Now we are back to waiting. Back to agonizing over the next piece of news about the new stadium and the future of our team.

 

I'm hopeful that a deal will get done in Hialeah, but still, I am so darn tired of this.

 

We've been through this so many times, for so long. We have anxiously waited for multiple county and city commissions decisions, waited for state government votes, waited for all sorts of meetings, waited for team announcements, waited for news about relocation and contraction.....for nine years! And it continues.

 

I'm tired of waiting.....

so am i, there are too many setbacks. i dont kno when this will get done

I agree. Every morning I come to this forum to see if there is any news on the stadium. There is always hope and then it all goes down the drain. But I feel like this is going to get donw soon. We need a stadium ASAP.

Well here is what is in the news today:

 

MARLINS NOTEBOOK

Samson still pursuing stadium in HialeahBY BARRY JACKSON AND CLARK SPENCER

bjackson@MiamiHerald.com

Though the Marlins again failed to secure a $60 million sales tax rebate from the state, the team will continue negotiations to build a stadium in South Florida.

 

''Having the House pass the bill would have added to the existing momentum,'' team president David Samson said. ``I'm confident the momentum that exists will continue.

``I've spoken to [Miami-Dade County] and the city of Hialeah, and we have all agreed to continue to work on the path we were on.''

 

The Marlins are about $100 million short of what they need for a ballpark that would cost at least $430 million.

 

Bexar County (San Antonio) Judge Nelson Wolff has given the Marlins a May 15 deadline to accept the county's offer to ask voters to extend a hotel and car rental tax to help pay for a stadium there. Wolff said Saturday he would not extend the deadline.

 

''It may be impossible to get anything done in that time frame,'' Wolff said. ``We'll wait to see what they say.

 

``As every day goes by, it's clearly less likely it will happen. As long as their focus is to try to do the deal in South Florida, there is no sense [to extend the deadline].''

 

Samson declined to say how much thought the Marlins are giving to relocating.

 

The sales tax bill passed in the state Senate late Friday but was not heard by the House before the legislature adjourned.

 

Link

 

At least Samson confirmed that the Hialeah deal wasn't contingent on this bill passing.

 

Another article from the Palm Beach Post:

 

Clock strikes 12 on Marlins' stadium bill

By Alan Gomez

 

Palm Beach Post Capitol Bureau

 

Sunday, May 07, 2006

 

TALLAHASSEE ? At 11:52 p.m. Friday, Miami Sen. Rudy Garcia and a Senate clerk walked into the House chamber carrying the hope of the Marlins with them.

 

Minutes earlier, the state Senate passed a bill to give the team $60 million to help build a stadium in Hialeah. Now the bill had eight minutes for a vote from the chamber before going to Gov. Jeb Bush. At midnight, the session would end.

 

Garcia shook hands with Miami representatives, a smile on his face as the bill was taken to the House clerk to be introduced.

 

"We had the votes," said Rep. Gus Barreiro, R-Miami Beach.

 

But as the minutes ticked down, the bill wasn't being heard. Representatives were still debating a bill about cancer drugs ? a possible mini-filibuster aimed at dragging out the clock ? as Miami representatives huddled at the front of the chamber, repeatedly pointing at the digital clock at the front of the chamber. Incoming House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-Miami, rose to the dais to huddle with House Speaker Allan Bense.

 

At 11:59 p.m., the bill was finally introduced and read rapidly, but Bense said it was too late, ending the session and the Marlins' hopes of state help.

 

"The Marlins will continue to work on getting a deal done that makes sense to everyone," team President David Samson said Saturday. "The commitment local officials have to keep the Marlins hasn't changed because of the events in Tallahassee."

 

Afterward, Garcia, who had spent the previous few hours scrambling between the House and Senate chambers trying to secure as many votes as he could, said he hoped that the bill's death does not mean the end of the Marlins in Florida.

 

"I certainly hope that they'll consider how hard we've been working for them," he said.

 

Legislators already are looking at the 2007 session as the time when the Marlins finally get the subsidy they've been seeking for more than five years.

 

Rubio will lead the House next session and the incoming Senate president, Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, voted for the Marlins bill.

 

Rubio is remaining quiet about the chances, though he strongly supports the idea ? and bringing home a Marlins stadium in his first year as speaker would be a political boon for the rising Republican.

 

"Who knows what we'll be doing next year. We might legalize bullfighting for all I know," he said.

 

Under the bill that nearly passed Friday, the state would not only give $60 million to the Marlins, it would also open the door to all other professional sports teams to dip into state funds for a second time.

 

The Marlins and six other teams currently receive $2 million a year over a 30-year span to upgrade their facilities. The bill would have given the Marlins the second subsidy immediately, while also allowing the state's other pro teams to receive two such benefits from the state.

 

If all nine professional sports teams in Florida go for the money, that would total $540 million.

 

"I still believe it's going to get worked out because I believe baseball should be here," Marlins manager Joe Girardi said. "I think they'll find a way. It'll get done. I really believe that."

 

 

Link

 

The good news for the team is if they do decide to try again next year in Tallahassee, which i'm guessing that they will even if they have other funding options in place, is that Tom Lee and Alan Bense will not be heading the chambers. With pro-Marlins politicians in charge of the House and Senate, it should get more of a fair shot.

 

By the way, when can we expect another update from Jerry Del Castillo? He seems to be right on top of this story.

Tallahassee was just an effort by Hialeah and Dade County to put icing on the cake. The Marlins had no part and no expectations of that effort.

So is May 15th still an important date?

So is May 15th still an important date?

 

 

May 15th is important only in the sense that it is the date that the Judge needs a commitment from the Fish in order to place the stadium referendum on the November ballot. It does NOT signal the end of San Antonio's willingness to make a deal with the Fish. If the decision to pursue the move comes after May 15th, the plan would be to place the referendum on the ballot in 2007.

The last thing the Judge and the Fish would want would be to get an agreement, and then not have enough time to campaign, putting the referendum's success at risk.

It was reported in this mornings Express News that the visit by Fish officials this week resulted in them settling on the Longhorn Quarry site as the one they would want, if they decided to move.

These are the facts as I know them. Hope no one takes offense.

samson was on fsn before the game today he was happy with hialeah site and support that he got from hialeah mayor and county this interview was one that i hear him talk good about hialeah he talk very little about san antiono and on ch 6 miami their talk with mayor of hialeah at airport he say that hialeah still in game after what happen inTallahassee this friday he going have meeting this week with marlins and county so we need to hope brake in case will happen soon

Hollyberry Posted Today, 09:51 AM

So is May 15th still an important date?

 

The May 15th deadline is for San Antonio in order to place the referendum in 2006, as noted by Longhorns Rule. It doesn't mean that SA won't deal with the Marlins again if they come calling. The May 15th isn't for the Marlins to have an agreement with hialeah in place.

 

Baseball: Wolff stands pat on May 15 deadline for Marlins

 

"The May 15 deadline is needed because we would need to finalize the stadium site, negotiate a letter of understanding and then hold a campaign," Wolff said.

 

"Based on what (the Marlins) have told us, they have a long way to go on the Hialeah site," Wolff said. "They have a lot of issues to deal with. I would think it would take them awhile to sort that out."

 

The above statement seem as if the Hialeah deal will not be completed anytime soon. I hope I'ved helped clarified the difference between SF & SA as it relates to the 15th of May.

So is May 15th still an important date?

 

 

May 15th is important only in the sense that it is the date that the Judge needs a commitment from the Fish in order to place the stadium referendum on the November ballot.

Actually sometine in August is the deadline to put it on the November ballot.

 

May 15th is the deadline Wolff is giving the Marlins to commit to an MOU so that the couty caget everything together to get the vote on the ballot.

So is May 15th still an important date?

 

 

May 15th is important only in the sense that it is the date that the Judge needs a commitment from the Fish in order to place the stadium referendum on the November ballot.

Actually sometine in August is the deadline to put it on the November ballot.

 

May 15th is the deadline Wolff is giving the Marlins to commit to an MOU so that the couty caget everything together to get the vote on the ballot.

 

I think the 15th is what the Judge feels he needs in order to conduct a campaign to educate the voting populace in regards to what exactly they are voting for, i.e. an extension of the hotel/motel tax and not a new tax. A short campaign time would give opponents (Spurs) an opportunity to subvert the project.

So is May 15th still an important date?

 

 

May 15th is important only in the sense that it is the date that the Judge needs a commitment from the Fish in order to place the stadium referendum on the November ballot. It does NOT signal the end of San Antonio's willingness to make a deal with the Fish. If the decision to pursue the move comes after May 15th, the plan would be to place the referendum on the ballot in 2007.

The last thing the Judge and the Fish would want would be to get an agreement, and then not have enough time to campaign, putting the referendum's success at risk.

It was reported in this mornings Express News that the visit by Fish officials this week resulted in them settling on the Longhorn Quarry site as the one they would want, if they decided to move.

These are the facts as I know them. Hope no one takes offense.

 

Well, if its true they decided on the Longhorn Quarry site should they come here (haven't seen the article), they made an excellent choice. I wonder if the city would find a way to work the existing rail lines in the area into some form of shuttle service.

 

I think it would be better for the city/county if Wolff just cut off everything at May 15th until after the election period, but your certainly right in that it's just a deadline for this coming election. The absolute latest would be about May 15th next year, since that would leave just enough time to complete the stadium before the Fish got kicked out of DS (provided it passed the vote in a lower turnout election).

So is May 15th still an important date?

 

 

May 15th is important only in the sense that it is the date that the Judge needs a commitment from the Fish in order to place the stadium referendum on the November ballot. It does NOT signal the end of San Antonio's willingness to make a deal with the Fish. If the decision to pursue the move comes after May 15th, the plan would be to place the referendum on the ballot in 2007.

The last thing the Judge and the Fish would want would be to get an agreement, and then not have enough time to campaign, putting the referendum's success at risk.

It was reported in this mornings Express News that the visit by Fish officials this week resulted in them settling on the Longhorn Quarry site as the one they would want, if they decided to move.

These are the facts as I know them. Hope no one takes offense.

 

Well, if its true they decided on the Longhorn Quarry site should they come here (haven't seen the article), they made an excellent choice. I wonder if the city would find a way to work the existing rail lines in the area into some form of shuttle service.

 

I think it would be better for the city/county if Wolff just cut off everything at May 15th until after the election period, but your certainly right in that it's just a deadline for this coming election. The absolute latest would be about May 15th next year, since that would leave just enough time to complete the stadium before the Fish got kicked out of DS (provided it passed the vote in a lower turnout election).

 

 

Man, train service would be very nice.....give it kind of a Yankee Stadium feel....without the bad neighborhood of course.

The question I have about the Quarry is that being in a hole like that sure would make it hot. Would that site guarantee a retractable roof? If so, then I would be happy with it. I dont want a ballpark built here without a roof. Our populace has become extremely soft when it comes to heat these days. People WILL use heat as an excuse to not go to the ballpark.

So is May 15th still an important date?

 

 

May 15th is important only in the sense that it is the date that the Judge needs a commitment from the Fish in order to place the stadium referendum on the November ballot. It does NOT signal the end of San Antonio's willingness to make a deal with the Fish. If the decision to pursue the move comes after May 15th, the plan would be to place the referendum on the ballot in 2007.

The last thing the Judge and the Fish would want would be to get an agreement, and then not have enough time to campaign, putting the referendum's success at risk.

It was reported in this mornings Express News that the visit by Fish officials this week resulted in them settling on the Longhorn Quarry site as the one they would want, if they decided to move.

These are the facts as I know them. Hope no one takes offense.

 

Well, if its true they decided on the Longhorn Quarry site should they come here (haven't seen the article), they made an excellent choice. I wonder if the city would find a way to work the existing rail lines in the area into some form of shuttle service.

 

I think it would be better for the city/county if Wolff just cut off everything at May 15th until after the election period, but your certainly right in that it's just a deadline for this coming election. The absolute latest would be about May 15th next year, since that would leave just enough time to complete the stadium before the Fish got kicked out of DS (provided it passed the vote in a lower turnout election).

 

 

Man, train service would be very nice.....give it kind of a Yankee Stadium feel....without the bad neighborhood of course.

The question I have about the Quarry is that being in a hole like that sure would make it hot. Would that site guarantee a retractable roof? If so, then I would be happy with it. I dont want a ballpark built here without a roof. Our populace has become extremely soft when it comes to heat these days. People WILL use heat as an excuse to not go to the ballpark.

Guys. Guys...... The alam went off. Its time to get up and stop dreaming.