NFL's Best Fans Welcome Home World Champions

Colts.com ^ | February 6, 2007 | By John Oehser

[nascarnation]

It was a great day at the Dome. I think I'll miss it when it's gone. I played several games there myself.

I have no problem with football. I do have a huge problem with the sweetheart deal with the city guaranteeing Irsay a profit and then Irsay channeling money and perks back to our politicians, when the city is going broke.

[Tenacious 1]

[I have no problem with football. I do have a huge problem with the sweetheart deal with the city guaranteeing Irsay a profit and then Irsay channeling money and perks back to our politicians, when the city is going broke.]

The city is going broke for a myriad of reasons. The new stadium is not one of them, thanks to the taxes. The economic driver behind the stadium was the expansion of the convention center. Indy is one of the biggest convention cities in the nation. Indy hosts some of the nations largest conventions and is very good at it. The conventions bring lots of economic benefits to the city. The Dome is also the most used multi-purpose "football" stadium in the country. It often is used as an extension to the convention center. The expansion of the convention center will bring BACK some of the conventions that were being turned away because of space and scheduling conflicts as well as provide more space for some conventions that have outgrown Indy.

Here is my problem with the deal. Indiana insists, because of funding rules, that every spending project or budget increase be met with a "way to fund it." This usually means more taxes. But in the same breath, politicians tout how much "economic boom" the project will bring to the city. The federal government counts that anticipated revenue towards the funding of "big spending" in order to pay for the project. They then mismanage the "benefit" and go in debt. It is a catch 22 really. One the one hand, we supposedly have the funding mechanism in place before any spending takes place. But on the other hand, where does all that revenue that was brought into the city by the spending go? The reality of it is, this city collects plenty of revenue to cover the costs the government needs to satisfy the citizens. The problem is, our elected officials spend because its there. Doling out special benefits to bring more business is sound politics but they renege on the promises made to us citizens. The engineer is asleep at the wheel. This city has some of the most lavish middle and highshool campuses anywhere (big $$$$) and what do we have to show for it, other than, "....gee, we are spending lots of money for better education."

Let's take a page out of national history and try lowering taxes once. Watch the tax revenue roll in and the debt drop. It works on the national level, why not try it locally.