Sales Tax is for Stadiums
Posted 10-21-1997
Does anyone really believe the Regional Renaissance Initiative's proposed 1/2 percent
sales tax is not about building two new stadiums in Pittsburgh? If it's not, why have the
two most visible cheerleaders for the tax been Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy and Steelers
owner Dan Rooney? If the group wanted anyone to believe the proposal wasn't about
stadiums, they could have chosen different front men.
I strongly oppose the approval of this tax
even though I'm a fan of the Steelers and Pirates. I believe it is not the best way to
finance new stadiums (if they are indeed necessary). This region has so many other
pressing challenges that if we are going to raise hundreds of millions of dollars they
should go into improving infrastructure, creating more available industrial sites,
improved employment training, and many other activities, not building sports stadiums.
Remember, even though the sales tax will only generate up to one half the cost for each
stadium, the bulk of the other money will come in the form of public dollars from
Harrisburg. If those hundreds of millions from Harrisburg are spent on the stadiums, that
means they aren't spent on other more pressing needs. There are only so many public
dollars available and I question some folks' priorities if they believe the best
expenditure of millions of public dollars is sports stadiums that aren't even used on a
daily basis.
As a Pirates fan, I have many concerns
about their future that go beyond the construction of a new stadium. Major League Baseball
needs to make a commitment to small market cities if they are to survive. They need
revenue sharing and a salary cap if places like Pittsburgh and Milwaukee are to better
compete with Atlanta, New York, and Chicago. The revenues the Pirates derive from cable
television aren't large enough either. Also, there is nothing in the Pirates history to
show that they will consistently put 35,000 people a night into a new stadium. They may do
it for a year or two, but there's nothing in their history to make us believe they'll
bring in more than two million fans per year (St. Louis draws four million fans per year
in a stadium just like Three Rivers).
As a Steeler fan I'm disappointed that the
Rooney family would even hint that they would leave if they don't get a new stadium. The
Rooney family has done a wonderful job of building the Steelers into one of the NFL's most
solid franchises. In fact, a recent study by a professor from Notre Dame rated the
Steelers the sixth most valuable franchise in the NFL. They've sold out the stadium for
twenty-five years, have been frugal with signing free agents, and the NFL will have a new
television contract within the next few years that will mean even more money for the
Rooney family. I don't believe that they'd even be asking for a new stadium if the Pirates
hadn't done so first.
I've talked mostly about stadiums because
that is what the sales tax referendum is mostly about. However, the legislation that
drives this vote offers a much more dangerous proposal with the creation of the Regional
Renaissance Authority to govern over the sales tax revenue. In some ways it is the first
attempt at regional government as this authority would control the revenue from the tax
and ultimately control which economic development projects in each county get to use the
sales tax revenue. Frankly, our legislative friends need to modernize the legislation that
governs authorities and until that happens, I don't want to entrust some unaccountable
group to control the economic development destiny of our county.
As you can see I could go on and on about
why this proposal doesn't deserve our vote. But I'm certain each voter will make up their
own mind. I just wanted to share with you a perspective you aren't going to see in any
slick television advertisements. |
