The U.S. government has awarded $2 billion for high-speed rail in critical corridors, excluding any funding for Florida after its GOP governor stubbornly refused to accept any projects for its cash-strapped state. The new grants to Michigan, Illinois, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York were made possible after the Obama administration revoked a $2.4 billion grant to Florida that would have developed a high-speed rail link between the cities of Tampa and Orlando.
In a widely criticized move (which many claim was motivated by politics, not merit), Republican Governor Rick Scott said he did not want his state to have to pay for operating costs in the future-- despite the fact that his own Florida transportation officials had said the rail line would operate at a profit in its very first year (2015).
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