John Oliver - Stadiums (Bucks mention)

[jesmu84]

Seems relevant. Also features the Bucks

https://www.youtube.com/v/xcwJt4bcnXs

[keefe]

Oliver has it right. The Milwaukee Bucks talk starts around 9:24.

Dodds site is all over this issue; i am guessing any negative views will get one banned!

The reality is that stadia are not financially sound investments for the community.

[brandx]

Teams continue to shakedown states and cities simply because they can. If Milwaukee and Wisconsin don't come through, someone else will.

[keefe]

Teams continue to shakedown states and cities simply because they can. If Milwaukee and Wisconsin don't come through, someone else will.

It's interesting that Seattle has an investor who will foot the bill.

[brandx]

It's interesting that Seattle has an investor who will foot the bill.

Some of that MS cash?

[MU82]

I agreed with everything Oliver said and laughed at much of it.

One thing he didn't mention, however, was the shell game cities/counties/states use to finance stadiums.

Phoenix applies an X% tax on car rentals and hotel rooms to pay for stadiums. Voters like that, because they don't have to pay it ... unless they travel to Chicago or Miami or Philadelphia or Detroit or St. Louis or any of the other places that do the same thing.

[ChicosBailBonds]

The money is there from the business sector and private investors.  Not something the public should be using. 

[Benny B]

I hate to say it, but I see no other way to stem this unless professional sports were to be regulated... otherwise, sh|t like this is going to continue to spiral out of control.

A holographic replay system?  Bangladesh will have an NFL team before the Bengals get a holographic replay system.

States already license and regulate boxing and the other BTSOH sports... why not regulate football, basketball, hockey and baseball too?

[mu03eng]

At the end of the day it's an arms race.  A city can put its foot down and say no, and the team can just move on down the road to another city willing to pay for it.  Until every major city refuses to play the game this will always happen.

Ironically it's basically a prisoner's dilemma game theory only with the cities not acting rationally.

[brandx]

I hate to say it, but I see no other way to stem this unless professional sports were to be regulated... otherwise, sh|t like this is going to continue to spiral out of control.

A holographic replay system?  Bangladesh will have an NFL team before the Bengals get a holographic replay system.

States already license and regulate boxing and the other BTSOH sports... why not regulate football, basketball, hockey and baseball too?

And this will happen how?

BTW, I agree with what you say.

[Benny B]

And this will happen how?

Well, start with getting the IRS to start eliminating any tax exemptions for stadia bond financing.

Beyond that, considering that the major professional sports leagues are essentially cartels, it seems like the most logical next step would be to get the FTC involved.

Then get the states to fall in line by tying the whole thing to state highway funding.


All of this has been done before... you just need someone brave enough to take on the pro sports leagues.

[Tums Festival]

Has anyone on Scoop sat down and figured out what the new arena will cost them personally in additional taxes?

[4everwarriors]

$1.69, hey?

[GB Warrior]

$1.69, hey?

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter. Let's ignore the deficit and assume that $400M was going to be spent. What is the likelihood that any one of us would have seen a $1 of economic benefit? Is the community benefiting? No, but it's not like they were going to put money back in taxpayers pockets if they turned down the deal.

[mu_hilltopper]

Only $1.69?  Excellent.   I'll also vote to spend $1.69 to restore all budget cuts to the UW system, and another $1.69 for K-12 education, and $1.69 (less!) for raising $100m for the repair projects for the park system. 

If we all spent $1.69 could we get the Zoo Interchange done?  Would $2 make it go faster, because that'd be super.  If it's only $1.69, I'll throw in for the trolley system too, because why not.

[4everwarriors]

The budget cut at UW and the funds made available for the Bucks arena are mutually exclusive of one another. Scratch didn't get shifted from one to another. Raise tuition if more bread is needed at the universities. Hell, it's the best deal goin' in higher education around here, hey?
I'm willin' to stick our necks out for the arena. I see value, benefit for the city, and personal enjoyment for the building and surroundin' area. As for the trolley, we all need that like a chancre on our junk, ai na?

[GGGG]

The amount of the state's obligation for the new arena is something like $4 million per year for 20 years.  The state cut the UW System $125M each of the next two years.  4ever is right.  You cannot equate the two.

[Benny B]

Only $1.69?  Excellent.   I'll also vote to spend $1.69 to restore all budget cuts to the UW system, and another $1.69 for K-12 education, and $1.69 (less!) for raising $100m for the repair projects for the park system. 

If we all spent $1.69 could we get the Zoo Interchange done?  Would $2 make it go faster, because that'd be super.  If it's only $1.69, I'll throw in for the trolley system too, because why not.

It's only $1.69 for 4ever.  It'd be much more if it weren't for all the off-shorin' and tax-shelterin.