Here's your basis on which Minneaplis' and baseball's economics are NOT compatible.
First, from Bud Selig's own mouth: "Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said Friday that six to eight baseball teams were in danger of going out of business if baseball's broken economic system is not fixed." Baseball's fundamental economic system is broken - that's one heck of a statement. Its fundamental economic system is based on corporate welfare to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars - and even that is not enough to keep these flailing behemoths afloat. If baseball is broken, it is not Minneapolis' or any other city's, county's, or state's business to keep throwing money at it to keep it going. At best, that's a temporary bandaid which will create great risk to the community of losing the team anyway, not getting repayments on money lent or rental revenue promised, and being stuck footing the bill for the remaining payments on the empty stadium & amenities such as parking that have been built to support it. The economics are simple - tickets + TV/radio + concessions + memorabila = revenue. These aren't keeping pro ball teams solvent now. Building new stadia won't change that - all you'll have is a more expensive venue, which will require higher ticket prices, which will create even less of an incentive to go. What has always been an incentive for people to attend games - a winning team, which we have seen here in MN when the Twins were doing well - isn't even enough. Case in point: the Montreal Expos - "although the team has done well on the field, attendance and interest in the team is virtually non-existent." If a winning team won't get people into the bleachers, a more expensive seat at a new stadium won't magically create an even greater incentive that will bring 'em in. A new stadium will not increase TV revenue, or any other incidental sales. The same people who watched remotely will still watch remotely, and the same people willing to spend $x on baseball stuff will still be willing & able to spend the same amount. So, now that it's all up to basic math - higher costs WITHOUT a resulting revenue jump that is FAR GREATER than, not equal to, those higher costs, means only more losses. Second, Robert Schmid discussed quite adequately the fact that downtown businesses aren't getting all that much additional revenue out of sports, and I've already covered (so I won't again) the fact that before we had pro sports & all the ridiculously high downtown taxes, we had a bustling downtown, and now it's a ghost town. Not to mention the fact that Minneapolis residents are sick of being shafted so that non-residents can enjoy themselves at our expense. Third, and more important, is that Minnesota, its counties, and its cities are all facing huge revenue shortfalls. We are laying off teachers, decreasing school bus service, cutting basic necessary administrative functions at all levels of government, cutting back on transportation & infrasturcture spending, not issuing Section 8 housing vouchers because so few landlords will accept them that they aren't worth the paper they're written on, not putting money into public health or affordable housing, and on & on. Excuse me, but... IT IS SHEER <BLEEP>ING ARROGANCE TO MAKE THE CASE FOR A BASEBALL STADIUM SPENDING WHEN OUR CITIZENS' BASIC NEEDS AREN'T BEING MET. Raise the funds to pay for all these things, and then MAYBE it would a viable time to START a discussion about such wasteful luxuries. Most Minneapolitans (and Minnesotans) get no benefit from the Twins. Huge numbers couldn't afford to take their families to a game even if they cared. Pro sports are a white, middle-class, elitist luxury, and it's time that their fans get the picture that if they can't pay for their own toys, they'd better give them up rather than expecting the general public to suffer for them. Those who need a baseball fix locally can go visit the Saints. Go Twins - and Take the Vikings With You, Roxana Orrell Central >Message: 8 >From: "James E Jacobsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 07:05:10 -0500 >Subject: [Mpls] baseball ghosts > > Ref a century ago, when players had day jobs, there wasn't >television then -yielding $80 million a year and broadcasting the game = >all over. > In spite of those that are negative, In whatever time period >required, the stadium -without extra taxes- would not only pay for >itself it will contribute greatly to the community, in that it does >bring in people, and it provides additional use and patronage to the >already built parking ramps, hotels, bars and restaurants in the area, >not to mention theatres and etc. > And without the Twins, there would be a heavier burden on tax >payers to make up the loss of revenues on parking ramps and for the >lessor tax collections in all categories. > I would like to know on what factual basis the economics of >baseball and of Minneapolis are 'very likely' not compatible now. > James E Jacobsen // Whittier _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
