I'm not sure exactly what the theory behind it is, I do know that sports teams generate an awful lot of business other than the games themselves, there is increase in money changing hands at hotels, restaurants, TV coverage, advertising, team memorabilia that sort of stuff that employs a lot of people, they bring more people and their money into the cities and are (or can be) source of civic pride. I actually don't agree with the idea either but I can understand the argument that a city and a team have a mutually beneficial relationship.
Here in Phoenix our stadium is nicknamed "BOB",for Bank One Ballpark....Many locals like to refer to it as "TOM",as in Taxpayer's Of Maricopa county...who really paid for it...When the stadium referendum was brought to vote before the Maricopa County taxpayers,the taxpayers voted 'no' for a county tax increase to fund the new stadium...So the wonderful county supervisors decided to over-ride the taxpayers and did their own supervisor's vote,which voted FOR the tax increase to fund BOB....Regrettably,one of the county supervisors,a rather meaty woman,was shot in her buttocks by one of her homeless,disgruntled constituents for her actions...
I think the bottom line is,a major sports team will eventually bring revenue to a city...All major sports,tho' maybe not in theory,do comprise a monopoly on their particular sport...And they can be a gold mine for whatever city they decide to park their team in....Of course with it also comes big city headaches...This concept is foreign to us Chicagoans because,well,Wrigley and Comiskey predate God...or at least Mayor Daley Sr. ....
I'm sure part of the ticket,parking,concessions,pro-shops and hotel revenues will end up back in the city coffers...The fact is,in today's market D.C. has to compete with other major cities to lure the Expos, i.e.,the Expos are more of a 'hot commodity' as a team than D.C. is as a city,so the Expos are in a position to ask D.C. "what can you do for us?"...
maybe---or they are of that strange breed of people who have yet to discover that baseball is a firm rock in the sea of speculation, an anchor in the ocean of doubt, the secret of life....the gift of God...the...the...O hell they probably have lives outside of baseball or have never waited a lifetime like you and me to see their team win
If I help pay for a stadium, what benefits do *I* receive? Do I get a discount on tickets? No. Do I receive the benefits of the additional revenue coming into the city? Not really - the additional revenue goes to pay for additional services, and doesn't really offset it by all that much.
I would not quibble whatsoever with a municipal bond that the team paid back - even a very low interest bond.
Steve,you're right about average Joe taxpayer,but from the city's point of view,they'll end up taking in more than they dish out....But it's also why the taxparers should vote on it,and not the county supervisors....Lots of city (or county) decisions don't always benefit each individual taxpayer...For instance,shortly after I bought my house,the city decided to designate my street a bike path,which only benefitted me by taking away three parking spaces on twig night(All right,I was an innie at the time)...But the overall benefit to the city in having bikepaths outweighed the inconvenience imposed on the folks who didn't want them in front of their house...
There will probably be lots of people who simply live in the D.C. area where the proposed stadium will be,and the last thing they want going up in their neighborhood is a baseball stadium,but like they say,you can't fight city hall....
Well... I haven't waited a life time, but I've waited since 1972 (we didn't have a team before that you know)... heck! I'm still waiting for them to even win a playoff series!
For me... "Time begins on opening day"...
(BTW a fantastic book by Thomas Boswell that you guys would really enjoy-Why Time Begins On Opening Day)
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mstar1
I'm not sure exactly what the theory behind it is, I do know that sports teams generate an awful lot of business other than the games themselves, there is increase in money changing hands at hotels, restaurants, TV coverage, advertising, team memorabilia that sort of stuff that employs a lot of people, they bring more people and their money into the cities and are (or can be) source of civic pride. I actually don't agree with the idea either but I can understand the argument that a city and a team have a mutually beneficial relationship.
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simonzelotes
That's a good enough question,Steve...
Here in Phoenix our stadium is nicknamed "BOB",for Bank One Ballpark....Many locals like to refer to it as "TOM",as in Taxpayer's Of Maricopa county...who really paid for it...When the stadium referendum was brought to vote before the Maricopa County taxpayers,the taxpayers voted 'no' for a county tax increase to fund the new stadium...So the wonderful county supervisors decided to over-ride the taxpayers and did their own supervisor's vote,which voted FOR the tax increase to fund BOB....Regrettably,one of the county supervisors,a rather meaty woman,was shot in her buttocks by one of her homeless,disgruntled constituents for her actions...
I think the bottom line is,a major sports team will eventually bring revenue to a city...All major sports,tho' maybe not in theory,do comprise a monopoly on their particular sport...And they can be a gold mine for whatever city they decide to park their team in....Of course with it also comes big city headaches...This concept is foreign to us Chicagoans because,well,Wrigley and Comiskey predate God...or at least Mayor Daley Sr. ....
I'm sure part of the ticket,parking,concessions,pro-shops and hotel revenues will end up back in the city coffers...The fact is,in today's market D.C. has to compete with other major cities to lure the Expos, i.e.,the Expos are more of a 'hot commodity' as a team than D.C. is as a city,so the Expos are in a position to ask D.C. "what can you do for us?"...
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simonzelotes
Mstar,what did we do,bore all the other baseball people away?
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mstar1
maybe---or they are of that strange breed of people who have yet to discover that baseball is a firm rock in the sea of speculation, an anchor in the ocean of doubt, the secret of life....the gift of God...the...the...O hell they probably have lives outside of baseball or have never waited a lifetime like you and me to see their team win
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Steve!
Yeah, it'll bring in more revenue.
But how does that benefit Joe Average Taxpayer?
If I help pay for a stadium, what benefits do *I* receive? Do I get a discount on tickets? No. Do I receive the benefits of the additional revenue coming into the city? Not really - the additional revenue goes to pay for additional services, and doesn't really offset it by all that much.
I would not quibble whatsoever with a municipal bond that the team paid back - even a very low interest bond.
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simonzelotes
Steve,you're right about average Joe taxpayer,but from the city's point of view,they'll end up taking in more than they dish out....But it's also why the taxparers should vote on it,and not the county supervisors....Lots of city (or county) decisions don't always benefit each individual taxpayer...For instance,shortly after I bought my house,the city decided to designate my street a bike path,which only benefitted me by taking away three parking spaces on twig night(All right,I was an innie at the time)...But the overall benefit to the city in having bikepaths outweighed the inconvenience imposed on the folks who didn't want them in front of their house...
There will probably be lots of people who simply live in the D.C. area where the proposed stadium will be,and the last thing they want going up in their neighborhood is a baseball stadium,but like they say,you can't fight city hall....
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Tom Strange
Well... I haven't waited a life time, but I've waited since 1972 (we didn't have a team before that you know)... heck! I'm still waiting for them to even win a playoff series!
For me... "Time begins on opening day"...
(BTW a fantastic book by Thomas Boswell that you guys would really enjoy-Why Time Begins On Opening Day)
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