As people waited in the dark this morning to get free tickets (and not that many available) for Barack Obama and Joe Biden's mid-day appearance Thursday on the University of Tampa campus, rumors have been strong since the announcement was made that the President would anounce that Florida would get at least some share of the $2.53 billion they are hoping for in federal funds for high-speed rail.
Though nothing is official yet, the Associated Press reported this morning that is likely to happen:
Obama and Vice President Joe Biden plan to announce grants for 13 major corridors during a town hall meeting in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, the president's first public appearance following his speech to the nation. It's an attempt by the White House to show that getting Americans back to work is the president's top priority and that he has a plan for how to do it.
The president's visit to the region means Florida's proposal for a high-speed line connecting Orlando and Tampa is likely to receive funding. California's proposal for an 800-mile-long rail line from Sacramento to San Diego and a nine-state proposal in the Midwest are also considered strong contenders.
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2010.