There Goes the Transit Stimulus... "Suck Wind and Die!"

[Ocklawaha]

The Senate seems to have worked out a deal  on a stimulus bill after cutting about $100 billion in spending from the last version. First the Senators cut the transit budget down to 8.4 Billion. The Senate then cut another $3.4 billion in transit cash, leaving just $5 billion. The House version had $13 billion for transit. At least Brown fought for transportation. Mica didn't. The rest of the Senate has been a massive disappointment.

Damn Neanderthals! Where's my SOCO and REBEL YELL?! So grab a drink and sing along, might just as well because even had they passed the whole $13 Billion, our State is too Stupid to ask for a penny for mass transit!

I was born down south on a chicken farm in Jacksonville Flora-dee
Wern't nobody there, but a sky full of air, 50 million chickens and me,
Then one day I said, Hey, Hey, I think I'll do a little LSD
That was the day, the glorious day that I set my chickens free.

There was chickens in the pasture, and chickens in the corn
There was chickens all around my house up till early morn.
There was chickens driving Cadillac's to Washington D.C.
On that glorious day that I set my chickens free!

OCKLAWAHA

[JeffreyS]

I know they should have passed those transit funds but from a selfish point of view we weren't getting any of it anyway. Let's push for the Amtrak money.

[thelakelander]

I believe there will be a separate transit bill coming later this year.

[FayeforCure]

Yes, let's push for Amtrak funds. I agree whole-heartedly!

[Charles Hunter]

Lakelander is correct, the current transportation law - SAFETEA-LU - expires this year, so Congress needs to pass a new multi-year transportation bill this year.  Hopefully, there will be more transit money in it, and Jacksonville can compete without having to deal with not having "shovel ready" rail projects.

[FayeforCure]

Well some beautiful transit was put into the stimulus bill by John Kerry:



KERRY WINS INCLUSION OF HIGH SPEED RAIL PROVISION IN STIMULUS

States News Service

WASHINGTON 


The following information was released by Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry:

Senator John Kerry, a senior member of the Finance Committee, today applauded the inclusion of his high-speed rail provision in the Senate economic recovery package. Kerrys provision would modernize our national transportation system while creating hundreds of desperately needed jobs.

Job number one is creating jobs rapidly and putting people to work as we fix our economy, and the high speed rail provision we have secured in the stimulus plan will create jobs, help fix our crumbling infrastructure system, and help move our rail systems up to par with the high-tech rail systems across the globe, said Senator John Kerry. Im grateful to Chairman Baucus and my colleagues on the Finance Committee for supporting this effort.

The rail provision included in the stimulus package allows transit projects to receive tax-exempt financing and requires that high-speed trains must be reasonably expected to reach 150 miles per hour. The bill also includes a provision modeled after Kerrys legislation that would exempt interest from private activity bonds from the Alternative Minimum Tax, including interest from high-speed rail bonds. This change would make bonds more attractive to investors.

In November, Sens. Kerry and Specter introduced the High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008, which would transform Americas outdated and underfunded passenger rail system into a world class system. 

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=102100008&docId=l:920455213&start=22

[tufsu1]

Lakelander is correct, the current transportation law - SAFETEA-LU - expires this year, so Congress needs to pass a new multi-year transportation bill this year.  Hopefully, there will be more transit money in it, and Jacksonville can compete without having to deal with not having "shovel ready" rail projects.

rumor has it that they won't even begin debating reauthorization this year....primarily because it would be hard to pass something that big (expected to be around $500 billion over 6 years) the same year as the stimulus....instead, they'll just do continuing resolutions into 2010.

[FayeforCure]

The Senate seems to have worked out a deal  on a stimulus bill after cutting about $100 billion in spending from the last version. First the Senators cut the transit budget down to 8.4 Billion. The Senate then cut another $3.4 billion in transit cash, leaving just $5 billion. The House version had $13 billion for transit. At least Brown fought for transportation. Mica didn't. The rest of the Senate has been a massive disappointment.

From another article comparing the House and Senate versions: The Senate’s moderates haven’t chosen to take out their money-cutting desires on transit or rail, which means that the conference committee will have at least an adequate amount of funds for these transportation needs. It's just that Florida missed the boat on federal rail dollars for commuter rail, none were included in what was submitted by Florida: http://www.floridatoday.com/assets/pdf/A91248461222.PDF

Maybe someone can copy the chart:
http://thetransportpolitic.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/final-senate-compromise-appears-to-avoid-cutting-transit-funds/

The total for rail in the House version is: $1.1 billion
The total for rail in the Senate version is: $3.1 billion because of the addition of HSR by Sen. John Kerry