[LasVegasPlayer]

Originally Posted by Grumpypotpie

I get what you're saying, but you can't live life based on what-ifs.

I think one must account for what-ifs. That is what brought about insurance and savings, among other things.

I think if cost weren't an issue at all most everyone here would agree that adding a large sports stadium to the offerings in the city would be seen as a slam dunk positive, just like adding the arena was.

Of course. The difference between the arena and the stadium is MGM built the arena with $0 in public funding. There is a huge difference between $0 and $1.4 billion in tax money. I'm in the middle where I support contributing the $500 million we would otherwise spend on building the UNLV stadium. I don't support giving one casino owner and an NFL team access to an unlimited tax pool for 30 years.

[calisoccer99]

Originally Posted by LasVegasPlayer

I think one must account for what-ifs. That is what brought about insurance and savings, among other things.



Of course. The difference between the arena and the stadium is MGM built the arena with $0 in public funding. There is a huge difference between $0 and $1.4 billion in tax money. I'm in the middle where I support contributing the $500 million we would otherwise spend on building the UNLV stadium. I don't support giving one casino owner and an NFL team access to an unlimited tax pool for 30 years.

You know how long UNLV has been trying to build a new stadium? This is most likely the only way they will get one.

[LasVegasPlayer]

Originally Posted by calisoccer99

You know how long UNLV has been trying to build a new stadium? This is most likely the only way they will get one.

This all started when they bought the land for it on Trop at the end of the runway, the parcel now determined to not be appropriate for the NFL stadium. I can't help but wonder if the FAA/Southwest would have felt the same if it were only for UNLV and not this large-scale project.

You are probably right though and UNLV needs a new stadium. Without this it would probably still be many years away. That is why I support giving that portion of the funding to the stadium project but nothing more. Let Adelson, the Raiders and the development put up the rest and they can have it. They get a stadium for $500 million less and all they have to do is let UNLV use it for somewhere around six nights a year.

[beachhead]

Originally Posted by Grumpypotpie

I get what you're saying, but you can't live life based on what-ifs. I think if cost weren't an issue at all most everyone here would agree that adding a large sports stadium to the offerings in the city would be seen as a slam dunk positive, just like adding the arena was. I'm not arguing this point as strictly an outsider as I fully intend to be a local in the near future, maybe as soon as next month. I wouldn't want to be on the hook for any shortfall in funding either, but whether you think a stadium will benefit the local economy or not, as a person who grew up in a depressed part of the country, the professional sports teams really gave the community here something to rally around and that kind of effect on a transient population in Vegas shouldn't be completely ignored.

Life is full of "what if's". I just don't think it's appropriate for the government to play "what ifs" with taxpayer funds since it's not their money. That is what private business is for. Take all the risk you want with your money, just not mine.

Build it without obligating the taxpayer, and it's a great thing. They managed to build a couple casino properties without taxpayer guarantees didn't they? Why is a professional sports stadium any different?

[Grumpypotpie]

Originally Posted by beachhead

Life is full of "what if's". I just don't think it's appropriate for the government to play "what ifs" with taxpayer funds since it's not their money. That is what private business is for. Take all the risk you want with your money, just not mine.

Build it without obligating the taxpayer, and it's a great thing. They managed to build a couple casino properties without taxpayer guarantees didn't they? Why is a professional sports stadium any different?

I wonder if the NFL would balk at making it a casino/stadium. Ha ha. At least then it would make money all year long.

[LVNHL]

Looks like the legislation will approve the Stadium project if it only also includes the funding for the expansion/remodel of the Las Vegas Convention Center. I think the approval of both projects ensures that everyone is happy and get what they want. Sands gets the stadium and MGM gets the new convention center expansion. I know that people don't want the stadium, but having both these projects for Vegas would be absolutely huge for the city! I'm not even in a football fan but can see the advantages that it could have on the entire city. I also see the huge drawbacks of a stadium and funding it, but unfortunately that how things seem to go now a days.

[timothyaw]

^^ That makes no sense at all. That's why local cities need to break away from Legislative control, and go to Home Rule. How could legislatures kill a bill to fund the expansion of the LVCC (that BTW is a huge reason for the huge economic resources that it helps pump into the STATE general fund)??

Without that, there is very little money in the General fund. Stupidity is a never ending thing up there in Carson City. Wow oh wow.

[Cold Warrior]

Originally Posted by timothyaw

^^ That makes no sense at all. That's why local cities need to break away from Legislative control, and go to Home Rule. How could legislatures kill a bill to fund the expansion of the LVCC (that BTW is a huge reason for the huge economic resources that it helps pump into the STATE general fund)??

Without that, there is very little money in the General fund. Stupidity is a never ending thing up there in Carson City. Wow oh wow.

What local cities are you talking about? Neither the proposed stadium, nor the LVCC, nor almost the entire strip are in a city.

[lvmensch]

Actually the Nevada Legislature is controlled pretty completely by Clark County. 15 of 21 senate seats are in Clark County and 30 of the 42 house seats.

That Clark County does not run the state is primarily due to the partisan linkage of Clark County Republicans with upstate. We really need a Clark County Caucus that puts an end to that nonsense.

[calisoccer99]

Also unr gets the same amount of funding that UNLV does, and UNLV is a much larger school. The south should have much more power than it does now.