The Washington D.C. City Council Gets It Half Right
by Vince Daliessio
The city fathers have had an apparent, though rare attack of conscience. Faced with soaking the taxpayers of the district in order to build a new stadium for the notional Washington Nationals (the dismal team formerly known as the Montreal Expos), the city council has modified the deal negotiated between the impoverished city and the billionaire owners of Major League Baseball. They decided to require that half the funding come from private sources, which, in our opinion is still 50% too little. The billionaire executives are furious;
The president of Major League Baseball last night called the District's legislation for a new stadium "wholly unacceptable" and halted all business and promotional activities for the Washington Nationals until further notice.
Baseball officials, who are trying to sell the Washington Nationals, oppose the council's new plan because the uncertain nature of the private financing structure could lower the team's sale price. The pact Williams negotiated with baseball in September calls for the stadium to be funded largely through a gross receipts tax on large city businesses.
Baseball has been trying to sell the franchise for two years. Owners voted 29 to 1 on Dec. 3 to approve the relocation of the franchise from Montreal to Washington after being assured by Williams that the original stadium financing package would be approved intact by the council.
So let me get this straight - they can't sell the team at any price for two years, and they are going to relocate to a different city because requiring some private money be put at risk will lower the potential sale price?!?
What a bunch of evil corporate socialists these baseball people are!