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[quote user="blue streak 1"] <blockquote> <div><img src="/TRCCS/Themes/trc/images/icon-quote.gif" /> Bucyrus:</div> <div></div> <blockquote>What is the constitutional ammendment and Florida law you are referring to?</blockquote> <div style="clear:both;"></div>   </blockquote> When Jeb Bush was elected governor at the same time voters in Florida amended the Fl constitution to allow for HSR from Orlando - MIA. The JEB refused to allow any preliminart work on the HSR to be started and then persuaded voters to cancel the amendment 4 years later. someone with the details? Fl legislators passed a bill signed by next governor (Crist?) to start the HSR Tampa - Orlando. I have many family and friends in Florida and not one so far has understood the present governor's refusal. disclosure: many of these persons are in the construction business which has been devastated much worse in Fl than other states. However also many are in the airline business as well. <div style="clear:both;"></div> [/quote] I do not know the details, but I understand that Florida lawmakers mounted a legal challenge to Scott's refusal of the HSR funds, and a judge ruled in Scott's favor.  <o:p></o:p> As far as understanding the governor's refusal, I think the explanation is pretty simple.  While there were federal funds being offered, there was also a requirement for Florida to put up significant state funds.  Florida would be hard pressed to raise that money.   If they raised taxes to get the money, it would slow down their already struggling economy, and they still might fail to raise the HSR funds.  States cannot print money like the federal government can.  <o:p></o:p> There is also a high probability of major cost overruns as these big government / union projects have demonstrated time and time again.  So once a state enters into the deal, there is no way to know what the final cost will be.  It would be a foolish gamble.  Once a project is started and begins to go over budget, it is very hard to back out because what has been done will be a wasted effort.  The special interests know this, and they use it as a tool to extract even more revenue from the project.  <o:p></o:p> And then there is the operating subsidy that will be large and unpredictable, and will have to be paid by the state probably for the life span of the rail system.  And if Florida were to decide that they could not afford the operating subsidy and quit paying it, the terms of the agreement demanded that Florida pay back all of the Federal money that was given to the project to begin with. <o:p></o:p> <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">Sure, the union construction workers are all for the project, and they say that they just can’t see any reason why anyone would be against it.
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