House Budgeteers Rail at Obama's High-Speed Spending; Scott Hosts Train Opponents in Tally
Submitted by Anonymous on February 10, 2011 - 6:50pm
President Barack Obama and House Republicans are going in opposite directions on high-speed rail.
A budget plan by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., eliminates $1 billion for high-speed rail projects. Obama is expected to include $8 billion for HSR service in his fiscal 2012 budget proposal, part of a $53 billion package pushing high-speed projects across the country.
Meantime, in Tallahassee, leaders of "No Tax for Tracks," a group that helped defeat a tax referendum to fund a train system in Hillsborough County, met with Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday afternoon to discuss the proposed high-speed line between Orlando and Tampa.
Sharon Calvert and Karen Jaroch spoke with Scott for 30 minutes, outlining their objections to rail ventures that consistently underperform in terms of ridership and financial stability.
Scott did not make any announcement after the meeting, but the governor has said he will not commit Florida to any rail venture that imposes a financial burden on the state.
A ridership study is pending on the Tampa-Orlando line, which has been promised $2.4 billion from the Obama administration.
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