Sunday, August 30, 2015

Arenas Stadiums Lousy Ways To Do Urban Renewal

08/28/2015- Alternet:
Black Communities Destroyed By Publicly Funded Stadium...
"According to Deadspin, 61 percent of the billions of dollars spent on stadium construction between 1909 and 2012 came from public coffers....

Chester, Pennsylvania, a city where 33 percent of the population is below the poverty level but public funds were used to finance 97 percent of a $122 million soccer stadium that has yet to transform Chester... Or Detroit, whose government can’t pay public employee pensions or keep the street lights on but can somehow throw $261.5 million at a new hockey arena. The list goes on...

In Atlanta, four stadiums––two for baseball and two for football––have not only spurred virtually no economic development for the surrounding neighborhoods, they’ve actually contributed significantly to the de-development of what were once thriving middle and working class Black communities.."


SEE ALSO:
     08/14/2015- NYT: Bucks’ Owners Win, at Wisconsin’s Expense
     08/13/2015- Sacramento Bee: Sacramento closes deal for Kings arena financing
     'Field Of Schemes' << A compilation site dedicated to such machinations.



COMMENTARY
In each and every one of these taxpayers footed a large portion of the bill to make millionaires even more wealthy. This might be acceptable had taxpayers seen at least some portion of a return on their investment thus helping to make city coffers flush with cash. However in each and every case it has never happened.

I challenge anyone to show me an example where it turned out otherwise


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