Governors in Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida have declined funds for Obama's high-speed rail (for which their democratic predecessors had lobbied). Florida's Rick Scott stated the project would cost more than the allotted federal funds and would operate in deficits - both requiring tax-payer subsidization.

The Obama administration didn't even attempt to deny that the project would almost certainly exceed federal estimates, but argued that they had "eliminated all financial risk for the state, instead requiring private businesses competing for the project to assume cost overruns and operating expenses." It apparently never occurred to Obama's staff that a governor might also wish to protect businesses from soaring costs and bankruptcy.

Not to be deterred in spending tax-payer money, Obama promised to redistribute the funds to other (bluer) states. Florida Democrats howled that it was fiscally responsible to take the money: Since everyone knows Obama is going to spend it anyway, we might as well let him spend it here!

Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida have taken a principled stand against economic waste. Every state should likewise oppose the federal project in a bottom-up approach to forcing fiscal restraint on the White House. The GOP should follow Obama's initiative and make a national issue of high-speed rail - calling out any governor who continues to feed from Obama's federal trough.