Thursday, February 17, 2011

Daily Brief – 2/17/11

HALL of FAME > Florida Gov. Scott Rejects Federal Funding for Flawed Orlando to Tampa High-Speed Rail Plan: Rick Scott has pulled the plug on the 84-mile Tampa to Orlando high-speed rail project, rejecting $2.4 billion in federal funding for what has been touted as a $2.7 billion project. But according to a Reason Foundation study released in January (on which Scott relied), there was a high risk that the actual cost could have been as much as twice that amount—with the difference having to come from Florida taxpayers. In addition, since the official ridership projections were straight out of fantasyland, there was a high likelihood of the state being stuck providing operating subsidies, as in most of the existing high-speed rail projects overseas. Yet if the state accepted the $2.4 billion from the federal government and built the line, it would be stuck operating it—or else required to give back the $2.4 billion in, by then, sunk costs. So Scott made a responsible decision to protect Florida’s taxpayers, consistent with his campaign rhetoric and his other actions since taking over in January. [ GO RICK! We’ve just had a politician turn down easy money because he knows easy money usually comes at a future cost. – JS ]


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Tell a joke:

Q: Why is it so hard for liberals to make eye contact?
A: Obama's rear doesn't have eyes.

 


"In the early and mid-1970’s, public advice was to cooperate with robbers and rapists in order to minimize personal injury. Appeasement, in other words. While this may be good advice in some circumstances, as general behavior it makes crime more rewarding. A nation of sheep is nice for wolves."
-- Morgan Reynolds

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