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US DOT Ups Bribe For Florida To $2.39 Billion

By: BigGator5 (Diary)  |  December 10th, 2010 at 10:00 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Alternate Headline: High Speed Rail Not Dead In Florida, That Pisses Off This Gator

Blood pressure building…

Florida is penciled in to receive an additional $342.3 million, raising the total it will receive from the federal government to $2.39 billion.

Republican U.S. Sen. George LeMieux said he is happy to hear about the additional funding, noting that the planned high-speed rail project connecting Tampa and Orlando will cost $3.2 billion.

“This continued support of the U.S. Department of Transportation is imperative for the success of the high-speed rail project,” said LeMieux. “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 megaregion.”

Eyes turning red…

Late Thursday [Rick] Scott said, “I’m pleased that the federal government recognizes that sound infrastructure is key to Florida’s economic growth.”

But he was cautious as well.

“I look forward to reviewing the feasibility of this project in terms of return to Florida’s taxpayers” Scott said in a statement. “I’m also interested in understanding the private sector’s interest in funding this infrastructure project.”

Nails raking across desk…

Republican U.S. Rep. John Mica, who was named this week to lead the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee when the GOP takes over Congress in January, also praised the decision.

“Additional federal funding for the new Orlando to Tampa passenger rail link should ensure the project’s chance for successful completion,” said Mica.

GWAAARRRGGHHLLLGH!!!!!!

I’ll give you a good reason why this will never work: Tri-Rail! Tri-Rail have never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, been fiscal feasible. We have been subsidizing Tri-Rail since it was built. We will be subsidizing Sunrail til now until doomsday. If Rick Scott doesn’t kill this bloody thing, I will hold him personally responsible if we, the tax-payers of Florida, have to bear this burden ten or twenty years in the future.

Isn’t Rick Scott a millionaire? Why don’t he offer up his own money before taking it away from the Florida Tax payer?? Instead of spending our money on this dumb thing, I can think of more worth while things to spend the money on. Like, I don’t know, SCHOOLS!! We do have a hard class-size cap that needs to be addressed (I don’t like it, but the law is the law and we have to do something about this now before it gets worse).

And I’ll give you other good reasons: Amtrak. Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. US Postal Service. I suggest you read Glenn Beck’s “Arguing With Idoits” for all the juicy details on all of those epic boondoogles in government mismanagement into the “for profit” realm. It has and never will work. History has shown us time and again, that this will be a money blackhole for special interest. Sure we will get some temporary jobs building the thing, but it’s only temporary! We need permanent private jobs!

Rick Scott, John Mica, and George LeMieux are all currently on my [Expletive Deleted] List. They are all going to stay there until I see Sunrail dead and buried.

[Cross-Posted On Practical State.com]

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COMMENTS

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  • http://www.redstate.com/etcartman Kenny Solomon

    BG5, I was offline running up a diary on the news, but y’all were much nicer on wording things than the direction I was headed.

    Besides, ya dun beats me to da posting. ;)

    As for some way-toned-down opining from me……

    Um…… Rep. Mica…… Sir…… You?re assuming there?s going to be riders on the system.

    Governor-elect Scott…… Go spit up a rope…… Sir……. I instantly didn’t trust you when I first met you. It’s more than double that now. I didn’t actually vote for you – I voted against Ms. Sink and you seemed to be the least dangerous. Not that I was 100% behind Mr. McCollum, but dang it, y’all are projectin’ a bad vibe.

    Then again, the Totalitarian Communist Jihadis who forced in the money ?nudge? to build the rail system – for which Ol? Orange Face? up ?n hugged our Dictator In Training Pants? – will probably mandate I-4 closes to civilian vehicles in order to force citizens to use the rail system so American?s movement can be tracked.

    I?m also wondering how much of our tax dollars ? that?s what this is you know ? how much of our tax dollars will actually be used to build the unwanted and unneeded rail system, vs. how much ?disappears? into various pockets, bank accounts, etc.

    Plus……

    Don?t forget ICLEI. This entire mass of high-speed insanity is mandated to be ?uber-green? at all costs, no matter that Amendment 4 here went down in flames.

    Don?t forget the ?minority preference mandates? that must be in place for contract bids.

    Don?t forget that the new regs (nudges) for Federal construction projects – which is what this is, don?t let anyone try and tell you this is a state thing ? new Federal construction projects are mandated to be union jobsites.

    Don?t forget eminent domain – that there?s undoubtedly going to be private property seized to get this built.

    I can keep going……… Naaaaah. Nobody cares.

    Hey, just to add a bit more fuel to the fire, I?m guessing a nice and totally provable number of our newly-minted millionaire formerly oppressed black farmers will be displaced by this construction and they’ll demand additional reparations compensation.

    • http://dreamsfrommyforefathers.com RoguePolitics
  • http://www.flaliberty.org scorpio0679

    BG5, thanks for bringing this to our attention. I would go a bit easier on Scott because he has been the main voice in opposition to the project — it is the powers that be in the legislature (from Central Fla.) that are pushing it.

    I have to admit, being from Orlando, there is a secret compartment in my conscience that is rooting for the project because I want to be able to take the train to see Lightning and Bucs games. However, the “reason” side says No.

    The truth is that SunRail could only work if it were built in a statewide network, all at once. You would need to connect Miami to Orlando to St. Augustine to Jacksonville; connect Jacksonville through the panhandle to Pensacola; connect Orlando to Tampa and down the west coast and back across Alligator Alley to Miami again.

    Since it won’t be successful, it won’t make money, and therefore the private sector will not invest in it without subsidies. So, Amtrak all over again. Nice.

    Commuter rail on the other hand could potentially be a success in the greater Orlando metro area.

  • fpete13527

    The OBAMA/PORKULUS/ EARMARK/ SOCIAL ENGINEERING DOT/ WASTEFUL/ PORK TRAIN TO NOWEHERE, project that was generated under the CRIST / OBAMA progressive state legislature transition program…MUST BE KILLED.

    Other states have come to their senses and given the money back to Obama given the progressive spending nightmare that this is.

    The Florida GOP Leadership needs to kill rail. The way that the Florida Leadership (Legislature and Governor) deal with High Speed Rail should be considered exactly synonymous to where they stand as a whole as conservatives.

    If rail goes forward Florida Government is chock full of it and NOT in the right direction…period.

    If they nix it, they are.

    We have been fighting the impact of Obama’s EARMARK program in Tampa for the last six months. BIG parts of Obamas High Speed rail initiative are NOT FUNDED before, during, and definitely after inception. http://bit.ly/awnuxf

    WE PAINFULLY killed the TAX increase initiative in Tampa to instate High Speed Rail connectors (Light Rail)??. AND THE PROGRESSIVE DEM AND REPUB LEGISLTURE HERE SIMPLY IT SHOVED IT RIGHT OVER TO PINELLAS TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN??.. EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE DONT WANT IT.

    IT HAS TO BE CLEAR I AM PISSED.

    Here is the answer that Gov Scott and the Florida Legsilature need to echo regarding rail. Gov Kasich: http://bit.ly/idptcq

    NO RAIL

  • Common_Cents

    18%,

    yes, ridership fees only pay 18% of operating costs.

    that is paying NOTHING towards the $700,000,000 plus interest price tag for one line. New lines are now in the Billion or 2Billion range.

    That is like the govt giving you a car for free and only requiring you to pay only 18% of the cost of gas/oil changes. Someone calculated that MN was better leasing EVERY SINGLE regular light rail rider a car. no joke.

    Light rail operating costs are TRIPLE per vehicle hour vs. buses for similar ridership numbers. They also cost much more to purchase in the first place, and are less flexible. Plus, you can’t change the tracks like you can change bus routes to accommodate future demand.

    You’ll hear proponents of light rail say it benefits the whole community and their riders pay taxes and don’t benefit from roads. BS. Roads are vital for commerce. I don’t see light rail delivering any goods anywhere.

    You’ll hear light rail proponents say the rail stimulates RE development. How shortsighted is that? It takes a mental midget to see that is DISPLACES RE development (yep, govt loves picking winners) from one area to another, but doesn’t necessary grow development.

    I don’t mind light rail but it should be able to mostly pay for itself through ridership fees. Yes I believe it has some public good but not at the high cost of subsidies and unable to justify itself by ridership fees. If riders were charged 70-80% of the total capital cost and opex cost I’d be all for it. But it doesn’t.

  • acat

    Put rail terminals at both Tampa/St. Pete airports and a Disney rent-a-golf-cart concession at the Kissimee rail terminal and get the tourists off the road … ?

    Mew

    • http://www.flaliberty.org scorpio0679

      Disney has its own shuttle services and monorail and repeatedly has said they are not interested in any state rail project, whether commuter rail, high speed, or otherwise. they’ve blocked all efforts to add public transportation terminals of any kind to its premises as they believe it will draw riffraff from downtown.

      • acat

        I didn’t intend to drop passengers off at the Disney monorail – rather, somewhere on the opposite side of Kissimee from the park, with shuttle service to the Disney gate for Disney guests if they want.

        There’s a parallel near me – the town of Schaumburg is known for one thing – Woodfield Mall. When Woodfield was first built, it was the largest mall in the area – and right off the expressway… but miles and miles from the Schaumburg commuter train station. It’s possible to take a bus from one to the other, but .. enough of a pain that not many riffraff do.

        Mew

  • republicanconscience

    Can you name one existing rail road that is profitable? Even the old ones with no debt cannot profit. The government forces the unions on the railroads, then to save them with taxpayer dollars to keep it running. Where do the taxpayer dollars go? They go to elect more Democrats. What a country!! NO RAIL PORK SPENDING!!!!