Florida governor Rick Scott has rejected federal funds for high-speed rail connecting Orlando and Tampa, a decision that could send up to $2.4 billion in stimulus money back to the federal government. In a statement, Scott says that the red ink in President Obama’s budget – and the higher taxes the White House is proposing – would hurt the business environment in Florida. The decision came after Scott’s administration conducted a feasibility study to determine whether such a rail would be cost effective and whether Florida taxpayers would have to contribute any additional tax dollars to operate the rail.

During his gubernatorial campaign against Democrat Alex Sink, Scott had expressed skepticism about the project and said he would not raise taxes on Floridians to pay for it.