LEESBURG - Gov. Jeb Bush and chief Florida financial officer Tom Gallagher brought their criticism of a proposed bullet train to Central Florida on Tuesday, using a Capitol for a Day meeting to again decry its multibillion-dollar cost.
The two are leading a petition drive to give voters a chance to repeal a constitutional amendment approved in 2000 for a high-speed rail system.
The Cabinet, meeting at the Leesburg Opera House, was presented with news by the Division of Bond Finance showing that Florida is in relatively good financial health compared with many other states. That's when Gallagher noted that California is saddled with an enormous budget deficit because voters think "there are lots of free lunches out there" and keep requiring the state to finance nonsensical projects." "I'm going take this opportunity to mention one thing that I'm really serious about: Take the bullet train out of the state Constitution," Gallagher said to moderate applause and one shout of "no!"
The first leg of the bullet train project, connecting Orlando and Tampa, is estimated to cost $2.6-billion.
"It's a tremendous cost and another step that would get us more like California," Gallagher said.
Bush also said Florida faces financial ruin from a 2002 voter-approved amendment requiring the state to cut the size of classes.
"While we're in good shape now, there are perils on the horizon," Bush said.
Gallagher will serve as chairman of Derail the Bullet Train. It will take 488,000 voter signatures to get the proposal on the ballot, and petitions were circulated at the Cabinet meeting.
Gallagher followed his remarks by encouraging the 150 people there to sign them.
