Sink: CSX commuter train is off track

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink today urged House Speaker Marco Rubio and Senate President Ken Pruitt to change the liability protections for CSX that part of the $650-million "no-fault" deal to run commuter trains in the Orlando area. House and Senate votes are due next week.

"While the expansion of commuter rail is a laudable and important component of wise transportation planning, Florida's taxpayers should not assume an undue amount of liability," Sink wrote in a letter  (Download csx_letter_to_pruitt_rubio.doc) that attacks deal negotiations that happened "under the clover of darkness."

Comments

[Mack]

Why are we wasting time and money on commuter rail? It's a complete waste!

Good, fair letter. She wants the bill to pass but not as currently stated. Looks like back-room negotiations next week will be needed to counteract the back-room negotiations from 2006.

Go Alex!

Sink is the only one in Tally with a head on her shoulders.

Why should Florida assume ANY liability for ANY private business?

Something stinks.

This is such good common sense---so this is why she was a good businesswoman.

4:32 Great point. CSX is a VERY for profit company. They can cover their own damages. Probably wouldn't have so many accidents if CSX had to pay for them.

Finally!!!

Ummmm… pardon me for asking, but has anyone seen and substantive numbers that actually – and pay close attention to this next word cause it’s important – SUPPORT the call for a rail?

Do we as taxpayers actually want to allow this Legislature – a Legislature whose priorities have been trucknuts, toilet paper, and baggy pants – to allocate (aka: shift) 700-million tax dollars to a system that shows no support, need, or viability… and no one will ride by the way… when we are heading into a recession?

Anyone… Anyone… Bueller… Bueller… Bueller…

[Donald Lance]

OH! The horror! can you imagine the lobbyists cringing when they read this? I guess you guys need to take your checkbook out again. Too bad Alex is not-for-hire.
Bt the way 4:46 it was a ballot initiative that passed, so the "Elected ones" are required, by law, to implement it for the 30 people a day that don't have their own transpo, to go back and forth to mouse town. Hey! Isn't Mel martinez' office in Orlando? That's right! He needs a way to shuttle illegal immigrants from Orlando to the strawberry fields of Plant City. Good going Mel! There's your governmente at work for you!

[Buzzard]

Say what you want about the lobbyists. I am truly impressed by the individual leading the effort that has managed to push this piece of ---- to the lofty level that it has attained. He/she has a bright future indeed.

[Buzzard]

Oh...and a caveat...assuming he/she stays out of jail.

[Juan Carlos De La Rosario Empanada Maria La Cruz]

Si Senor! Eef eet weren't for senor Mel and Senor Beel, I'd have to drive my way to work in my boss' peekup truck while I'm drunk. Weenter Haven ees a long way from Orlando. Now I can just take the train, eef I can get there on time.

[j]

Sorry 4:51 and others. There will be no connection of commuter rail between Orlando and Tampa, or Tampa and Winter Haven, or to Disneyworld etc. The commuter rail stops in Poinciana in Osceola County. It does not go into Polk County or points west.
Oh, and BTW, any possibility of future rail connection to the West will be very difficult, if not impossible, IF the proposed ILC goes into Winter Haven because of CSX North-South freight line.

4:31 - glad to hear she is the only one in Tallahassee with a head on HER shoulders... would hate for someone else to have a head on HER shoulders.

[Don Mott]

Thank you Ms Sink. This train will go from nowhere to nowhere and will benefit only CSX and a few Legislators. But taxpayers will be on the hook for what appears to eventually be over a billion dollars.

What is a billion dollars when you can say I OWN A CHOO CHOO?

Let's hope the house and senate step back from this bad deal and come up with something better. We can have commutter rail without selling our grandchildren's future to CSX. Why not use Amtrak? Don't they have commutter rail in other states?

Alex knows it's a done deal, the brainless selfish legislature have already seen to that. She's just trying to salvage something for the people of Florida. If she were not among the minority, there'd probably be a whole different outcome.

[Buzzard]

I like the idea of commuter rail, but I wonder why we're getting mixed up with CSX. I figure if we took that same money that we're spending for about 50 piddling miles of worn-out, polluted CSX rail route and instead put commuter rail lines in the medians of existing interstate highways, we could commit over $2 million per mile to brand new rail lines all the way from Orlando to St. Pete. And it would be dedicated commuter rail with no freight rail danger/wear whatsoever. Then just let Amtrak run with it.

Remember in November!!!!

Sink's letter was a cut and paste job straight from the talking points of the trial lawyers and the union bosses. Picture New York, Chicago and Washington without commuter trains and you have the future of Central Florida, Tampa, etc. And after the way this NIMBY, take-me-back-to-the-last-1800's drama has been conducted, you can bet that the Feds will take their time and transportation money to some other area of the country where their feet are planted in the 21st century. Thanks, Alex -- we look like idiots. Again.

CSX SUCKS! And, any legislator who is willing to use our hard earned tax dollars to protect a FOR PROFIT company should be voted out of office. Thank goodness for Senator Dockery and Alex Sink! We need women running Tallahassee!

In times of budget deficits, supporting CSX is wrong. In addition to the liability issue, the state is paying too much for the land. Why? So they can get their special pet projects and committees. When is our government going to make a good decision for the people and not for their individual careers?

[Omega83]

1:31

In all fairness, I read the GOP talking points on this. And they were cc'ed from CSX commercials, press releases, and other talking points....verbatim in some instances.

[eagle]

Sorry 4:51Donald - check the rest of the info. There has been no ballot initiative on commuter rail. In fact, in the Olando MSA, surveys have consistently shown that people want more buses far more than raiul. Rail is no where near a top item on the list.