I Couldn't Have Said It Better: Clueless Scott

From the Orlando Sentinel editorial page on February 17: 

When Gov. Rick Scott announces his plans for SunRail, we hope he'll at least consider its benefits to Central Florida. On Wednesday, he seemed utterly clueless about what the state would gain from a high-speed rail line from Orlando to Tampa.

The Orlando-Tampa line would have created an estimated 23,000 jobs to build it and another 1,000 permanent jobs to operate and maintain it. Mr. Scott couldn't be bothered about that in rejecting $2.4 billion — that's billion with a B — specifically earmarked by the federal government for the project. And, in an Orwellian, head-shaking, did-I-really-hear-him-say-that? moment, the governor reminded listeners during his job-killing announcement that he "was elected to get Floridians back to work."

This was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to start transforming the way Floridians get around.

The train would have served stops at Orlando's airport, International Drive, Disney, Lakeland and Tampa. The airport, the Convention Center, hotels and restaurants along I-Drive, Disney and businesses in Lakeland and Tampa all wanted the train, rightly viewing it as another way to move customers to and from their doors.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Florida — the state's premier business groups — also wanted the train, knowing it could lead to the building of another economically simulative high-speed line planned for Orlando to Miami.

Yet Mr. Scott said that he was ditching the project to create an environment "where the economy can flourish." Huh?

Mr. Scott wanted Floridians to think the project put them at risk.

But state transportation officials had fashioned terms where the train's private operator — not the state — would pay any cost overruns and the cost of operating and maintaining the train for 30 years.

And did we mention that Floridians almost certainly wouldn't have had to pay $280 million to complete the project — money needed in addition to the federal government's $2.4 billion contribution? A number of companies vying to operate the line indicated they'd assume that cost.

That fact had conservatives from John Mica in Congress to Mike Haridopolos in the Legislature supporting the Orlando-to-Tampa line.

The high-speed line also would have connected to SunRail, providing thousands more riders for the commuter-line planned to run from Volusia County through Orlando to Osceola County.

What drove Mr. Scott to turn away from so many arguments in favor of high-speed rail?

It might have been that governors of New Jersey, Ohio and Wisconsin rejected federal funding for rail projects before Mr. Scott, earning rave reviews from Tea Party enthusiasts. No doubt they're applauding Mr. Scott in Eustis, where last week he unveiled his program-hacking budget to tea partiers.

Mr. Scott needs to do what would benefit all Florida, not what might play well before his Tea Party fans. High-speed rail would have benefited the state. So will SunRail, which Mr. Scott on Wednesday ominously said he's still "reviewing."

An adviser to Mr. Scott said the governor's budget includes money for SunRail. But Mr. Scott has suspended contracts that are needed to build the line.

If he signs off on them, he'll be getting behind a project that can get Floridians back to work — and perhaps temper the monumental blunder he's made with high-speed rail.