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93-493: Construction of the line was slated to begin in 2011, with the initial Tampa-Orlando phase completed by 2014. On February 16, 2011, Florida Governor Rick Scott formally announced that he would be rejecting federal funds to construct the high-speed railway, thereby killing the Florida High-Speed Rail project. Governor Scott said the project would be "far too costly to taxpayers" and that "the risk[s] far outweigh

186-565: A draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) or draft environmental impact report (DEIR). The purpose of the NEPA is to promote informed decision-making by federal agencies by making "detailed information concerning significant environmental impacts" available to both agency leaders and the public. The NEPA was the first piece of legislation that created a comprehensive method to assess potential and existing environmental risks at once. It also encourages communication and cooperation between all

279-631: A political action committee , was launched on August 18, 2009, to rally public support for these applications. On December 16, the Florida Legislature passed a bill authorizing FDOT to move forward with the purchase from CSX of the Central Florida Rail Corridor for the SunRail commuter rail project and providing additional funding for South Florida's Tri-Rail commuter rail system. Funding of these initiatives

372-619: A 26 percent approval rating in December 2011, the lowest among U.S. governors, but it steadily increased during the rest of his governorship. It stood at 45 percent in August 2015, and at 57 percent in April 2017. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma later that year, Scott's approval rating saw a high of 61 percent. Shortly before he left office, his ratings had fallen to 47 percent approving and 41 percent disapproving. In 2013, Scott signed

465-484: A bill requiring those seeking welfare under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to submit to drug screenings. Applicants who fail a drug test may name another person to receive benefits for their children. Environmental impact statement An environmental impact statement ( EIS ), under United States environmental law , is a document required by the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for certain actions "significantly affecting

558-577: A death sentence must be issued by a unanimous jury. The Florida Supreme Court ruled the law "cannot be applied to pending prosecutions" which means that until the Florida legislature acts, there is no procedure or law allowing a prosecutor to seek the death penalty; but it leaves open the status of sentences passed under the twice-struck down provisions, also left open by the January 2016 United States Supreme Court Hurst decision. The Court granted Hurst

651-783: A decade, Mr. Scott had built a company he founded with two small hospitals in El Paso into the world's largest health care company – a $ 20 billion giant with about 350 hospitals, 550 home health care offices and scores of other medical businesses in 38 states." On March 19, 1997, investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Internal Revenue Service, and the Department of Health and Human Services served search warrants at Columbia/HCA facilities in El Paso and on dozens of doctors with suspected ties to

744-590: A failing doughnut shop (the Flavor Maid Do-Nut) by adding workplace delivery instead of relying on foot traffic. He later bought and revived another doughnut shop. After graduating from law school, Scott worked as an attorney at the law firm of Johnson & Swanson in Dallas, Texas. In 1988, Scott and Richard Rainwater , a financier from Fort Worth, each put up $ 125,000 in working capital in their new company, Columbia Hospital Corporation; they borrowed

837-577: A federal anti-kickback law passed in order to limit or eliminate instances of conflicts of interest in Medicare and Medicaid. During Scott's 2000 deposition, he pleaded the Fifth Amendment 75 times. In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA pleaded guilty to 14 felonies and agreed to a $ 600+ million fine in what was at the time the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history. Columbia/HCA admitted systematically overcharging

930-469: A full-scale EIS. Most EAs result in a FONSI. A limited number of federal actions may avoid the EA and EIS requirements under NEPA if they meet the criteria for a categorical exclusion (CATEX). A CATEX is usually permitted when a course of action is identical or very similar to a past course of action and the impacts on the environment from the previous action can be assumed for the proposed action, or for building

1023-475: A group of investors who gave AHN a major infusion of cash so that the company could continue to operate. By early 1999, the network was available in 9.5 million American homes. In mid-1999 AHN merged with Fit TV , a subsidiary of Fox; the combination was renamed The Health Network. Later that year, in a deal between News Corp. and WebMD , the latter received half-ownership of The Health Network. WebMD planned to relaunch The Health Network as WebMD Television in

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1116-745: A major factor in winning the funds. The preservation of the I-4 corridor by the FDOT, and completion of the environmental impact studies in 2005 meant that the project could have proceeded to construction in a very short time frame for a relatively affordable cost. In March 2010 the Florida Rail Enterprise was still seeking to refine cost estimates based on advanced engineering, finish development of possible Early Works (Install permanent barrier systems along most of I-4 and remove/relocate elements in median) and contract for bid in 2010 and finally initiate

1209-562: A minor league baseball team owner. In July 1997, Columbia/HCA Healthcare purchased a controlling interest in America's Health Network (AHN), the first 24-hour health care cable channel. They pulled out of the deal on the day of the closing because Scott and Vandewater were terminated, causing the immediate layoffs of more than 250 people in Orlando. Later that same year, Scott became majority owner of AHN. In 1998, Scott and Vandewater led

1302-612: A new bid procurement process specific to the Tampa to Orlando phase. In June 2010, the Federal Railroad Administration issued its record of the final decision, the final stage of approval for the design, purchase of land and construction of phase one. Tendering was thus able to begin. In October 2010, Florida received $ 800 million more towards construction from the FY 2010 High-Speed Rail allocations. In December 2010

1395-522: A new sentencing hearing after the same Supreme Court decision. During Scott's tenure, Florida executed more inmates (28) than had been executed under any other governor in the state's history. In the 2016 Republican primaries, Scott endorsed Trump after Trump won the Florida primary . Scott chaired a pro-Trump super PAC in the 2016 election. Unlike many other establishment Republicans, Scott praised Trump as tough on terrorism and as an outsider during

1488-509: A planned $ 20 million ad campaign by CPR. On April 9, 2010, Scott announced his candidacy for the 2010 Republican Party nomination for governor of Florida . He ran against Democratic nominee Alex Sink . Susie Wiles , former communications chief to Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton , was Scott's campaign manager, and Tony Fabrizio was his chief pollster. It was reported on May 7 that Scott's campaign had already spent $ 4.7 million on television and radio ads. His first video advertisement

1581-479: A structure within the footprint of an existing, larger facility or complex. For example, two recently completed sections of Interstate 69 in Kentucky were granted a CATEX from NEPA requirements as these portions of I-69 utilize existing freeways that required little more than minor spot improvements and a change of highway signage. Additionally, a CATEX can be issued during an emergency when time does not permit

1674-499: A truck driver. Orba adopted Rick, who took his stepfather's surname and became known as Richard Lynn Scott. Scott was raised in North Kansas City , Missouri , the second of five children. His family was lower-middle-class and struggled financially; Esther Scott worked as a clerk at J. C. Penney , among other jobs. Scott graduated from North Kansas City High School in 1970. He attended community college for

1767-482: A venture capitalist and pursued other business interests. Scott ran for governor of Florida in 2010 . He defeated Bill McCollum in a vigorously contested Republican primary election, and then defeated Democratic nominee Alex Sink by just over one point in the general election. Scott was reelected in 2014 , again by just over one point, against former governor Charlie Crist . He was barred by term limits from running for reelection in 2018 , and instead ran for

1860-876: A year, and then enlisted in the United States Navy . In 1972, he married Ann Holland , whom he met in high school, at a Baptist church in Kansas City . Scott had completed naval bootcamp just before the wedding. Afterward, he was sent to a naval posting in Newport, Rhode Island , where he and his wife lived for 15 months. He served there as a radarman on the USS ; Glover  (FF-1098) , which during his enlistment spent time dry docked in Boston and sailed to ports in Bermuda and Puerto Rico . Scott

1953-484: Is an alternative to the emergency department care that these types of patients often seek, or for not seeing a doctor at all. In 2006, Scott said that his plans for Solantic were to establish a national brand of medical clinics. In August 2007, the company received a $ 40 million investment from a private equity firm and said that it expected to open 35 clinics by the end of 2009, with annual revenues of $ 100 million once all these clinics were open, compared to $ 20 million at

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2046-409: Is designed to involve the public and gather the best available information in a single place so that decision makers can be fully informed when they make their choices. This is the process of EIS Environmental Impact Statement Often, the agencies responsible for preparing an EA or EIS do not compile the document directly, but outsource this work to private-sector consulting firms with expertise in

2139-564: Is expected to become Florida's senior senator when Marco Rubio resigns to become secretary of state in the second cabinet of Donald Trump . Rick Scott was born Richard Lynn Myers in Bloomington, Illinois , on December 1, 1952. Scott never met his biological father, Gordon William Myers, who was described by Scott's mother, Esther J. Scott (née Fry; 1928–2012), as an abusive alcoholic. Scott's parents divorced in his infancy. In 1954, Esther married Orba George Scott Jr. (died 2006),

2232-976: Is selected in the Record of Decision. For example, the "No Action Alternative" was selected for the I-69/Trans-Texas Corridor Tier-I Environmental Impact Statement. In that Record of Decision, the Texas Department of Transportation opted not to proceed with building its portion of I-69 as one of the Trans-Texas Corridors to be built as a new-terrain route (the Trans-Texas Corridor concept was ultimately scrapped entirely), but instead decided to proceed with converting existing US and state routes to I-69 by upgrading those roads to interstate standards. The NEPA process

2325-401: Is to help key decisionmakers and stakeholders balance the need to implement an action with its impacts on the surrounding human and natural environment, and provide opportunities for mitigating those impacts while keeping the cost and schedule for implementing the action under control. However, many activities require various federal permits to comply with other environmental legislation, such as

2418-514: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 designated $ 8 billion to develop a high-speed intercity passenger rail system. The Federal Railroad Administration named Florida one of ten high-speed rail corridors potentially eligible for federal funding. The HSRA met on February 26, 2009, to begin planning their application for these funds. Due to the passage of time, potential legal issues, and new federal funding criteria rendering

2511-607: The CSX tracks to the south of I-4. Stations would have been provided at downtown Tampa , northern Lakeland , Walt Disney World , and possibly at the Orange County Convention Center (see below), and at Orlando International Airport . Two routes were considered in the Orlando area. One would have split from I-4 at the interchange with SR 536, World Center Drive , and run east along SR 536 and SR 417 ,

2604-555: The Central Florida GreeneWay , to the south entrance to Orlando International Airport , from which it would head north to end at the planned South Terminal. The other route would continue along I-4 to SR 528 , the Beachline Expressway , with an extra stop at the Orange County Convention Center and International Drive , and then run east along SR 528 and a new right-of-way east and southeast to

2697-864: The Clean Air Act , the Clean Water Act , Endangered Species Act and Section 4(f) of the Federal Highway Act to name a few. Similarly, many states and local jurisdictions have enacted environmental laws and ordinances, requiring additional state and local permits before the action can proceed. Obtaining these permits typically requires the lead agency to implement the Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternative (LEDPA) to comply with federal, state, and local environmental laws that are ancillary to NEPA. In some instances,

2790-531: The Interstate 11 corridor in Nevada and Arizona are being studied through a two-tiered process By requiring agencies to complete an EIS, the act encourages them to consider the environmental costs of a project and introduces new information into the decision-making process. The NEPA has increased the influence of environmental analysts and agencies in the federal government by increasing their involvement in

2883-590: The Timely Justice Act (HB 7101) to overhaul the processes for capital punishment in Florida . The Supreme Court of the United States struck down part of this law in January 2016 in Hurst v. Florida , declaring, in an 8–1 decision, that a judge determining the aggravating facts to be used in considering a death sentence with only a non-binding recommendation from the jury based on a majority vote

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2976-604: The Western United States that offer vitamins, herbal medicine, skin products, homeopathic medicines, and prescriptions. In the 1990s, Scott was a partner of George W. Bush as co-owner of the Texas Rangers . In February 2009, Scott founded Conservatives for Patients' Rights (CPR), which he said was intended to put pressure on Democrats to enact health care legislation based on free-market principles. As of March 2009, he had given about $ 5 million for

3069-719: The junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party , he served two terms as the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019. Scott is a graduate of the University of Missouri–Kansas City and the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University . In 1987, after serving in the United States Navy and becoming a law firm partner, he co-founded Columbia Hospital Corporation . Columbia later merged with another corporation to form Columbia/HCA , which eventually became

3162-543: The 2000 amendment that mandated the construction of the High-Speed Rail System. On October 27, 2004, the authority voted to prefer the consortium of Fluor Corp. and Bombardier Transportation to build and operate the system, using Bombardier's JetTrain technology. However, a month later in November, Florida voters repealed the 2000 amendment, removing the constitutional mandate for the system. Although

3255-639: The 2016 Republican convention. When Trump "sparred with the Muslim father of a slain U.S. soldier", Scott said "I'm never going to agree with every candidate on what they're going to say". When the Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape was publicized, in which Trump spoke of grabbing women "by the pussy", Scott rebuked Trump, saying, "I'm not following politics closely right now, but this is terrible. I don't agree with anyone talking like this about anyone, ever." In June 2011, Scott signed

3348-476: The August primary with approximately 46.4% percent of the vote to McCollum's 43.4% By the date of the Tampa debate between Scott and Sink (October 25, 2010), Scott had spent $ 60 million of his own money on the campaign compared to Sink's reported $ 28 million. Scott campaigned as part of the Tea Party movement . The Fort Myers News-Press quoted Scott as saying he spent roughly $ 78 million of his own money on

3441-618: The Florida Department of Transportation began geotechnical sampling along the Orlando-Tampa corridor. The soil would have been tested every 200 feet (61 m) along the route to check soil conditions and allow proper foundation planning, had the project not been canceled. In early planning stages, all routes but the one along the median of Interstate 4 (which has been and is being widened by several road construction projects) were dropped from consideration; alternates used

3534-462: The Orlando to Tampa Phase In October 2002. Two of the four received in February 2003 were reviewed further, one from a consortium of Fluor Corp. and Bombardier Transportation and one from Global Rail Consortium . The proposals showed the cost of the Orlando-Tampa route to be approximately $ 2.4 billion. Both proposals offered private equity contributions to support operations of the system and show

3627-529: The ROD is issued, the lead agency will often coordinate with stakeholders at all levels, and resolve any conflicts to the greatest extent possible during the EIS process. Proceeding in this fashion helps avoid interagency conflicts and potential lawsuits after the lead agency reaches its decision. On exceptionally large projects, especially proposed highway , railroad , and utility corridors that cross long distances,

3720-516: The Senate. Scott won the 2018 U.S. Senate election , defeating Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson . The initial election results were so close that they triggered a mandatory recount. The recount showed that Scott had won by 10,033 votes; Nelson then conceded the race. Scott took office following the expiration of his term as governor of Florida on January 8, 2019. He won reelection in 2024 , defeating Democratic nominee Debbie Mucarsel-Powell . Scott

3813-682: The US Department of Transportation redistributed approximately $ 1.2 billion in HSR funds that had been rejected by governors elected in Wisconsin and Ohio. Florida was projected to receive as much as $ 342.3 million of the reallocated rail funds, which would have closed the gap of the project's projected cost. Construction of the line was to begin in 2011, with the initial phase completed by 2014. On February 16, 2011, Governor Rick Scott formally announced that he would reject federal funds to construct

Florida High-Speed Corridor - Misplaced Pages Continue

3906-425: The action may or may not cause a significant impact, the agency can first prepare a smaller, shorter document called an Environmental Assessment (EA). The finding of the EA determines whether an EIS is required. If the EA indicates that no significant impact is likely, then the agency can release a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) and carry on with the proposed action. Otherwise, the agency must then conduct

3999-497: The actors involved in environmental decisions, including government officials, private businesses, and citizens. In particular, an EIS acts as an enforcement mechanism to ensure that the federal government adheres to the goals and policies outlined in the NEPA. An EIS should be created in a timely manner as soon as the agency is planning development or is presented with a proposal for development. The statement should use an interdisciplinary approach so that it accurately assesses both

4092-588: The amendment was repealed, no action was taken by the state legislature in regard to the Florida High-Speed Rail Authority Act. With the law still in effect, Florida's HSRA continued to meet, and completed the environmental impact statement for the Tampa-Orlando segment in 2005. With the constitutional mandate gone, funding for the project stopped, and very little action was taken over the next several years. Passage of

4185-547: The approved Tier I area is further broken down into subareas, and a Tier II EIS is then prepared for each subarea, that identifies the exact location of where the proposed action will take place. The preparation of Tier II EISs for each subarea proceeds at its own pace, independent from the other subareas within the Tier I area. For example, parts of the proposed Interstate 69 extension in Indiana and Texas , as well as portions of

4278-415: The benefits". In the wake of the project's cancellation, a private sector express passenger service running across much of the proposed route has been proposed by All Aboard Florida, now known as Brightline . This service began operations in 2018 and now runs passenger trains between Orlando and Miami. Its extension from Orlando to Tampa is in the early planning stages and has yet to be fully funded. After

4371-585: The campaign, although other figures indicate he spent slightly over $ 75 million. He won the general election, defeating Sink by around 68,000 votes, or 1.29%. He took office as the 45th governor of Florida on January 4, 2011. In October 2011, Scott announced that he would run for reelection in 2014. His political funding committee, Let's Get to Work , had raised $ 28 million for his campaign as of May 2014. As of early June 2014, Scott had spent almost $ 13 million since March on television advertisements attacking former governor Charlie Crist , who then appeared to be

4464-513: The company. Eight days after the initial raid, Scott signed his last SEC report as a hospital executive. Four months later, the board of directors pressured him to resign as chairman and CEO. He was succeeded by Thomas F. Frist Jr. Scott was paid $ 9.88 million in a settlement, and left owning 10 million shares of stock then worth more than $ 350 million. The directors had been warned in the company's annual public reports to stockholders that incentives Columbia/HCA offered doctors could run afoul of

4557-477: The corridor began in 2010 and would have taken approximately two years to complete. The higher-speed rail route of Brightline , being developed between Orlando and Miami, closely follows the Cape Canaveral route. Rick Scott This is an accepted version of this page Richard Lynn Scott ( né Myers ; born December 1, 1952) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who has been

4650-606: The definition of "railroad" in 1988 and were studied repeatedly. Five high-speed corridors were officially endorsed in October 1992 following the passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 . TEA-21 and other legislation continued to be passed with mentions of high-speed rail, but lacking funding or real direction. In November 2000, Florida voters approved an amendment to Florida's constitution mandating

4743-435: The development process. Because an EIS requires expert skill and knowledge, agencies must hire environmental analysts. Unlike agencies who may have other priorities, analysts are often sympathetic to environmental issues. In addition, this feature introduces scientific procedures into the political process. The differences that exist between science and politics limit the accuracy of an EIS. Although analysts are members of

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4836-558: The earlier bids from 2003 inapplicable, the decision was made in May 2009 that a new bidding process would be necessary. A first round application was submitted in August 2009 for $ 30 million to conduct a two-year environmental study on the Orlando-Miami route. In October 2009, the authority applied for the second round for the entire Tampa - Orlando - Miami corridor, broken into two components: Orlando-Tampa and Orlando-Miami. Connect Us,

4929-667: The fall of 2000, with new programming, but that company announced cutbacks and restructuring in September 2000, and, in January 2001, News Corp. regained 100% ownership. In September 2001, Fox Cable Networks Group sold The Health Network to its main rival, the Discovery Health Channel , for $ 155 million in cash plus a 10% equity stake in Discovery Health. Solantic, based in Jacksonville, Florida ,

5022-653: The general election against Crist and Annette Taddeo-Goldstein by 64,000 votes. The Libertarian candidates, Adrian Wyllie and Greg Roe, received 223,356 votes. During Hurricane Irma , Scott led Florida through the largest mass evacuation in U.S. history. He signed a repeal of Florida's 1985 growth management laws, reduced funding for water management districts, reduced oversight at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and supported increased funding for Everglades restoration. Scott supported permanent tax cuts and "focused on job numbers rather than on running state agencies or making sweeping policy changes". Scott had

5115-505: The government by claiming marketing costs as reimbursable, by striking illegal deals with home care agencies, and by filing false data about use of hospital space. It also admitted to fraudulently billing Medicare and other health programs by inflating the seriousness of diagnoses and to giving doctors partnerships in company hospitals as a kickback for the doctors referring patients to HCA. It filed false cost reports, fraudulently billed Medicare for home health care workers, and paid kickbacks in

5208-467: The initial round of funding of $ 3 million to Alijor.com (named for the first three letters of his two daughters' names), which offered hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers the opportunity to post information about their prices, hours, locations, insurance accepted, and personal backgrounds online. Scott co-founded the company with his daughter Allison. In 2008, Alijor was sold to HealthGrades . In May 2008, Scott purchased Drives , one of

5301-400: The lead agency may use a two-tiered process prior to implementing the proposed action. In such cases, the Tier I EIS would analyze the potential socio-environmental impacts along a general corridor, but would not identify the exact location of where the action would occur. A Tier I ROD would be issued approving the general area where the action would be implemented. Following the Tier I ROD,

5394-452: The likely Democratic nominee, and who was eventually nominated. The ads resulted in a tightening of the race, mainly due to a decline in Crist's favorability ratings, while Scott's favorability ratings did not increase. By late September 2014, Scott's television ad spending had exceeded $ 35 million and in mid-October reached $ 56.5 million, compared to $ 26.5 million by Crist. On October 22 it

5487-478: The nation's largest for-profit health care company. Scott was pressured to resign as chief executive of Columbia/HCA in 1997. During his tenure as chief executive, the company defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal programs. The Department of Justice won 14 felony convictions against the company, which was fined $ 1.7 billion in what was at the time the largest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history. Following his departure from Columbia/HCA, Scott became

5580-432: The original federal proposal in the 1960s, U.S. federal and state governments revisited the idea of fast trains occasionally. The Passenger Railroad Rebuilding Act of 1980 led to the funding of high-speed corridor studies in 1984. Private-sector consortia intending to build high-speed lines were created in Florida, Ohio, Texas, California, and Nevada. Maglev trains became a new field of interest. They were officially added to

5673-402: The physical and social impacts of the proposed development. In many instances an action may be deemed subject to NEPA's EIS requirement even though the action is not specifically sponsored by a federal agency. These factors may include actions that receive federal funding, federal licensing or authorization, or that are subject to federal control. Not all federal actions require a full EIS. If

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5766-612: The preparation of an EA or EIS. An example of the latter is when the Federal Highway Administration issued a CATEX to construct the replacement bridge in the wake of the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge Collapse . NEPA does not prohibit the federal government or its licensees/permittees from harming the environment, instead it requires that the prospective impacts be understood and disclosed in advance. The intent of NEPA

5859-641: The project would have been an Orlando - Miami link. As of the Regional Rail Briefing in Lakeland, Florida , on March 24, 2010, two routes were under consideration. One route followed SR 528 past the Orlando International Airport toward Cape Canaveral , before joining and following Interstate 95 down to Miami. The other route traveled south along Florida's Turnpike to Miami. The environmental impact study for

5952-520: The project, attempting to kill Florida High-Speed Rail. On March 4, 2011, the Florida Supreme Court unanimously turned down the request of two state senators to force Scott to accept federal funding for the project. Shortly thereafter, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that he would be redirecting the funds intended for Florida to other states and, on May 9, awarded $ 2.02 billion to 22 projects in 15 states. In July 2010,

6045-412: The proposed action and its anticipated effects on the environment. Because of the intense level of detail required in analyzing the alternatives presented in an EIS or EA, such documents may take years or even decades to compile, and often compose of multiple volumes that can be thousands to tens of thousands of pages in length. To avoid potential conflicts in securing required permits and approvals after

6138-444: The proposed holding company offered $ 3.85 billion for 80 million shares at $ 47 each, intending to assume an additional $ 1.2 billion in debt, for a total $ 5 billion deal. After HCA declined the offer, the bid was withdrawn. In 1994, Columbia Hospital Corporation merged with HCA, "forming the single largest for-profit health care company in the country." Scott became CEO of Columbia/HCA. According to The New York Times , "[in] less than

6231-413: The quality of the human environment". An EIS is a tool for decision making. It describes the positive and negative environmental effects of a proposed action, and it usually also lists one or more alternative actions that may be chosen instead of the action described in the EIS. One of the primary authors of the act is Lynton K. Caldwell . Preliminary versions of these documents are officially known as

6324-536: The range of alternatives presented for study. The No Action Alternative identifies the expected environmental impacts in the future if existing conditions were left as is with no action taken by the lead agency. Analysis of the No Action Alternative is used to establish a baseline upon which to compare the proposed "Action" alternatives. Contrary to popular belief, the "No Action Alternative" doesn't necessarily mean that nothing will occur if that option

6417-735: The remaining money needed to purchase two struggling hospitals in El Paso for $ 60 million. Then they acquired a neighboring hospital and shut it down. Within a year, the remaining two were doing much better. By the end of 1989, Columbia Hospital Corporation owned four hospitals with a total of 833 beds. In 1992, Columbia made a stock purchase of Basic American Medical, which owned eight hospitals, primarily in Southwestern Florida. In September 1993, Columbia did another stock purchase, worth $ 3.4 billion, of Galen Healthcare, which had been spun off by Humana Inc. several months earlier. At

6510-467: The result of NEPA analysis leads to abandonment or cancellation of the proposed action, particularly when the "No Action" alternative ends up being the LEDPA. An EIS typically has four sections: While not required in the EIS, the following subjects may be included as part of the EIS or as separate documents based on agency policy. Every EIS is required to analyze a No Action Alternative , in addition to

6603-516: The sale of home health agencies and to doctors to refer patients. In addition, it gave doctors "loans" never intending to be repaid, free rent, free office furniture, and free drugs from hospital pharmacies. In late 2002, HCA agreed to pay the United States government $ 631 million, plus interest, and $ 17.5 million to state Medicaid agencies, in addition to $ 250 million paid up to that point to resolve outstanding Medicare expense claims. In all, civil lawsuits cost HCA more than $ 2 billion to settle; at

6696-431: The scientific community, they are affected by the political atmosphere. Analysts do not have the luxury of an unlimited time for research. They are also affected by the different motives behind the research of the EIS and by different perspectives of what constitutes a good analysis. In addition, government officials do not want to reveal an environmental problem from within their own agency. Citizens often misunderstand

6789-443: The south entrance of the airport. The trains would have been capable of reaching speeds of "168 miles per hour (270 km/h)" but due to the number of proposed stations, a "bullet train would beat a car by only 30 minutes." Proposed journey times for some routes: The Orlando International Airport was planned to be the Orlando terminus of the initial Orlando-Tampa route. The airport had already invested considerably to accommodate

6882-656: The state establish a system of high-speed trains exceeding 120 mph (190 km/h) to link its five largest urban areas, with construction commencing by November 1, 2003. The Florida Legislature enacted the Florida High-Speed Rail Authority Act in March 2001, creating the Florida High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA). The HSRA established a Vision Plan for the system which proposed construction in several phases. Preliminary assessments and environmental studies were begun to develop an initial phase of

6975-517: The state's high-speed rail system, as well as development and operation of publicly funded passenger rail systems in general. On January 28, 2010, the White House announced that Florida would receive $ 1.25 billion of its request, about half of the cost of the Tampa-Orlando segment. The state's efforts towards high-speed rail between 2000 and 2005 put Florida ahead of the field in terms of the level of planning already completed, and this proved to be

7068-577: The station, such as the extra length of the taxiway bridge over the southern access road. This station would have provided access for airport passengers and for Orlando's Lynx local bus service. The Orange County Convention Center is the second largest in the United States, located on International Drive , a major tourist strip connecting SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Orlando Resort . The planned intermodal station here would have also provided access to Orlando's Lynx local bus service, and to International Drive 's I-Ride trolley. Walt Disney World

7161-471: The system between Orlando and Tampa. The first phase, planned for completion in 2009 under the original referendum, would have connected Orlando to Tampa (Phase 1, Part 1), with a later extension to St. Petersburg (Phase 1, Part 2). Later phases might have extended the network to Miami , Fort Myers , Jacksonville , Tallahassee and Pensacola . The Florida HSRA issued a Request for Proposal to Design, Build, Operate, Maintain and Finance (DBOM&F)

7254-668: The time, Galen had approximately 90 hospitals. After the purchase, Galen stockholders had 82% of the stock in the combined company, with Scott still running the company. In April 1987, Scott made his first attempt to buy the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). While still a partner at Johnson & Swanson, Scott formed the HCA Acquisition Company with two former executives of Republic Health Corporation, Charles Miller and Richard Ragsdale. With financing from Citicorp conditional on acquisition of HCA,

7347-515: The time, this was the largest fraud settlement in U.S. history. After leaving Columbia/HCA in 1997, Scott launched Richard L. Scott Investments, based in Naples, Florida (originally in Stamford, Connecticut ), which has stakes in health care, manufacturing and technology companies. Between 1998 and 2001, he purchased 50% of CyberGuard Corporation for approximately $ 10 million. Among his investors

7440-693: The time. As of March 2009, Solantic had 24 centers, all in Florida. Solantic was the target of an employment discrimination suit that claimed that there had been a policy to not hire elderly or obese applicants, preferring "mainstream" candidates. It was settled for an undisclosed sum on May 23, 2007. Scott responded to Salon regarding the claims of discrimination pointing out that "currently 53 percent of Solantic's employees are white, 20 percent black and 17 percent Hispanic." In 2003, Scott invested $ 5.5 million in Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacies, which operates drugstores/pharmacies in

7533-519: The willingness of the private sector to share the risk associated with projected ridership revenues. In June 2003, Florida Governor Jeb Bush vetoed funding for the project that the Florida Legislature approved. The HSRA continued moving forward with the project, using funds already authorized by the federal government, and in October 2003 ranked the Fluor Bombardier proposal first. In early 2004, Governor Jeb Bush endorsed an effort to repeal

7626-432: The world's leading independent designers and manufacturers of heavy-duty drive chain-based products and assemblies for industrial and agricultural applications and precision-engineered augers for agricultural, material handling, construction and related applications. Scott reportedly has an interest in a chain of family fun centers/bowling alleys, S&S Family Entertainment, in Kentucky and Tennessee led by Larry Schmittou ,

7719-500: Was 72%, well below the 90% analysts believed he needed to defeat Scott. Scott and Crist met in an October 15 debate held by the Florida Press Association at Broward College . Scott refused to take the stage for seven minutes because Crist had a small electric fan under his lectern. The incident was dubbed "fangate" by media sources such as Politico . On November 4, 2014, Scott and Carlos Lopez-Cantera won

7812-517: Was Metro Nashville finance director David Manning. In 2006, CyberGuard was sold to Secure Computing for more than $ 300 million. In February 2005, Scott purchased Continental Structural Plastics, Inc. (CSP) in Detroit, Michigan . In July 2006, CSP purchased Budd Plastics from ThyssenKrupp , making CSP the largest industrial composites molder in North America. In 2005–2006, Scott provided

7905-494: Was built. The SR 417 route was initially selected by a 7-1 vote on October 27, 2004. However, in November 2004, the Florida High-Speed Rail Authority dropped the SR 417 from consideration and selected the SR 528 route due to a lack satisfactory progress on the agreements with The Walt Disney Company and Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority. Two locations were under consideration for a station near Lakeland, Florida . The top choice

7998-481: Was co-founded in 2001 by Scott and Karen Bowling, a former television anchor Scott met after Columbia bought what is now Memorial Hospital in 1995. Solantic opened its first urgent care center in 2002. It provides urgent care services, immunizations, physicals, drug screening, and care for injured workers. The corporation attracts patients who do not have insurance, cannot get appointments with their primary care physicians, or do not have primary care physicians. Solantic

8091-599: Was in the Navy for 29 months, including training. After the Navy, Scott and his wife moved to Kansas City, where he attended college on the G.I. Bill . He graduated in 1975 from the University of Missouri–Kansas City with a bachelor of business administration . He earned a juris doctor degree by working his way through Southern Methodist University . The Texas Bar licensed him to practice law in 1978. Scott made his first foray into business while working his way through college and law school, initially buying and reviving

8184-558: Was insufficient and violated the Sixth Amendment guarantee of a jury trial. The Florida Legislature passed a new statute to comply with Hurst v. Florida , changing the sentencing method to require a 10-juror supermajority for a sentence of death with a life sentence as the alternative. In October 2016 this new sentencing scheme was struck down by the Florida Supreme Court in a 5–2 ruling, which held that

8277-565: Was near USF Polytechnic followed by a location near Kathleen Road. A site in downtown Tampa had been cleared for a multi-modal station at the terminus of the route. The station would have been located next to the Marion Transit Center, the main hub of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit system. A connection to Tampa International Airport was also being considered The second phase of

8370-471: Was planning to donate a site for the station, although the exact location was never determined. The station would have linked into the extensive Disney Transport bus system. Also, the Walt Disney Company initially announced that if the SR 417 route was built, they would direct tourists to take the train from the airport to Walt Disney World. They would keep busing tourists if the SR 528 route

8463-532: Was released to YouTube on April 13. During the primary campaign, Scott's opponent, Bill McCollum , made an issue of Scott's role at Columbia/HCA. Scott countered that the FBI had never targeted him. Marc Caputo of the Miami Herald contended that a 1998 bill sponsored by McCollum would have made it more difficult to prosecute Medicare fraud cases, and was counter to his current views and allegations. Scott won

8556-491: Was reported that Scott's total spending had exceeded $ 83 million and he announced that, having previously said he would not do so, he would invest his own money into the campaign, speculated to be as much as $ 22 million. Crist hoped to draw strong support from Florida's more than 1.6 million registered black voters, an effort that was challenging given his previous political career as a Republican. A September 2014 Quinnipiac University poll revealed his support among black voters

8649-424: Was vital to the state's hopes to win federal HSR funding, as it showed the state of Florida was committed to creating a comprehensive rail network allowing connectivity between high-speed rail and local mass transit systems. The legislation also replaced the Florida High-Speed Rail Authority with the Florida Rail Enterprise, a new agency created under the FDOT, responsible for construction, maintenance, and promotion of

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