bob2the2nd
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I'm not advocating one way or the other, as I no longer reside in Cleveland. However, all recent research refutes what you are saying; Publicly funding stadiums for billionaires, and a non-profit organization like the NFL (i.e. non taxed organization), is slowly being proven to be one of the most fiscally irresponsible thing cities can do. There is a direct correlation between bankrupt cities and publicly funded stadiums; the dollars spent by citizens are never matched by the amount of "tourism" or "event" cash brought in by the stadium. These leagues rely on the fear of relocation in order to take advantage of working class and city dwellers. There is little doubt that investing in they city's infrastructure and education systems would be a far better long term plan to improve the city...but long term investments are never shiny and attractive; not to mention that elected city officials would be run out of town should we lose a sports franchise that is costing the city millions, and therefore do whatever is needed in the short-term to stay in office;
Even Jerry Jones, who self-funded his billion dollar stadium did so with the veil of a lifetime tax abatement...a lifetime tax abatement that the people of Arlington will pick up the slack for at the tune of $6M per year....
Essentially, the NFL specifically, and sports franchises in general, rely on people thinking you should pony up some of your hard earned working class dollars, in order to line the pockets of a few select billionaires.
you mean the upper 1% of this country continue to look for ways to fuck over the other 99%.... i for one am.... well not shocked.
that said ocelot nailed this one "Could someone please make a coherent argument about how upgrades to inside the stadium are going to bring more people downtown?"
its not, people will continue to go to browns games because well.. its the browns. even if the stadium sucks people will continue to show. from everything i have read the ravens play in a top 10 stadium (i guess it was pretty cool?) but people dont go to ravens games because of the stadium, they go because its the ravens. city of cleveland, save your money