http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/story/1378363.htmlFlorida lawmakers invested in commuter rail this week, believing the support would help the state win a slice of federal stimulus money set aside for rail projects. But the competition is stiff.
Eight Midwestern states -- including Illinois, home to President Barack Obama and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood -- are bidding for the same federal rail money. California alone is seeking $4.7 billion for a bullet train from Sacramento to San Diego.
In all, nearly 40 states and Washington, D.C., have sent in applications for rail money totaling nearly $60 billion -- with only $8 billion to go around.
As LaHood put it this week, "applications have poured in from all corners of the country." . . .
And analysts note that proposals in Congress promise billions of dollars more for high-speed rail projects even after the stimulus dollars are awarded, likely in January.
Obama proposed to spend $1 billion a year on a high-speed rail grant program in his 2010 budget. The Senate topped him at $1.2 billion -- and the House approved $4 billion. The chambers are expected to compromise on $2.5 billion.
While we're stuck with the bills for this latest multi billion dollar boondoggle (which most of us will never use, and will therefore always operate at a loss), there's only one group that will ever profit from high-speed rail - - the lobbyists.
The federal interest in a nationwide high-speed rail network has touched off a feeding frenzy among interests vying for the money. A recent study by the Center for Public Integrity found the number of high-speed rail lobbyists had tripled from 2008.http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/story/1378363.html
No comments:
Post a Comment