Despite the idiotic decision by new Governor John Kasich to reject $400 million of federal money for a high-speed rail project that would have connected Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, a new proposal that’s part of President Obama’s new high-speed rail initiative just might work in Ohio.
Ohio may yet get on track with President Obama’s newly announced $53 billion initiative to build a nationwide high speed rail network.
A bipartisan group of northern Ohio Congress members met Thursday with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to discuss building a high speed rail line along Lake Erie that would link Cleveland with Chicago, Detroit, Toledo and Buffalo, and also include routes to Youngstown and Pittsburgh. Building a line along the lake is a top tier part of Obama’s rail program.
Bainbridge Township GOP Rep. Steve LaTourette said he plans to work with Republicans and Democrats from Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan “to see if there’s a way we can help restore some of what the President’s vision is on high speed rail in our part of the world.”
Though newly elected Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich rejected $400 million in federal funds to build a different train line between Cleveland and Cincinnati, LaTourette believes Kasich might be more receptive to the lakeshore route. He said it also might be possible to secure funds for the project so “the state of Ohio would not have to be the political subdivision that gets the money and does the work.”
Kasich indicated he would be willing to consider it if Steve LaTourette was behind it.
And that’s really the key here, and this will have a huge impact in Congress as well. Even Republicans like LaTourette support this, so you might just see a bi-partisan effort to support the President on this one.
Penn National Gaming might be adding up to 1,500 jobs in the Dayton area, though it depends on Ohio approval of video lottery terminals. Penn is looking to transform a former Delphi plant in north Dayton into a $200 million horse track and slot machine complex.
A Cleveland landmark that witnessed decades of births and deaths will finally see new life, as a long-awaited project begins in the Buckeye neighborhood.
Construction will start this week on apartments in the former St. Luke’s Medical Center, a U-shaped brick building that has been vacant since 1999.
The building’s central wing will house 72 apartments for the elderly, financed through a $22 million deal that local nonprofit group Neighborhood Progress Inc. and private developer Pennrose Properties expect to close Tuesday. Renovating the entire hospital will be a $53 million, three-phase project, which could be finished in 2013.
Click through on the photo above to see the full image and the entire article. The old building is beautiful and this sounds like an excellent way to restore it.
So much for jobs and the economy. The GOP in Ohio is now pushing the far right social agenda with some pretty extreme proposals on abortion, such as the heartbeat bill.
Will the Ohio electorate like this? My guess is that the GOP is in for a rude awakening . . . again, as they embrace the Ken Blackwell agenda that was so thoroughly rejected four years ago. Meanwhile, John Kasich keeps acting like he’s the new king of Ohio.
It might turn out that the GOP win in Ohio in 2010 might actually help Obama and the Democrats in 2012 as people turn away from these new leaders.
I wonder if Governor Kasich’s decision to kill the high-speed rail project in Ohio will come back to haunt him. Many people who voted for him were surprised when he killed the project, which would be great for Ohio’s transportation infrastructure, Ohio jobs and Ohio technology.
Regardless of your views of John Kasich’s politics, so far he’s gotten off to a rocky start with his arrogant and obnoxious attitude. He’s been a gaffe machine, and Steven Colbert decided to have a field day with him and his all-white cabinet.
Despite the idiotic decision by new Governor John Kasich to reject $400 million of federal money for a high-speed rail project that would have connected Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, a new proposal that’s part of President Obama’s new high-speed rail initiative just might work in Ohio.
