TIA Likes Some Rail

There have been questions if the Tampa International Airport would allow light to go to the airport. The good news is TIA has agreed to allow stations at the airport.

"High-speed rail is a non-issue," said board member Steve Burton. Board member Joseph Diaco concurred, as did Al Austin, who more than two years ago announced his advocacy of light rail.

The comments followed a similar sentiment by Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, who was outspoken in backing light rail connections between the airport and the proposed downtown high-speed rail terminal. Iorio has made the issue a cornerstone of her mayoral tenure.

"The federal government would never fund a high-speed station at the airport," Iorio said.

The statements actually makes the light rail at TIA more murky. Why wouldn't the federal government want light rail at the airport. TBO.com reports TIA plans to have light rail stations at the airport. The flip side is the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority board have made it clear a high-speed rail station is not a "suitable option." That likely translates to a rail station built by the
Area Regional Transit Authority will be allowed. The Orlando to Tampa line will most likely not go to TIA.

Iorio got the local light rail line to go to TIA. The state will have to deal with getting the Tampa to Orlando line onto TIA property.

Litbrit on the Al Austin Email

Litbrit offers her take on the Al Austin email controversy.

For his part, Austin said he made a mistake in sending the e-mail, and further, that he wouldn’t knowingly have circulated it, which begs the question: Does someone else have the password to Austin's private e-mail account? Perhaps he just confused Forward All with Delete.

Certainly Austin has proven, yet again, that as with so many of these rich and powerful wingnut assholes, not only are they full-on racists, losers, and imbeciles--they're also terrible liars.

To say that Litbrit is mad would be an understatement.

Republican Fundraiser Emails Joke About Killing Obama

Republican fundraiser Al Austin sent an email joking about Barack Obama being killed.

The joke concerns a group of schoolchildren discussing the definition of “tragedy” as opposed to “great loss” or “accident.” The punch line comes when one child says that if an airplane carrying Obama and his wife, Michelle, “was struck by a ‘friendly fire’ missile and blown to smithereens,” the event might be a tragedy “because it certainly wouldn’t be a great loss, and it probably wouldn’t be an accident either.”

Bullshit spin of the day: Austin admits to forwarding the distasteful joke to his political contacts. But he did not know what the email said. The article states that Austin accidently forwarded the email to two reporters.

Update: a source confirmed to me that Austin sent the email to William March.

The Buzz published the email.

Finally at the back of the room, Little Johnny raised his hand. In a quiet voice he said: 'If the plane carrying you and Mrs. Obama was struck by a 'friendly fire' missile and blown to smithereens that would be a tragedy.'

'Fantastic!' exclaimed Obama. 'That's right. And can you tell me why that would be tragedy?'

'Well,' says the boy, 'It has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either.'

The joke isn't even funny as politically incorrect comedy.