All this talk of job creation seems to have caused politicians and the unemployed alike to support projects that may otherwise be slated as ridiculous. Today in Florida's Senate a debate will be held on building a commuter rail system in Orlando and many are asking if the jobs it would create are really worth the cost.
A similar rail system has been in place since the 1980s serving areas of South Florida such as Palm Beach and Miami Dade but despite this long history the system still fails to be profitable. Last year alone the Tri-Tail system raised on $9 million from commuter fares, but the system costs $56 million to run - leaving the tax payers to make up the lacking $45 million for operating costs!
As the debate for Orlando's Sun-Rail project will no doubt focus on its potential for job creation during this difficult time, others are trying to highlight the cost issue that is being effectively ignored by Senators looking to boost moral and therefore their approval rating. Senator Jeremy Ring continued to raise many questions claiming that although the project was being supported on the basis of job creation, the bill itself doesn't directly address job creation and merely accepts that it will be a consequence of all the spending.
As with many projects across the nation there are those who fear we are simply creating jobs for the sake of creating jobs and not really considering the many possible knock on effects and costs of the decisions we make now. If anything it is essential to learn the lessons of Florida's Tri-Rail system before we consider a second system.
