Posted on 09/21/2006 9:55:17 PM PDT by DaveTesla
Taxpayer Abuse: Your Millions in Katrina Relief Go To . . . A Football Stadium
By Debbie Schlussel
With all the news stories in the world--Ahmadinejad & Chavez Double-Teaming America, Jihad against the Pope, the House Voter ID bill--USA Today chose the most important item of the day as its cover story, today:
New Orleans NFL Homecoming: City Throwing a Party at Restored Superdome Buried toward the end of the story is the money-shot--an answer to the question we all deserve to know about:
Who paid for the $185 million in improvements, repairs, and reconstruction of the Superdome--the office of millionaires, billionaires, and gazillionaires?
$170 Million of Your Katrina "Relief" Was it the billionaires who own teams throughout the NFL, including the New Orleans Saints that are housed in the Superdome? NOPE. According to USA Today, the NFL gazillionaires donated only $15 million of the $185 million cost--a drop in the bucket to these fatcats.
Was it the millionaires who play in the Superdome at all Saints' home games, every football season--and owe their millions to those who come to see the games and buy team merchandise? NOPE.
We can't have billionaires and millionaires putting money out of their own pockets, their own wallets. That just wouldn't be right.
So who paid for the newly glimmering Superdome--$170 million of $185 million in Superdome costs?
YOU DID!
Yup. Taxpayers paid money in the name of public assistance programs for relief from Katrina and other disasters. Who knew the "public assistance" was not for poor, homeless, downtrodden hurricane victims, but for . . . NFL gazillionaires?! Should "public assistance" go to improved scoreboards, upgraded suites and club lounges, and "leatherette" upholstery? Taxpayers got soaked.
From the article:
The money being used for this was from the public-assistance program from FEMA on insurance disasters. Here's what your money went to pay for. Does this sound like "hurricane relief" or "public assistance" to you?:
Besides repairs, improvements and upgrades were made during construction. About $42 million was spent. The most noticeable change for fans will be new scoreboards. Scoreboard system
* Two larger (41% bigger) video boards (27 by 48 feet) in the end zones, with high definition quality.
* Four LED ribbon boards, or video halo boards (3 feet, 6 inches by 193 feet).
* Four color scoreboards (8 feet by 44 feet) replace a black-and-white system. Located in four corners in the 400 level.
Concessions
* All 38 concession stands and three kitchens modernized with stainless steel. . . .
Stadium seats
* 8,000 club-level seats and 4,000 box suite seats replaced with leatherette seats.
Future renovations (September 2006-August 2007)
* Four club lounges, each 19,000 square feet (in design) in each of the four corners.
* 137 suites remodeled and refurbished.
Your tax dollars at "work." USA Today's headline is incorrect. New Orleans isn't throwing the party at the Superdome. You are.
"So, was Katrina a disaster or a reward?"
Well written. Not only are they rebuilding their city on someelse's dime they offloaded tens of thousands of katricians (and the related expenses )to other cities.
Ain't gonna happen.
So what's your point?
Lose it.
I believe that we will never hear the whole story of the overall picture of how the government fell all over itself in order to keep additional mud from mudding the waters of government.
;)
I dont ever reply to these strings of comments, but I have to say AMEN! LEt's get real about this... I think that the help has been there - now it's the "hand out" that people are looking for. The people in New Orleans need jobs to make money to take care of their families, and I am tired of my tax money going to someone who CHOOSES to rebuild their home in an area that is 20 feet below sea level and in a hurricane area. It is just ridiculous! :) Shame on the press for telling Americans that there hasn't been enough done.
I'd like to see the US economy without Gates, Soros and Buffet - how many American jobs do you suppose their companies support??? I bet you'd be surprised who/what your employers company's profits support. I guess you'll just have to go out and start your own billion dollar company so that you can support the causes that you want to support. Don't get me wrong... I AGREE with you! I'm just saying... you need to DO something about it. Those of us who DON'T support gay marriage initiatives, abortion, gun control, need to stop talking about it in blogs and start doing something about it. Our opposition sure is.
Uh-Oh... better stop buying beer, cars, BBQ hot wings, tennis shoes, music cd's, and anything else that is advertised during the football games then. That is the only way to stop supporting the trash that is professional sporting these days (btw, I agree, I'm just saying...)
AMEN! Gotta LOVE a sane voice in the wilderness...
Personally I don't have a problem with the Dome being renovated so the Saints can return. They bring with them and economic boost that the area needs.
That is the FIRST thing that I said when they were bus-ing so many people to Houston - Houston's residents are going to get ROYALLY screwed in this deal...
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