>>And they get “free” stadiums from taxpayers. <<
Of course it is those taxpayers who voted for those taxes. So I don’t see a problem there.
“Of course it is those taxpayers who voted for those taxes.”
Not really. In the case of the Pittsburgh game shows, we had a 1% sales tax increase shoved down our throat by the county that was supposed to pay for all of that garbage. When the population of the county continued to decline, they needed an additional sales tax passed. That went to referendum was was resoundly beaten.
Later that fall, the mayor of Pittsburgh along with the county commissioners, and some government folk from Philadelphia went and worked out a scheme blessed by Gov. Tom Ridge (yes, that Tom Ridge) that gave the teams an “interest free loan”.
The scheme gave the teams the cash they needed to build the stadiums. Payment on the bonds is made via a ‘tax’ on game tickets. Taxpayers pay all of the interest on the loan.
Teams like the Pirates that are run by a complete deadbeat lag behind on stadium payments since attendance isn’t that high (they stink). It’s no skin off his scummy teeth though .... taxpayers pick up all of the interest. He loses nothing.
From what I gather, the Steelers have a similar sweetheart deal. Even with continuous sellouts, they still don’t pay down the loan at a rate that maximizes taxpayer savings.
Maybe your city or state had a taxpayer referendum that was passed by taxpayers. I seem to recall Cleveland passing a “sin tax” back in the early 1990s to build their various facilities. I know for a fact Pittsburgh & Philadelphia had it rammed down our throats.
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>>And they get “free” stadiums from taxpayers. <<
Of course it is those taxpayers who voted for those taxes. So I don’t see a problem there.
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IOW, just like the ‘law’ that allows those on taxpayer ‘assistance’ (economic slavery) to vote a bigger % of another’s property.
BIGLY “problem”.
Many a stadium referendum has failed and the politicians find a way to approve the deal anyway.