Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Florida Marlins: One year ago...will a new stadium REALLY create jobs? By Geniusofdespair
The Florida Marlins made the National News last year because at the end of the Florida Marlins game with the Washington Nationals, there were less than 200 fans in a 60,000 seat stadium. Yes, our Florida Team made the news for bad attendance. I wonder how many full time jobs the stadium will generate with games like this?
Care about this issue of funding the Marlins stadium with tax dollars: Attend this Town Hall Meeting, February 12th, with your friends and neighbors! The Urban Environment League is having a dinner/drinks first, or just come for the free program at 7:30 pm (Hit on the link for details).
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12 comments:
Absolutely, what a grotesque waste of taxpayer funds when our schools, roads, and towns are all falling apart.
Great video clip. I wish that the whole Miami community would see this and ask themselves these questions: is there really a ticket paying audience in downtown Miami (with all its traffic problems) for major league baseball? Or is this just a way for the Marlin's owners to extract value by flipping the business as fast as they can? With all the problems we have, what a useless diversion of public energies this stadium deal has become. Our elected officials are literally fiddling while Rome is burning.
Funny you should run this today. My wife read about all the people in our town suffering because of no money and being thrown out of their homes. She also read that we are goiing to spend beu cou dollars on a stadium . She asked me how that could be. I told her that there is no way unless the people who control things are paid a lot of money and then bad things are possible. I say the same thing now.
The worst lie told about the Marlins stadium is a sin of omission. Over and over you hear that the Convention Development Tax is limited to convention centers, stadia, etc. What the county does not say is that the legislature can change these uses whenever it wishes to do so.
There is simply no excuse to spend these scarce tax dollars for the Marlins stadium given the current down economy and its unknowable duration.
If these funds are to be spent for economic development, why not open the uses through legislative action and offer the funds through a public bid? Go wiht whoever puts the best economic deal on the table that has the least amount of local risk.
One can dream, can't one?
Sports stadium funnel campaign cash. That's why your state legislators won't change the formula.
Tourism industries also funnel campaign cash as do other businesses.
The rumor is that the lobbyist for the Marlins (a Penelas aide) brokered the deal that got George Burgess his job so don't be shocked to see Burgess working for MLB.
Everyone at the county understands why this deal is greased.
Go to The Miami Herald on line and vote on whether the commissioners should vote for the stadium before showing the public the financing plans. It's under the Mayor's State of the County article.
The cynic
Lobbyists Registered: County
LUCINDA K TREAT
MARLINS BALL PARK 1/16/2001
Withdrawn
DAVID P SAMSON
6/1/2004
Open
MICHELLE J AZEL
NONE 6/1/2005
Withdrawn
ALFREDO MESA
STADIUM PROJECT 5/22/2007
Open
JAVIER SOTO
STADIUM PROJECT 5/31/2007
Open
I think being a member of the working public in Miami and relying on your elected government officials to represent your concerns for the betterment of everyone is one of the most hopeless feelings ever.
WE SHOULD BE UP IN ARMS ABOUT THIS BOONDOGLE! LET THE MARLINS MOVE TO THE MOON!
Anyone in this county ever heard of a referendum? I would use the term Banana Republic but then that is an insult to Banana Republics.
"Prior to joining Dutko, Javier [Soto] served as Transition Chairman for Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez. His responsibilities included assisting in key personnel appointments and spearheading policy development. Javier also served as Chief of Staff to former County Mayor Alex Penelas, where he oversaw all of the Mayor’s operations, including policy development and media strategy.
http://www.dutkoworldwide.com/professionals/advanced_search/javier_soto/
Alfredo [Mesa] previously served as Director of Public Affairs for former Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas. During his twelve years of County service, Alfredo was an advisor to the Mayor on administrative matters, policy development, constituent services, media strategy and community relations.
http://www.dutkoworldwide.com/professionals/advanced_search/alfredo_mesa/
Get the picture?
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