Very interesting article. The opposition is seeing things clearly, except that no one has made any comment on the particulars of IA's 'occupancy cost.' And, I suppose it makes sense they wouldn't, given that might actually have to be settled between the municipality and the team.
Yet, I like the comments about these 4 things:
1- Taxpayers don't like to give money to sports teams.
2- Glendale already built them a palace
3- They should work something out with Glendale
4- You are committing present $$ in bonds which are predicted to be offset by futuer taxes, and that doesn't always work out.
Well done. Now, hold to your convictions ladies and gentlemen....
Yes, it looks like common sense finally broke through. I want to make it clear I feel for the good hockey fans in Arizona who are being taken for this ride, and for this (probable) latest setback. But if MNN and I seem to have the same penchant for good stewardship of taxpayer dollars (OK, so we might look a little like the MN "Twins" in our thinking), a little story:
Minnesota lost its beloved North Stars when their arena's city refused to give the owner land that he wanted to develop between the Mall of America and arena. Giving him the land would have kept our team, but it would have been wrong, not why a city exists. I never heard a single Minnesotan complain about that decision, even diehard hockey fans.
Similarly, we could have had the Jets. Our situation was what LeBlanc is going to face with Sarver. Minneapolis negotiated with Burke and Gluckstern to house the Jets in Target Center, home to the NBA Timberwolves. In the end, splitting the arena's income stream was going to harm the Wolves economically, and Minneapolis wouldn't do that. They could have opted to let the Wolves keep all the income-generating aspects of the arena and give big subsidies to the Jets to get them, but they wouldn't do it. Again, that's not why a city exists. Not only did I not hear complaints, but I rooted against the scheme, hoping it would give Winnipeg a chance to keep their team (they did end up staying in the 'Peg for another year when Mpls. rejected a deal).
So I really don't like to see cities lose their teams. But building multiple arenas, only to let one lie empty, is a ridiculous use of taxpayer funds. It's wrong. Sen. Yee was right - IA should be dealing with Glendale (and spend some of that $170 million they claim they'll spend to do some effective marketing of their product!).
] Passed the first committee
