Orsen:Rick Scott rejects money for high speed rail

Originally Posted By bayrr326

<a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-scott-rejects-rail-money-20110216,0,2863027.story" target="_blank">http://www.orlandosentinel.com...27.story</a>

So our idiot governor has rejected the federal money for high speed rail. So much for something that would have helped tourists ability to get around without cars and would have relieved congestion on the highways. Congratulations California, your gonna get your LA to SF rail line. So long to more jobs in this joke of a state.

 

Originally Posted By bayrr326

<a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-scott-rejects-rail-money-20110216,0,2863027.story" target="_blank">http://www.orlandosentinel.com...27.story</a>

So our idiot governor has rejected the federal money for high speed rail. So much for something that would have helped tourists ability to get around without cars and would have relieved congestion on the highways. Congratulations California, your gonna get your LA to SF rail line. So long to more jobs in this joke of a state.

 

Originally Posted By bayrr326

<a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/os-scott-rejects-rail-money-20110216,0,2863027.story" target="_blank">http://www.orlandosentinel.com...27.story</a>

So our idiot governor has rejected the federal money for high speed rail. So much for something that would have helped tourists ability to get around without cars and would have relieved congestion on the highways. Congratulations California, your gonna get your LA to SF rail line. So long to more jobs in this joke of a state.

 

Originally Posted By bayrr326

Disney can't be happy about this considering it would deliver tourist right to their door at no cost to them.

 

Originally Posted By Christi22222

This is very disappointing. I think that Florida (where I do not nor have ever lived) would be a prime area for rail development. It is a large state with numerous large city centers spread throughout. I do understand belt tightening, but it just seems that growth and forward thinking are being sacrificed.

 

Originally Posted By ExpDave

Forward thinking was sacrificed throughout this nation in the last election, Scott is far from the only idiot that was elected and new transportation infrastructure isn't the only thing on the chopping block. Public broadcasting, environmental protection, art, women's rights and much more will be cut back by these right wing nut jobs.

 

Originally Posted By dshyates

Disney is not the only business upset with this decision. Orlando International Airport, Orange County Convention Center, and Siemens are all already heavily invested into the project.

 

Originally Posted By Ursula

I am so sorry you don't have a forward-thinking governor but:

YAY for us!!!!!!

We can't keep relying on oil and cars forever. I wish we had an even better rail system, but we're working on it.

 

Originally Posted By wahooskipper

You need to keep in mind that Florida is facing between a $3.6 billion and $5.0 billion budget shortfall in this year alone. While Federal stimulus dollars are being promised to build these high speed rail systems they are not promising to fund operation of them and our governor, at least in this case, has a right to have legitimate concerns.

I think you need look no futher than the Las Vegas monorail project. Last I heard that was falling well short of all projected attendance and revenue figures and who is left holding the bag?

Amtrak has lost money for...well...ever. I don't like to use Wikipedia as a source but if documentation there is to be believed then Amtrak will be looking for congressional subsidies to the tune of $1 billion a year for at least the next 10 years.

How much should a state be expected to sustain I guess is my question?

 

Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer

Horrible, horrible move. The Governor essentially stepped all over any potential this state has, any semblance of progress, and any idea of forward thinking for the future of the state.

I can not wait until he is gone.

 

Originally Posted By wahooskipper

I'm all for potential and forward thinking...but who is going to PAY FOR IT? There was talk of potentially closing up to 53 State Parks in Florida this year because of budget shortfalls. We are at the bottom of the list in terms of funding for education compared to the rest of the country.

I have a LOT of reservations about Governor Scott...but in this I think he has a valid argument. Heck, I voted for high speed rail when it was presented as a constitutional amendment but that was before the bottom fell out of the economy.

 

Originally Posted By wahooskipper

Thinking I lost a post somewhere.

 

Originally Posted By hopemax

*stuck*

 

Originally Posted By Ursula

I seriously think the Las Vegas Monorail is still a great thing and a great idea.

Too bad the people in charge of it put it so far off the strip. THAT is the reason why no one uses it. Everyone wants to use it, but not when you have to walk a half-mile to the next station.

 

Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS

Because of the business that I am in, I happen to know that there is a contractor right now seriously making purchases in hopes that the rail system from LA to Las Vegas comes to fruition sooner than later. This is supposed to be in full swing soon and completed by 2015. I hope it doesn't fall through as my company would suffer greatly for it.

It's too bad that Orlando and other cities can't take advantage of this type of transportation. Don't stand down...write your letters to the powers that be to get it rolling. It could really cut down on traffic and polution.

 

Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS

Oh, and to as to who is going to pay for it? We are speculating that the fares would be a little higher than needed for a few years to compensate for whatever loans need to be had. It's kind of along the same lines as paying to use a toll road.

 

Originally Posted By hopemax

That's what I see is a problem with many projects. In Seattle, they opened the light rail without going to either the airport, or the University of Washington. They did extend to the airport and ridership increased. The next phase does having it going to campus, and I expect ridership to jump as well. The other stupid thing they did, was not provide adequate parking near the station stops. So people couldn't drive a mile to the station, and take the train for the rest of their 20 mile commute.

It took so long for Disney to allow the Convention Center stop and still stop at Disney, that it's really disappointing to see the project get killed.

If you build and operate it in the common sense ways, people will use it. Although, there will still probably be some time to reach critical mass. Wahoo mentioned Amtrak. DH and I would love to take the train between Denver and SLC. But the train leaves SLC at 3:30 AM and takes 15 hours.

 

Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA

I'm skeptical that the California bullet train will ever happen.

There, I said it.

 

Originally Posted By Christi22222

Completely agree with Ursula regarding the Las Vegas monorail. Seriously, it doesn't take you anywhere far enough or easily enough. You can't even get downtown, can you? And the stations are deep in the bowels of the back of the reosrts. So it is still easier and just as cheap to get a cab. Why wouldn't you put it right on the strip? Dumb, dumb, dumb.

As for Amtrak, I sure don't know every fact. But I get very annoyed when everyone says, "they don't make money or support themselves." When was the last time the interstate highway system showed a profit? Or Airport terminals? It's called transportation infrastructure and modern societies invest in it.

 

Originally Posted By oc_dean

>>Forward thinking was sacrificed throughout this nation in the last election,<<

Make that 2nd and 3rd last election!