“I would love to see the time when sports teams have to pay for their own stadiums rather than sticking the taxpayers with the bill. Maybe this recession will finally reduce the number of cities willing to stick their citizens with the bill so that the pro teams will no longer be able to play one city off against another.”
The Islanders owner put a FULLY PRIVATELY FUNDED approach on the table four years ago called the Lighthouse Project. The local politicians (Republican Kate Murray of the Town of Hempstead) refused to allow the project to go forward.
They insisted on a smaller approach that wouldn’t have been profitable to build - (these are NY Repubs remember!). The county decided to go with a bond issue that would have been FULLY PAID by the revenue streams in a REVENUE-STREAM SHARING arrangement. That was what the bond vote was about last night.
It is not fair to talk about the Islanders owner building with his own money when that was what he offered to do the first time!
The Islanders have been tenants for 40 years to a COUNTY-owned facility. That owner put very little back into the building over the 40 years and the building is in dis-repair.
Or do you believe a renter should pay for putting up a new house and then renting it from the owner? The owner needs to put some money in too!
What really aggravates me are all the taxes and special fees you pay when you travel to another city which are earmarked for sports venues and other improvements in that city. In Phoenix and Kansas City, for instance, the special fees and taxes on rental cars and hotels are often more than the daily fee for renting the car. People who live there probably thought it would be great to have all this stuff that other people pay for. In tight money times it will further contribute to the decreae in tourist business. Don’t know how small businesses can afford to have their employees travel any more. Our AC went out in Houston and we were going to go for a hotel until we could get it replaced. I was totally shocked by the amount of special fees we were charged. Simply cannot afford to do it any more.
Done. Right here in Columbus. Twice.
Corrupt politicians won’t let them. The Islanders owner tried but couldn’t get past the city government. Lemieux in Pittsburgh tried with the same result (fortunately Pittsburgh voters realized an arena is important to a city that wants to attract events).
Although I loath the Islanders team, I’m sorry for their fans. Hopefully they won’t move far. I understand Queens is already making overtures to the team.