CRONY CAPITALISM AT ITS WORST …
|| By FITSNEWS || We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Subsidizing the construction or expansion of sporting venues is not a core function of government. Never has been, never will be. Yet each year, governments across the country pump billions of dollars into such projects – even as studies show they produce little in the way of a return on taxpayer investment.
In Florida, for example, lawmakers are debating whether to spent $255 million on a variety of professional sports projects – including stadium expansions for the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars. Daytona International Speedway also wants tax dollars, as do a group of investors looking to bring a soccer stadium to Orlando.
The requests come amid scrutiny of $61 million in recent sport-related expenditures in Florida – where state bean counters say these exorbitant investments have returned only $15.6 million to taxpayers.
Not long ago, this website reported on cost overruns associated with a government-subsidized minor league baseball stadium in downtown Columbia, S.C. Now the mayor of South Carolina’s capital – Steve Benjamin – wants to use public funds to bring a developmental league basketball team to town. You know, because minor league basketball is such a huge draw (editor’s note: sarcasm).
Indeed … and of course let’s not forget the “public-private” racket run by the NCAA, which has resulted in more than a few subsidized stadiums in the South Carolina capital, too.
Sports programs must never receive public funding. At any level. Under any circumstances. No matter how much money they “make” for the wealthy and well-connected. Win or lose, such investments are simply not appropriate uses of tax dollars …
15 comments
These projects are easy to fund. Lower the tax rate on the ‘job creators’ and take more money from the lazy freeloaders. That should more than cover the costs.
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Dear Jonny: Explain to us who these freeloaders are and the program or benefit you are referring to. People might agree with you, but with putting it so broadly, so just included lots of corporations and farmers.
I was being sarcastic, but in terms of my comment, the freeloaders would likely be poor, hopefully brown, and best case scenario, immigrants.
Actually in the eyes of the Republicans the freeloaders are middle income Americans. Especially the bottom 42% of Americans, as they do not matter, and we can’t be worried about them. They are the ones who should be taxed more. The job creators are the ones who should pay less, even if they are the ones who will benefit financially from the stadium.
The number is 47%. They are the makers. With 53% being takers it might be that the Dims will win every election . The vast majority of freeloaders (takers) are Dims any way.
Depends how define “taker”. Do you include farmers, corporations, and the banking industry? If not, why not
Long years ago Farm Journal (a farming related magazine) asked the question; Should the govt. be involved in agriculture ?” The overwhelming response was NO. But with the addition of ; if the govt. is going to regulate farmers they should help foot the bill for the extra costs of regulation. All that has gotten out of kilter but it still makes sense. As to businesses , the same thing applies. If the govt. in it’s infinite wisdom wants to regulate business it should be required to foot some of the bill. The banking industry should have to sink or swim on it’s own, especially since the bailout. The money given to them was to be loaned to middle America to ward off the recession. Instead they gambled in the markets and didn’t do anything for the small businesses they were to help.
Say that over and over again, would you? Louder. I want to make sure our Hispanic voters hear you
Yeah. This too has gone the way of The Convention Center and similar Municipal Central Planning overbuild.
FYI: Jumbo-Tron big-wall-scoreboard sales are in the toity, too. Central Planning, seeing the error of their ways and that last corner is being cut. (None of that gingerbread is union made, anyway.)
The SOBs will get some of my tax dollars but I’ll be damned if they ever get a cent of my after tax dollars.
How many deserving students could be educated with the money wasted on these stadiums. Ant the ticket prices have gone off and left the very people that made these sports popular.
Minor league games get lots of people on…. Thirsty Thursdays,
Movie Night in the outfield, Kid reading day, and bark in the park. Those 4 nights alone allow these teams to function all year. Oh yea forgot John Rocker Autograph Night is a big draw as well. ha ha
Dear Mayor Bennie, Thanks for bringing us a baseball team and a basketball team. Could you possible get us a Women’s Professional Fencing Team along with another fancy arena? Thx
I think Dolphins Stadium’s expansion is being privately funded by the owner, so that might be a bad example.