According to Chuck Rabin of the Miami Herald:
“Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Jeri Beth Cohen ruled Tuesday that building a ballpark for the Florida Marlins serves a public purpose...”
I say: Bummer on that one.
“The decision means six of auto dealer Norman Braman's seven lawsuit counts trying to topple the deal have now been tossed.”
Bummer too.
“The sole issue remaining, however, is significant: A decision on whether the county can use community redevelopment dollars to pay off a construction debt at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. Cohen has yet to decide that question.”
12 comments:
You Go Jeri!!!!!
I was wondering what had happened with this after all the talk that it would come back in late August.
Does this mean it absolutely will not go to a ballot?
If it has been deemed at public use: I don't think it will go on he ballot. That is what this portion of the ruling was about.
What was the public purpose cited by the court?
You know Norman is not going to lie down and declare defeat. He will appeal it all the way to the Supreme Court if needed. And I bless him for it. He is doing a great public service and using his own money.
Not seeing my comment I will presume that I screwed up and forgot something. So again. Norman will not give up. He is to good a citizen to allow the politicians to take us over. He will appeal the decision as far up as he has to go. He is a wonderful public spirited citizen to be using his own funds to fight for all of us. You go, Norman.
yes, public purpose: the judge said the law backs that stadiums serve a public purpose.
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and you didn't screw up mensa, I am reading comments first as some of the crazies were writing objectionable things. So we suffer for the few...
"With the ''public purpose'' issue out of the way, Burgess said the administration will be asking county commissioners to ratify their end of the ballpark deal in the next few weeks." Miami Herald
Too bad we can't make the Marlins play in the Homestead Stadium.
If they fill it up 5 years in a row at all the games, then we will finance a full size stadium.
Right now we are considering building them a stadium and they can't even draw a crowd. If that is a public use, then I suggest we use our public money for something of value to all the public, not a few fans... just like the performing arts center and the museums are only used by a few people living here.
Not related to this article, but today's GOEC meeting included an item related to road impact fees. The Stanley Price's and Truly Burtons of the world were there to speak on the issue, and predictably, GOEC members had 'grave' concerns. Too bad no one ever pays attention to this stuff that allows the BCC to do the development community's bidding as payback for campaign dollars.
There was no way she could rule against the Public Purpose count. There were hundreds of precedent setting cases from across the country, and even in this state, which had already ruled in favor of sporting complexes.
The real question was, although the judge knew of all these other cases, why did she wait until after august (and the elections) to make the correct legal, although seemingly upopular, ruling?
A couple of misconseptions about the issue. Only the debt service on the $50 million GOB portion is supported by local property taxes.
Why don't people complain about public money, alot of which were property tax supported, being spent to construct the PAC? Over 1 million people attend Marlins' games every year (over 6 times more than attend shows at the PAC. How can one be a public purpose, but not the other? They're both for the entertainment of the public.
Why hasn't Mr. Braman supported Hometown Democracy? It deals with pork like this. Does he even know about it?
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