US Senator Bill Nelson on High Speed Rail: "I predict we will get it"

[FayeforCure]

High-speed rail is needed in Florida, Nelson said. He conducted repeated rounds of consultation with the White House and Florida legislative leaders to bolster commuter-rail projects. We support high-speed rail and commuter rail, but regret high-cost concessions made for Orlando's SunRail system.

With Florida's support for rail as goodwill in seeking $2.5 billion in stimulus funding for high-speed rail, Nelson said, "I predict we will get it."

http://www.theledger.com/article/20100110/EDIT01/1105025/1398

[tufsu1]

Faye...can you explain one more time why you support HSR but not SunRail....especially considering that both projects would create jobs in FL?

oh, and btw, the portion you highlighted in red comes from The Lakeland (Paula Dockery's district) Ledger editorial board, not Sen. Nelson

[thelakelander]

Because Sunrail is John Mica's baby.

[FayeforCure]

Because Sunrail is John Mica's baby.

Because Sprawlrail is an ill-conceived corporate giveaway.

[FayeforCure]

Florida leaders lobby for rail funding
By TED JACKOVICS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 12, 2010

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said this morning he expects the Obama Administration to approve Florida's request for high speed rail stimulus funds to create a Tampa-to-Orlando route by 2014 that could create thousands of jobs.

"I think the decision has already been made," Nelson told a group of more than 50 business and elected officials gathered at Union Station, where rail advocates made an 11th-hour plea to lobby the White House for Florida's $2.3 billion bid. "I think it will be favorable for us for a number of reasons."

Nelson said top Washington officials with whom he has spoken will not reveal the funding decision before the White House makes its announcement sometime this winter - perhaps within a matter of weeks.

But he said Florida will prevail, based on talks with Administration officials in addition to rationale in Florida's favor including the state's "ready to go" project has a right of way, environmental permits and job creation plans in line with stimulus goals.

Nelson said as many as 23,000 jobs, including 600 permanent ones, could be created. The state has estimated 15,000 jobs could be created for construction alone of the Tampa-to-Orlando route.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, concurred, saying Obama's high speed rail plan nationwide is akin to the Eisenhower Administration's Interstate highway concept that began in the 1950s.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio made a pitch for both federal high speed rail funding and Hillsborough County voter approval in November of a 1-cent sales tax surcharge to support light rail and other transit and highway improvements.

Milton Figueroa, a 20-year-old Florida Army National Guardsman who was traveling from Riverview to Hartford, Conn., by Amtrak on Tuesday, gave the rail pitch a thumbs up.

"I think some good could come of this," Figueroa said. "You need a car when you live in Florida and it was not like that when I lived in New Jersey. And the new jobs would be great."

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jan/12/florida-leaders-lobby-rail-funding/news-politics/

[FayeforCure]

Nelson Asks Supporters to Text Obama for Rail
Posted Tue, Jan 12, 2010 at 06:01 pm

Sen. Nelson wants supporters of high-speed rail to text the White House.
By Steve Newborn (Send E-Mail)
TAMPA (2010-1-12) - A group of politicians led by U.S. Senator Bill Nelson converged in Tampa Tuesday to renew a push for high-speed rail.

They've got the plans in place and right of way set aside in the median of Interstate 4. Now, all backers of high speed rail need is money, according to Nelson.

“Now, all we need is for the president to fund high-speed rail. That's where you come in. Please tell the president today,” Nelson said.

That's part of a new advertising campaign rail backers unveiled at Tampa's Union Station. They want people to text the White House to ask the president to give Florida a chunk of federal stimulus money.

“We're talking over 100 applications for over $8 billion. Florida is applying for $2.5 billion. I cannot imagine that our project is not going to be at the top of the list,” Nelson said.

“It will be a showcase for how we can remake transportation in America by doing it right here in this highly, densely-traveled corridor between Tampa and Orlando, and ultimately, to Miami,” Nelson said.

Nelson thinks the decision will be made in several weeks, before the President's state of the union speech.

http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/2010/01/12/nelson_asks_supporters_to_text_obama_for_rail

[buckethead]

"WHO DOES NUMBER TWO WORK FOR?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-YVt4gfquA

[Ocklawaha]

Because Sunrail is John Mica's baby.

She has no reason other then elementary school hate. Apparently incapable of independent thought, the queen of cut and paste will offer no more then more, cut and paste. Expect rapid retorts, that have nothing to do with the subject, but angle for her Sunrail tea party friends. She appears to be at once, in bed with the Dockery camp, and, the anti-rail pro-highway mass transit lobby. Your answer will not be broken down in detail, because she doesn't understand the subject or the details. She will never back this up with photos or charts, that explain her position and when she runs out of clip-n-save answers, it degenerates into comments about, "angry middle aged white men", or that, "Lakelander won't listen to reason..."

Do we REALLY need to continue this, Sesame Street is on TV?

OCKLAWAHA