This goes back to Bobby Jindal's disastrous response to the State of the Union in which he poked fun at the idea of a "magnetic levitation train." Guh-yuck! Guh-yuck! Magnetic levitation?! Sounds like silly stupid magic!
Now there's this. Florida governor Rick Scott turned down $2.4 billion in federal stimulus money for high speed rail in his (police) state. He said Florida's taxpayers would be stuck with the bill if the rail line failed.
But, of course, there's not a chance in hell it would fail. It would be hugely profitable:
Three weeks after Gov. Rick Scott put the brakes on high-speed rail, the Florida Department of Transportation on Wednesday released a study showing the line connecting Tampa to Orlando would have had a $10.2 million operating surplus in 2015, its first year of operation.
The study showed the line would have had a $28.6 million surplus in its 10th year.
Imagine that. An affordable, convenient means of transportation turning a profit. Amazing!
So, why do Republicans hate trains? Because Democrats like them.
(Why do Democrats like them? Because trains are smart, convenient and affordable. And building them stimulates the economy.)