Public Funding:“We’ll continue to pursue it.” - Stephen Ross, Dolphins
Stephen Ross, multi-billionaire owner of the Dolphins, poised to invest in U.S. Century bank STILL wants public dollars for his stadium. Hasn't he read the newspaper? Doesn't he know what is going on with Gimenez and the budget? How about we take some of that tourist tax money and spend it on libraries? Making tourists smarter is a great goal. Ross take your U.S. Century money and invest in your own damn team.
On another note, read Miami Today on Genting Casino gambling. It is an eye-opener:
Visitors are back from a disastrous Las Vegas recessionary slide. But those returning spend far less on gambling. Before the recession, the Times says, the average Vegas visitor put aside $650 for gambling; it's now down to $480. Ask yourself if even $650 a head would be the windfall that Miami would want in selling out to gambling. Really, is that all there is?
Will that 26% loss of gambling spending per person slide to even bigger losses as habits shift? An economic researcher in Las Vegas said he sees a permanent slide.
As the Times paints the picture, gambling is far less important to Las Vegas today than entertainment, clubs, shopping and dining — all of which are already strengths in Miami. Just because Las Vegas is edging into our model doesn't mean we should pick up their role, burdening ourselves with casinos. We're doing just fine with our own brand — and bringing in visitors who spend far more than Vegas averages.
11 comments:
From the same guy who doesn't want to pay taxpayers back their TARP funds for the purchase of US Century. These GOP assholes are just that. They live off of public taxpayer money far more egregiously then the poor guy who may need to apply for food stamps. No, he doesn't have the pulse nor has he been reading the papers. I'm hopeful for on day when the lobbyists just go away and the real money makers at the top have to come out of hiding behind them. Moron is putting it too mildly.
Pay for the staduim yourself, pay the taxpayers what your going to owe for the stupid TARP bail out and let the US Century guys, their lobbyists and all the politicians who approved their sprawl sit in jail. I'll pay for that stay for a few years to take the burden off of the taxpayers who don't have high priced CPA's to limit their taxes they pay!
What a scam.........
Public private partnerships were at the heart of the two-mayor trysts with corruption. What else are they a part of? The taking of our public waterfront parks in the City of Miami? The taking of our public schools and their revenues and assets for charter and virtual schools? The closing of our libraries and taking of their assets or conversion to homework and technology centers staffed bu part-time workers but no public librarians? We can only hope against hope this FBI case puts a halt to all these manipulations.
This country was built by people with vision with their own money they risked and the rewards they received. When these private public scams bloated to the point of the CRA's across the board and so many others, it's just ridiculous.
Public land taken by eminant domain and given to private entity was another huge problem in Florida. I don't know where that is now but that was another private/public deal.
What is wrong with these people in public office and the government employees, locally and federally, who have no regard for US the people/taxpayers.
The Art Museum to Jorge Perez, let's not forget that one. Oh, wait, isn't he partners with Ross?
These charter school are a sham. Some may be good, performing better then their public counters but improving public schools is where are tax money should be going. I remember the Charter schools being pushed by the South Florida Builders so they could create more sprawl.
Florida is the worst when it comes to these and we are laughed at daily. It is so sad.
#1 suggestion - vote them ALL out
#2 get rid of public employees who are related to public officials across the board - nepotism and no show jobs are too common
No politician is an island. There are so many people involved in these public/private deals from staff to lobbyists to vendors.
I was listening to business radio yesterday. They were talking about casinos. Their expert was stock was still a buy, but far as consumers goes, they will always lose at the house. It seems that there has to be a saturation point with casinos, there are are only so many places needed to go give your money away at.
Giving the money that is so precious to a bunch thugs is not my idea of vacation.
Steve Ross listens to Jorge Perez. Perez must have told Ross that South Florida politicians are corrupt and that it would be easy to get them to divert public assets and the public's money to them. Look how easy it was for disgraced ex-Mayor Manny Diaz to give away waterfront Bicentennial Park? To two broke museums. Look how easy it was for politicians to give away Watson Island? Jungle Island owes $50 Mil to various lenders. Island Gardens never put a shovel in the ground. Now Steve Ross wants to try to get the taxpayers to pay to renovate his private property. Again.
As a responsible citizen he sees that we are struggling to meet basic needs and provide basic services, why would he continue to try to pimp off scarce public dollars? He has plenty and will reap plenty from his investment in his property, why create a negative image in this community? Is he trying to self-destroy the Dolphins and create ill-will toward the NFL? We have said "no" in a number of ways, now move on and fix your property as any good citizen would do.
Steve Ross pissed on the leg of House Speaker Will Weatherford as he left the building. Rest assured that there will be no bill coming to the House floor in the 2014 session. The Republicans have already picked Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, as their choice for the next Speaker. It is doubtful that Crisfulli will push a Ross/Dolphins Stadium bill during his tenure. If the GOP hold control and the speaker in 2017 is a Republican, forget that as well. By then, Steve Ross will have played with his toy enough. He will either have moved the Dolphins out of Miami or have sold them and pocketed his capital gains. Instead of having the taxpayers pay for a stadium roof, maybe Ross could rent out hats with fans built in.
Remember the Marlins scam...$3 Billion diverted.
I seem to remember the current chairwoman of the county commission voted for the Marlins and a short time later she was voted in as the leader of our county commission. Good work citizens of Dade County. Every elected official who voted for the Marlins scam should be run out of town, but here these scum bags continue to get elected. I seem to remember the Dolphins were sucking up to her big time. Any bets on how she would have voted if the issue of the Dolphins went to a vote.
Bruno Barrerio, Audrey Edmunson, Dennis Moss and Marc Sarnoff voted for the Marlins scam. The scam could have been killed at the City level but Sarnoff voted to send it back to the County for Barrerio's staged vote.
Sarnoff was being a salesman for Jorge Perez and Steve Ross for their proposed scam on Watson Island. When City of Miami Beach leaders found out about it they squashed it quick. Wait for Round 2.
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