Today's UEL blog features a Letter to the Editor (borrowed from the Miami Herald) that hails from a Chicago resident. Readers may recall that Chicago is often cited by the Mayor of Miami as the "world class city" that Miami wants to be. Yet somehow this writer's take on the Marlins' stadium calls Miami's "world class project" the "fleecing of taxpayers." Truer words were never spoken. On the same day, Miami-Dade Commissioner Carlos Gimenez expresses outrage that the proposed Miami-Dade budget includes a millage increase "right off the bat." He objects. Wish we had a few more like him. And if any of you noticed, the budget also includes cutting the Parks department by 25%! Time to take some corrective action ... ideas anyone?
Posted on Thu, Jul. 16, 2009
Oversight warranted on stadium project Re the July 12 editorial Jaw-dropping Marlins stadium deal: Kudos to The Miami Herald for calling out the problems with the Marlins stadium deal -- even as the price tag climbs to $2.4 billion before ground has been struck. Such corporate welfare and outright fleecing of taxpayers for the sake of building an already-over-budget baseball stadium is especially dangerous during these foul economic times.
Increasing the tax burden on tourism, a key industry for the Miami area, absolutely will hurt the local economy. While local officials and taxpayers might believe that residents will not have to bear these tax burdens, they are sorely mistaken.
Increased hotel taxes result in reduced demand for hotel rooms, which means fewer jobs and a weakened overall business climate.
There is near-unanimous agreement among economists that subsidizing stadiums and convention centers is bad public policy. Yet governments continue to shovel tax dollars into these high-profile, low-return projects. As The Miami Herald suggests, proper oversight and transparency of the process is a must.
JOHN NOTHDURFT, legislative specialist, The Heartland Institute, Chicago
I am concerned with the park cuts. That is not the Department to make massive cuts....people have little money, they will be turning to their parks more and more for recreation.
ReplyDeleteNo one listens to experts. I did find this letter very informative...I suspected what he said.
ReplyDeleteMr Northdurft, don't give the Mia. Herald any credit they were cheerleaders for this stadium. This is a change of heart -- once they heard (the Herald did not uncover it) that the bucks were going to be bigger than expected. They deserve NO credit. And, you don't know how oversight works in this town: It doesn't!
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