Court Allows Scott To Kill High-Speed Rail
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) - The Florida Supreme Court put the final nail in the coffin of Florida's high-speed rail line Friday when they upheld Governor Rick Scott's authority to kill the proposed train line.
The justices rejected a bipartisan challenge to Scott's refusal to accept $2.4 billion in federal stimulus money for the proposed high-speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa.
Republican state Senator Thad Altman and Democratic state Senator Arthenia Joyner, had sued Scott to force him to accept the federal money.
The decision is the end of the once promising project that the Florida Legislature approved in a special session.
However, when Scott took office, he disregarded the Legislature's wishes, along with the bi-partisan Congressional delegation from Florida, and killed the high-speed rail line.
Scott said the state may have been on the hook for all of the money if certain parameters weren't met, even though U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood said that statement was not true.
Scott's decision also violated his campaign proposal to do whatever it took to bring more jobs to the Sunshine State. The high-speed rail project was expected to bring thousands of jobs to the state, at a time when the unemployment rate is hovering around 12 percent in Florida.
Scott, and many conservatives, though view these as government jobs and his policies are geared towards only generating jobs in the private sector.
Still, Scott's move was also seen as a shot across the bow of President Barack Obama. The President has made no secret that he believes that high-speed rail projects across the country will only help the nation start to move away from a dependence on foreign oil.
"The Obama Administration's bold high-speed rail plan will not only create jobs and reinvigorate our manufacturing sector in the near-term, it is a crucial and strategic investment in America's future prosperity," Secretary LaHood said.
By stopping the president's goals, Scott's move will be seen as a victory for the tea party.
For Scott, it's a very politically risky move. The I-4 corridor between Tampa and Orlando is often key to winning any statewide election in Florida, and with his move, he has angered both Republicans and Democrats alike in the area.
But, Florida's loss is another state's gain. Several northeastern states have already applied for the money, and it will probably be divvied up between them to help bolster the high-speed train that runs through several northeastern states among other projects.
"I know that states across America are enthusiastic about receiving additional support to help bring America's high-speed rail network to life and deliver all its economic benefits to their citizens," LaHood said after the decision was made.
