Virginia Baseball Backers: Now Or Never

Associated Press ^ | 08 March 2004 | Matthew Barakat

[steve-b]

VIENNA, Va. (AP) -- The head of the group trying to bring a major league baseball team to northern Virginia said he will end his efforts if major league baseball doesn't pick a new home this year for the Montreal Expos.

The Expos were bought by the other 29 teams before the 2002 season. Baseball failed to meet deadlines in 2002 and 2003 on finding a new home for the team, which has struggled to draw fans in Canada. Baseball officials say they hope to decide by mid-July on where to move the Expos for 2005....

Virginia's legislation to fund part of the construction cost for a new ballpark expires this year, and the legislature opted not to extend it. Virginia officials say the law provides the framework for two-thirds public financing of a new ballpark, though the details are not complete.

"It's this year or never," said Keith Frederick,chairman of the Virginia Baseball Stadium Authority....

[steve-b]

About the only good thing to say about this guy is that he will shut up and go away now that the voters and taxpayers have put an end to his foolishness (unlike a certain expresident we all know and loathe).

[Buckeye McFrog]

unlike Pittsburgh, where the voters and taxpayers shouted a deafening NO! to baseball foolishness...and the local pols went ahead and did it anyway....

[KantianBurke]

NEVER!!

[Landru]

"Virginia's legislation to fund part of the construction cost for a new ballpark expires this year, and the legislature opted not to extend it. Virginia officials say the law provides the framework for two-thirds public financing of a new ballpark, though the details are not complete."

Now remind me, what was it y'all were talking about on that other thread??

...something about an out-of-control property tax situation in VA? :o)

[steve-b]

Out of control property taxes, and income taxes, and sales taxes -- and the governor wants to increase taxes after lying about it all through his election campaign.

Personally, I think it's time to pull the plug on this boondoggle now, rather than just waiting for it to expire at the end of the year.

[chambley1]

Many against the subsidized stadium in the Peoples Republic of Arlington have no problem with $3 million in tax dollars for septic art at the polluting sewer plant, funding for dancing penises at a county subsidized play and dog crapping for dogs with more rights than the taxpayers.

Not that I support the stadium, but most Arlington taxpayers, especially outspoken RINO's, are hypocrites when it comes to fighting the County Board.

[steve-b]

Rational people set rational priorities. $600m > $3m.

[chambley1]

Helter Skelter. Why not oppose the whole bag of leftist progressive waste that folks like yourself put on par with baseball?

[steve-b]

Obviously, you did not recognize that angular squiggle in Msg#7. It is called a "less than" sign. It indicates that the two quantities it separates are not on a par.

[flashbunny]

Speaking from an area that was recently sold down the river for a new baseball stadium, my advice would be to do wahtever you can to make sure this doesn't happen with any public funding or public backing. You're always going to get the short end of the stick with pro sports stadiums.

[steve-b]

Fortunately, the Virginia budget mess will make it easier to strangle this bit of sports socialism.

[steve-b]

The baseball bums (in the sense of "disreputable folks who asks for handouts from people who work for a living") are getting ever more arrogant.

Jerry Burkot, executive director of Collins' Virginia Baseball Club, said yesterday he's confident the financing plan for a ballpark in Northern Virginia will be reworked to be 100 percent publicly funded.

If you live in Virginia, I'd suggest contacting your representative and inform him that any such plan (if it exists outside Mr. Burkot's smoke and mirror chamber) is absolutely unacceptable.

[Wolfie]

unlike Pittsburgh, where the voters and taxpayers shouted a deafening NO! to baseball foolishness...and the local pols went ahead and did it anyway....

Not true. Pittsbugh voted on raising the sales tax to fund the stadium, not whether tax dollars should be used at all.

[steve-b]

I'd say that still fits the original statement -- the voters did indeed "shout a deafening 'NO' to baseball foolishness", but (as no doubt was planned by the politicians) not in a definitive way that completely closed the subject.

[Wolfie]

Oh yeah, it was a complete bait and switch. It gave the pols the chance to say they had a vote, and then let them go ahead and do what they want anyway. It was perfect, in a way. Of course, the huge economic benefits of TWO new pro stadiums has made all the difference in Pittsburgh's financial situation...Not.

[Landru]

"Out of control property taxes, and income taxes, and sales taxes -- and the governor wants to increase taxes after lying about it all through his election campaign."

So my FRiend Mudboy has said, many times.

"Personally, I think it's time to pull the plug on this boondoggle now, rather than just waiting for it to expire at the end of the year."

Although not a resident of VA, I'd wholeheardedly agree steve.

What few seem to be noticing is that the problem(s) plaguing the Montreal franchise are confined to only the Expos.
The problem(s) are in fact, symptomatic of all of MLB; so, why on earth would any city want to "build a sunken ship"?

Don't misunderstand, I'm not opposed to MLB, used to enjoy nothing more than an afternoon or evening game, myself.
But let's face it, anyone whose followed the game over the past 40 years knows damned well the "product" has never smelled as bad as it does, today; and, for a host of plainly visible reasons.
Poor or complete lack of character among the participants of the game, notwithstanding.

If Rockingham cannot fill the seats for a NAZZZCAR event in NAZZZCAR *country* how will MLB fare?

...that's the question VA taxpayers should be asking.

[pepsionice]

The real problem here is that baseball stadiums, per dollar, don't bring in alot of local jobs. You are talking about 50 part-time jobs at best. Its usually the biggest waste of money possible. And the cream on the pie...they could move, use the park for 10 years and decide that attendance was terrible...and pick up to move elsewhere. Even if you write it into the contract...the city usually allows a escape clause to exist.

I personally think its time to take the Expos, Devil Rays, and Brewers...and just dump them all. The amount of quality players into today's game is totally silly...you've got 50 players in the majors who ought to be sent home because they simply aren't good enough. The unions won't admit it, and certinly the owners don't want to talk about it...but the overall play in the entire season is garbage. Pick the top twelve teams in 1966, and they would tear up the league of today. The entire system needs a revamp...starting with Bud!