A backdoor effort to kill high-speed rail
Four states have now rejected federal billions for high-speed rail projects. The latest is Florida, where Gov. Rick Scott -- to the consternation of many in his own job-hungry state -- has turned down $2.4 billion. California's U.S. senators immediately pounced: Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer are urging Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to redirect those funds here. Might LaHood agree? Quite possibly, given the fact that he previously agreed to give California $600 million declined by Ohio and Wisconsin.
But why would LaHood redirect high-speed rail billions now if there's a movement afoot in California to use the money for another purpose? Three Republican congressmen from the Central Valley, Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, Devin Nunes of Tulare and Jeff Denham of Atwater, have introduced legislation that would allow California to redirect federal high-speed rail funding to Highway 99 -- specifically, widening the portion between Sacramento and Bakersfield to six lanes.
While we'd love to see improvements to Highway 99, we have to think the possibility of that bill's success might cast enough doubt in LaHood's mind to kill the proposed windfall transfer. Perhaps that's precisely what the three congressmen had in mind. On behalf of those who might have landed construction jobs thanks to Florida's gift, shame on them.
