UPDATE:

 

By BRENT KALLESTAD

Associated Press Writer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A bid by Miami-Dade County officials for $60 million in state money to help build a new Florida Marlins baseball stadium suffered a blow Friday when a key lawmaker said his pivotal committee would not hear the proposal.

 

"I don't see any reason for it to be heard," said Rep. Fred Brummer, a certified public accountant from Apopka who chairs the House Finance and Tax Committee. "It's got to have something going for it for us to use working family's tax dollars and I've seen nothing in the bill that this is a good use of tax dollars."

 

And House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City, has said consistently that he won't force his committee chairs to hear bills they have doubts about.

 

"He picks the chairmen he trusts to look out for the best interests of the people and that's Fred Brummer's job," Bense spokesman Towson Fraser said Friday. "He's doing his job."

 

Brummer described the county's economic analysis "tepid at best" and cited previous commitments from the Legislature to professional sports franchises as the main reason they were being asked to kick in again.

 

"If the Dade county taxpayers support it, God bless 'em," Brummer said Friday. "If they want to use Dade County taxes for it, that's fine. I think they can get it done on their own."

 

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez was unavailable Friday afternoon to comment, spokeswoman Susie Trutie said, and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz did not immediately a telephone message at his office.

 

They are looking for a $60 million state subsidy to help them build a $420 million government-owned stadium that would be rented to the Marlins for its 81 baseball dates each year.

 

Team officials have unsuccessfully sought state assistance three times previously and claim they could be forced to move elsewhere if they don't get a new ballpark. The Marlins now play home games in the reconfigured confines of the home field of the NFL's Miami Dolphins in northern Miami-Dade County.

 

The measure is still alive in the Senate despite opposition by that chamber's leadership.

 

It also has the backing of Gov. Jeb Bush and Bense's designated successor, Rep. Marco Rubio, R-Miami, who could use his growing political clout in the House to rally support for the ballpark if a Senate bill comes through.

 

After bouncing around for several weeks, the Senate version (SB 1306) finally gained some traction when it came through the Commerce and Consumer Services Committee on a 6-2 vote Wednesday.

 

That measure creates an additional slot for the team to qualify for an annual $2 million subsidy administered by the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development and the quasi private Enterprise Florida, Inc.

 

However, Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, is on the record that he wants any proposal to include a request for money for a NASCAR Hall of Fame in Volusia County and another request from the Orlando Magic to refurbish its 16-year-old downtown arena.

 

A poll earlier this year by Quinnipiac University reported more than three-fourths of those surveyed opposed tax dollars going to stadium costs.

 

link

UPDATE:

 

By BRENT KALLESTAD

Associated Press Writer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A bid by Miami-Dade County officials for $60 million in state money to help build a new Florida Marlins baseball stadium suffered a blow Friday when a key lawmaker said his pivotal committee would not hear the proposal.

 

"I don't see any reason for it to be heard," said Rep. Fred Brummer, a certified public accountant from Apopka who chairs the House Finance and Tax Committee. "It's got to have something going for it for us to use working family's tax dollars and I've seen nothing in the bill that this is a good use of tax dollars."

 

And House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City, has said consistently that he won't force his committee chairs to hear bills they have doubts about.

 

"He picks the chairmen he trusts to look out for the best interests of the people and that's Fred Brummer's job," Bense spokesman Towson Fraser said Friday. "He's doing his job."

 

Brummer described the county's economic analysis "tepid at best" and cited previous commitments from the Legislature to professional sports franchises as the main reason they were being asked to kick in again.

 

"If the Dade county taxpayers support it, God bless 'em," Brummer said Friday. "If they want to use Dade County taxes for it, that's fine. I think they can get it done on their own."

 

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez was unavailable Friday afternoon to comment, spokeswoman Susie Trutie said, and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz did not immediately a telephone message at his office.

 

They are looking for a $60 million state subsidy to help them build a $420 million government-owned stadium that would be rented to the Marlins for its 81 baseball dates each year.

 

Team officials have unsuccessfully sought state assistance three times previously and claim they could be forced to move elsewhere if they don't get a new ballpark. The Marlins now play home games in the reconfigured confines of the home field of the NFL's Miami Dolphins in northern Miami-Dade County.

 

The measure is still alive in the Senate despite opposition by that chamber's leadership.

 

It also has the backing of Gov. Jeb Bush and Bense's designated successor, Rep. Marco Rubio, R-Miami, who could use his growing political clout in the House to rally support for the ballpark if a Senate bill comes through.

 

After bouncing around for several weeks, the Senate version (SB 1306) finally gained some traction when it came through the Commerce and Consumer Services Committee on a 6-2 vote Wednesday.

 

That measure creates an additional slot for the team to qualify for an annual $2 million subsidy administered by the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development and the quasi private Enterprise Florida, Inc.

 

However, Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, is on the record that he wants any proposal to include a request for money for a NASCAR Hall of Fame in Volusia County and another request from the Orlando Magic to refurbish its 16-year-old downtown arena.

 

A poll earlier this year by Quinnipiac University reported more than three-fourths of those surveyed opposed tax dollars going to stadium costs.

 

link

743021[/snapback]

 

why the hell are u always so damn negative man....is this ur job to be an a$$ all the time???

UPDATE:

 

By BRENT KALLESTAD

Associated Press Writer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A bid by Miami-Dade County officials for $60 million in state money to help build a new Florida Marlins baseball stadium suffered a blow Friday when a key lawmaker said his pivotal committee would not hear the proposal.

 

"I don't see any reason for it to be heard," said Rep. Fred Brummer, a certified public accountant from Apopka who chairs the House Finance and Tax Committee. "It's got to have something going for it for us to use working family's tax dollars and I've seen nothing in the bill that this is a good use of tax dollars."

 

And House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City, has said consistently that he won't force his committee chairs to hear bills they have doubts about.

 

"He picks the chairmen he trusts to look out for the best interests of the people and that's Fred Brummer's job," Bense spokesman Towson Fraser said Friday. "He's doing his job."

 

Brummer described the county's economic analysis "tepid at best" and cited previous commitments from the Legislature to professional sports franchises as the main reason they were being asked to kick in again.

 

"If the Dade county taxpayers support it, God bless 'em," Brummer said Friday. "If they want to use Dade County taxes for it, that's fine. I think they can get it done on their own."

 

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez was unavailable Friday afternoon to comment, spokeswoman Susie Trutie said, and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz did not immediately a telephone message at his office.

 

They are looking for a $60 million state subsidy to help them build a $420 million government-owned stadium that would be rented to the Marlins for its 81 baseball dates each year.

 

Team officials have unsuccessfully sought state assistance three times previously and claim they could be forced to move elsewhere if they don't get a new ballpark. The Marlins now play home games in the reconfigured confines of the home field of the NFL's Miami Dolphins in northern Miami-Dade County.

 

The measure is still alive in the Senate despite opposition by that chamber's leadership.

 

It also has the backing of Gov. Jeb Bush and Bense's designated successor, Rep. Marco Rubio, R-Miami, who could use his growing political clout in the House to rally support for the ballpark if a Senate bill comes through.

 

After bouncing around for several weeks, the Senate version (SB 1306) finally gained some traction when it came through the Commerce and Consumer Services Committee on a 6-2 vote Wednesday.

 

That measure creates an additional slot for the team to qualify for an annual $2 million subsidy administered by the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development and the quasi private Enterprise Florida, Inc.

 

However, Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, is on the record that he wants any proposal to include a request for money for a NASCAR Hall of Fame in Volusia County and another request from the Orlando Magic to refurbish its 16-year-old downtown arena.

 

A poll earlier this year by Quinnipiac University reported more than three-fourths of those surveyed opposed tax dollars going to stadium costs.

 

link

743021[/snapback]

 

why the hell are u always so damn negative man....is this ur job to be an a$$ all the time???

743023[/snapback]

 

Yes, he is a Phillie or Cubs fan in disguise

And if the Marlins moved to another state people wouldn't stop using their "marlin's money". Instead they would do otehr stuff with the money. Hit some Heat games, or Dolphin games, most people won't just save all that money. If it was disposable income before the Marlins it will be afterwards.

743011[/snapback]

do you spend your money in that fashion? earmarking a certain amount of money as "disposable income" and spending all of it on whatever you want until you use it up?

 

i know i don't.

743014[/snapback]

 

So instead you are impulsive? That is always a good thing I guess. I think most people have some sort of budget for themselves, the entire world is not fiscally irresponsible.

743018[/snapback]

you didn't answer my question.

 

do you spend a set amount of money as "disposable income" until you use all of it up?

 

e.g. if you don't go to a marlins game, do you just blow that cash on anything else for the sake of spending it?

 

to me, it seems kind of wasteful to spend all of an entire quantity, regardless of whether you really want/need to or not. granted, i probably spend half as much as most people, but i don't know too many folks who spend their money that mindlessly.

UPDATE:

 

By BRENT KALLESTAD

Associated Press Writer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A bid by Miami-Dade County officials for $60 million in state money to help build a new Florida Marlins baseball stadium suffered a blow Friday when a key lawmaker said his pivotal committee would not hear the proposal.

 

"I don't see any reason for it to be heard," said Rep. Fred Brummer, a certified public accountant from Apopka who chairs the House Finance and Tax Committee. "It's got to have something going for it for us to use working family's tax dollars and I've seen nothing in the bill that this is a good use of tax dollars."

 

And House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City, has said consistently that he won't force his committee chairs to hear bills they have doubts about.

 

"He picks the chairmen he trusts to look out for the best interests of the people and that's Fred Brummer's job," Bense spokesman Towson Fraser said Friday. "He's doing his job."

 

Brummer described the county's economic analysis "tepid at best" and cited previous commitments from the Legislature to professional sports franchises as the main reason they were being asked to kick in again.

 

"If the Dade county taxpayers support it, God bless 'em," Brummer said Friday. "If they want to use Dade County taxes for it, that's fine. I think they can get it done on their own."

 

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez was unavailable Friday afternoon to comment, spokeswoman Susie Trutie said, and Miami Mayor Manny Diaz did not immediately a telephone message at his office.

 

They are looking for a $60 million state subsidy to help them build a $420 million government-owned stadium that would be rented to the Marlins for its 81 baseball dates each year.

 

Team officials have unsuccessfully sought state assistance three times previously and claim they could be forced to move elsewhere if they don't get a new ballpark. The Marlins now play home games in the reconfigured confines of the home field of the NFL's Miami Dolphins in northern Miami-Dade County.

 

The measure is still alive in the Senate despite opposition by that chamber's leadership.

 

It also has the backing of Gov. Jeb Bush and Bense's designated successor, Rep. Marco Rubio, R-Miami, who could use his growing political clout in the House to rally support for the ballpark if a Senate bill comes through.

 

After bouncing around for several weeks, the Senate version (SB 1306) finally gained some traction when it came through the Commerce and Consumer Services Committee on a 6-2 vote Wednesday.

 

That measure creates an additional slot for the team to qualify for an annual $2 million subsidy administered by the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development and the quasi private Enterprise Florida, Inc.

 

However, Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, is on the record that he wants any proposal to include a request for money for a NASCAR Hall of Fame in Volusia County and another request from the Orlando Magic to refurbish its 16-year-old downtown arena.

 

A poll earlier this year by Quinnipiac University reported more than three-fourths of those surveyed opposed tax dollars going to stadium costs.

 

link

743021[/snapback]

 

why the hell are u always so damn negative man....is this ur job to be an a$$ all the time???

743023[/snapback]

 

Yes, he is a Phillie or Cubs fan in disguise

743026[/snapback]

oh ok thanks for the clarification...now i know y he's an a$$ all the time...

And if the Marlins moved to another state people wouldn't stop using their "marlin's money". Instead they would do otehr stuff with the money. Hit some Heat games, or Dolphin games, most people won't just save all that money. If it was disposable income before the Marlins it will be afterwards.

743011[/snapback]

do you spend your money in that fashion? earmarking a certain amount of money as "disposable income" and spending all of it on whatever you want until you use it up?

 

i know i don't.

743014[/snapback]

 

So instead you are impulsive? That is always a good thing I guess. I think most people have some sort of budget for themselves, the entire world is not fiscally irresponsible.

743018[/snapback]

you didn't answer my question.

 

do you spend a set amount of money as "disposable income" until you use all of it up?

 

e.g. if you don't go to a marlins game, do you just blow that cash on anything else for the sake of spending it?

 

to me, it seems kind of wasteful to spend all of an entire quantity, regardless of whether you really want/need to or not. granted, i probably spend half as much as most people, but i don't know too many folks who spend their money that mindlessly.

743027[/snapback]

 

I don't know what the hard concept here to grasp is. Lets say I have X amount of income. I decide I need 60% for bills, want to save 20% of it and that leaves me with 20% as disposable. This is just an example mind you.

 

Most people hvae more wants than just going to the Marlins game, at least I do, and I assume other people do to, looking at other people's cars and clothes, etc.. If I want to see the Marlins I will spend most of that disposable money on the Marlins, even though I might want some new cds, tv, etc., I'll put that stuff off. If the Marlins leave, I will be able to spend the money that I allocated for frivilous things, such as a tv, cds, marlins tickets, on other stuff. If you think if the Marlins leave that people will stop spending money, that is ridiculous.

oh ok thanks for the clarification...now i know y he's an a$$ all the time...

743029[/snapback]

 

No, I have just been very vocal on this issue. The Marlins want the stadium, the Marlins can pay for it. Miami-Dade wants to house the Marlins Miami-Dade can pay for it.

 

People in Alachua, Levy, Volusia,etc. counties shouldn't have to pay for it.

I don't know what the hard concept here to grasp is. Lets say I have X amount of income. I decide I need 60% for bills, want to save 20% of it and that leaves mewith 20% as disposable. This is just an example mind you.

 

 

Most people hvae more wants than just going to the Marlins game, at least I do, and I assume other people do to, looking at other people's cars and clothes, etc.. If I want to see the Marlins I will spend most of that disposable money on the Marlins, even though I might want some new cds, tv, etc., I'll put that stuff off. If the Marlins leave, I will be able to spend the money that I allocated for frivilous things, such as a tv, cds, marlins tickets, on other stuff. If you think if the Marlins leave that people will stop spending money, that is ridiculous.

743030[/snapback]

i didn't get a straight yes or no if you actually completely spend a certain set amount of "disposable income" in a fashion some would regard as wasteful, but i guess that answers my question.

 

most folks i know here in the real world save what they don't need to spend. speaking for myself, if i didn't go to a few marlins games, i wouldn't just decide to spend more money on frivolous things to balance it out. less expenses = less to take out of the bank.

 

while i can't speak for others, i can say for a fact that: no marlins = less tax revenue from me.

i didn't get a straight yes or no if you actually completely spend a certain set amount of "disposable income" in a fashion some would regard as wasteful, but i guess that answers my question.

 

If I have wants, and I have a disposable income left over, then yes I will spend that money. If I don't want something I will save that money and move on.

 

most folks i know here in the real world save what they don't need to spend. speaking for myself, if i didn't go to a few marlins games, i wouldn't just decide to spend more money on frivolous things to balance it out.

 

So are you saying that Marlins fans only spend money on the Marlins, and have no other wants in the world? Are you saying the 15K-25K good fans the Marlins actually have decided pre-emptively that money in their budget is for the Marlins and Marlins alone? Because that is what you are saying. To think people will have money and not spend it is ridiculous. They will either make it a really memorable christmas, or save it up to go to Disney, etc.

 

less expenses = less to take out of the bank.

 

 

 

i can't speak for others

743044[/snapback]

I guess I can't be too hard on you since you're just a teenage kid who probably hasn't even worked a whole lot in his life, let alone put together a budget, but in the real world, when we budget for disposable income, that set value is a cap; we don't necessarily spend an entire sum of money every year without regard to necessity.

 

most folks i know here in the real world save what they don't need to spend. speaking for myself, if i didn't go to a few marlins games, i wouldn't just decide to spend more money on frivolous things to balance it out.

 

So are you saying that Marlins fans only spend money on the Marlins, and have no other wants in the world?743048[/snapback]

Wow.

 

I'll say it again. You make logic look like a work by Jackson Pollock.

most folks i know here in the real world save what they don't need to spend. speaking for myself, if i didn't go to a few marlins games, i wouldn't just decide to spend more money on frivolous things to balance it out.

 

So are you saying that Marlins fans only spend money on the Marlins, and have no other wants in the world?743048[/snapback]

Wow.

 

I'll say it again. You make logic look like a work by Jackson Pollock.

743055[/snapback]

 

Answer the question, because that is what you are saying. It is more than believable to think people put off spending money on tvs,cars, cds, clothes,dinner, etc. because they spend it on the Marlins.

 

Once again, are you saying that Marlins fans only spend money on the Marlins, and have no other wants in the world?

Answer the question, because that is what you are saying. It is more than believable to think people put off spending money on tvs,cars, cds, clothes,dinner, etc. because they spend it on the Marlins.

 

Once again, are you saying that Marlins fans only spend money on the Marlins, and have no other wants in the world?

743059[/snapback]

:lol

 

of course not.

 

speaking for myself, if i didn't go to a few marlins games, i wouldn't just decide to spend more money on frivolous things to balance it out.

 

try giving it another reading.

Answer the question, because that is what you are saying. It is more than believable to think people put off spending money on tvs,cars, cds, clothes,dinner, etc. because they spend it on the Marlins.

 

Once again, are you saying that Marlins fans only spend money on the Marlins, and have no other wants in the world?

743059[/snapback]

:lol

 

of course not.

743062[/snapback]

 

Okay, so then why is it so hard to believe that if they had the money, and didn't have the Marlins to spend it on, that they wouldn't spend it on some of their other wants?

Answer the question, because that is what you are saying. It is more than believable to think people put off spending money on tvs,cars, cds, clothes,dinner, etc. because they spend it on the Marlins.

 

Once again, are you saying that Marlins fans only spend money on the Marlins, and have no other wants in the world?

743059[/snapback]

:lol

 

of course not.

743062[/snapback]

 

Okay, so then why is it so hard to believe that if they had the money, and didn't have the Marlins to spend it on, that they wouldn't spend it on some of their other wants?

743067[/snapback]

now we're getting into a discussion about personal spending habits.

 

if a person's necessary wants greatly exceeds their available disposable income, then sure, of course they'll spend that money on necessary desires that would otherwise go unfulfilled on a particular budget. you'd see this most often in A) poor people--those whose available disposable income is very low--and B) fiscally irresponsible people--those who have a ton of wants that they need to act upon but not enough money to act upon all of them.

 

does everyone fit that mold? absolutely not.

 

do most people? i'd imagine no.

 

do most people with lots of disposable income (wealthy people)? of course not.

does everyone fit that mold? absolutely not.

 

do most people? i'd imagine no.

743078[/snapback]

 

We are talking about Marlins fans who obviously have enough money to spend $30-$100+ on a baseball outing more than a couple times a year.

 

Feel welcome to get the discussion back on topic whenever.

A committee not wanting to hear a bill just means that that committee's silence will cause members to agree or oppose it. It is a polarizing move towards something they should be determining.

 

This committee not reviewing it may actually be a good thing. Instead of having a "neutral" report from this committee, each individual congressman will have to go over the documentation from the County/City/Marlins and the other reports that may come along the way and make a determination.

I don't think it works like that.

I think that committee approval is a pre-requisite to having the whole chamber vote on the bill.

Thus, if it dies in committe, it's dead.

 

Governor Bush should flex some political muscle-- after all, his brother once was the president of the Rangers. So, given the undying loyalty to W by seemingly everyone north of Palm Beach, that's the man who can help, i.e., call in a favor.

 

In fact, it would probably be the first and only thing I would ever agree with the president on.

I don't think it works like that.

I think that committee approval is a pre-requisite to having the whole chamber vote on the bill.

Thus, if it dies in committe, it's dead.

 

Governor Bush should flex some political muscle-- after all, his brother once was the president of the Rangers. So, given the undying loyalty to W by seemingly everyone north of Palm Beach, that's the man who can help, i.e., call in a favor.

 

In fact, it would probably be the first and only thing I would ever agree with the president on.

745914[/snapback]

The bill shouldn't die in committee because it wasn't heard. The bill could die in committee if no one brings it into the floor for a vote in both chambers.

Say hello to the Las Vegas Gamblers, starring Mike Lowell, Carlos Delgado, and Jack McKeon.