Hartford Courant: Send Rejected Rail Funds Here

[marmar]

This fall, high-speed rail became the Nancy Pelosi of infrastructure, the focal point of attack by Republican candidates for governor in several states. Most of these candidates won and are now pledging to kill rail projects in their states.

This is short-sighted, with the country needing desperately to reduce its dependence on foreign oil and greenhouse gas emissions. For states in the Northeast, however, killing the Silver Streak offers a silver lining. If Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey and Florida don't want the money, put it on the fast track to New England, please.

Why some GOP leaders want to kill these projects is a bit of a head-scratcher. For example, Scott Walker, the incoming governor of Wisconsin, vowed to end a proposed high-speed rail link between Milwaukee and Madison, part of a high-speed rail corridor from Minneapolis to Chicago. The project was to be paid for with $810 million in federal stimulus funds. Mr. Walker said he doesn't want to pay the paltry $7.5 million operating subsidy, though federal funding is available for up to 90 percent of that.

In New Jersey, first-term Republican Gov. Chris Christie killed a Hudson River tunnel project that would have added thousands of jobs to the Garden State's economy. He was worried about possible cost overruns. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-rail-funds-1121-20101121,0,403455.story