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Voters reject stadium tax for Royals, Chiefs intended to help fund new ballpark, Arrowhead Stadium renovations
AP via NFL ^ | 4/02/24

Posted on 04/03/2024 2:45:37 AM PDT by Libloather

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The future of the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City was thrown into question Tuesday night when residents of Jackson County, Missouri, resoundingly voted down a sales tax measure that would helped to fund a new downtown ballpark along with major renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.

Royals owner John Sherman and Chiefs president Mark Donovan acknowledged long before the final tally that the initiative would fail. More than 58% of voters ultimately rejected the plan, which would have replaced an existing three-eighths of a cent sales tax that has been paying for the upkeep of Truman Sports Complex -- the home for more than 50 years to Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums -- with a similar tax that would have been in place for the next 40 years.

The Royals, who had pledged at least $1 billion from ownership for their project, wanted to use their share of the tax revenue to help fund a $2 billion-plus ballpark district. The Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who had committed $300 million in private money, would have used their share as part of an $800 million overhaul of Arrowhead Stadium.

"We're deeply disappointed as we are steadfast in our belief that Jackson County is better with the Chiefs and the Royals," said Sherman, who left without taking questions. "As someone whose roots run deep in this town, who has been a dedicated fan and season-ticket holder for both of these teams, and now leading a remarkable ownership group."

Donovan said the Chiefs would do "what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward."

That could mean many things: The Chiefs could try again with a reworked plan more agreeable to voters, change their entire funding approach to include more private investment...

(Excerpt) Read more at nfl.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; History; Local News; Sports
KEYWORDS: chiefs; missouri; royals; stadium; stadiums
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To: 1Old Pro

The newspapers just reprint public relations releases from the stadium owners or the politicians they bribed—total joke.


21 posted on 04/03/2024 6:19:31 AM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: snoringbear
However, the city of Dallas’ first choice would be to bring the Chiefs back. The Hunts have strong roots in Dallas. So, if Kansas City wants to keep the Chiefs r they may be wise to pony up the money to modernize Arrowhead Stadium.

The Texas Chiefs and the Oklahoma City Royals - names that have a nice ring to them. :)

22 posted on 04/03/2024 6:25:26 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: Mr. Jeeves

“ The Texas Chiefs and the Oklahoma City Royals - names that have a nice ring to them. :)”


Lol, agree😊! There’s a running joke here in the DFW, referring to Cowboy’s and Chiefs, that the wrong team left town. However, I read somewhere that Jerry Jones/Cowboys has a protective NFL franchise lock on the DFW region. And, imo he will never allow a second team in the area.


23 posted on 04/03/2024 6:34:31 AM PDT by snoringbear (,W,E.oGovernment is the Pimp, )
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To: Mr. Jeeves

“ The Texas Chiefs and the Oklahoma City Royals - names that have a nice ring to them. :)”


Lol, agree😊! There’s a running joke here in the DFW, referring to Cowboy’s and Chiefs, that the wrong team left town. However, I read somewhere that Jerry Jones/Cowboys has a protective NFL franchise lock on the DFW region. And, imo he will never allow a second team in the area.


24 posted on 04/03/2024 6:34:52 AM PDT by snoringbear (,W,E.oGovernment is the Pimp, )
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To: cgbg

That is the ongoing debate., does it make sense ,dollars and cents, to subsidize sports stadiums?

Is the public subsidy really any benefit just so a city can say they have the prestige of having an NFL team?

Does the stadium even matter when the vast majority of fans watch games on TV and never even go to a game at a stadium?


25 posted on 04/03/2024 6:40:28 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Dilbert San Diego

The numbers never worked.

This was a bit of a secret because the pro-stadium folks were traditionally well organized and well funded with political connections.

The KC example was a good one—the pro stadium folks spent thirty five times as much money spreading their message as the anti-stadium folks.

The web site I posted chronicles decades of pro stadium lies and lies and lies—and proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that the only reason stadiums need public funding is because the private market knows they are lousy investments and refuses to take on the full risk of financing them.

The intangible “reputation” benefit is highly debatable at best—and falls into the category of self-dealing propaganda.


26 posted on 04/03/2024 6:45:05 AM PDT by cgbg ("Our democracy" = Their Kleptocracy)
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To: Libloather

Good.


27 posted on 04/03/2024 6:48:55 AM PDT by stevio (Fight until you die.)
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To: yldstrk
The Chargers left San Diego when the taxpayers refused to pay for a new stadium.

My great-great-great-grandparents lived in Jackson Co., Missouri, but left. I don't think major league baseball or football played any part in their decision to leave. That was in 1852.

28 posted on 04/03/2024 7:00:18 AM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: mewzilla; Dixie Yooper

>What did bread and circuses do for Rome?

A: Same as it’s doing for the U.S.


29 posted on 04/03/2024 7:04:44 AM PDT by i_robot73 (One could not count the number of *solutions*, if only govt followed\enforced the Constitution.)
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To: Libloather

Oh no, the poor billionaire !

Other billionaire will laugh , he will feel less of a billionaire now.


30 posted on 04/03/2024 7:07:59 AM PDT by OldHarbor
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To: Libloather

These are fabulously wealthy businesses, they can do what any other business does, go borrow the money for their infrastructure.

Instead the team owner play political blackmail with the cities, in order to get taxpayer assistance to keep them while they alos seek taxpayer assistance somewhere else they could move to. All major U.S. cities should sing pacts to not participate in the blackmail.


31 posted on 04/03/2024 7:44:15 AM PDT by Wuli (ena)
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To: Libloather

I’ve heard they may move the teams to Kansas City, Kansas. If the teams move across the state line, then Kansas City, Kansas should place a special tax on all the out of state season tickets holders coming to the games.


32 posted on 04/03/2024 7:49:56 AM PDT by shotgun
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To: Dixie Yooper
As for what good the stadium will do, this should give you an idea...

Kathy Hochul, New York Democrats under fire for using luxury suite to watch Bills game: 'Abused their power' State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes were among attendees

It's good to be Deep State.

33 posted on 04/03/2024 9:08:12 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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To: Dartoid
It was primarily the Royals plan that sunk it. Lots of backlash from the downtown small business community.

Why not keep it at the current location in the suburbs? I assume it's easy to get in and out due to its proximity by the highways?

34 posted on 04/03/2024 9:09:55 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: Dilbert San Diego
Is the public subsidy really any benefit just so a city can say they have the prestige of having an NFL team?

The city should just tell the team to leave. That's what San Diego did.

The NFL is rigged now so what's the point?

35 posted on 04/03/2024 9:13:08 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: Libloather

Billionaire owners should pay for their own stadiums.


36 posted on 04/03/2024 9:57:11 AM PDT by JSM_Liberty
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