Thursday, December 09, 2010

LaHood pulled the wool over NC eyes on rail

Remember when Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood spoke in Charlotte last month and dangled the possibility of big bucks for NC rail projects because Ohio's and Wisconsin's new GOP leaders didn't want it?
The only thing LaHood was dangling was his own credibility, it turns out.  Of more than $1 billion up for grabs, North Carolina is getting $1.5 million, Bruce Siceloff of the News & Observer reports:

Dashing hopes he had kindled, LaHood gives N.C. a tiny share of rail money

North Carolina will get just $1.5 million of the high-speed rail money recently spurned by new Republican leaders in Ohio and Wisconsin, Ray LaHood, the U.S. transportation secretary, said today.

Most of the $1.195 billion originally designated for the two midwestern states will be spent instead on the nation's three most ambitious passenger rail projects -- two in California ($624 million) and one in Florida ($342 million). The remaining 11 states receiving shares range from Washington state ($162 million) and Illinois ($42 million) to Indiana ($365,000), with North Carolina third from the bottom.


Read more here:

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for letting us know you'd rather have a new unused toy than a clear conscience, Jack-O. $1.5 billion more debt to your kids in exchange for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a derailment or two? My goodness you can be bought cheap.

Anonymous said...

What did you expect?

North Carolina has a history of being screwed out of federal funds.

Except for Ft. Bragg.

Anonymous said...

Duped by a chump. Surprised? Wonder when he'll return to speak.

Anonymous said...

9:28,

I'd like you to specifically identify the tangible source of these "federal funds" of which you speak. Keep in mind the feds have a $14,000,000,000,000.00 debt (that's $186,000 for every family of four in the country).

Where (specifically) do you think the money is coming from?