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Governor Rick Scott says he will return more than 2 billion dollars the Federal government was giving Florida for a high speed rail line. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, reaction has been swift and angry.

Florida has flirted with high speed rail since 1983 when then-Governor Bob Graham traveled to Japan.

The latest plan wold have built a system between Tampa and Orlando, with federal and private money. Referring to taxpayers as investors, Governor Rick Scott says the plan� is just too risky.

�The truth is, this plan would be far too costly to taxpayers. And I believe the risks far outweigh the benefits,” Scott said.

Scott questioned ridership studies and accused the Obama administration of reckless spending. But unions, who supported the plan, say Florida�s jobs governor is anything but.

�There is a total of 48,000 jobs anticipated to have been created as spin-off from all the different economic activity that would take place whenever you create some type of new infrastructure like high-speed rail,” Rich Templin with the Florida AFL-CIO said.

Scott�s decision leaves in limbo a commuter rail system in Central Florida. That system was supposed to be a feeder for high-speed rail.

Scott put the commuter rail contracts on hold shortly after taking office.

Republican and Democratic legislators who represent both ends of the proposed line are criticizing the decision.

�Oh, I�m very concerned,” Rep. Dwayne Taylor (D-Volusia County) said. “Because we worked very hard to try to secure those dollars because we knew that this would mean jobs for the citizens of our state.�

Legislative leadership was publicly muted on the give back, but privately unhappy. They were given only 5 minutes advance notice of the decision.