UPDATED: House passes rail bill
by Michael C. Bender | December 7th, 2009
The Florida House today passed the special session bill, 84-25, aimed at expanding the state’s commuter railroad system. The bill now moves to the Senate.
House Speaker Larry Cretul noted the bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate and told his members to “stay close” for a potential final vote at any moment before the Friday noon deadline.
“We really don’t know exactly what will happen in the Senate,” Cretul said.
While Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, scrambles to collect 21 votes in the 40-member Senate, a coalition of taxpayer groups are planning a noon press conference and 4 p.m. rally outside the Capitol to urge lawmakers to kill the projects. With Republican Sens. Paula Dockery, a Republican candidate for governor, and Rhonda Storms speaking at the events, it further highlights the problems the issue is causing Republicans.
In the House, most of the opposition came from Democrats and Miami-Dade Republicans, although the vote split party and geographical lines.
Opponents included Reps. Adam Fetterman, D-Port St. Lucie; Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach; and Kevin Rader, D-Delray Beach.
The bill is targeted at winning $2.5 billion from the pot of federal stimulus money to build a high-speed rail system in the state. State lawmakers believe the best way to do that is to impress the feds with their commitment to a state rail system: the special session bill would earmark $15 million per year to subsidize the struggling South Florida Tri-Rail line and spend $432 million to buy 61 miles of track from CSX for a Central Florida commuter line, known as SunRail.
Some quotes from the House debate this morning:
Designated House Democratic Leader Ron Saunders of Key West:
“Florida is in one of the worst recessions in our history. And the people of my district care about jobs. They care about jobs – keeping them today and creating some tomorrow, not focusing on jobs that may or may not happen in future years. This session could have dealt with a broader issue of job creation and job protection and didn’t.
“Other issues that I’ve been talking about are the huge increase in the unemployment rate that all small business will be facing. A lot of small businesses are going to go out of business because of actions this legislature failed to take. We could be addressing those issues and we’re not. Also, people are losing their homes everyday and there should be some discussion of about changing mortgage foreclosure laws. But once again, we’re not even talking about these things.”
Rep. Charles Van Zant, R-Keystone Heights:
“Some people have claimed that CSX is going to get a windfall out of this. And they might. But I would encourage members to go out and buy CSX stock if they believe that.
“I would submit to you that 25 years ago and 35 years ago people were complaining because Disney came to Orlando and were getting a tax break on their property and not having to pay taxes. … Now if you realize had Disney had not come to Orlando, we would not have a hotel structure there, we would not have the resort structure there, we would not have the development in and around Orlando.”
Fetterman:
“We need high-speed rail, we need commuter rail, we need public transit here in the state of Florida. … But as we spend millions of millions of taxpayer money to create this system, it is incumbent upon us to do all we can to ensure that Floridians receive these jobs. Not illegal immigrants, not Texans, not green card wokers, but Floridians working on these jobs.
“And there is no guarantee in this bill Floridians will receive these jobs they are paying to create. There is no guarantee in this bill they will receive the jobs deserve. There is no guarantee in this bill they will receive the jobs they need.”
Bill sponsor Gary Aubuchon, R-Cape Coral:
“At the end of the day this isn’t about rail. Its about transforming Florida’s future.”
Tags: High-speed rail, stimulus
Where's the money? Use The Post's interactive database of who wants and who's getting federal dollars.
Use these interactive graphics to find and contact Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast legislators.
Sentenced to die for crimes judged heinous and cruel, inmates await execution in a 9 feet by 6 feet cell.
December 7th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Who decided the first leg was to be Tampa to Orlando??? Population wise WPB to Orlando would make MUCH more sense. …duh!!! Until the Miami to Orlando leg would be complete, I’d drive from Miami to WPB to pick up a rocket train to Orlando!
December 7th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
This is wonderful news! This is really long-overdue.
December 7th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Who the heck even uses trains anymore?? Does anyone know how many empty seats are on tri rail these days?? Come on people lets stop wasting money on stupid outdated things. I don’t want my taxpayer money going to another failed project. Fix our roads, or use that money to support small business owners so they can hire more people to get some income generating through this state.. A TRAIN RAIL….. What a joke!!
December 7th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
OMG are you kidding me. If this stupid idea was viable private industry would have done it.
Look at Amtrak you morons. You keep this dinosaur around. What makes this worse these are Republicans voting for this crap.
Unless you can get the tickets to cost a lot less than a plane ticket this is a failure. Not that many people are afraid of flying.
December 7th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
It is highway gridlock from Tampa to Orlando during the season. Good move to get some of the vehicles off the highway in this state. You could fly cheaper all the way across the USA then fly from WPB to Tallahassee. There is no rail option from Jacksonville to Pensacola. Taking the bus around the state is not feasible or comfortable. Florida needs to step back into the future with rail travel even if it is an old form of transportation. The only people fighting this other travel option must fear loss of revenue to car rental and fuel sales. Rail tours are much more comfortable than buses.