Quote:
Originally Posted by Locke
I seem to be butting heads with you all over the place these days.
So your contention is that all Cities gains zero benefit from all stadiums and arenas everywhere and as such shouldnt give anyone a dime for anything? Is that the fish thats just a fish?
I guess we only really need to pave the roads that lead from the Mayor's house to City Hall then.
My point of view is that stadiums and arenas require some amount of public help be in the form of cash, land, tax breaks, etc, but that cities should stay far away from absurd arena management contracts and that they should look to recoup their investment over the term of the life of the stadium and under no circumstances should go 'Full Oiler' and just pay for the thing for the team.
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My contention is that they get less positive impact from Arenas than they do for any other city-redevelopment.
The fact that the owners can pay for it themselves is ancillary to the primary argument, but only serves to reinforce it.
It's corporate welfare for one of the wealthiest (the wealthiest?) ownership groups in the league.
If the Flames want to own land to develop a business on, that is already worth hundreds of millions of dollars, they can buy it and finance it just like any other business would be expected to.
I don't understand why that's unreasonable.