Florida Governor Sued for Blocking High-Speed Rail

Before there was busting unions, there was blocking high-speed rail.  This is how new Republican governors are trying to appease their conservative base. Governors Scott Walker (R-Wisc.) and John Kasich (R-Ohio) together rejected $1.2 billion in federal grants for high-speed rail at the beginning of their terms.

Now, Governor Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is attempting to follow suit on a much larger scale.  Two weeks ago, he rejected $2.4 billion to build America’s first true high-speed rail line between Tampa and Orlando. There’s just one problem with his plan: Floridians want this train. Modern infrastructure stimulates local economies, and with the federal government footing the bill, to many residents, this project seems like just what the area needs.

High-speed rail was not always controversial.  It has become a partisan touchstone only recently.  So even in this political climate, it is no surprise to see a bipartisan pair of Florida state senators fighting back against Gov. Scott.

Yesterday, State Senators Arthenia Joyner (D) and Thad Altman (R) sued Gov. Scott in the Florida Supreme Court.  They say he overstepped his executive authority by rejecting funds for this project, effectively attempting to veto a bill passed in 2009 – before he was elected.  Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has signaled that he will delay reallocating the funds, at the request of U.S. Senator Ben Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), if the court takes the case.

Despite running on a platform of job creation, Gov. Scott is defiantly uninterested in bringing over 23,000 jobs and modern infrastructure to the people who elected him.  His defense, “fiscal responsibility,” falls flat: if rejected, that money will be reallocated to other states (who are eagerly lining up) and used to expand their economies with high-speed rail.  In response to his second tired concern, that Florida would be left on the hook for construction overruns or operating costs, local governments and advocates proposed a plan that would insulate the state from financial risk even further.  But Scott has made up his mind.

Davenport, Florida resident and Change.org activist Ashley Doak works in the tourism industry, just like her mother.  They are among the many Floridians who would benefit from the completion of this high-speed rail line.  There’s a reason why this project has the vocal support of small businesses in the area.  But Governor Scott is worse than indifferent towards these families, rejecting a betterment of their lives in favor of partisan political posturing.

Sign Ashley’s petition here to tell Governor Scott to put politics aside and let much needed federal funds help Floridians get back to work, modernize the state, and even help clean up the environment while they’re at it.

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Photo: Mdid via Flickr