pShould tax dollars subsidize sports stadiums?

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87 %

7 %

I have mixed feelings here

6 %

Yes

@Feb '13 c 160 comments V 308 votes

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308 Votes

2 hr
FFS- endorsed Hoosierdaddy

v Yes
u

4 hr
Mallard endorsed TheJimmy

v No
9 hr
sillybilly1b voted

v No
15 hr
Jeff18 voted

v I have mixed feelings here
Fri
RadAuthNat endorsed TheJimmy

v No
u

Fri
DrSilicon voted

v No
Fri
Kacela voted

v No
Fri

Bob72370

v No

When teachers, firefighters, cops, nurses all make the salaries that professional athletes make, sure. Until then the owners and athletes should stop the huge salaries and profits that they receive. Let the players and owners subsidize their own stadiums.

Post
Fri
Zach endorsed TheJimmy

v No
Fri
Raisinbran96 voted

v No
u

May 16
Gatnos voted

v No
May 16
littlewolf8469 voted

v No
u

May 16
Slowmo endorsed AntiPorcheria

v No
u

May 15
maplervr endorsed Quantummist

v No
May 14
LEC endorsed TheJimmy

v No
May 13
Jack-Black voted

v I have mixed feelings here
u

May 13
JumpRoundhouse endorsed TheJimmy

v No
May 13
DanielZ voted

v No
u

May 13
Leonard endorsed TheJimmy

v No
May 12
rangerjeff voted

v No
May 12
joyshusband endorsed TheJimmy

v No
May 12
Aftermath endorsed TheJimmy

v No
May 12
Fyi1957 endorsed Quantummist

v No
u

May 12

stephen

v No

sports are private interprise lets private money pay for it..

Post
u

May 12
Michael_Taylor endorsed TheJimmy

v No
May 12
getchapull77 endorsed Hoosierdaddy

v Yes
u

May 11
Rydad voted

v No
May 11

Goose

v No

If the can pay relief pitchers $6 million they can build their own stadiums.

Post
u

May 11
RAEMM voted

v No
May 11
MnMking2797 voted

v No
May 11
Republicans27 voted

v No
u

May 10
nagydonnac voted

v No
u

May 10
kimmie99 voted

v No
u

May 9
Jimbo voted

v No
May 9
looncraz endorsed TheJimmy

v No
u

May 9
acg voted

v No
May 9

AlexMIA

v No

Public money should not fund private business in most cases.

Post
May 9
akjep6 voted

v No
May 8

jeffreyknee

v Yes

Far better than more for the wealthy medical industry ($1.2 trillion per year, compared to oil industry $4 billion).

Post
u

May 8

jond414

v No

What's the difference between a sports team or walmart bending a local government over the barrel for tax abatements? Its wrong either way, but at least with the stadium the jobs are a little better than the ones at the walmart. The problem is, too many governments will pimp their citizens by making them pick up the tab that should be paid by the billionaire.

Post
u

May 8
DemonsAngel13 endorsed AnObserver

v No
u

May 7
LilliB voted

v No
May 7
oldtimer2 endorsed TheJimmy

v No
May 7
AlexNWA endorsed MarkJM

v No
u

May 7
farmer_bruce endorsed TheJimmy

v No
u

May 6

nickhotrod

v No

Duh...

Post
u

May 6
gitrdone8383 voted

v No
May 6
PaulUK2901 voted

v Yes
u

May 5
mxdirtdude endorsed TheJimmy

v No
May 5

AndrewMC

v Yes

But only if it is a local initiative, paid for by a special mil levy or something similar. It must be agreed to by the taxpayers.

Post

Fri

Bob72370

v No

When teachers, firefighters, cops, nurses all make the salaries that professional athletes make, sure. Until then the owners and athletes should stop the huge salaries and profits that they receive. Let the players and owners subsidize their own stadiums.

Post
u

May 12

stephen

v No

sports are private interprise lets private money pay for it..

Post
May 11

Goose

v No

If the can pay relief pitchers $6 million they can build their own stadiums.

Post
May 9

AlexMIA

v No

Public money should not fund private business in most cases.

Post
May 8

jeffreyknee

v Yes

Far better than more for the wealthy medical industry ($1.2 trillion per year, compared to oil industry $4 billion).

Post
u

May 8

jond414

v No

What's the difference between a sports team or walmart bending a local government over the barrel for tax abatements? Its wrong either way, but at least with the stadium the jobs are a little better than the ones at the walmart. The problem is, too many governments will pimp their citizens by making them pick up the tab that should be paid by the billionaire.

Post
u

May 6

nickhotrod

v No

Duh...

Post
May 5

AndrewMC

v Yes

But only if it is a local initiative, paid for by a special mil levy or something similar. It must be agreed to by the taxpayers.

Post
u

May 3

fraps

v No

All tax dollars should be used to provide me with anything I choose to want. I want a personal 747, a Rolls Royce, a number of mansions, etc. If the government chooses to give me those things then it is ok for them to give the millionaire sports team owners tax breaks and subsidies for their stadiums, After all, fair is fair.

B1

Post
u

May 2

gherlone

v I have mixed feelings here

there are times when public money directed at a sports facility can be a good investment & create jobs. Nationals Park seems to have revitalized the area around it and drawn in businesses. that said, those opportunities are few and far between, and should be evaluated very carefully and debated very publicly. too many of these deals are just political deals that benefit the team owner and a few pols, but not the public.

Post
May 1

Bill2E

v No

Get Government out of all this, what interest does the government have in all this. This should be totally free enterprise and tax the hell out of the stadiums for usage.

Post
u

May 1

4PeteSake

v No

Of course not.....but it is not usually the "stadium" that is being subsidized....it is the ultra-rich families or big corporations that own the teams that are going to play there!

Post
May 1

Russell797

v I have mixed feelings here

The owners should be responsible for the stadiums, while the community helps with the surrounding, supporting infrastructure. That's the way Bob Kraft worked it out in Massachusetts for Gillette Stadium (Foxboro). The state takes a part of the parking revenue in return.

Post
Apr 30

Denizen_Kate

v No

Isn't that like asking the poor to buy new digs for the wealthy? Let them build their own stadiums. They all have corporate names these days anyway.

Post
Apr 30

Firestorm

v Yes

This is rehashing others to an extent, saying revenues outweigh initial cost. Basically, everyone needs to look at this one as an investment. Investing our money to increase revenues means we don't have to as taxpayers. Good thing, right? I'd like to see hard numbers, but I'm pretty sure there has not been an issue with a professional stadium not paying back.

Post
u

Apr 27

Angry_man

v No

Not no but hell no!!!

Post
Mar '13

GeorgiaSean7

v No

No. I am sick of the government bank-rolling private business and enterprise. Let ticket-master, or the Atlanta Braves, or the New York Mets build their own stadiums. Those venues are not the responsibility of the tax payer.

Post
u

Mar '13

tam406

v No

Only if the taxpayers receive a dividend on their investment, and we all know that is never going to happen.

Post
Mar '13

MongoAPillager

v No

I can,t believe we pay for anything as pointless and as time wasting as "professional"sports....I get three channels and 2 have basketball garbage on:'(â¬Â£Ã·=â¬Â£

Post
Mar '13

TheHandsomeOne

v No

Everyone says no but it doesn't change the reality that it's been happening since forever. The NFL has been operating under a private not for profit charter since the 1940's. It seems neither the IRS or the NFL can find the original charter.

Post
R Load more comments...

Feb '13

TheJimmy

v No

Professional sports franchises make more than enough money to build their own luxury homes.

B1

e43 endorsed

Post
Feb '13

Quantummist

v No

Doesn't even need a comment... Sports shouldn't even be subsidized in High School..

B1

e21 endorsed

Post
Feb '13

MarkJM

v No

Absolutely NOT. Between the owners and corporate sponsors, they have enough money to establish a new stadium.

B2

e8 endorsed

Post
Feb '13

AnObserver

v No

This is one reason why we're broke...Government needs to be scaled back and quit trying to be a sugar daddy to everyone.

B1

e7 endorsed

Post
Feb '13

FollowTheMoney

v No

It's nothing more than corporate welfare.

B1

r2 replies

e5 endorsed

Post
Feb '13

Hoosierdaddy

v Yes

Easy, revenue earned far exceeds tax investment. This is responsible spending

r7 replies

e4 endorsed

Post
Feb '13

AntiPorcheria

v No

NO. What a stupid question.

e3 endorsed

Post
u

Feb '13

Litdes

v I have mixed feelings here

For the most part, I don't think there is any reason for the state to provide assistance for a lucrative for profit venture, particularly when teams frequently hold municipalities hostage to obtain better venues. However, if the state were to hold a perpetual stake in the profits of the venture, then perhaps subsidies would make more sense.

e2 endorsed

Post
u

Feb '13

ErnestPayne

v No

Absolutely not. Cities need infrastructure not circuses. If you want it you pay for it.

e2 endorsed

Post
Feb '13

RedFloppyShoes

v No

The free market system should sustain itself by building their own stadiums. A franchise's determining factor for a home should be based on local tax breaks and how much money te owner can make on the venue beyond sporting events. If sports wants to survive, as should any business, they need to build a business plan of autonomy and one that is devoid of expectations of government subsidies.

B1

e1 endorsed

Post

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pShould tax dollars subsidize sports stadiums?

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