A bipartisan pair of former North Carolina governors defended plans to build high-speed rail there, saying current Republican state lawmakers should back off plans to force the state to turn down federal money.

Former Govs. James Hunt, a Democrat, and James Martin, a Republican, said in an op-ed in the Charlotte Observer that they both pursued rail projects when they were in office, much like the state's current leadership is doing now.

"The vision for the restoration of passenger rail in North Carolina was set forth during the Martin administration (1985-1993)," the former governors wrote. "The Governor's Rail Task Force, appointed by Gov. Martin, recommended the basic rail plan that has been state policy ever since - inauguration of the Charlotte to New York Carolinian service, creation of a program to improve train speed and reliability from Charlotte to Raleigh, and protection of rail corridors for future growth.

"The Hunt administration carried forward that vision during his third and fourth terms (1993-2001) with a tripling of state funding for rail safety and travel time reduction, creation of a new rail division in the state Department of Transportation and inauguration of the state-sponsored daily Piedmont service between Raleigh and Charlotte," they continued.

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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has reimbursed the state for using a state police helicopter to ride to his son's baseball game, an incident that sparked a controversy for the governor.

Christie kicked in $1,232 to pay for his use of the helicopter on Tuesday to travel to the game, according to the governor's office. Christie's office said that the governor has taken 33 helicopter trips since he took office in 2010, the vast majority of which have been for official business.

At a news conference on Thursday, Christie dismissed the uproar as a "joke" driven by "political hacks" and explained that he was trying to balance his dual roles as a governor and a father.

"We have tried to balance me being governor and the demands of that with my responsibilities of being a father," he said. "There are times when it is literally impossible to do that by car and two of those instances came up in the last week.

"If me writing a check ... will allow us to focus on the really important issues for the state of New Jersey, I am willing to do it."

Christie's helicopter ride drew national scrutiny and Democrats accused the governor of misusing the vehicle. 

The incident became a headache for Christie, who has been wooed by Republicans to enter the 2012 GOP presidential field. It came just days after a new poll showed that his job approval numbers reached a new low.

Following the game, Christie flew back to the governor's mansion to meet with a group of Republican donors and activists from Iowa, who attempted to get him to jump into the presidential race.

Christie on multiple occasions has said he will not run for president in 2012, going so far as to say he would have to commit suicide to convince people otherwise. 

The first-term governor will also reimburse the state $919 for flying in a state helicopter to see another of his son's games last Friday. The state GOP also contributed $1,232 to pay for the leg of the trip Tuesday to meet the Iowans.

State police said that Christie's trips came at no additional cost to New Jersey taxpayers, a claim Christie echoed on Thursday and Christie had initially refused to reimburse the cost.

"My initial reaction to not reimbursing was that there was nothing to reimburse for," Christie said, explaining why he made the announcement Thursday.

He also claimed that he tries to limit his helicopter use to instances where it is absolutely required and that he has had the "most judicious use of the helicopter of any governor in recent memory."

-- This post was updated at 4:32 p.m.

Texas lawmakers may reconsider a bill to outlaw controversial airport pat-downs, the sponsor of legislation that was shelved recently said this week.

Texas state Rep. David Simpson (R) said that Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst reportedly asked Gov. Rick Perry to include the measure in a special session of the Texas legislature. Dewhurst reported asked lawmakers to withdraw the bill when federal officials threatened to cancel flights to Texas if it passed.

But he has since had a change of heart, Simpson told fans on his Facebook page.

"The Lt. Gov. sent a letter to Gov. Perry asking him to include the TSA bill HB 1937 in the special session!," Simpson wrote on the website. "Please call the Governor and tell him you agree with Lt. Gov. Dewhurst!"

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Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's meeting with Virginia officials about a proposed expansion of Washington's MetroRail to Dulles International Airport should be a wake-up call for the panel overseeing the project, a newspaper editorial board said Thursday.

The Washington Post said in an editorial that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which is overseeing the project, should take heed of LaHood's statements that the federal government cannot cover cost overruns for the project.

Airport officials want to locate the new station at Dulles, which is the main reason the Metro line is being built underground. Officials from Virginia's Fairfax and Loundon counties, whose constituents are paying for the extension, point out that the underground station would cost $330 million more to build than an above-ground stop.

Critics attribute the airport authority's instance on the more expensive option to the fact that its members are appointed, rather than elected, officials. But the editorial said LaHood delivered an "unusually blunt message" the airport officials should take heed of.

"The federal government 'is not a cash cow,' he said; it's not going to ride to the project's rescue," the editorial board wrote. 

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The National Mediation Board said this week it would investigate a union election held last year for Delta Airlines', triggering criticism from conservatives who are already riled up about a separate union issue at an airplane manufacturer.

The Association of Flight Attendants contested the results of the Nov. 3, 2010  election that was scheduled after Delta, which is largely non-unionized, merged with Northwest Airlines, which does have unions.  The AFA alleged Delta interfered with the election, leading to its loss, and the NMB agreed.

"The Railway Labor Act provides that shall be the board's duty to investigate representative disputes and to 'insure the choice of representatives by the employees without interference, influence or coercion exercised by the carrier," NMB General Counsel Mary Johnson wrote in a letter dated June 1.

"After reviewing the submissions provided by AFA and Delta, I find that in order for the board to determine whether the laboratory conditions were tainted, further investigation is needed."

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Your morning transportation speed-read:

A United Airlines plane returned to Washington's Dulles Airport when two passengers began fighting over a reclined seat.

The company that operated a bus that crashed over the week was about to be shut down for safety violations.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) is still being criticized by Democrats for rejecting high-speed rail money.

Oregon is installing electric car charging stations on Interstate 5.
 

Obama wants credit for the industry’s recovery as he visits the Midwest — an area essential to his reelection efforts.

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No matter which team is hosting the games of the ongoing National Basketball Association Finals, the games will be played in an arena named after American Airlines.

The airline has hubs at the airports in Miami, home of the Eastern Conference champion Heat, and in Dallas, home of the Western Conference Champion Mavericks. The airline purchased the naming rights to arenas in both cities in 1999, and the courts were christened the AmericanAirlines Arena and American Airlines Center respectively.

The airline is paying Miami $42 million over 20 years and giving $195 million over 30 years to Dallas.

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A member of the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that its recommendations to improve the safety of passenger buses need to be taken more seriously in the wake of a fatal crash in Northern Virginia over the weekend.

NTSB member Robert Sumwalt said on the panel's Safety Compass blog that the agency, which is investigating the accident, has recommended changes for years. Among them are stronger roofs, emergency exits and higher standards for passenger seating compartments, he said.

The agency has also recommended lane-departure warning systems and collision-monitors.

The problem, Sumwalt said Wednesday, is that the recommendations have not gone anywhere.

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