Saturday, November 17, 2012

And speaking of revisionist history: the Miami Marlins and the Miami Herald ... by gimleteye

What more is there left for the Miami Herald to write about the Miami Marlins, except to say "we are sorry for supporting a team that clearly did not deserve a half billion dollar investment by taxpayers."

The last place team recently dumped its payroll: "With revenue falling short of projections, Loria decided to end the franchise's brief era of big spending."

Miami is so dispirited by the Marlins, that the chatterboard on the Herald website -- often receiving hundreds of posts from online readers -- went dark on one letter posted as Marlin's con job."

A Miami Herald columnist now writes, "People in Miami had begun to wise up about the time their new baseball stadium was being completed and Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria wanted them to shell out $10,980 for some wine so he and his buddies could celebrate."

That is not true. When was it not clear to Miami taxpayers, the deal was meant to enrich the two owners Jeffrey Loria and David Samson? At any time they can walk away from their heist of the public treasury with hundreds of millions, leaving Miami taxpayers sucking air from the exhaust of Loria's private jet.

The Herald might come clean with readers: its publishers and top executives were the big boosters for a new Marlin's stadium in downtown Miami in the early 2000's.

Here's writer Dan LeBatard in 2005 and needs no further commentary: "This is only the most underappreciated team in modern-sports history. That’s all. And there’s plenty of blame to go around, stretching from a wretched fan base to politicians who couldn’t get a stadium done even with the Marlins paying for so much of it. Hispanic fans — or alleged fans — should be especially ashamed because we claim this to be the sport of our people..."

Leave it to a breath of fresh air to arrive from China. The only piece its creators miss: Miami voters keep returning the incumbents who approved the deal to office.


5 comments:

David said...

I was fortunate to be allowed to guest blog an article on the stadium debacle that engendered a response from then-Mayor Alvarez on official county stationary. At a time when county revenues were drying up due to the bursting of the housing market bubble, this "investment" by the county and the City of Miami was extremely ill-advised and irresponsible; particularly since the Marlin's refused to provide financials to either government entity. This action by the Marlins was analogous to a mortgage applicant refusing to provide their financials to their prospective lender. Now all the chickens are coming home to roost.

Anonymous said...

They did it with everyone's "eyes wide open", and with the public complaining all the way. Anytime you rape the taxpayers the way this was done, no good could ever come of it. Karma is will stay with all of them. They think money is everything, but it isn't.

Anonymous said...

A case against Homestead brought by former Deputy City Manager Johanna Faddis was dismissed after a judge decided Faddis lied under oath.


Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/16/3100909/judge-dismisses-ex-homestead-administrators.html#storylink=cpy

By Christina Veiga

cveiga@MiamiHerald.com

Former Homestead Deputy City Manager Johanna Faddis lied in a lawsuit against the city, and for that her case was thrown out, according to a judge’s order.

Anonymous said...

Going forward, take a look at what the Herald supports now that are ongoing or new potential boondoggles: portmiami deep dredge and tunnel, tennis stadium expansion on Key Biscayne, commercial development and giveaway of public waterfront land at the Marine Stadium on Virginia Key. All this while on denial about true infrastructure needs for $12billion sewer system overhaul caused by decades of neglect.

Anonymous said...

The Heralds new story promoting the Port if Miami is a case in point. Pure boosterism. Delusional. And ultimately harmful because it gives cover to bad decisions, taxpayer boondoggles. Again. It's also bad for the Herald as it underscores how untrustworthy it's reporting is- economists around the world have ridiculed the notion that port miami will be the transi hub for post Panamax ships- but no mention of that in the story. Or how environmentally devastating the blasting and dredging will be to Biscayne Bay. Shame on all if them- county officials and the Herald, too.