Why I"m Against the High Speed Rail in Florida
President Obama came to Tampa on Thursday to tout giving the State of Florida a wad of cash to build a high speed rail from Tampa to Orlando.
But Robert isn't that going to be great for the state? I say no.
Don't we need to keep up with the rest of the country and world in the 21st century? Sure, but how will it be paid for, tax subsidies or strictly user fees? In my opinion this is a bad idea for Florida taxpayers.
Has anyone truly determined what would be the use from Orlando to Tampa or vice versa? This not the Northeast where massive amounts of people commute to and from New York to Boston to DC on a daily basis for work and business.
This would be a new Florida attraction; Busch Gardens to Disney, but I doubt the people who take this trip a couple times a year is going to keep these trains full.
There may be some people who do this commute for work, but nothing remotely close to keep the trains full.
My question is this, will this project be self-sufficient or will it end up being massively subsidized by taxpayers like Amtrak? I believe the latter.
Why? Because it doesn't pass my economic litmus test for financial viability.
If this is truly a profitable venture, then some business or company would have already done or proposed it.
It never happened because any business or investor would have analyzed it and saw it as an absolute loser.
So now everyone is fawning over the Federal dollars coming to the state for this project.
What happens when the federal money dries up? Who will get stuck with keeping this going? You guessed it, the Florida taxpayer.
Will these people still be as happy when in the future the sales taxes have to be increased to fund it, or even worse, a state income tax may be required? And of course the cost estimates and time of completion can never be relied on, don't believe me? Ask the city of Boston.
It doesn't pass my litmus test, so I'm very against it.
But Robert isn't that going to be great for the state? I say no.
Don't we need to keep up with the rest of the country and world in the 21st century? Sure, but how will it be paid for, tax subsidies or strictly user fees? In my opinion this is a bad idea for Florida taxpayers.
Has anyone truly determined what would be the use from Orlando to Tampa or vice versa? This not the Northeast where massive amounts of people commute to and from New York to Boston to DC on a daily basis for work and business.
This would be a new Florida attraction; Busch Gardens to Disney, but I doubt the people who take this trip a couple times a year is going to keep these trains full.
There may be some people who do this commute for work, but nothing remotely close to keep the trains full.
My question is this, will this project be self-sufficient or will it end up being massively subsidized by taxpayers like Amtrak? I believe the latter.
Why? Because it doesn't pass my economic litmus test for financial viability.
If this is truly a profitable venture, then some business or company would have already done or proposed it.
It never happened because any business or investor would have analyzed it and saw it as an absolute loser.
So now everyone is fawning over the Federal dollars coming to the state for this project.
What happens when the federal money dries up? Who will get stuck with keeping this going? You guessed it, the Florida taxpayer.
Will these people still be as happy when in the future the sales taxes have to be increased to fund it, or even worse, a state income tax may be required? And of course the cost estimates and time of completion can never be relied on, don't believe me? Ask the city of Boston.
It doesn't pass my litmus test, so I'm very against it.
