Senators Hail High-Speed Rail as Job Creator

On Tuesday, during a meeting of the Commerce and Tourism Committee, Florida senators lauded the prospect of creating as many as 48,000 jobs directly and indirectly related to the construction of the Tampa-Orlando phase of the state's high-speed rail project.

Some, such as Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, expressed concern over state funding for the project. The first phase connecting Tampa to Orlando is expected to cost $2.7 billion --$2.4 billion of which has already been provided by the federal government. Florida must find $280 million in either state or private money to fund the remainder of the project.

But Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, was hopeful that the lure of being one of the first companies to build high-speed rail in the United States would induce firms bidding on the project to put up private capital to help fund it.

"I think we're going to get more than $280 million; some of these companies are talking about putting up $350 million," Dockery said.

A report released last week by one of Gov. Rick Scott's transportation transition team advisers heaped skepticism on the project's capital costs and ridership estimates, but Dockery thinks the spending-averse new governor will support the project as a massive job creator.

"He's never said he's opposed to the project," Dockery said.

Scott met with the Japanese foreign minister on Saturday to discuss the project. Scott's office has said that he is reviewing feasibility studies on high-speed rail, but he stated as a candidate that he would not support using state funds for the project.

Full story to follow.