Florida Gov. Scott Slaughtered Federal ‘Gift Horse’

February 16th, 2011 (5) Posted By Grizz.

“It’s one thing to look a gift horse in the mouth. It’s quite another thing to slaughter a gift horse and send its disemboweled corpse back to Washington.”

That’s how Time magazine senior correspondent Michael Grunwald characterized Republican Florida Governor Rick Scott’s decision to spurn a federal Department of Transportation high-speed rail grant for the Sunshine State.

“This was the nation’s most shovel-ready high-speed project, and the state wasn’t required to spend a dime to build it,” Grunwald noted in his February 16 Swampland blog post.

In fairness, Grunwald did note that the economic feasibility of Tampa-to-Orlando was “actually a tougher call” than other commuter rail and mass transit projects Scott has opposed.

What’s more, Grunwald noted that Scott suggested it would make more sense for the Department of Transportation to spend money on “port deepenings in Jacksonville and Miami and highway widenings on I-95 and I-4.”

Of course, the high-speed rail money is a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. The $2.4 billion in money for that project cannot be reallocated to port deepenings or highway improvements, even though there’s an argument to be had for “investing” in expanding that existing infrastructure as opposed to taking a huge gamble on the dubious economic returns of a high speed passenger rail project.
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  • http://thecaptiansquarters.blogspot.com/ Capt-Dax

    I think i like this guy,, he’s off to a good start. glac i voted for him. :beer:

  • william ayres

    I voted for him too..sold government jet uses his own. :beer:

    • Salmonpal

      Sounds like Palin except she flew commercial and with hubby.

  • David

    This is why the federal government’s “one size fits all” approach can NEVER work. The money comes from WE THE PEOPLE and the federal government skims off a hefty sum, sends it back to the states, but with strings attached [not to be used for highway widening or port improvement]. Abolish the departments of energy, education, housing, transportation and save hundreds of billions of money that comes from WE THE PEOPLE.
    The other problem built into this dumbass idea is that the estimates for the cost of these projects will increase wildly since unions will have to be involved. More corruption and waste.
    Two other governors also rejected these kinds of dumbass ideas. All three are Republicans.

  • Cajun Joe

    If this line was sustainable, the private sector wound have built it already.

    This thing was another Amtrak in waiting.

    Well done Gov Scott.