High-speed rail update vis a vis using an independent authority. Maybe?

[DirkGently]

Florida may get its federal high-speed rail money after all.

Backers are forming an independent regional authority to oversee the development of bullet trains from Tampa to Orlando and eventually to South Florida and Jacksonville.

The regional authority, including towns and counties, would replace the state as recipient of Florida’s allotment of nearly $2.5 billion of federal stimulus money. Private investors would be on the hook for construction cost overruns or operating losses if ridership disappoints.

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/dcblog/2011/02/florida_highspeed_rail_back_on_1.html

The problem:

The project still needs state cooperation in the form of technical assistance, said Congresswoman Corrine Brown, a Democrat from Jacksonville. “We must have a willing partner with the state,” she said.

Defeats all his "arguments," but somehow I think that won't be enough for Governor "No, thanks, we'll get our jobs through the magic of lowering corporate taxes and cutting social benefits" Scott.

Lest we forget to drop His Honor a note on the subject:

http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/

[nashville_brook]

1. Sen. Bill Nelson and Volderscott had an impromptu meeting at the Daytona 500

and the outcome was supposedly that he'd agree to the rail project if the state would be not be held liable for cost overruns -- which, was already in the deal that he refused.

should be an interesting week.

there was a demonstration in Tampa today....

[DirkGently]

2. Right. There's already no liability to the state for overruns. He has other motives.

Maybe the lobbyist supposedly running his administration has an agenda that precludes this. Or maybe Scott believes his own Teabagger nonsense. Maybe light rail simply threatens to make Obama, Democrats, and government in general look good.

Maybe Rick Scott is just plain evil.

[dem3550]

4. +1.

[onethatcares]

3. ok, we're already on the hook for any CSX disaster,

our last legislative session made sure of that. What is the difference between that and lack of ridership?