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CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - What is it with President Obama and trains? Despite mounting criticism about the feasibility of his plan, the president is pressing ahead to spend some $53 billion on passenger trains and so called high-speed rail projects over the next six years. Well so far, at least three states - including Ohio- have said thanks but no thanks to plans that would construct rail projects in those states.
Governor Rick Scott of Florida last week turned down more than 2-billion in federal funds aimed at building high-speed rail from Tampa to Orlando. Scott - echoing other governors - said the revenue projections for such a project are overly optimistic and would likely result in his state subsidizing huge costs.
Well you don't have to be an economist to see that operating passenger trains is a lousy business. I mean Amtrak has been broke for years. And most experts seriously question the benefits high-speed rail would have over other modes of transportation. In fact, the overwhelming consensus is that the technology is very expensive and the money would be better spent elsewhere. So that gets us back to the original question: What is it with President Obama and trains?
Write and let me know what you think. I'm Bill Applegate.
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