President Obama will be in Tampa today to announce a 1.24 billion dollar plan to build a high speed train service from there to Orlando. According to Google, it is 91 miles from Tampa to Orlando and takes 1 hour and 29 minutes by car. Heck, It takes that long just to get across Tampa in rush hour for crissakes, but you don’t see him building a bullet train for that. So, here’s my question….just how fast do the people in Tampa need to get to Disney World?
Is he concerned that someone living in Tampa may have to commute to Disney World for their job? I have an idea Mr. President; give them money to buy another house. You can buy any house in Florida right now for $42. I figure you can relocate the entire population of Tampa to Orlando for about 65-grand. Throw in another 3-grand for shuffleboard courts and half the people won’t even notice the difference.
Unfortunately, the President’s plans don’t stop there. He envisions a further expense by expanding the high speed service from Orlando to Miami. One problem with that plan. No one from Orlando goes to Miami. New Yorkers go to Miami. New Jerseyites go to Miami. Germans, Russians, Brazilians, Bolivians, Equadorians, and Sean Penn go to Miami. Orlando folk do not go to Miami.
So ditch that one too Mr. President and take the money saved and spend it where rapid transit is really needed. Us folks up north don’t need a bullet train to get to Disney World…just a way to get through D.C. on route 95 in less than a day and a half. That’s change that Mickey would cheer and could help you recapture Massachusetts!