Florida Gov. Rick Scott Plays Politics with High-Speed Rail Funds

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There are private companies willing to get government contracts to build it, knowing that our government will pay for the cost overruns and that the private company has no responsibility for profits or losses once it is built. If Florida or California can find a private company that is willing to finance the project and take total financial responsibility then Republicans are all for it. We are not for spending billions of tax dollars for a losing proposition. If it is such a great deal, then California should be willing to build it without federal money. Or why don’t you put in some of your money and get some of your friends to go in together and finance it. If it is such a great thing, think of how rich you would all be. My guess is you will not find any private investors.

kewaal of GA 7:02AM February 17, 2011

High Speed Rail makes money everywhere in the world (including the USA - yes Acela makes money, people) Careful ridership studies that have been done over a period of decades show that the Florida system will make money, once built. Yes "the numbers" have all been run.
But ideological politicians (and those who vote for them) believe their own ideologically-based pundits rather than the experienced professionals.
The private companies that were waiting to bid on this know how to run rail projects, they are making (unsubsidized) profits on intercity rail throughout the world.
Where are the pro-business Republicans?

EG in DC of DE 4:15AM February 17, 2011

I see most responses are from "reasonable side" of the citizens of this country who give this ride a thumbs down!
I tip my hat to you all ;)

reasonablonetoo of GA 2:26AM February 17, 2011

You guys need the money more than us. We don't need another Amtrak in our state. Yes we can build it but we still have to maintain it. So as your state goes bankrupt, we are trying to avoid that at all costs. So we will trade the stimulus money for all the businesses that will be leaving you because of the high taxes and coming here due to a business friendly state.

Vic from FLA of FL 9:38PM February 16, 2011

You're right Steve, the airlines never got any government assisstance...um...except for all that cash they got after 911. And all those cars on American roads, they never got any assistance from the government...umm...except for the FEDERAL highway system. I could go on. You get the point.

Marlow Matherne of FL 8:10PM February 16, 2011

Wait a few years and see if you are still thanking Florida, Ohio and every other state that had the good sense to turn down federal money to avoid wasting billions on something as foolish as building high speed rail that no one will ride and will cost the state billions in cost overruns and upkeep
http://reason.org/news/show/1003045.html
http://www.newgeography.com/content/002037-california-high-speed-rail-costs-escalate-50-percent-2-years
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/11/AR2011011106259.html

kewaal of GA 7:32PM February 16, 2011

After Ohio and Wisconsin turned down Federal funding for hi-speed bullet trains California saw a windfall of billions to finance and continue with planning and right of way purchases for our upcoming bullet trains that will primarily zoom between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It will also connect Orange County, San Diego with Sacramento and San Jose up north. San Francisco has already began construction of a new TransBay Terminal where the bullet trains will connect with BART, CalTrain and MUNI and VTA in San Jose. In Los Angeles the trains will connect in Union Station with the METRO lines. All of the acronyms that I mention are existing trains systems that work extremely well around here. The San Francisco / Los Angeles air corridor is already the most heavily used route in the United States. Bullet trains will do well as the running joke around here is that we can drive faster to LA from San Fran rather than flying. It is true! I tested it!
Sooooooo.... I give Florida a big hug and thank you for rejecting your funding as we in California will gladly accept it, because as you know our finances are a bit tight right now. Before anyone replies that we are broke is kind of an exaggeration. We are getting our house in order here and the voter's voted yes for the bullet trains and the bonds being used to finance. Also, Japan and China have kindly offered to help with financing (if we use their equipment...).
Lot's of love to all of you! Thanks again!

Michael of CA 7:17PM February 16, 2011

The fastest train in the world goes as fast as a slow turbo prop commercial airplane like the Saab 340 used by Delta Airlines. Amtrak earns $2.1 billion in revenue but has a budget of $4 billion. Where does the rest of the money come from? The 49% of Americans who pay income Taxes! Amtrak carries 27 million passengers a year, which make the average, ticket cost $85. Why does Amtrak operate at a loss? Why does the government give Amtrak an unfair price advantage over airlines? Why do we keep the Iron Horse alive? If Amtrak doubled the price of a ticket, they would have to ask for money from the government. But then, it would be worth it. I hope the government doesn't want to bring back the stagecoach. I wonder if the US Postal Service still uses the Pony Express.

Steve of MI 7:13PM February 16, 2011

Yeah Paul. No one, absolutely no one but the ingenious you thought about common sense and utilization at all. People (liberals, I am sure), just decided to draw a line on the map and says build there and threw some dice to determine the amount. However, an astute mind like yours who are surely deserving of multiple Nobel prize somehow pointed out that everyone is not wearing cloth but you.
In any case, we’d be glad to take that money to create jobs and invest in our infrastructure.

Ken of CA 6:02PM February 16, 2011

Has anyone said anything about how many people would be expected to ride, how often it would run and how much it would cost to ride? Are there really enough people traveling between Tampa and Orlando each day at all times of the day for such a rail to succeed? This Florida plan sounds just as useful as the proposition to put high speed rail in the Midwest. And that would be not at all useful in the grand scheme of things. There isn't the megaopolis in the South or the Midwest that there is in the Northeast to supply a steady ridership that would justify such an expensive and expansive rail. Plus, has anyone tried to take Amtrak? The darn company is broke, getting subsidies from the US government and still charging more than airfare from city to city on it's Acela line in many instances. How are we to expect these new lines would be any different?
A big cheers to Rick Scott! At least someone listens to their voters (and common sense).

Paul of NY 5:23PM February 16, 2011