The Miami Herald reports that Ron Book, a lobbyist for the Dolphins wants to raise the tourist tax to pay for renovations to Land Shark stadium, he says are needed to continue to attract the Super Bowl:
Aiming to raise public dollars to improve their privately-owned stadium, the Miami Dolphins and team backers have hatched a plan: get state legislators to lift the ceiling on Miami-Dade's hotel tax and then ask county commissioners to increase the rate of the so-called bed tax.
Backers of the plan, which has been presented to state legislators in recent weeks, say the move would generate millions of dollars for renovations on the Dolphins' Sun Life Stadium -- along with upgrades of the Miami Beach Convention Center.
I think it would be a gross act of malfeasance to contribute one dime to the stadium owners to put a roof over the heads of a few football fans. I think it is a big hoax to say the Super Bowl is bringing lots of tourists. There is already whining from the hoteliers that Indianapolis fans are not coming in droves. South Florida is bursting with tourists every February who come here for the place - not for an attraction. We do not need "special events" like Super Bowl and/or the Boat Show to fill the hotels during this time of year. South Florida is a natural destination for tourists during the month of February. Only the "good old boy network" , the stadium owner and their lobbyists think we need to invest in special events and more an bigger stadiums. Enough with public money giveaways to private sports club owners.
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