Make the Baseball teams reimburse cities for...

[slor]

their fancy, revenue wasting stadiums. We should demand this as payment for steroid use! Not that I really care, but those fuckers are all overpaid, players, owners, so I say PAY THE FUCK UP! Who is with me?

[NJGeek]

1. Who cares about steroids?

much bigger problems to worry about, like Robert Blake and Michael Jackson for example.

[NWHarkness]

2. Er, how does that make sense?

In what way has players using steroids caused finacial harm to the public that demands restitution?

This is a witchhunt for publicity purposes. Do you think it's a coincidence that the leading voices on the issue in Congress are representatives of the areas that lost out on the jockeying for the new location for the Expos?

[slor]

4. Violation of the public trust...

hell I do not care, but if there is public outrage over this, then why not ride the wave of anger, and get back money that was wasted on stadiums, that could have better served schools or public transportation, or a city moving to a energy renewable infrastructure. Sure, it is a bit of a stretch, but we need to think of it in these terms if we ever want to see the country move in the right direction, quit wasting money on rich people and let the taxpayers get some real investment for their money.

[NWHarkness]

16. It's a bad idea

For one thing, most cities attach some sort of surcharge on ticket sales. So, they made money off of the events held at the stadium. What would you have done with that money? Reimburse it to themselves.

In addition, there is also more than a whiff of anti-unionism to this steroids witchhunt. I don't think Democrats oought to associate themselves too closely with that.

[jakefrep]

11. It's probably good to remember...

...that these stadiums were approved by the voters.

[SaveElmer]

3. Not me

In the right situation I support publically guaranteed stadium financing. It can have very positive impacts on city interiors and does provide economic benefit.

[havocmom]

5. Have any evidence you would like to share about economic benifit?

Cuz all I have seen points to no real benefit at all. A handful of seasonal jobs at little pay servig beverages and handing over tickets is NOT justification for the expense of stadiums.

Municipal tax bases should make sure schools are well taken care of WAY before pleasure palaces for corporate teams are built at the expense of the local tax payers.

[slor]

7. Amen!

So make them pay...think about it, between all the players and coaches and owners, paying about 10 million a year for the next 10 years as payment for violating the trust of the public, and sending the wrong message to kids. It really is not that harsh a penalty.

[SaveElmer]

9. I'll try and find the links for you

Stadium employmemnt is not the primary benefit. Economic revitilization and increased tax revenue are. Camden Yards is a good example of this, Baltimore has benefitted enormously from the stadium. Local businesses servicing the million and a half fans who visit that area of Baltimore that would not have been there otherwise . The Camden Yards area was a blight before the stadium was built. Certainly a single stadium isn't a panacea, but a properly planned stadium is a benefit. It's not really any different than any other business incentive goverments give all the time. Just about every city has built a convention center to attract convention business. It's a spur to local economic development.

In addition it is a myth that these stadiums are "publically financed" That conjures images of legislatures dipping into state revenue and handing it to baseball owners. First of all, the stadiums are owned by the jurisdiction, not the team. While each jurisdiction is different, in general, governments guarantee interest payments on bonds sold to finance the project. They service this by raising revenue that would not have been there but for the stadium itself (stadium rent, tax on players salaries, taxes on tickets, naming rights, team contributions etc), and very small tax increases on businesses who derive direct benefit from the placement of the stadium. Governments do provide some money for infrastructure improvements which in a properly planned project is made up for with increased tax revenue.

[Johonny]

6. I suggest

if you feel they're overpaid then don't pay for their services. It's really simple.

[slor]

8. Trust me...

I do not go to games, but guess what, I have been forced to pay for stadiums with my taxes, and our football team even has a clause that we pay for unsold seats for televised games or some stupid shit like that, so I say, make them pay us back for a change. But I do understand your sympathy for them, with them being so downtrodden and all.

[Johonny]

10. What sympathy

They are overpaid because millions of Americans watch this sport. If there was no market then there would be no money. But there is a MARKET. A huge market. It's simple economic. Supply/demand. If you don't want ball players making a lot of money don't spend you money on baseball.

As for spending public money on arena's. Well I've never meet a single person who's tax money wasn't spent on something they didn't like or want to use.

[slor]

13. Why do you not see...

the sense in them putting money back into the city. It is not unlike tax cuts to the rich in my opinion, make them pay for all their benefits, that is all I am saying.

[Johonny]

14. Don't

they pay the same taxes you do?

[rinsd]

12. Many things your tax dollars pay for that you probably don't like..

And likely any stadium was put up to a vote.

Publically financed stadiums that have been approved by the voters is one of the least of my worries.

[Name removed]

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