posted
First, be it noted the material submitted by Mr. Stephen W is Opinion, as distinct from reportage.
"For those tuning in late", the issue within Ohio being addressed by the columnists is analogous to that in Wisconsin which we are discussing at this topic. The stated intention of Ohio's Governor-elect Kasich to rescind Federal grants for re-establishing rail passenger service between Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati (the 3C Corridor) is simply part of what I believe is a carefully engineered initiative by the Republican party to rebuke President Obama's "signature" initiatives. Of course they have their "eye on the prize" - a complete repeal of the enacted Obama Health Care legislation, but this "thrust' at State level is simply part of the "game plan". An interesting and insightful article appears in this Weekend's Wall Street Journal regarding such rescission of appropriated Federal "stimulus' funds.
Obviously in this effort to rebuke and discredit the Obama Stimulus legislation (ARRA '09), the Republicans hit the campaign trail saying they would rescind some $300B of Stimulus funds that, of the $700B appropriated, had not been expended . The only problem, as the article details, was that when all is said and done that there is presently only about $16B of "low hanging fruit' that could be rescinded - and all too much of that represents the HSR appropriation.
Rail related Brief passage:
That just leaves up to $16 billion of infrastructure funds, most of which was set aside for a high-speed rail program and loan guarantees for renewable-energy projects. Much of that money for the grants and loan guarantees has been awarded, but contracts haven't yet been signed.
To what extent the material is available to those who do not subscribe to the Journal, I know not (they "know" my computer).
All told, because the rail projects are not completed overnight and funds, as in most any government contract, are only released incrementally on a "percentage of completion' basis, rail represents the most convenient projects to target.
Toeing the party line obviously "trumps' need and/or public acceptance of a project.
Finally, here is additional Opinion regarding the possible rescission of the Ohio passenger rail funding:
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