Scott, who had opposed the plan during his campaign last year, is not the first new Republican governor to renege on plans to build high-speed rail in his state. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have also said thanks but no thanks to a combined $1.2 billion in federal grants.
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Florida Governor Latest to Refuse Federal Funds for High-Speed Rail
From National Journal.com - By Cameron Joseph - Florida's Rick Scott is the latest Republican governor to reject federal money for high-speed rail, more evidence that President Obama's push for infrastructure investment, once seen as an area of bipartisan compromise, may be turning increasingly politicized and polarizing. The $2.4 billion slated for Florida will be rerouted to states willing to put up the matching funds, which in Florida amounted to $280 million. The state had already spent $66 million in preparation for the project, which was to run from Orlando to Tampa. In a press conference today, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel, Scott criticized Obama's spending priorities. "You don't have to be an economic expert to know when you spend more money than you take in, you will fail," he said. Scott argued that rail ridership estimates are often too optimistic and that the money would be better spent on roads and other infrastructure needs, points echoed by other Republicans. Scott, who had opposed the plan during his campaign last year, is not the first new Republican governor to renege on plans to build high-speed rail in his state. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have also said thanks but no thanks to a combined $1.2 billion in federal grants. Read more
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