The Seussification of Ed Rendell

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | July 27, 2003 | compiled by staff

[buzzyboop]

Although few have ever remarked on Gov. Ed Rendell's resemblance to a Dr. Seuss character, the wags at the Commonwealth Foundation couldn't resist the challenge of taking the man in the manse to task "Green Eggs and Ham"-style over this year's tax debacle.

With a nod to the late great Dr. Seuss, we offer the foundation's take on Rendell's tax policies published in a recent newsletter:

He'll tax us at the bar and he'll tax us in the car.

(references to the increase in the beer tax from 8 to 25 cents a gallon and the $103 million a year in additional "reckless driving" surcharges.)

He'll tax on the phone and in the nursing home.

(the expanded cell phone tax and the $145 million nursing home assessment.)

He'll tax us on our paychecks, and he'll tax us at the racetracks.

(proposed increases in the personal income tax and taxes on slots at racetracks).

Through government-issued bonds, you can certainly bet, he'll tax us and our children on money we haven't even made yet.

(proposal to borrow $1.8 billion to use as venture capital for growth companies.)

We do not like them Ed-I-AM, your fiscally irresponsible spending plans.

[buzzyboop]

...and other Pennsylvania related tidbits for your Sunday reading pleasure.

[ghunter72]

I find it interesting that the local TV station WGAl, Lancaster, Pa. Has been talking about social service cuts this week. They then turn around and praise the fact that Ed Rendell gave 10 Million to Lancaster for a new baseball team in Minor minor never will be major league. Doesn't make sense.

[niteowl77]

few have ever remarked on Gov. Ed Rendell's resemblance to a Dr. Seuss character

I guess he does kinda look like something out of the Sleep Book. Since old Ted G. (Dr. Seuss) was pretty far to the left himself, Rendell might consider it a compliment.

[sauropod]

Enjoy Fast Eddie...

[Badray]

"What don't the democRATs understand..."

On the stadium issue, the pubbies are just as guilty. In the Pittsburgh region, we defeated the an initiative by roughly 70% to 30% and the powers that be then conspired in Harrisburg to ram it through. Oh, there was plenty of 'lawmakers' claiming that they were against it, but when it came down to it, they mostly sold out for something for their region.

The total bill for the stadiums to be built in both cities have to include not only what you see on the surface, but all of the other pet projects around the state that were done to seal the deal plus interest costs for the next 30 years - Totalling at least ONE BILLION DOLLARS. But the politicians are telling people that they didn't raise taxes to give money to the sports teams. No, they didn't raise taxes, they just raised the debt ceiling and extended payments for our lifetimes.

[backhoe]

Locator ^

[EastCoast]

But,but doesn't the Pgh stadium belong to sPitt? The students say it's theirs! Does that mean we Nits had/have to pay for THEIR stadium? Gee whiz!

[jf55510]

Yes, I detest "pro sports", where the public has to pay hundreds of millions for stadiums, and the billionaire/millionaire owners and players don't contribute a dime, but get all the profits.

I am against publicly funded stadiums, but your statement is absurd. If you didn't have that stadium would the players and families be there spending the money? Would some of the local residents have jobs during te baseball season? Would the visiting team stay in a hotel in that town, and spend money on restraunts, shopping, gas, etc.? No, no, and no. So while the players/owners may contribute to the building of the stadium, they more than make up for it in economic development for the town. Imagine the budget cruch your county and town would be in if you did not have this economic engine around. And the stadium is not going to cost "hundreds of millions" of dollars, it will only cost $24m. You make it sound like the stadium is a super evil entity.

[Badray]

The stadium belongs to ALL of us.

WE just have to pay to get in.

THEY get to keep the profits.

[Badray]

I'm not sure where you are getting your info. The stadium will cost the taxpayers a lot more than $24M. Stadiums are not economic generators.

Never have been, never will be.

Even if they were, there is no constitutional justification for funding them for private concerns.

[jf55510]

The stadium will cost the taxpayers a lot more than $24M.

His post, now gone, said that the state was giving $12m and they were raising $12m in bonds. That is where I got the $24m from. It may cost a little more but I doubt it will cost much more than that.

Stadiums are not economic generators.

Never have been, never will be.

I will see if I can find it but I saw a report that said the exact opposite. But look at it economically and it is an economic engine. You have professional ball players and coaches in that city for at least six months out of the year. The stadium produces jobs, even if only seasonally. The team usually pays rent and utilities, so it is not like the taxpayers are stuck for that expense. The team also pays taxes. You also have the opposing teams and some fans coming into area.

Even if they were, there is no constitutional justification for funding them for private concerns.

I won't disagree, but they are not as bad as y'all are making them out to be.

[EastCoast]

I know we all "own" the stadium but it's more like we just "paid" for it rather than own it, and the profits for Them just keep on increasing with every rise in ticket/food/entertainment fees/costs. Just having some tongue in cheek fun about a not-too-funny fact of PA political life.

[Badray]

Sorry if I seemed to be jumping on you. This stadium issue is a touchy one for me. We worked so hard to defeat the referendum and the pols (pubbies especially) rammed it thru anyway.

In actuality, although we paid for it, we own squat. And the lease is written for 29 1/2 years instead of 30 to help the team avoid other financial consequences. (I don't recall all of the details right now.)

It really ticks me off and I refuse to even go to any events that require a dime of my money for anything. Again, my apologies.

[Badray]

"His post, now gone, said that the state was giving $12m and they were raising $12m in bonds. That is where I got the $24m from. It may cost a little more but I doubt it will cost much more than that."

Just for the Pittsburgh stadiums, the taxpayers are paying about $500 million plus the interest cost of raising the debt ceiling. Add to that, Philly is getting 2 stadiums at about the same cost to the taxpayers, plus all of the little projects around the state that were included in order to buy off lawmakers for their votes. I wish it were only $24 million.

"I will see if I can find it but I saw a report that said the exact opposite. But look at it economically and it is an economic engine. You have professional ball players and coaches in that city for at least six months out of the year. The stadium produces jobs, even if only seasonally. The team usually pays rent and utilities, so it is not like the taxpayers are stuck for that expense. The team also pays taxes. You also have the opposing teams and some fans coming into area."

It must be the report done by the sports team that promises all those benefits. I too have to locate a few different reports that show that these claims are nonsense.

"I won't disagree, but they are not as bad as y'all are making them out to be."

It is all that bad, and worse, because they are coming to me at the point of a gun (tax collectors always do) demanding that I pay for a private entity. How much worse can it be? If tax money was limited to paying for infrastructure, I wouldn't be as upset as I am, but our involvement goes far beyond that.

[jf55510]

Just for the Pittsburgh stadiums, the taxpayers are paying about $500 million plus the interest cost of raising the debt ceiling. Add to that, Philly is getting 2 stadiums at about the same cost to the taxpayers, plus all of the little projects around the state that were included in order to buy off lawmakers for their votes. I wish it were only $24 million.

I was refering to his cities isolated case, not the state as a whole.

[ghunter72]

Then to top that off. The owners of the Eagles just anounced the spectators can't bring in hoagies or other sandwiches because that posses a security threat. You could put a gun in a hoagie. The Phila. Daily Local News published a picture of Jeffrey Lurie the owner with two hoagies coming out of his ears. Some said wait the tax payers own the stadium why can't they bring food? The local sports show host on WIP said that the team might as well be wearing Swastikas. He got suspended for a day. Very interesting.