Rick Scott Faces Backlash from Democrats, Republicans for Rejecting High Speed Rail Money for Florida

Florida Gov. Rick Scott announces his new budget during a Tea Party event in Eustis, Fla., Monday, Feb. 7, 2011.

/ AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Both Democrats and Republicans from Florida are balking at Florida Gov. Rick Scott's decision to reject $2.4 billion in federal aid to build a high-speed train line between Orlando and Tampa -- and one senator is even trying to completely bypass the Republican governor's opposition to the project.

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson spoke with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood today about financing the Tampa-Orlando rail line without the state government's involvement, the Palm Beach Post reports.

"We are exploring... how we could keep this project going forward since the state of Florida will not participate," Nelson told the Post. "We have the lawyers researching it."

Scott announced earlier today that he was rejecting the money because he believed the state could be on the hook for as much as $3 billion in cost overruns. Additionally, he said he was skeptical ridership would pay for the line's operating costs.

Nelson said earlier today that rejecting the federal investment amounted to "turning down 24,000 jobs, when we badly need them," the Miami Herald reports.

Republican Rep. John L. Mica, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, called the decision "a huge setback for the state of Florida, our transportation, economic development and important tourism industry."

The governor's decision is a significant snub at the Obama administration, which recently unveiled a major plan to spend $53 billion over six years on developing high speed rail lines across the country. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said today that the administration believes high speed rail projects will help create jobs and create the infrastructure "that allows us to compete in the 21st century."

Other countries are already advanced when it comes to high speed rail, Carney said. "We need to be."

LaHood said in a statement today that his department is "extremely disappointed" by Scott's decision. And in fact, LaHood said, his department had worked with Scott to ensure that private businesses competing for the project would assume the cost overruns and operating expenses -- not the state.

Unless Nelson can work with LaHood to find a way to keep the project going, the money will be redirected to other states for their own high speed rail projects. "There is overwhelming demand for high speed rail in other states that are enthusiastic to receive Florida's funding and the economic benefits it can deliver, such as manufacturing and construction jobs, as well as private development along its corridors," LaHood said in his statement.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors released an analysis suggesting the rail line could have provided up to $2.9 billion in economic benefits in the Orlando area alone, creating as many as 27,500 jobs, Time magazine reports.

Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa blasted Scott for "a devastating lack of vision for Florida and a lack of understanding of our economic situation," The Tampa Tribune reports.

"The governor put his own rigid ideology ahead of the best interests of Florida's businesses, workers and families," she said. "Our neighbors in Tampa Bay and Central Florida will be condemned to I-4 traffic jams in the decades ahead with little hope for economic growth, unless the governor reconsiders."

Republican C.C. "Doc" Dockery, former chairman of the Florida High Speed Rail Commission, told the Tampa Tribune that today was "a great day for the citizens of California, who will be getting billions of dollars that Florida didn't want and the thousands of jobs that come with the money."

Dockery blamed the Tea Party for the decision. Indeed, the Miami Herald reports that Scott announced his decision after meeting with tea partiers in his office who urged him to reject the federal funding.

Scott is the third conservative governor to reject the federal rail money, following Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. However, the $2.4 billion Florida was slated to receive from the federal government is much more than Ohio and Wisconsin expected to get.

Not all Florida lawmakers responded negatively to Scott's decision.

Republican Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon said in a statement he is "encouraged [Scott] is focusing on the practical realities of government programs and their long-term impacts. As the constitutional officer charged with carrying out transportation policy, the governor seems to have determined that at this time he cannot feasibly implement high-speed rail in Florida. I have confidence that he will bring the same level of scrutiny to other issues."

[jdemppr]

Governor Rick Scott has been under a lot of fire for his decisions, but his interview with Malcolm out Loud at malcolmoutloud.tv explained a lot, and now I agree with Gov. Scott

[realisticview]

This is an opportunity to not only improve commerce, reduce traffic congestion and fatalities but most of all provides a boost to tourism in the State. We the citizens of Florida must realize, the State depends heavily on tourist dollars and rapid rail will give Tampa, Orlando the dollars necessary to dig themselves out of a large financial hole in the long run. Cruiselines, local restaurants and many businesses would benefit. Rapid rail would be a horrible thing to lose from a business perspective.

[tsigili]

Foolish people will criticize any and everything. I agree with him.

[forsanity1]

And other foolish people will agree with anything.

Works both ways...

[thinking-voter]

Before all the rest of the states start pointing fingers here... Florida's authentic hillbilly, who are known as crackers, didn't vote for this clown. The imported ones from everywhere else did. Crackers get it when their legs are being pulled. Teabaggers offer the other leg.

[NoWayJose9999]

Yeah. Let's spend the money on weapons that we don't need,and more pointless wars.
You f'n retatrd. American needs to build for its future. People like you dragged their heels when toilets were introduced to homes. Actually, stupid, tobacco chewin' hillbillies like you probably still don't have a flush toilet.......

[forsanity1]

NoWay...

Maybe you should actually READ a comment before replying so totally wrong.

[discussthis]

Tampa to Orlando, 85 miles. That's $624 million per mile, just for construction, or planning, or whatever stage of development obamao's pipe
dream is at right now.
And if this idea works as well as Amtrack, think of the hundreds of billions taxpayers will be forking over to keep this 85 mile boondoggle running in the future. Brilliant idea, huh?

[forsanity1]

High speed rail and Amtrack are as alike as a bicycle and a full power Harley.

In this case however, people PAY to ride each conveyance.

Why do you forget that building is the initial cost, use of the thing built is the profit part. I guess you missed that in Capitalism and the Free Market 101, huh?

[sjc_1]

$2.4 billion divided by 85 miles does not equal the number you posted per mile. The more than $50 billion is for the whole nation, not just Florida.

[bradkt1]

Attention Floridians:

Californians thank you for your Governor's stupidity. This just means that we will get more federal money to build this thing.

We wish the people of Florida well.

Now stay stuck in the 20th century with the teabaggers.

[RobAla]

Does anyone think that we have $53 billion lying around to put into a spending program for trains? We are $14 trillion in debt, and adding $1.5 trillion to that each year. We have no money for new federal spending programs. Californians should understand this, as massive overspending by that state has it on the verge of bankruptcy. This is crazy to propose any additional federal spending on anything that does not directly relate to national security. We are in big financial trouble. There is no money for fast trains.

[retm-w]

Where is Calfornia going to get the matching State funds? Guess they'll just steal it from the rest of the country.

[christopher56]

First we have to deal with that visionary Jeb Bush,,, now we have a real winner in Rick Scott.. will we ever get a Gov. that can look beyond the nose on his face.. when the rest of the world is riding on high speed rail we will still be walking because we can afford the oil that is sold by the Arabs who will sell to the highest bidder..nothing wrong with that but we need to be prepared for something else beside fossil fuels.. maybe we can run things on all the hot air coming out of our Republican governors mouths.

[jimbom121]

Elections have consequences.

[cbsglucas]

Gov. Scott and the Tea Party's priorities. 1) Hate Barack Obama and destroy him at any cost 2) Do what's best for the people of Florida.
Had this money been givebacks to the wealthy or the insurance industry, it would have been welcomed. They don't need highspeed rail, they take limos and airplanes. Florida's loss will be another state's gain.

[RobAla]

Actually, to spend $53 billion that we don't have is every American's loss. We are $14 trillion in debt, and adding $1.5 trillion to that each year. Where is the money for a new train program? Where is the additional $105 billion each year in new federal spending to support this stupid health care law? We have to be somewhat practical. We don't have the money. We are in serious trouble.

[jimbom121]

RobAla

You should have thought about that when we did not fund 2 wars, put an unfunded medicare drug program in place and implemented and then extended the unfunded tax cuts.

[RobAla]

How about funneling that train money into paying off our staggering $14 trillion national debt, or reducing a $1.5 trillion yearly deficit? We don't have $53 billion in extra money for trains. We don't have $105 billion in new spending each year to fund this horrible health care law. This guy is doing the nation a favor, and all he gets is ridicule. We are moving quickly toward economic collapse and all some people can think about is what new toy the federal government should buy.

[forsanity1]

Doom, gloom -- all is going to hell.

But hey! It was so great before 1-20-09, THAT spending was just fine with RobbieAla.

Hypocrisy is so obvious.

[pr_boxer]

Gov Scott is right, Fla doesn't need high speed rail, or for that matter public schools, electrification or inside plumbing. Floridians got along fine on possum meat and swamp cabbage. Since it doesn't get cold ever, out houses are just fine, as for health care, heck Granny can just tie a poultice on anything you have.

Let Georgia waste all that money on a rail system from Atlanta to Savannah, they'll regret all the new people moving in to fill all the jobs.

Yep, Floridians voted for this cretin, now they are going to learn what real un-employment means!

[retm-w]

Let Georgia subsidize then not the rest of the states, when it doesn't make enough to cover the operational costs.

[forsanity1]

Good parody pr_boxer.

______________

You missed that retm-w.

Then added one of your "doom and gloom"-nothing could ever turn out well-especially if Democrats/progressives/anyone you don't vote for-- suggests it as a solution.

Why can't you have some faith in America and Americans -- of which, many are not in agreement with you, politically.

I want conservatives to succeed IF they present good, forward thinking ideas. Could you please try to do that with progressive ideas? Please.