(The following article by Aaron Deslatte was posted on the Orlando Sentinel website on February 18.)
TALLAHASSEE — Central Florida’s commuter rail project cleared its first committee stop Wednesday, over union objections that a compromise insurance agreement between the state and CSX Corp. and the entire $1.2 billion deal — was a poor investment in the midst of a national economic recession.
Unions, other groups and Democratic legislators opposed to the insurance arrangement got their first chance to take shots at the heavily lobbied bill in a hearing attended by lobbyists for Walt Disney World, local governments, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and other pro-rail companies and groups.
The measure passed 14-3.
Before the final vote, the House Economic Development and Community Affairs Council defeated an amendment offered by Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, to try and protect union jobs, before approving a plan to create a $200 million insurance policy that would cover both passenger and freight cars along the 61-mile rail line through Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties. Thompson ultimately voted for the bill, as did Rep. Darren Soto, D-Orlando.
“We believe the specifics of this are irresponsible at a time when we have … services being slashed,” said Florida AFL-CIO President Cynthia Hall, who along with other union representatives have said the commuter expansion would cost unionized signalmen their jobs in the future.
“They’re the best-trained workers,” Hall said. “They’re the ones who keep the trains from crashing.”
Under the deal, CSX would sell the freight line running through downtown Orlando to the state for commuter-rail, although the company would still have the right to run freight on it, too. The legislation allows the Department of Transportation to create a $200 million insurance policy to cover wrecks on the line.
The Florida House passed similar insurance legislation last year, but it died in the Senate over objections from trial lawyers and others that it could grant immunity from lawsuits to private businesses. That language has since been removed.
“This is not the same bill as last year,” said Council Chairman Dave Murzin, R-Pensacola.
“While passage was important last year, it’s critical now,” said Rep. Gary Aubuchon, R-Cape Coral, who is helping carry the package in the House.
But before the committee hearing was concluded, Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, released a statement claiming the deal would actually cost more than $2.6 billion over 30 years, once debt service and three decades of operating costs are included.
“To clear up confusion about the costs of the proposed SunRail system in Central Florida, I asked the Florida Department of Transportation for a detailed summary of exactly how much taxpayers would have to pay,” she said in a statement. “After some prodding, I finally received the answer and it’s stunning. The projected costs for SunRail now exceed $2.66 billion.”
At the hearing, former Tampa Tribune editorial page editor Rosemary Goudreau, who has launched a Web site opposing the deal, jumped on the $2.6 billion figure, and said lawmakers were passing the plan because it was being pushed by Rep. Dean Cannon, R- Winter Park, who is in line to be House speaker in 2010.
But rail backers said even accepting that figure, it was still cheaper than adding new lanes to Interstate 4.
“How much would it cost to add a lane to I-4?” Rep. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, asked Goudreau. “It would cost $2 billion.”