Sunrail 'on life support' after pivotal vote

[Senator Lee Constantine, center, answers questions from the Capitol press on the Sunrail debate. Scott Keeler, Times]

Backers of the $1.2-billion purchase of CSX rail track in Central Florida for a commuter rail project suffered a major defeat Thursday in the Senate. By a 23-17 vote, senators refused to allow a late-filed amendment to be taken up that was crafted to win over crucial votes of South Florida Democrats -- by providing a new rental car tax for Tri-Rail in that region. Twelve of those no votes were Republicans, an ominous sign indeed for a project being pushed by Gov. Charlie Crist and much of the Central Florida business community.

"It doesn't look good," said former House Speaker John Thrasher, a member of the army of lobbyists pushing the project known as Sunrail. "I'd say it's on life support at best."

 It was the last bill the Senate took up Thursday. A final vote was not taken, but it looks as though Sunrail's leading opponent, Sen. Paula Dockery (right), R-Lakeland, is in a commanding position.

During discussion of the project itself, one Republican after another asked tough questions of the project's champion, Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs. Leading the charge in opposition were Sens. Mike Bennett, Charlie Dean, Jim King< Evelyn Lynn and Ronda Storms -- all Republicans. They questioned the cost, levels of expected ridership, and the state's legal liability if a CSX train struck a busload of school children in the rail corridor.

"I like the idea of light rail," Bennett said. "I just don't like bad business deals for the state of Florida. I think we should renegotiate something we are overpaying for."

Constantine eventually withdrew his own amendment that would have called for a 2010 referendum on the rental car surcharge, but allow a county commission to re-impose the rental car tax even if the voters had rejected it. "Do I have a chance? You always have a chance. Is it good? No," Constantine said.

Comments

[Someone who almost lost faith in the legislature]

Thank you, Senator Dockery, Bennett, Storms, Lynn, Dean and King! Like You, I hope the rest of your colleagues vote with their consciences tomorrow. Please do what is right for the state of Floida and it's taxpayers!!

[Conserv]

I bet I know what song Senator Dockery is humming on her way home tonight. I'll bet a dollar it's the Toby Keith song, "How do you like me now"!

[Boo hoo]

Looks like Constantine will have to find another way to make a living after he is term limited!!

[letthesunshine]

This is a victory for the taxpayers of Florida. If this bill is really on life support it is a great day indeed! Imagine that if a CSX train hit a bus full of schoolchildren that the state of Florida would have been held liable for a private company's neglience...crazy.

Great job Florida Senate in stopping this corporate welfare!

[CSX Rail Legislation Must Die]

CSX Rail Legislation Must Die.

[railson]

If a train hits a bus, it's the bus driver's fault. Talk about stupid examples...

[Hint - not J.D.]

Crime Family "A" outmuscles Crine Family "B" - now we'll see who benefits when the track is laid.

[Kim]

How do you like them apples? So proud of you guys...Doing the right thing! I think I'm going to cry....

Dockery Rocks!!!!!!

[gobie]

A great day for the taxpayers. Let CSX pay for its own misdeeds.

[www.liposuction.com]

Did you see the picture of Dockery? My GOD! Get to a gym and leave Cold Stone Creamery alone!

[Crap-Spotting]

Lee's dramatic false affrontery at his bribe-amendment's denial was particularly entertaining, considering the ethically-challenged-by-nepotism Sen. Diaz de la Portilla (whose brother is a SunRail-TriRail lobbyist) pulled the EXACT SAME amendment assassination last week with Sen. Dockery's amendments in Skelator's -- er, Fasano's -- committee.

Lee is probably pitching a tantrum tonight, but will no doubt have some evil co-horts ready to pull dirty tricks tomorrow before the big vote.

[PigInAPoke]

Please, for the love of God kill this pork-infested CSX allocation. PLEASE!!

[terminator]

poor Senator Constantine.

He'll have to get hammered then figure out what he's going to be doing for a living after 2010.

[Crap-Spotting]

Note to the weaselly "liposuction.com" poster: Dockery's weight appears to be comprised primarily of her GIGANTIC BALLS, something that is sadly lacking in wick-less, SunRail-shilling lobbyists like you. Sorry you won't be driving that new Lexus from the SunRail bonus you won't be getting. Crawl back under your rock and try to grow a pair, weenyless wonder.

[Bwaa-Ha-Ha-Ha]

SunRail Capital Costs: $600 Million Plus

SunRail Total Costs 30 years out: $2 Billion Plus

The pole-axed expression on Senate President Atwater's face when he realized the Constantine-Ring SunRail Amendment intended to Buy-Off South Florida Senate Votes had failed by a 23-17 vote: PRICELESS

[Southern Sleazy Group]

There are so many issues to use against John Thrasher that my head spins. This will be Alex Leary's second pulitzer if he just looks.

[lee]

Paula Dockery so rocks! Keep up the great work fighting for Polk County

[Dr of Dermatology]

Paula Dockery looks like a balloon with bad skin. She's huge. She may explode.

[truth]

The pucker factor is high in Tally right now.

[Crap-Spotting]

And the weeny-less "Liposuction.com" effeminately swats back as "Dr. of Dermatology," wholly incapable of saying anything manly or of substance on an issue (among the many other things he's incapable of). Swish back to the rest of your limp, ineffective, testicularly-challenged lobbyist boyfriends, No-Nads. They can soothe your wounded prostate for you.

[kayla]

I don't know who you are but I love you crap-spotting

[Frank]

it's in the budget morons

[Come on ride the train....choo choo]

Dr. Derm & Lipo = SORE LOSER!!!

[Boy's club sux]

Love love love love Senator Dockery. I'm glad she's there fighting for US!

[Mike]

Thanks Paula and the other senators who can recognize a bad bill when they see one. Always, for the people, and I like that. Let goodness prevail and pull the plug on SB 1212's life support.

[Wrong Track 4 Tampa]

No more commuter or light rail in Florida. Ever. No SunRail. No Tri-Rail. No Pam Iorio Tampa light rail. It's over!

[Angry Taxpayer!]

Ahhh, so that's why Thrasher is willing to give up the big bucks he makes as a lobbyist to run for a Senate seat - great rewards for those who support the boondoggle Sunrail.

[Dave]

AX CSX - BALANCE THE BUDGET.

[William Daniels]

Way to go Paula. looks like our senator can beat up their senator. and shame on the Lakeland chamber, the city of Lakeland, and everyone else who put their tails between their legs on this.

rerouting trains 10 years from now. yeah right!

[.]

Why is Dockery so fat an unattractive? She looks like she ate Gilbert Grape.

[Go Girl]

Dockery rules! She showed the boys, and when all you're left to talk about is her looks, that's pretty pitiful. She did you good. Hard to take, isn't it?

[brown tinted glasses]

Show Dog about peed the carpet yesterday!

[Kim]

Crap-Spotting...Just to let you know the whereabouts of the testicles belonging to Dr. Dermatology, aka liposuction.com, aka ".", as I have pointed out before....They are hanging from the keychain of Senator Alexander's SUV.

[Even if - Frank]

Frank -

If so, given the laser focused light on unapproved, behind the scenes spending - do you think it would be prudent for Charlie, by way of one of his agencies, to move forward with spending when the legislature specifically shoots a project down...

Can you say indian compact scenario?

[Constantine and Ring]

Have an amendment on 1021 files

['sayin]

“Backers of the $1.2-billion purchase of CSX rail track in Central Florida for a commuter rail project”

Those “backers” you speak of would be the lobbyists, and local and state politicians who are snapping up the property along the proposed route under the cover of LLC’s.

Billions in tax dollars with no empirical data to support even the discussion.

A boondoggle on wheels… or rails as it were.

[Julie]

WOW, talk about BOSQUET being OWNED by Dockery. Anyone else notice Paula's picture got taken down from the article? She won the good fight, why take her pic down? She should put it on the front of her refrigerator.

[Stacy]

Julie, I noticed the same thing. That's a total cave to the idiots criticizing her appearance. Let's them know they got under Dockery's skin. Bad move, be proud!

[Lori]

I'll tell you what got under her skin- A WHOLE LOT OF FAT AND CELLULITE. No wonder Hamilton dumped her for a younger chick.

[Equalizer]

Great to find an old school take care of the people republican still exists. This Dockery gal really has a steel walled set of ovaries and should be admired for her good work toward ridding this potential billion dollar swine train from the backs of the taxpayers.

If it was going to be such a good business to run a commuter rail CSX would be defending the track with an army if need be and shareholders would revolt at the idea of selling the tracks.

All the corporate welfare distributing traitors voting for this ought to be investigated.

[All Knowing]

Paula is a fat joke. She got her picture taken off this blog because she was ashamed. She will lose CSX, it's already in the budget and a done deal. Wake up.

[Jokes on You]

If its a "done deal" why hire 200+ lobbyists and 4 PR firms? Talk about wasteful! Shame on CSX, DOT and their cronies for spending all that money to promote and save a "done deal"!

[Who's the loser now?]

Sounds like some people on this blog got a nice plate full of SOUR GRAPES. You can say what you want to, and of course I could go on and on about the bad breath, bad hair, sexual exploits and poor hygene of some of our esteemed male senators...but that wouldn't be on subject would it? Fact is, all your posts about Paula "losing" have been in vain.

[boondoggle]

boondoggle

[The People of Florida]

If we cannot afford schools, colleges, universities, and public libraries, then we certainly cannot afford billions for CSX.

[mike]

not big into politics but just wondering---is this "sunrail" the same thing or associated in any way with the "florida high speed rail authority"?

if i understand things right, isn't paula married to c.c. dockery who was a former member of the florida high speed rail authority who invested his own "personal" cash into getting a high speed rail bill passed a few years ago-----she supported the bill back then and claimed that there was no conflict of interest even with her husband being on the rail authority and having invested money trying to get the bill passed

what i'm wondering is why she supported it then and is now apparently against it? are these two things different?

thanks to anyone that can clarify this

[Jimbo]

mike,

the long and short of it is no. The Authority that Doc Dockery was on was created by Constitutional Amendment in 2000? 2001? It would have mandated a high speed rail service across the I-4 Corridor and down to South Florida...runing directly through Lakeland, now Mrs. Dockery's district.

However, then-Governor Bush campaigned hard against it and eventually convinced Floridians to repeal the Amendment in 2003?...much to the ire of the Dockerys.

SunRail is a separate proposal Bush et al negotiated with CSX for the purchase of their N/S line through downtown Orlando, but NOT E/W, thus no connection through Lakeland. Add to that CSX would likely have ahd to divert its freight traffic into Polk County during the hours SunRail ran commuter service.

SunRail is a commuter line for Metro Orlando. FHSRA would have been a statewide intercity passenger rail service (which is actually eligible for much more federal assistance now).

Bush et al killed FHSRA. So Dockery killed SunRail. What you have is the airing of several personal, political vendettas over 2 high profile public policy issues...the worst part being that had either issue gotten past the "mess", Florida might actually be on the way to a viable rail service.

There are some major policy issues that need to be worked out on SunRail, but it is a demonstration of how these sorts of rail projects work all over the country.