EDITORIAL
Published: February 20, 2011
There is no sound economic justification for the decision by Gov. Rick Scott of Florida to reject $2.4 billion in federal financing for the vital Tampa-to-Orlando high-speed rail project. Political pandering to his Tea Party supporters is the only explanation we can come up with.
Related
Florida’s Governor Rejects High-Speed Rail Line, Fearing Cost to Taxpayers (February 17, 2011)
Over a decade in the planning, the 84-mile corridor was on the verge of construction, with guarantees from private entrepreneurs that they would absorb any cost overruns and operating deficits for the state. They anticipated 24,000 new jobs and a cornucopia of business growth for recession-mired Florida.
High-speed trains are booming as basic necessities for the nation’s global competitors in Europe and China.
The 90 percent federal share was nevertheless rejected by Mr. Scott, whose deliberations included a 30-minute meeting with Tea Party opponents of the project. Instead of waiting for a state study, as he had promised, Mr. Scott offered his own pound-foolish bromides, as he insisted that Florida would not chip in $280 million.
He contended that state taxpayers could ultimately be on the hook for the whole project — but had no evidence to support that claim. “I don’t see any way anyone is going to get a return,” he insisted, ignoring the fact that sponsors included eight business consortiums from 11 countries. They saw opportunities rolling from the Orlando airport to downtown Tampa, Orange County, Walt Disney World and Lakeland.
Mr. Scott isn’t the only Republican governor who has decided to play politics with his state’s economic future. New Jersey’s Chris Christie killed off a much-needed mass-transit tunnel under the Hudson River, and lost $3 billion in pledged federal funds. Wisconsin’s Scott Walker and Ohio’s John Kasich made a show of rebuffing a total of $1.2 billion in federal high-speed rail help.
The Obama administration laced its disappointment with notice that Florida’s financing — and economic benefits — will be shifted to other states where the demand is high. California and New York are lining up.
Meanwhile, Mr. Scott’s fellow Florida Republican, John Mica, chairman of the House transportation committee and a prime supporter of high-speed rail, called the governor’s decision “a huge setback.” Senator Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, aptly summarized the governor’s fiasco: “This is eating our seed corn.”
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