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DU Home » Latest Threads » Forums & Groups » Main » Latest Breaking News (Forum) » Delegates blast governor ...

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 09:59 AM

mahatmakanejeeves (3,607 posts)

Delegates blast governor over grant to Redskins

Last edited Tue Jun 19, 2012, 10:30 AM USA/ET - Edit history (7)

Source: Roanoke Times

Key House members said McDonnell didn't inform them about the $4 million deal.
By Michael Sluss
981-3373

RICHMOND -- The budget-writing committee in the House of Delegates blitzed Gov. Bob McDonnell's administration Monday, sharply criticizing officials for giving a $4 million grant to the Washington Redskins to keep the team's headquarters in Loudoun County.
....

Senior members of the committee said they had told the administration earlier this year that they opposed the deal. Lawmakers from both parties questioned the wisdom of awarding public funds to the second-most valuable franchise in the National Football League and voiced doubts about whether the Redskins would have moved from Loudoun County without the taxpayer-funded incentives.

The team will also get $2 million from Loudoun County and more than $400,000 from Richmond, which will begin hosting the Redskins' training camp in 2013.

"What do I say to a schoolteacher who walked up to me and said, 'I see you're going to give $6 million while education is being cut,'" Putney said. "How do we handle this?"



Read more: http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/310361


Let them eat cake, at $8 per slice. Parking is an extra $20.

Welfare for the rich: McDonnell smells like vice-presidential material to me.

The Roanoke Times ran an editorial about this last week: Gov. McDonnell's football welfare

From the Washington Post: "Virginia legislators accuse Gov. McDonnell of doing ‘end run’ on Washington Redskins deal"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/virginia-legislators-accuse-gov-mcdonnell-of-doing-end-run-on-washington-redskins-deal/2012/06/18/gJQAkHyOmV_story.html

Hat tip to DCist.com: Team Strategy: Snyder Plays Virginia Off of D.C. for Questionable Team Subsidy

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Arrow 31 replies Author Time Post
Reply Delegates blast governor over grant to Redskins (Original post)
 mahatmakanejeeves Jun 2012 OP
LineReply As a resident of Loudoun County, I'm glad they did it
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #1
LineLineReply Tourist revenue, as opposed to education funding?
 mac56 Jun 2012 #3
LineLineLineReply We don't have a shortage of education funding in Loudoun
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #5
LineLineLineLineReply The local gov't providing the money is one thing, they get the benefits
 bigbrother05 Jun 2012 #7
LineLineLineLineLineReply From the Article
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #11
LineReply It only mattered to Putney "because a leading citizen asked"
 tinymontgomery Jun 2012 #2
LineReply Bread and circuses. Education isn't important.
 Citizen Worker Jun 2012 #4
LineLineReply There isn't a shortage of education funding in the county being discussed
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #6
LineLineLineReply There is a shortage of ed. funding everywhere else in VA.
 sofa king Jun 2012 #8
LineLineLineLineReply From the article
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #12
LineLineLineLineNew Reply The state is only giving 4 Million.
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #23
LineLineLineReply Is that the standard for the
 xxqqqzme Jun 2012 #10
LineLineLineLineReply From the article
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #13
LineLineLineLineLineReply Of those 1,832 jobs?
 atreides1 Jun 2012 #16
LineLineLineLineLineLineReply Yes, the local revenue would just apply to Loudoun
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #18
LineLineLineLineLineReply Luckily I don't live in VA but in CT, we had a Stop the Stadium movement that succeeded
 wordpix Jun 2012 #19
LineLineLineLineLineLineReply This isn't the same as a stadium outlay
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #20
LineLineLineLineLineLineLineNew Reply They are a highly profitable, private, for-profit business.
 PavePusher Jun 2012 #26
LineLineLineLineLineLineLineLineNew Reply Incentive not to move to MD or DC
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #28
LineLineLineLineLineLineLineLineLineNew Reply No state should be allowed to subsidize professional sports.
 PavePusher Jun 2012 #30
LineLineLineLineLineLineLineLineLineLineNew Reply When you have a business based in your state
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #31
LineLineLineNew Reply Is there a republican you don't support?
 Kingofalldems Jun 2012 #27
LineLineLineLineNew Reply What republican would that be?
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #29
LineReply Also probably a favor for his GOP buddy Allen...
 Blue_Tires Jun 2012 #9
LineLineReply Allen has no links to the team anymore
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #14
LineLineLineReply uh...what?
 Blue_Tires Jun 2012 #15
LineLineLineLineReply yeah, I forgot about his brother being the GM
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #17
LineReply The RedScabs are the "second-most valuable franchise in the National Football League"
 snooper2 Jun 2012 #21
LineLineNew Reply Manchester U, Dallas Cowboys, NY Yankees
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #22
LineLineLineNew Reply The Redscabs, I never would have thought it...
 snooper2 Jun 2012 #24
LineLineLineLineNew Reply The way Danny nickels and dimes everyone
 TBMASE Jun 2012 #25

Response to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 10:17 AM

TBMASE (769 posts)

1. As a resident of Loudoun County, I'm glad they did it

 

Training camp and practice is held 2 miles from my office. We get the money from people coming into the county to watch, we get the money from parents bringing the kids to the local camps, hosted by the County and involving the redskins. Many of them are active in local charities, support local businesses and many have even opened local businesses. Ladell Betts, recently opened a children's camp and gym facility that works in tandem with another former Redskin's facility that caters to HS aged kids.
These guys chose to stay in the county after their tenure with the team ended.

I can see the benefits of having the team here, first hand. Does Snyder need the money, no....but the county does better when you have a bunch of millionaires out spending their money locally and doing things within the community.

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Response to TBMASE (Reply #1)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 10:23 AM

Star Member mac56 (13,645 posts)

3. Tourist revenue, as opposed to education funding?

Seems a dodgy idea, basing economic stability on the whims of tourists and millionaires who might be traded to a different team.

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Response to mac56 (Reply #3)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 10:34 AM

TBMASE (769 posts)

5. We don't have a shortage of education funding in Loudoun

 

nor in Fairfax or any of the surrounding counties in the Metro Area. I believe, we had 8 of the top 10 richest counties in the US, with Loudoun being #1, Fairfax #2 and Arlington #3.
There's no reason to have the schools crying poor when we're building a new HS every single year and multiple elementary and middle schools in the process.
The teachers here are some of the highest paid in the country.

And those millionaires are replaced with new ones every single year. There are a lot of players who stay here or even move back to this area after their careers are over.

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Response to TBMASE (Reply #5)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:02 AM

bigbrother05 (3,843 posts)

7. The local gov't providing the money is one thing, they get the benefits

Last edited Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:04 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

It seems like the state money is the issue. Would the Redskins move out of VA? The idea that the Gov would spend $4M in the richest county in the state for pro sports instead of on education (or health or food programs) for the poorer parts seems to be the issue that has folks upset.

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Response to bigbrother05 (Reply #7)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:19 AM

TBMASE (769 posts)

11. From the Article

 

The administration said the Redskins directly and indirectly support 1,832 jobs in the state, generate nearly $200 million in economic activity and produce $9.8 million annually in state and local tax revenue

We're talking about $4 Million PERFORMANCE BASED GRANT, half of which comes from the County, that is for multiple years. The state isn't losing money by doing this.

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Response to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 10:20 AM

Star Member tinymontgomery (1,891 posts)

2. It only mattered to Putney "because a leading citizen asked"

I guess it was us regular peons wouldn't have mattered if we asked.



Putney said a prominent constituent confronted him with a June 13 Roanoke Times editorial with the headline "Gov. McDonnell's football welfare." After reading from the editorial, Putney said: "This individual, who was a leading citizen, came to me and said, 'Did you vote for that damn thing?'"

"It's an embarrassing situation when a prominent citizen comes up and questions my leadership, or doing the job I was sent here to do, when I knew nothing about it," Putney said to Kent.

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Response to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 10:34 AM

Citizen Worker (1,785 posts)

4. Bread and circuses. Education isn't important.

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Response to Citizen Worker (Reply #4)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 10:48 AM

TBMASE (769 posts)

6. There isn't a shortage of education funding in the county being discussed

 

Last edited Tue Jun 19, 2012, 10:51 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

which makes the argument ridiculous.

If they were talking about the counties down in Norfolk or surrounding Richmond it would be a better argument.
They're talking about the richest county in the United States

Reading proficiency is 98%, Geometry Proficiency is 86% and College Readiness is over 52%

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Response to TBMASE (Reply #6)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:07 AM

sofa king (8,686 posts)

8. There is a shortage of ed. funding everywhere else in VA.

If the Redskins leave Loudoun, the royals of Loudoun will stay right where they are, making the peons pay to drive on their private highway and fluffing their private schools and pretend law schools.

In the meantime, schools across the rest of the Commonwealth are eliminating positions. How many teachers does six mil buy for a year? Six? Sixty? Six hundred?

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Response to sofa king (Reply #8)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:20 AM

TBMASE (769 posts)

12. From the article

 

The administration said the Redskins directly and indirectly support 1,832 jobs in the state, generate nearly $200 million in economic activity and produce $9.8 million annually in state and local tax revenue

We're talking about $4 Million PERFORMANCE BASED GRANT, half of which comes from the County, that is for multiple years. The state isn't losing money by doing this.

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Response to sofa king (Reply #8)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:22 PM

TBMASE (769 posts)

23. The state is only giving 4 Million.

 

And this is for multiple years commitment by the skins, who are spending 24 million to upgrade their facility.

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Response to TBMASE (Reply #6)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:12 AM

xxqqqzme (13,427 posts)

10. Is that the standard for the

entire state? That seems to be the elephant in the room.

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Response to xxqqqzme (Reply #10)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:21 AM

TBMASE (769 posts)

13. From the article

 

The administration said the Redskins directly and indirectly support 1,832 jobs in the state, generate nearly $200 million in economic activity and produce $9.8 million annually in state and local tax revenue

We're talking about $4 Million PERFORMANCE BASED GRANT, half of which comes from the County, that is for multiple years. The state isn't losing money by doing this.

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Response to TBMASE (Reply #13)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:41 AM

Star Member atreides1 (10,165 posts)

16. Of those 1,832 jobs?

How many get paid minimum wage? How many make enough to survive? How many are teachers or other education professionals?

Is the "local tax revenue", just applying to Loudon county?

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Response to atreides1 (Reply #16)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:00 PM

TBMASE (769 posts)

18. Yes, the local revenue would just apply to Loudoun

 

Last edited Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:18 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

As for the other stuff, I don't know, I know a lot of kids and young adults work for the facility during training camps and practices.
Further reading from another article shows the Redskins are going to pay 24 Million of the Org's money to upgrade their facility, which means a major construction project for the area and more jobs.

What I do know is the Median Income for a teacher here is 68k higher paid teachers are earning over 100k. I think you get 25k for a 1st year Kindergarten Teacher Low 50's for 1st year HS

Teachers aren't hurting in Loudoun. And the return to the state is increased economic activity, higher tax revenues and jobs (many of which employ local teens).

Had the Skin's left, those jobs go along with the revenue and economic activity. Then there's the community contributions the players make to the youth in the area

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Response to TBMASE (Reply #13)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:08 PM

wordpix (12,475 posts)

19. Luckily I don't live in VA but in CT, we had a Stop the Stadium movement that succeeded

Same kind of thing but bigger---then Gov. Rowland (who went to jail for a year on a different offense) offered to build a new stadium costing hundreds of million$ for the rich, fat cat owner of the New Eng Patriots to bring them to Hartford. A citizens' movement stopped the guv dead in his tracks. Even a Repub friend of mine thought it was a huge waste of taxpayer $ and signed the petition.

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Response to wordpix (Reply #19)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:16 PM

TBMASE (769 posts)

20. This isn't the same as a stadium outlay

 

We're talking 4 Mil over multiple years. The Skins have been here for 41 years. They're going to spend 30 million to upgrade their facility, with 4 Million coming from the state and 2 million coming from the county.

So the deal returns revenues to the state, supports jobs which will now include a major construction project that's well in excess of what the state is providing.

It's a good deal for the county and a good deal for the state.

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Response to TBMASE (Reply #20)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 01:15 PM

PavePusher (15,374 posts)

26. They are a highly profitable, private, for-profit business.

 

Why do they need any public money at all?

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Response to PavePusher (Reply #26)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 02:28 PM

TBMASE (769 posts)

28. Incentive not to move to MD or DC

 

who were seeking to lure them out of VA.
It's nothing new, states offering incentives for businesses to stay or move.

We're talking 4 Million dollars, here, into an organization that returns millions to the state and local economies. It should be a no brainer

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Response to TBMASE (Reply #28)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 04:20 PM

PavePusher (15,374 posts)

30. No state should be allowed to subsidize professional sports.

 

Certainly not profit-making ones.

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Response to PavePusher (Reply #30)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 04:32 PM

TBMASE (769 posts)

31. When you have a business based in your state

 

that brings in 200million to the state, provides 9Mil in tax revenues and supports local businesses, why not?

Now if it were a stadium, I would agree with you on that. Those are huge expenditures and really provide no real benefit to the community. They tie up traffic and create all kinds of problems

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Response to TBMASE (Reply #6)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 02:03 PM

Star Member Kingofalldems (11,051 posts)

27. Is there a republican you don't support?

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Response to Kingofalldems (Reply #27)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 02:30 PM

TBMASE (769 posts)

29. What republican would that be?

 

Last edited Tue Jun 19, 2012, 02:32 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

I'm looking at it from a fan and resident perspective.
Democrat Governors and Mayors were offering money for the Skins to move out of VA and they were offering a lot more than 4 million dollars too.

And it would have been a good situation for their economies too. I'm happy they stayed in my backyard. I get to meet and workout with a lot of the players at my gym in the off season. They're out in the community, working with kids and quite frankly, it's kind of neat to have some of them as neighbors or sit next to in a local restaurant

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Response to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:09 AM

Blue_Tires (31,647 posts)

9. Also probably a favor for his GOP buddy Allen...

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Response to Blue_Tires (Reply #9)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:24 AM

TBMASE (769 posts)

14. Allen has no links to the team anymore

 

since Danny boy took over

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Response to TBMASE (Reply #14)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:32 AM

Blue_Tires (31,647 posts)

15. uh...what?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Allen_(American_football)

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Response to Blue_Tires (Reply #15)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 11:46 AM

TBMASE (769 posts)

17. yeah, I forgot about his brother being the GM

 

however, the Skins already have Camp in VA the deal moves it from Ashburn to Richmond.
Snyder was exploring moving the teams HQ to MD.

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Response to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:17 PM

Star Member snooper2 (16,574 posts)

21. The RedScabs are the "second-most valuable franchise in the National Football League"

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Response to snooper2 (Reply #21)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:21 PM

TBMASE (769 posts)

22. Manchester U, Dallas Cowboys, NY Yankees

 

and then the Redskins are the top 4 most valuable sports franchises in the world

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Response to TBMASE (Reply #22)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:31 PM

Star Member snooper2 (16,574 posts)

24. The Redscabs, I never would have thought it...

Of course our hatred for everything Redscab runs deep

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Response to snooper2 (Reply #24)

Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:34 PM

TBMASE (769 posts)

25. The way Danny nickels and dimes everyone

 

I'm not surprised. Everyone hates him and yet they still turn out to support the team

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