[Ache]

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Wednesday the state is canceling a planned high-speed rail line linking Tampa to Orlando, a signature project of U.S. President Barack Obama's high-speed rail initiative.

Scott, a Republican elected in November, said the state would reject more than $2 billion in funds that the Obama administration devoted to the project.

Florida becomes the third state to return funds for high-speed rail. New Republican governors in Ohio and Wisconsin have also returned funds.

Gov. Scott cited concerns about the project's viability and the potential for cost overruns. The move is a setback for Obama, who announced funding for the Florida project in his 2010 State of the Union address and held an event in Florida the following day touting the project.
Florida Cancels High-Speed Rail Project, Rejects $2 Bln Funding - WSJ.com (http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110216-711148.html - broken link)

Good for Republicans for returning funds. Good to see someone sticking to their principles for a change.

[BlueBlueBlue]

It would have been a HUGE waste of money cause no one would have used it. High-speed rail doesn't work in the United States except maybe between a few cities in the Northeast. I find it funny how Obama is pushing high-speed rail when even common folk like me know it will be a useless waste.

Instead of wanting to spend some money on some useless high-speed rail system, the money should be invested in NASA and education. NASA in particular to further our space exploration technologies and hopefully inspire interest in the math and science fields.

[WINTERFRONT]

+ 1

If they wanted to work on improving infrastructure, their main concern should have been Miami's transit system

[WINTERFRONT]

TAMPA - ORLANDO? PFFFT vatta joke. How about Miami- Orlando?

[jasper12]

I would have taken the Miami Orlando train...they should have a bullet train from Las Vegas to San Diego too.

[Coconut1]

Originally Posted by BlueBlueBlue

Instead of wanting to spend some money on some useless high-speed rail system, the money should be invested in NASA and education. NASA in particular to further our space exploration technologies and hopefully inspire interest in the math and science fields.

Are you kidding??

This is a disgrace to the state.

Just wait until gas gets back to $4-$5 a gallon and then you'll see the pain.

Rail is the future and anyone that doesn't see that is simply blinded by their own stupidity.

[Pear Martini]

Tampa to Orlando is a joke! If it was Orlando-Miami that would have been a dif story.

I'm sure there is something that could have been donw that would have been positive for the state and its economy with that money. We look like just another behind-the-times southern state to the rest of the country.

[Ache]

“The truth is that this project would be far too costly to taxpayers and I believe the risk far outweighs the benefits,” Scott said, he felt money would be better spent on state highway and seaport improvements.

[Ache]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

Are you kidding??

This is a disgrace to the state.

Just wait until gas gets back to $4-$5 a gallon and then you'll see the pain.

Rail is the future and anyone that doesn't see that is simply blinded by their own stupidity.

We're beyond the point where we can make sensible choices about our future. We're like suburbanites who are stuck with a McMansion and an aging SUV. We can't afford to keep what we've got, but we can't afford to sell it either.

No Wonder this Country is Going Down The Toilet.

[Coconut1]

Originally Posted by Pear Martini

Tampa to Orlando is a joke! If it was Orlando-Miami that would have been a dif story.

I'm sure there is something that could have been donw that would have been positive for the state and its economy with that money. We look like just another behind-the-times southern state to the rest of the country.

When we turn down the entire bill like that, yes, you're right, we do.

Tampa to Orlando is an important step. Is Miami more important? Yes, IMO. However, considering the entire thing was practically paid for already, it makes no sense to turn it down.

The money WILL be spent regardless of whether FL takes it or not. Turning our nose up to it just makes us look like a bunch of idiots.

Thankfully people are looking at ways to circumvent the governor on this and I hope they will be successful; however, this is still a disgrace to the state.

Only FL would elect Scott, a known convict, to office.