Rick Scott's Anti-Transit Tool: Robert Poole, Reason Foundation

[Jumpinjack]

I've heard that LaHood will give the $2.4 billion to other states tomorrow, Friday.

[thelakelander]

Reports yesterday stated the federal government wants to work with Florida's HSR backers to see if they can salvage the plan before moving the $2.4 billion.  Yesterday's reports also stated that they would not be meeting until tomorrow.

[FayeforCure]

Florida lawmakers have been given one week to put together a deal that would keep the federal funds from going to other states.

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/february/209079/Senator-Bill-Nelson-looks-to-move-ahead-on-high-speed-rail-without-Governor-Rick-Scott

[mtraininjax]

A metropolitan planning organization in Tampa and a rail authority in South Florida have volunteered to step forward in place of the state to accept oversight of the bullet-train project and the $2.4 billion from Uncle Sam. Lawyers are researching how to do it," Nelson said

Would the City of Tampa be on the hook for overruns?

[thelakelander]

No, the private sector, that's been claiming they'll cover any potential overruns and funding gaps for a chance to capture a good share of the future US HSR market, would.

[tufsu1]

And a shout out to John Mica too, who for once unequivocably sided with Florida HSR against Tea Party ideology:

I'm siding w/ Faye here...although in typical Mica fashion, he didn't meet wioth LaHood (left that for 5 Democrats) but then joined them for a press conference after

btw...see below...looks like the Legislature is very unhappy w/ Scott..Faye posted this elsewhere

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/17/2072075/scott-rebuked-by-26-senators-over.html#

lesson here...it helps to understand the political process before governing!

[mtraininjax]

No, the private sector

Lots of risk for the private sector without much upside. Would the Feds instruct SBA to write loans for the contractors? Who would use their own private equity for something that has never been built in Florida? I know I'd use the Feds money or the banks before putting my own capital into it.

[thelakelander]

Several groups have been interesting in investing their money into Florida's system.  I don't think its the most sound plan or best route but I see no problem in allowing the bidding process to take place.  Unless, there is fear that a group would actually be willing to take a financial risk on it.  If we really want to vet its feasibility, let the private sector bid on it.  If it's not worth the private investment risk, it will end up like the Outer Beltway.

[tufsu1]

There are 8 consortiums, all of which ionclude big European/Asian rail operators, that have shown interest....here's the reason....the winner of the Tampa-Orlando route gets first right of refusal for Orlando-Miami

[FayeforCure]

Just had to share this hillarious quote if it wasn't so disasterous:

The National Association of Railroad Passengers assailed the Reason Foundation report by referring to one of its authors, Wendell Cox, as a "regressive hallucination" by an "untrained transportation expert who makes his living writing propaganda for pro-road causes," including a grid of double-decked, 10-lane freeways in Atlanta.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2011/feb/24/241052/scotts-rail-decision-highlights-conflicting-assump/news-breaking/

BTW the above article offers the most lucid rebuttal of the hideous propaganda that Scott put out against HSR.

Too bad the majority of the media keeps letting Scott's claim of "the state being on the hook for billions" go unrefuted.

The typical article goes:

Scott says.........

but advocates say.........

It's what they call false equivalency in reporting.

Scott's claim is patently false and should be called out as such: a blatent LIE.

A final warning: beware of cute named front groups like Reason Foundation, the only reason they spew is Pro-OIL propaganda!!!!