Lents stadium ripoff making national waves (Jack Bog's Blog)

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Lents stadium ripoff making national waves

The Paulson-Leonard stadium deal was recently called by its true name -- a scam -- in The Nation:

So forget the obscenity of any sports owner having the temerity to ask for public funds for a sports stadium at a time when we are collectively bailing out the nation's banks. Forget the lunacy of making the case for $85 million from a city that, despite its lush rose gardens and micro-breweries, has 16 percent of kids living below the poverty line. Forget all humanitarian and economic considerations. The fact is that the cash between the cushions at the Paulson family compound could pay for the new stadium in Portland and yet Merritt wants more. These aren't masters of industry. They're grifters.

And when we're called upon to vote for the starving children, let us not forget what the city has plenty of money for -- and on which no vote will be taken.

Posted at 3:49 AM | Permalink

Comments (4)

Thanks for the link. I was searching for: "Recently, sports economists Dennis Coates (University of Maryland) and Brad R. Humphreys (University of Alberta) carried out research asking whether cities that built new stadiums to entice professional sports teams experienced a boost in the local economy. In their study--which spanned nearly thirty years and examined almost forty attempts to lure teams--they couldn't find a single example of a sports franchise jump-starting the local economy...." and now I have it. I read this study years ago and never,once, has a city prospered because of Sports. Feel good is not economical development. Quite the contrary it empties the coffers so that money needed for Infrastructure is not available.

Posted by KISS | October 28, 2008 6:41 AM

I love Dave Zirin. His book about politics and sports ("What's My Name, Fool!," with a big picture of Ali on the cover) was outstanding.

Posted by George Seldes | October 28, 2008 11:37 AM

Hallelujah to The Nation for this piece. One would think during these times of financial distress, Big Sports would have the decency to stop asking local and state govts. to bend over. Think again.

Posted by jimbo | October 28, 2008 12:37 PM

Well, the stadium dream has given Randy a free trip to the Big Apple paid by the taxpayers to escort Paulson to those big meetings with league officials. What more can Randy ask for besides a cut on the PGE and Lents Park deals?

Posted by Lee | October 28, 2008 12:59 PM