Legal Commentary

When You Elect Fools For Governor

By Big Tent Democrat

As Florida did last year, This happens:

Gov. Rick Scott announced Wednesday that he's rejecting federal funding for high-speed rail. "I'm not comfortable this is a project we should be doing," Scott said at a hastily called news conference in Tallahassee after a phone conversation with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. [. . .] Scott said he was not sure high-speed rail would bring taxpayers a return on their investment and he felt money would be better spent on state highway and seaport improvements.

The problem for Scott is the money is not his to decide how to use. It is the federal government's money and they will use it elsewhere. Florida Republicans and Democrats are not happy:

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., was called by Scott in the morning, and offered "vigorous" argument against the governor's decision. "This is eating our seed corn," Nelson said after the call. "It's turning down 24,000 jobs, when we badly need them."

U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. In a statement he said, "This is a huge setback for the state of Florida, our transportation, economic development, and important tourism industry. I have urged the governor to reconsider going forward and allow the private sector to assume the risk and any future costs for the project. I made this appeal to the governor this morning. With the federal government assuming 90 percent of the cost of the project, I am disappointed the private sector will not have an opportunity to even offer innovative proposals to help finance the balance of the costs and to construct and operate this system."

This new phenomenon of turning down federal money seems to be the latest fad for Republican governors. Really weird. Anyway, the money has been appropriated already and I assume will go to states where they will take it gladly.

The price for electing fools as governor seems higher than for other offices.

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on February 16, 2011 (boomark / email).