Orlando Sentinel Editorial

Click title for story link. This comes from what seems to be a very biased Orlando Sentinel. Approve commuter railNo project can help the region more than commuter rail. Central Florida's lawmakers have one chance left to deliver. Last year they botched it, believing the state's agreement to purchase 61 miles of track from CSX Corp., plus Washington's commitment to help fund it, would provide the momentum needed to get other state lawmakers to hop aboard.Wrong. It was derailed by trial lawyers who wanted deeper pockets in case of accidents and a Lakeland lawmaker who wanted fewer freight trains routed to her city to make room for commuter rail.Our elected officials say they won't let that happen again. We'll push them to make sure it doesn't. They're certainly better positioned than last year with locals like Sen. Lee Constantine heading the Senate Judiciary Committee that caved to the lawyers, and Sen. Andy Gardiner running the Transportation Committee. Rep. Dean Cannon, who successfully led the charge in the House, is handling the chore again this year.But they and Gov. Charlie Crist, whose tardy efforts for rail last year resembled a traveler arriving at the station too late, need to wrap up negotiations on liability issues long before the next session ends.United States Reps. Corrine Brown and John Mica, and commuter-rail commission chief Buddy Dyer, also need to convince Tallahassee that it can't afford to miss this train again. The stations will spur development, the construction and maintenance will create thousands of jobs, and the momentum should jump-start new rail systems in Tampa and Jacksonville. It's essential. Lawmakers mustn't pass it up.