Florida High Speed Rail Option and Elimination

[FayeforCure]

See the sick Regressives at work, killing off much needed jobs! The Tampa-Orlando HSR line was projected to create 23,000 job-years of direct construction jobs and more than 48,000 job-years of work through both direct and spin-off employment during the four-year construction period. 90% of the investment funding was federal funding, and private companies were into providing the other 10%, making it essentially a freebee to the state of Florida!!

http://www.clickorlando.com/travelgetaways/26885383/detail.html?treets=orlpn&tml=orlpn_break&ts=T&tmi=orlpn_break_1_09090102162011

[Shwaz]

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,11204.msg203944/topicseen.html#new

[tufsu1]

stop thinking of this as just Tampa to Orlando...think of it as the first leg of a system that connecs to Miami, Jacksonville, and the rest of the country.

the same things (road to nowehere, connects nothing) were said about the interstate system in the 1950s....not too many say that now.

I agree completely that we could provide just as good (perhaps better) service by expanding existing Amtrak routes....but no one in DC or Tallahassee seems interested in funding that either!

[tufsu1]

people need to keep track of the jobs lost (both public and private) during Scott's time in office....then subtract them from the 700,000 jobs he plans to create...right now he's running a deficit!

[FayeforCure]

This is no suprise from this thief and liar...and for his party as well...he and his party have historically not supported the advancement of it's people. .they only care about the wealthy and connected...i can't wait to vote against him.

Killing 71,000 jobs during the devastating economy we face in Florida is grounds for a recall in my book.

The Tampa-Orlando HSR line was projected to create 23,000 job-years of direct construction jobs and more than 48,000 job-years of work through both direct and spin-off employment during the four-year construction period. 90% of the investment funding was federal funding, and private companies were into providing the other 10%, making it essentially a freebee to the state of Florida.

Regressive ideology will always trump economic sense. Like that BS trickle down nonsense to keep cutting taxes for the ultra rich.

How The Middle Class Became The Underclass

In 1988, the income of an average American taxpayer was $33,400, adjusted for inflation. Fast forward 20 years, and not much had changed: The average income was still just $33,000 in 2008, according to IRS data.

Meanwhile, the richest 1% of Americans -- those making $380,000 or more -- have seen their incomes grow 33% over the last 20 years, leaving average Americans in the dust.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/16/news/economy/middle_class/

[tufsu1]

believe what you want....but I have been told now by several people that are in direct talks with CSX that there is virtually no chance for commuter rail between Tampa and Lakeland...at the same time, CSX is very open to talking about their tracks north and west of Tampa.

[dougskiles]

stop thinking of this as just Tampa to Orlando...think of it as the first leg of a system that connecs to Miami, Jacksonville, and the rest of the country.

the same things (road to nowehere, connects nothing) were said about the interstate system in the 1950s....not too many say that now.

I agree completely that we could provide just as good (perhaps better) service by expanding existing Amtrak routes....but no one in DC or Tallahassee seems interested in funding that either!

I actually am thinking of the entire state, and that is why I believe expanding and improving what we have is smarter than building a very expensive segment of HSR with the hope that someday we will get enough money to connect the other dots.

[peestandingup]

Ugh, well that's that I guess. Florida residents are hereby doomed to decades of servitude to our Lord, the great automobile.

Thanks a lot, you stupid douche bag. I'm outta here.

[Ocklawaha]

stop thinking of this as just Tampa to Orlando...think of it as the first leg of a system that connecs to Miami, Jacksonville, and the rest of the country.

...And if the ridership on the Tampa-Orlando portion did not meet expectations, certain groups and political ideology's would shoot down any further expansion beyond Orlando, and quote the "AMERICAN HIGH SPEED RAIL DISASTER," verse by verse forever. Hell I wake up at night after dreaming of reading a paper with the headlines, "HSR DISASTER IN FLORIDA - MIAMI EXTENSION STOPPED AT KENANSVILLE."  Scary stuff when I agree that Scott did the right thing. Though I agree with FSUJAX that the Miami Tri-Rail quip is worrisome.

the same things (road to nowehere, connects nothing) were said about the interstate system in the 1950s....not too many say that now.

The government used those interstate highways to destroy the fabric and financial strength of our railroad system. The parallel super-slabs paid for in part by railroad tax dollars, guaranteed the death of the intercity passenger train which was already weakened by the post war slump and rising airline services. Interstates represent a huge subsidy for trucking and intercity bus operations. Anyone that thinks all interstate's are roads to somewhere, and connect something, has never been on I-27 between Amarillo and Lubbock.

I agree completely that we could provide just as good (perhaps better) service by expanding existing Amtrak routes....but no one in DC or Tallahassee seems interested in funding that either!

Not even the President has proposed any improvement in Amtrak intercity passenger trains, in fact Amtrak got a 1% increase in budget. Amtrak,received $1.5 billion in fiscal 2010 capital and debt-service grants and operating subsidies, would have to compete for money from a “system preservation and renewal” fund Obama would create in the six-year surface plan. Under a different administration this idea could torpedo the whole system, it appears to put Amtrak a great risk... AGAIN, and AGAIN, and AGAIN.

The president is guilty of the same error in planning that Florida has made. Jumping from no rail passenger service to dozens of frequent bullet trains overnight, is a recipe for disaster. America needs to be re-TRAINed, and faster, more frequent, Amtrak trains, over a newer expanding route structure would be the perfect tool to use.

OCKLAWAHA

[fsujax]

Ock, I agree. We could have gotten so much more by focusing on Amtrak, improving intercity service while connecting the entire state!

[BridgeTroll]

Killing 71,000 jobs during the devastating economy we face in Florida is grounds for a recall in my book.

Go for it Faye!  After all... it is lack of democrat turnout that got him elected in the first place.  It is only common courtesy that the democrats clean up their mess...

[FayeforCure]

stop thinking of this as just Tampa to Orlando...think of it as the first leg of a system that connecs to Miami, Jacksonville, and the rest of the country.

the same things (road to nowehere, connects nothing) were said about the interstate system in the 1950s....not too many say that now.

I agree completely that we could provide just as good (perhaps better) service by expanding existing Amtrak routes....but no one in DC or Tallahassee seems interested in funding that either!

I actually am thinking of the entire state, and that is why I believe expanding and improving what we have is smarter than building a very expensive segment of HSR with the hope that someday we will get enough money to connect the other dots.

After WWII, Germany leaped ahead of the US because rather than "expanding and improving what we have" they HAD to rebuild from scratch, because "what they had" was thoroughlt destroyed by repeated bombardments!!

Come on people, lets learn from history!!

BTW here is more info helpful in recalling Rick Scott:

Florida currently allows for the recall of local elected officials, but there is no provision in state law to allow for the recall of state officials. House Joint Resolution 785 and House Bill 787, both sponsored by Representative Kriseman, would allow the public to recall from office Florida legislators, members of the Florida Cabinet, governor and lieutenant governor.

[FayeforCure]

Killing 71,000 jobs during the devastating economy we face in Florida is grounds for a recall in my book.

Go for it Faye!  After all... it is lack of democrat turnout that got him elected in the first place.  It is only common courtesy that the democrats clean up their mess...

So true! Besides improving Democratic turnout in the future, lets also call on the Republicans to reign in their fanatical teabagger turnout.

[BridgeTroll]

Killing 71,000 jobs during the devastating economy we face in Florida is grounds for a recall in my book.

Go for it Faye!  After all... it is lack of democrat turnout that got him elected in the first place.  It is only common courtesy that the democrats clean up their mess...

So true! Besides improving Democratic turnout in the future, lets also call on the Republicans to reign in their fanatical teabagger turnout.

Certainly you are not encouraging people to not vote.  Seems kind of undemocratic somehow.  Besides... plenty republicans did cross the aisle in the past election only to get their collective foot stepped on by lack of dem turnout.  We simply cannot fight all your battles Faye...

[Clem1029]

So true! Besides improving Democratic turnout in the future, lets also call on the Republicans to reign in their fanatical teabagger turnout.

Wow...once again, Faye demonstrates what the left is really all about - only those that rightthink should be allowed to vote. And not only that, but those that disagree should have brutal slurs thrown against them.

Unreal Faye...you went way beyond the line here.