Seems like the theme of government grants is running heavy this week. Down in Florida, the state Supreme Court upheld Gov. Rick Scott’s rejection of federal funds for a high-speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa.
I love this passage (emphasis mine:)
Mr. Scott’s decision has been opposed by both Democratic and some Republican lawmakers, who have said the high-speed link would give the state’s staggering economy a boost.
..(I)n the last several weeks, in an effort to allay Mr. Scott’s concerns, the federal Department of Transportation, along with the mayors of Tampa and Orlando and other Florida political leaders, had crafted an arrangement in which the contractor hired to build the rail line would have been responsible for all of its construction and operating expenses as a way to further insulate taxpayers if something went wrong.
It was not immediately clear why Mr. Scott rejected the proposal.
I reckon Scott’s reason for rejecting that proposal is pretty much the same reason he rejected fed funding in the first place: it’s one mother of a boondoggle. And the idea that lawmakers think they can sue to make a state accept federal funding shows is insane.
