By Javier Manjarres
Here’s one that’s a sure bet to make the Federal Governmental Waste Hall of Shame.
The project is called the Fort Lauderdale Wave Streetcar Project, and the projecct was just awarded $18 million in funding for the initial phase of the endeavor.
Like a moth to a flame, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz immediately released a statement on her website applauding the funding of a project that she has been tirelessly pandering for working on for seven years.(DWS-release)
Likely Wasserman Schultz opponent Karen Harrington tore into Wasserman Schultz and questioned who really benefits from such an obvious pork-barrel project as this one clearly is.
Without a hint of irony, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz states that this project “continues the transformation of Broward County into a “livable community”-
“This is wonderful news for South Florida. The Wave is a critical project because it will create jobs while also increasing transit ridership and spurring economic development. It continues the transformation of Broward County into a “livable community” – one which promotes transit-oriented development by enabling our residents to use a street car in place of single passenger vehicles to travel through the downtown Fort Lauderdale area.-Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Harrington quickly pounced on the statement-
We weren’t aware that Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz believed that Broward county wasn’t a “livable community.” Our understanding was that Broward county is a very livable community, as Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz herself resides in, and raises her young family in this “livable community.”-Karen Harrington
The proposed 2.7 mile “Streetcar project” is said to run through downtown Fort Lauderdale- but where exactly will the streetcar run? I happen to live four miles from downtown Fort Lauderdale, and I can honestly tell you that there isn’t room for such a project, not is it the least bit necessary. Miami-Dade County considered a similar project with its ‘Metro Mover’, but the project has turned out to be nothing less than a bust for the county.
Another point to take into consideration is, who are they going to be shuffling around downtown Fort Lauderdale? While there are a few residential buildings in the downtown area, the vast majority of the buildings are zoned as commercial, and the majority of businesses, including the restaurants and bars are within a few walking distance blocks of each other.
Check out this a satellite map of Fort Lauderdale- the red outline is what is considered ‘downtown Fort Lauderdale.’ The green outline is the the concentrated living and commericial office buildings.
Here is Karen Harrington’s press release from early this morning-
For Immediate Release
June 22, 2012
Contact: Anthony Bustamante
954-358-4861
In what can only be described as an egregious display of wasteful spending, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz has announced on her Congressional website that she has been informed that the “$18 million TIGER grant that she has championed for seven years, the Fort Lauderdale Wave Streetcar project, would be funded.”
“This is wonderful news for South Florida. The Wave is a critical project because it will create jobs while also increasing transit ridership and spurring economic development. It continues the transformation of Broward County into a “livable community” – one which promotes transit-oriented development by enabling our residents to use a street car in place of single passenger vehicles to travel through the downtown Fort Lauderdale area.-Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
We weren’t aware that Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz believed that Broward county wasn’t a “livable community.” Our understanding was that Broward county is a very livable community, as Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz herself resides in, and raises her young family in this “livable community.”
This ‘Streetcar project’ will only create short term job growth, not the long term growth that is discussed in her posting. After the project is completed, exactly how many ‘support jobs’ will be created?
Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz does not speak of whether or not riders will have to pay to ride on the ‘Streetcar’. From what we gather, this project will solely be subsidized by the taxpayer.
We have some more questions that we would like to ask Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, in regards to this pet project of hers.
-The posting states that $18 million has been allocated for the ‘first phase”. Who pays for the next phase, and how much will that cost?
-How much will it cost to maintain and who will pay for the maintenance?
-Will an additional increase in property taxes be levied to small business to help subsidize this project?
-Who really benefits from this project, the local community, or politicians who are looking to line the pockets of ’Big Labor’?
-Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz states that she has been working on this for seven years, yet she has only been in Washington for six years?
-Are the needs of the community the same today as they were seven years ago?
This project is yet another one of Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz’s deceptive pork-barrel spending projects that does not explain how much it will eventually cost taxpayers.
It’s time to ‘Fire Debbie’, and get back to fiscal responsibility and government accountability.
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48 Responses to “A Streetcar Named Disaster- by Debbie Wasserman Schultz”
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Why is Karen Harrington against a project that will create jobs for people in her district? Couldn’t this also boost business for those businesses along the route?
I really appreciate the way you moderate the comments. When you delete a comment it tells me that this is something that you don’t want people to read because the content is damaging or runs contrary to what you want people to think. In my opinion you seem to allow comments that agree with you and stupid statements. Anything to savvy doesn’t get through or gets edited. Thank you for the input it helps.
Apparently Jef, you see the words but can’t understand what KH is saying! It tends me to believe that you are a leftist and could care less of the pork that is being spent, Look at reality, this nation is in a heap of Obama problems, lets work together to CORRECT it.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…
This is nothing but a pork barrel project that is not needed and in the end the taxpayers will have to support it to keep it going. It will not provide many jobs. I heard the taxpayers along the route will have to pay more taxes to support it. It is another high speed rail that should be stopped now. The economy is in terrible shape and we do not need this pork barrel project.
I read in the paper it will cost 142 million and most will come from the city, county, grants and the taxpayers. Also Ft. Lauderdale will take it over after it is running and will be footing the bill to keep it going. More tax money down a money pit.
Like most Liberals, Blabbermouth Schultz has NEVER met a public works program that she didn’t like, no matter how wasteful or senseless the project is. Spending other peoples’ money is a terrible addiction… someone should do an intervention on her and get her the help she so desperately needs!! Stop her before she spends again!!
Now, boys and girls, with the REPUBLICANS/TEABAGS/CONSERVATIVES in control of the House of Representatives, if this is such a wasteful, worthless thing, how did it get through the House?
It got thru while your heros were in charge? Got the picture. This fool of yours wanted my city to hire 9 more cops an he would pay the cost for us from my taxes at the end of the 2nd year we got to foot the bill for the next 25 years including there guarantee of 8% return on our investment.Called a pension.
Any city taking federal money are fools….their is always a rope attached……Like Pres Regan said when he inaugurated the Miami elevated subway,” It would have been cheaper to give every man-woman-child in Dade County a Lincoln Town Car then to build this project”……
reminds me of bill clinton’s funding of 100,000 additional police officers for 3 years; most were laid-off as the cities and towns couldn’t afford to continue paying these officers; Debbie’s project mirrors many of these wasteful projects which only makes her look good only to her constituents.
I love and live in Broward County, we need a better Congress Lady representing us since Debbie dislikes us so very much as proven by her hateful, elitest staments.
Karen Karrington who loves Broward County will represent us as it should be.
Who?
Maybe I’ll get to meet her at the BREC debate. Oh wait.. she wont be attending the BROWARD Republican executive committee meeting in the county you claim she loves so much. You complain that DWS doesn’t represent the people of her district and is constantly traveling and missing important events, yet Karen seems to be following in her footsteps. Ironic.
go to: http://www.juanelielforcongress.com
Poodlehead Schultz is always good for a laugh …and she should call this STUPID project for what it is – Agenda 21. Furthermore, I do not know of one “Public Transit System” that is profitable. In fact, many are in the red so bad that they are trying to figure out how to raise property taxes to stop their hemorrhaging.
She is probably rewarding a political donor.Who and what firm is behind this ?
“Crazy Debbie” should have been gone a very long time ago, her lack of integrety, honesty and credibility is the hallmark of her service to this community.
Thank you for finally giving Karen Harrington some publicity!
That is going to turn out to be just like the “train to nowhere” here in Jacksonville. It’s subsidized by taxpayers to the tune of about $14 MILLION dollars a year. I would wager the Broward debacle will be heavily subsidized also.
Debbie’s “Bus-to-Nowhere”] is a cynically conceived vehicle to milk our collective public cash and have the public pay for her re-election [pork-for-votes] campaign.
“Livable community” is UN Agenda 21 newspeak for their envisioned urban concentration camps.
They want us all huddled into urban centers so we can ditch our nasty carbon-generating cars for public transportation. It’s all in an effort to reduce our resource consumption so they can save Gaia. An added benefit for them, having us confined to urban centers gives them more control.
Anytime you hear a politico say “livable” or “sustainable”, just know that their intentions are doubleplus ungood.
Every time I see that shot of DWS I hear Shirley Temple singing “On the Good Ship Lollipop” in my head.
Wasserman Schultz I wouldn’t even call her a Congresswoman is a complete IDIOT and a typical lying democrat.
She does nothing but try and fill the pockets of her political friends in Ft Lauderdale.
This project will be a waste of tax payer money and the citizens of Ft Lauderdale will end up footing the bill before , during , and after the project is completed.
To defeat Debbie Wasserman Schultz we need the most electable candidate and that candidate is Juan Eliel Garcia.
Vote Juan Eliel Garcia for Congress District 23!
http://www.juanelielforcongress.com
Who?
go to :
http://www.FireDebbie.com
You ask who? Juan Eliel Garcia is our next Republican Congressman, that’s who.
In an interview Karen Harrington stated, “the feedback from just about every voter I’ve met in the district has been one of willingness and in many cases eagerness to invest in a new candidate who is a conservative willing to take the country in a different direction.”
Unfortunately for Karen, that person is not her, as indicated by her loss in 2010. Juan Eliel Garcia is the only candidate that can defeat Debbie Wasserman Schultz and take our country in the right direction.
Vote Juan Eliel for Congress!
http://www.juanelielforcongress.com
What’s SO funny about Democrats is the fact that they voted this absolute LOON as the DNC!!! hahaha Obviously she doesn’t need to use a streetcar, since her broom flies on natural gas–her own. Please put her in the rubber room along with Grayson; I’m sure these two crazies will have a lot of nonsense to discuss in between drooling.
WHAT A TERRIBLE WASTE OF MY TAX DOLLARS!!!!! 18 MILLION…PLUS MORE
TO COME? FORGET IT!!!!!
While I’m all for expanding mass transit options, unless Tri-Rail operates on the eastern-most tracks in addition to its current route, I don’t see the need for the Wave’s currently planned route. I’d rather see a route from a current Tri-Rail stop running east on Broward Blvd. and intersecting with the central bus station with some sort of loop through the business district. The present 2.7 mile loop appears to be a quaint ride to no important destination.
She is such a joke to many of us in FL. She isn’t just wasting FL taxpayer monies but the nations.Why not pay down the debt. Wonder how many business in that are will be gone in a year!
You go Girl…….Damn the Tax Payers!! And we will vote for Debbie “blabber mouth” again? Obama’s lackey, can she really be this stupid?
Allen
Javier you don’t have any idea what you are talking about.
Go ahead and rail against economic development in the heart of Broward County and Fort Lauderdale that will provide jobs, and make our community more livable.
If Harrington did her homework she might find the answers to her questions, but what does she care she lives out in the sprawl of Western Broward.
Republicans think that major metropolitan areas can be governed like the deserts of Arizona with no support for infrastructure. Its just absurd and railing against good transportation projects in our urban corridors will not garner any political support.
Definition of a “good transportation project” from the Democrat bullcrap to English dictionary:
Good Transportation Project –
1)a project sufficiently larded up so that there’s enough boodle to go around to all our corrupt pals. Ideally an infrastructure project where the taxpayer will be on the hook for cost over-runs and maintenance in perpetuity.
2)a project where the public has been sufficiently duped into believing meets their needs and makes it look like government knows what the heck it’s doing.
I know, guys and gals.
It’s only good to spend oodles of money on defense contractors because they donate/bribe to republicans so heavily.
If this were a defense project, no matter how foolish/wasteful, you’d be behind it in a New York minute!!
Sorry Rich you like all Demoncrats are really “OFF THE RAIL ” I am a life long GOPer an a damn proud member of the Tea Party an let me tel ya something boo boo I would love to go thru the DOD an especially the purchaseing office for the mach 10 little boys with expensive toys while other aircraft sit on the ground waiting for spare parts to go fly food and water to our military that you democrats hate with a passion….
Explain why Carter banned wearing of the US Military uniform in the WH
Explain why he made the guy carrying the football to live 5 miles away when in Plains Ga?
Explain why Pelosi has to have a Boeing 767 as her private airline?
An you have the gaul to send us to war flying aircraft as old as me? You sir are not a american unless you get yourself down to FLL Int Airport and greet our returning soldiers that will because of your hatred of the military not allow to vote? Explain that?…….4 Presidential elections an 90% of the absentee ballots are thrown out?
Electric Jack….very well said, sir!
Off the Rocker….How about I not have to pay for your boondoggle local project that will hemorrhage cash and benefit only as select few insiders? If Broward County or Ft. Lauderdale wants this project so badly, they can pay for it themselves. In return, I won’t ask you to pay your hard-earned money in taxes in order to have Orlando build a rail line between our airport & Disney, bypassing Orlando’s other atttractions.
Unless, of course you’re one of those gravy-train, sucking leeches who lives on the government dole…. in which case, pound sand.
So, a tunnel to the Bahamas next?
I can’t wait till Karen Harrington beats Debbie Wasserman Schultz! I was very impressed meeting her last night.
http://www.firedebbie.com
hey, rails, ya don’t suppose that the union constructors or going to do that job, do ya? don’t they overwhelmingly vote to support the “ones who got ‘em the job?” that would mean that money confisgated from NON-union workers goes to pay for union workers pay. AND extra ballot stuffage for all the dem candidates
oh, plus the whole city condemnation of innocent peoples property and subsequent ‘theft’ through eminent domain and sale to friends of debbie wasser-carrier soros
it’s pretty historical… ya might want to check Tamany Hall
Union workers should perform jobs like these since for the most part the non-union work I’ve seen in Florida is mostly incompetent and half-assed.
Like it or not, especially in the construction trades, union workers are better, more productive and work more safely.
Of all of the stupid projects, this one is so typical of Liberal elitists who have never had to work for a living, or run a business. NO ONE is going to use this stupid 2.7 mile Streetcar. It will be in the way and cater to a couple of tourists per year, who get lost in the City of Ft. Lauderdale. $18 million ???? 20 jobs, at most, and a lifetime to pay for itself. The Democrats cannot be given any kind of money, because they will spend it on personal projects. Guaranteed if you look into this, someone friendly to Debbie’s campaign will be benefiting from the money being spent by the taxpayers. She is paying back someone for money contributed to her campaign. It is disgraceful how they blatantly lie to all of us. That $18 million could house and feed the homeless, which her bleeding heart should be doing. Makes me sick.
OK, are we to take it that a republican has NEVER put forth a project to reward a donor?
Have you ever heard of Haliburton? They made billions off the two Bush regime wars and their work was so shoddy that some of our brabe GIs got electrocuted in the showers built by Haliburton subsidiaries.
Are you people that naive?
Quid pro quo is the lifeblood of politics and until we move to take the money out of politics this is what you will get.
Like it or not, this is the truth.
Rich….and you truly think Wasserman-Schultz is an honorable politician? Now, that’s laughable!!
Folks, we need to clean house in November. Head them up and move ‘em out! When we have new congressional members and a new president, things may move slowly in the right direction. Professional politicians must go. Be smart, research your candidate, and vote a new person in!
This is right up there with the most moronic ideas ever.. God forbid that the County workers have to walk across the bridge … Most of them look like they need to anyway.
Stupid, dumb, worthless Project.
any place downtown, one could walk in less than 5 minutes !!! Nobody will use it ..
Give the money to BCT to expand routes for those who need it to get to work ..
I would like to remind fellow citizens , that it has taken BCounty 5 years to fix and esculator in the Main Library .. Just to start the project .
El Sharko is right NO !!!!!!
Our local paper reported the federal DOT source of the TIGER fund for transportation projects did not fund an improvement to the intersection of I-95 and J Turner Butler Blvd. Our transportation authority requested $18 million for this project. Seems Jacksonville’s loss is Ft. Lauderdale’s gain.
I don’t want to seem shallow but this is the first time I have seen my ex congress woman’s hair look half way decent. I am now in district 22 and for the first time in many years I am proud my congressman.
Oh yeah and Mr. Ozzie de whatever you suck you nasty man.
An 18 million waste of money will totally insure that she will lose her job. Too bad she didn’t pull this a while back. Maybe if she tries a smaller version in Wilton Manors….her constituents can pretend they are in San Francisco. I am so sick of elitists. Florida had to stop funding
a wonderful shelter for abused kids that cost 400,000 a year to run..but dang it…we get cable cars. Green is the new red.
Hold on everyone!How about a Solar Powdered Street Wave? We build it and have it pay for itself.Parking is horrible downtown. Driving to and from the beach can miserable and dangerous if sightseeing! We could have two routes one downtown an the other to the beach. Yes, we would have to maintain it but we would be investing in our future comfort while using our national resources.