The Sport Stadium Rip-Off

[rhett o rick]

From "The Nation" mag:

"Economists have long recognized that new stadiums bring almost no economic benefits to the neighborhoods and cities they're built in. But governments haven't received the message: since 1989, eighty major league sports stadiums have been built in the US and Canada at a total cost to taxpayers of $14 billion. Only eight of those stadiums did not receive public funds. "

http://www.thenation.com/video/162302/stadium-status-why-are-taxpayers-funding-billionaires-stadiums

Another great article in "The Nation", Aug 15/22, 2011, "Why Do Mayors Love Sports Stadiums?".

"Yet the amount of public money being spent on sports facilities continues to rise. According to Harvard urban planner Judith Grant Long, cities, states and counties spent a record $6.5 billion on stadiums and arenas in the 1990s, then shattered that mark the following decade with an additional $10.1 billion—a 31 percent increase after accounting for inflation. And that’s not counting hidden subsidies like lease breaks, property tax exemptions and the use of tax-exempt government bonds, which Long estimates have added at least another 10 percent to the public’s tab."

Seattle lost their basketball team, the Sonics a few years back because the taxpayers wouldnt yield to the extortion. Now the Seattle government is looking to try again and convince taxpayers that a new basketball arena is more important than infrastructure repair and maintenance. Our priorities in this country are totally messed up.

[mythology]

1. I don't think that the problem is with the mayors or city councils of cities

In many jusidictions the tax increases are voted for in elections. The public seems to value the sports team as part of the city culture. I personally think it's unfortunate, but often the taxes are added to hotel/airport/car rental fees so they are sort of out of sight taxes. Of course that doesn't count the hidden impact mentioned in the article you cited.

But that article does get one thing wrong. It wasn't the taxpayers who voted down the money for the new arena in Seattle it was the state legislature who wouldn't appropriate money for the new arena. Whether or not that was the position of the majority of the public I don't know, but it does speak to the idea that it's all government throwing money at sports arenas while the public is just being fleeced.

[rhett o rick]

2. "Visit Seattle and help pay for an arena for a poor sports team." nm

[Egalitarian Thug]

3. We value entertainment above everything else. I think it's television. n/t

[jp11]

4. I tend to think people don't know how screwed they are by the deals

in paying for the stadiums with their tax dollars while lining the pockets of various people in government for getting these monstrosities built. If people aren't getting paid off they can still tout jobs, revenue, pride in a sport's team etc as this highly visible 'project' their administration 'got' for the city.

[obamanut2012]

6. I agee

[Warpy]

5. This town lost a baseball farm team some years ago

when the ball park fell into disrepair. The then mayor decided he wanted to hang his name on a spiffy new ball park, hell, if it was spiffy enough, maybe we'd attract a major league team!

I'm delighted to say the voters of this town turned him down flat, electing to repair and upgrade the existing venue. It was one of the smartest decisions, ever, saving the city millions. We have a new farm team and they've seemingly been happy for over a decade now.

Sports stadiums have always been a scam, taxpayers footing the bill for profit making enterprises for a few rich men who have absolutely no loyalty in return and will uproot their teams in favor of newer and spiffier palaces with amazing regularity.

I hope the good people of Seattle will tell the mayor to go to hell as efficiently as we did here.

[rhett o rick]

7. And one expense that is often overlooked is the cost of demolition. Someone someday

will have to pay for the demolition. The demolition of the Seattle Kingdome was very expensive.