Congressman Steve Chabot is a hero for his amendment to the House Transportation to prevent the further expenditures by the federal government on the Cincinnati Streetcar project. Now, that provision needs to be included in the Senate transportation bill, and signed by the President.
COAST yesterday wrote to Senator Rob Portman asking that he include similar language in the Senate bill. That letter is here.
This will not prevent the $37 million the federal government already has committed to this project from being squandered, but will stop new monies from being added to that total in the coming biennium.
This is important, because Streetcar boosters have said that the initial Second Street-to-Findlay Market line is the first leg in what they hope to be a City-wide boondoggle. Since Senator Shannon Jones's amendment last year has cut off all funding from the State of Ohio, the only place Cincinnati has to fund their rail dream is local debt or federal funds (borrowed, of course, from the Chinese).
Senator Portman -
ReplyDeletePlease support the Chabot Amendment. This is an excellent opportunity to show you stand with fiscal conservatives in Ohio. The business community has turned against the project and the streetcar supporters will never vote for a man like you regardless of your position on this issue. Please don't get caught on the wrong side of history on this one. The stakes are too great.
No more hiding, Senator Portman. If you are a fiscal conservative then it's time to act like one. If you can't even help stop streetcar spending, why would anyone trust you to take on far more difficult challenges?
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