By James Call
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-954208.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – High Speed Rail Supporters should not expect any help from Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio. James Call reports, the Miami Republican said the country simply cannot afford the project.
Lawmakers, civic leaders and business groups are scrambling to keep the Orlando to Tampa project on track. They have a Thursday deadline to submit a proposal to Washington to get the money to start construction. However, Senator Rubio will not be helping the effort. A deficit hawk, Rubio peppers his speeches with warnings about how government spends money.
"And when you go around the state and country talking about how our government is on an unsustainable spending pattern. It's hard for me to come around and say I want 2.5 billion dollars for my state for a new project. From a fiscal perspective the issue is whether we can afford it and tragically we can't because until we get spending straighten out in Washington it is going to be very difficult to fund projects like these."
Governor Rick Scott last week rejected a 2.4 billion dollar federal grant to build a high speed rail link between Orlando and Tampa. It was to be the first leg of system that would connect Florida's major cities. The chair of the Florida Senate transportation committee said the project is probably dead.