AECOM’s Stadium Impact Study: Definitive but Hallucinated Data
Maybe it's best to say AECOM "hallucinated" the economic impact of a Rays stadium, since much like AI, its report produces definitive answers while giving no reason to believe they're more accurate than what you'd get from asking the nearest 3-year-old. https://t.co/OBtDQkkFMW
Direct Democracy Blocks Sports Subsidies; Officials Easier to Sway
Direct democracy is historically a stumbling block for sports subsidies: Royals owner John Sherman could certainly pour money into fighting a stadium ballot measure, but it's been proven way easier to win over a handful of local elected officials. https://t.co/209xlVYFVD
Rays Stadium Could Cost Taxpayers $2‑4 Billion
We're at a minimum of $2.1B in public costs for the entire Rays stadium project, and a maximum of who the hell knows, but numbers like $4B or even higher are certainly not out of the realm of possibility. https://t.co/BTf9Ny0pwk
Royals' $600M Deal Raises Public Land Cost Questions
So ... $600m in cash? Would the Royals pay anything for the public land they'd be using? Would they pay property taxes? Rent? A cut of stadium revenues? The known unknowns are stacking up fast. https://t.co/kvnbRFiSYN
Stadium Funding Threatens $2.6B Infrastructure Projects
Hillsborough County previously identified $2.6B worth of roads, sewers, etc. to use Community Reinvestment Tax funds on — meaning diverting $437m to a Rays stadium could require cutting back on building actual public infrastructure. https://t.co/AY7YLzBXOF
Bears Owner Stays Put; Illinois Can't Match Indiana's $4B Offer
All this "Illinois is on the clock or we'll move to Indiana" talk should make clear: Bears owner George McCaskey would rather not leave the state, or he'd have already accepted Indiana's $4B stadium offer because there's no way Illinois...