March 29, 200521 yr Don't refuse this deal OUR OPINION: MARLINS' STADIUM IS A WIN FOR GOVERNMENT, COMMUNITY, FANS In the realm of baseball-stadium deals, the plan to build a new home for the Marlins near downtown Miami is a good one for the city, county, state and fans, too. State Rep. Carlos L?pez-Cantera, R-Miami, is pushing a bill seeking a $60 million sales-tax rebate from the state for the stadium. The bill, HB 1287, goes before the House Tourism Committee Tuesday and deserves a favorable report. A paying tenant It's easy to see why. Think of it this way: If you planned a house and found a tenant who agreed to lease terms covering half of the mortgage, would you build? Of course you would. But the county's and city's deal with the Marlins is even better. The Marlins agree to cover any cost overruns. Once the stadium is built, they will occupy it for only half the year, leaving the county free to use the stadium for other paying events. In our example, that's like having the tenant to whom you're leasing agree to cover cost overruns on your house and, to boot, vacate the house for half a year, leaving you free to rent to others. The $420 million stadium would be built near the Orange Bowl, an area ripe for redevelopment. The county would contribute $138 million from bed taxes, the city $28 million from tourist-development taxes and the Marlins $192 million, mostly in rent payments. A $32 million parking garage would be self-financed with parking fees. The tax rebate would cover a $30 million funding gap. Critics says the government shouldn't build a stadium for millionaire baseball players and that no economic benefits will result from a new stadium. We beg to differ. Commerce builds community and creates jobs. That's obvious. Less obvious, however, is the way education, arts and sports build community. Do you doubt it? A common bond Think about teaching our kids a common cannon to which they refer for the rest of their lives in a democracy. Think about the power of everyone singing together to a Celia Cruz or Frank Sinatra. And think about the common bond created in this community around the Dolphins of old, the Marlins of World Series victories, or the Heat of Shaquille O'Neal. It doesn't matter whether you're old or young, black, Hispanic or Anglo, whether you speak Creole, English, Portuguese or Spanish, you cannot fail to find a common bond with others when you experience these community events. They don't happen in a vacuum.And so we support creating performing arts centers and world class museums and, yes, a first-class baseball stadium. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/...al/11246776.htm The only thing the article fails to address, IMO, is the economic reasoning as to why the state should grant a rebate for the Marlins (for example, if they said the new stadium would generate well over 2 million in sales tax, if they believe that).
March 29, 200521 yr how did we miss the fact that we have a vote before a committee on Tuesday? 723319[/snapback] I'm sorry. I'm on Spring Break and really haven't been up on it. I will have the agenda up on the Newspage soon for this.
March 29, 200521 yr how did we miss the fact that we have a vote before a committee on Tuesday? 723319[/snapback] I'm sorry. I'm on Spring Break and really haven't been up on it. I will have the agenda up on the Newspage soon for this. 723417[/snapback] :censored :censored just kidding. I just got off spring break and I still cant work.
March 29, 200521 yr how did we miss the fact that we have a vote before a committee on Tuesday? 723319[/snapback] I'm sorry. I'm on Spring Break and really haven't been up on it. I will have the agenda up on the Newspage soon for this. 723417[/snapback] you monster. :plain
March 29, 200521 yr This editorial gives the ballpark support from both the Herald and the Sun-Sentinel.
March 30, 200521 yr This is really a turn-around from the Herald. Guess they can see this is going to happen, and don't want to be on the wrong side of success.
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