Vote set on Florida Marlins stadium; final sketches released

[zoomzoom3]

Build a new stadium for the Marlins when only a few thousand fans show up to home games? Doesn't make much sense to me, just let them keep playing in the current ****hole they play in.

[diddiyo]

Finally

[Cougar Beach]

The picture was a wide-angle view of a Marlins day game at Dolphins Stadium, with apparently a few dozen people in the stands. But hey, it might be worth half a billion dollars for a new stadium if they change their name to the Miami Marlins.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/attendance

[tallrick]

It makes me laugh because they always say there is no money for schools, libraries, parks etc. Yet they can get millions, maybe billions for a for-profit outfit like the Marlins. Who paid for Burdine stadium that was first built on that property? Why not spend taxpayer money on something people can actually benefit from? What is so great about seeing a bunch of grown men hit, throw and catch a ball? If the Marlins want a stadium, let them buy overpriced Miami property and pay for the building like everyone else. Otherwise you and I know that the OB location is a failure and will end up obsolete in a few years. Then the deterriorating stadium will sit surrounded by low-income apartments and homes. All for the "public good".

[Cougar Beach]

Getting into that area during the day won't be a walk in the park. It will be a total traffic nightmare when afternoon games let out. Oh wait, I forgot -- no one actually goes to the day games.

Keep in mind that the football games that were played on that site were played on weekends and holidays.

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by Cougar Beach

Getting into that area during the day won't be a walk in the park. It will be a total traffic nightmare when afternoon games let out. Oh wait, I forgot -- no one actually goes to the day games.

Keep in mind that the football games that were played on that site were played on weekends and holidays.

If they get the mass transit right, say a train to and from that could be the fix.

[Cougar Beach]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

If they get the mass transit right, say a train to and from that could be the fix.

Whatever happened to the sales tax money that was earmarked for transit? Some tax money that was supposed to be used for community development (of poor areas) is going to be used for the stadium, if it gets built.

Now where did all that 1/2% money go?

[Wild Style]

Originally Posted by Cougar Beach

Whatever happened to the sales tax money that was earmarked for transit? Some tax money that was supposed to be used for community development (of poor areas) is going to be used for the stadium, if it gets built.

Now where did all that 1/2% money go?

squandered? Curruption is part of the problem. The other problem is citizens voting based on ethnic allegiance and no political soundness. I think once the people start voting based on real politics and holding officials accountable, then this sort of stuff will get sorted out.

With the stadium the two things I don't like are 1. lack of mass transit and 2. they are not building any shops around this thing. You get people out of the cars and walking from transit stop to the stadium that will automatically generate traffic to shops around the area. That then could help that community economically. I think the politicians down there need to take a trip to the new Yankee stadium so they can see how its supposed t be done..

[svendthrift]

Originally Posted by Wild Style

squandered? Curruption is part of the problem. The other problem is citizens voting based on ethnic allegiance and no political soundness. I think once the people start voting based on real politics and holding officials accountable, then this sort of stuff will get sorted out.

I strongly agree. Identity politics are a very inefficient means with which to allocate resources.

[svendthrift]

Originally Posted by Cougar Beach

I think it would be great to have a new stadium. I just don't think a dime of public money should be spent on its construction. I saw a spokesman for the Marlins defend the plan, citing as examples governments supporting museums, libraries, etc. The difference is that the Marlins is a private concern. The wealthy folks who own sports teams don't need to be on the public dole.

And yes, the demolition of Miami Arena is still a fresh memory.

When tax breaks are figured in, sports teams are almost always an economic loser for a community. The only reason a community would support it with tax funds is for the prestige it lends. If a government needs to buy prestige for its community that badly, then it should just buy (or lease) the team and own the facility in which it plays. Personally, I think the government has more important issues to deal with.

Bill Moyers had a great interview on this topic a few months back:


YouTube - Free Lunch, Corp Welfare, Bill Moyers and David Cay Johnston

Bill Moyers Journal . Watch & Listen | PBS