LaHood chides Fla. Gov. Rick Scott again for rejecting rail money

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood took Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) to task again this week for turning down $2.4 billion in federal money for a high-speed railway in his state.

LaHood was in Florida this week to attend an intelligent transportation system conference in Orlando. While he was there, the Orlando Sentinel reported he reminded attendees of Scott's high-profile rejection of a Tampa-to-Orlando line the Obama administration had hoped would become a cornerstone of a nationwide network of railways.

"The Florida project was one of most innovative, creative, forward-thinking projects in America. Only the governor was against it," the paper reported LaHood said.

Scott was one of three Republican governors who were elected in 2010 who made big shows of rejecting federal money for high-speed rail. President Obama had spoken of a rail network that would rival the interstate highway system that was built under former President Dwight Eisenhower, and his administration included $8 billion for high-speed trains in his 2009 economic system package.

Scott, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) all said no, however, and Republicans in Congress have worked to defund the program legislatively.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation has redistributed the money to 15 other states and Amtrak.

During his Florida appearance, the Orlando Sentinel also reported that LaHood stumped for Obama's proposed American Jobs Act. 

Lawmakers in the Senate voted against Obama's complete $447 billion package, but they are expected to beginning taking votes on individual provisions in the plan as early as Thursday.

LaHood told audience members at the summit the bill would be good for their state. 

"It will put a lot of people to work quickly," he said, according to the report.

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