But These Welfare Queens Are Manly!

The state of New Jersey has finally spread 'em wide enough for football's "New York" Giants to accept building a new $750 million stadium in the swampy Meadowlands. Battered-wife quote of the day goes to acting Joisy Governor Richard Codey: "This will be the best deal for the taxpayers of any stadium deal in the NFL."

Oh yeah? Let's check out the fine print, care of the Star-Ledger:

New Jersey will pay up to $30 million to bring utilities to the site and be responsible for $124 million in debt that remains on the existing stadium.

Well, good thing each and every New Jersey resident can enjoy the benefits of having a moneybags professional sporting franchise play eight whole games a year in the Garden State! On the bright side, at least Codey isn't as blatant a money-squandering jock-sniffer as nearby Mayor Mikey Bloomberg.

Comments

[Josh]

The sad part is that Codey's not lying about it being the best stadium deal.

[David]

Why do the Giants even need a new stadium? I've been to the current one many times and there is nothing wrong with it. It compares favorably to the newer stadiums I've been to.

Oh wait, I know. They need more "luxury" boxes for non fans who aren't on the lifelong waiting list.

[Jamie]

F all of them. I'll be paying for both as I live in NJ and work in NY. Or maybe the correct expression is F me, since I'm the one whose effectively doing the leg spreading. One more reason to vote Republican for governor - not that it matters. The dead man's lobby is far too strong.

[Isaac Bartram]

Next up a new O-rena for the Orlando Tragic.

It's in the latest corporate welfare giveaway bill before the Florida House. Never mind that the residents of Orange County have already given them a great big "fuck you".

[Evan Williams]

David,

It's got nothing to do with necessity. When you're spending other people's money, especially the taxpayers', then necessity and many other common economic laws fly out the window in liu of "desire".

[Isaac Bartram]

Jamie sez;

One more reason to vote Republican for governor - not that it matters.

No, it doesn't matter. Florida has a Republican governor, Republican Senate and Republican House.

God, I love how the Republicons are getting Government off our backs.

[phocion]

The sad part is that Codey's not lying about it being the best stadium deal.

Absolutely. In fact, this deal is remarkably good for the state considering the what they could have ended up with. Replacing a state-owned stadium with a stadium wholly owned by and paid for by the New Jersey Giants is a positive move. The $7 million a year the NJ Giants are paying for the new site will cover the cost of linking utilities -- the state is simply not recouping on the old stadium, which was a phenomenally bad deal to begin with. The state would have eaten it on the old stadium one way or another eventually.

[Ira Weatheral]

The current issue (with a really cool cover) says the Dallas Cowboy's stadium would be the last one paid for by taxpayers as per a Supreme Court ruling. Is that so? Will NJ residents still get soaked?

[Stretch]

Did someone neglect to mention to New Jersey that the Giants suck? Eli is not Peyton and Plaxico is not Marvin. Go Eagles!

[phocion]

Ira,

I think the Supreme Court thing is about the government calling eminent domain and plowing over a neighborhood for a stadium -- not whether the government can fritter away money on stadiums on public land. I could be wrong about that.

Stretch,

Fly Eagles Fly!

[thoreau]

Isaac-

Very good point.

Lots of people have pointed to data suggesting that, at the federal level, divided government is better than single party government. I don't know that I've seen truly rigorous statistical studies, but some of what I've seen is thorough enough to be suggestive. Certainly the matter deserves more inquiry.

What about the state level? Has any study been done on the effects of single party rule vs. divided government at the state level? Look at the levels of taxation and spending, as well as transparency and corruption. The nice thing is that in addition to doing comparisons across time you can do comparisons between states.

I am genuinely curious what such a study would turn up.

[joe]

NFL franchise owners are manly? Eh, not so much.

[dhex]

would be neat if sports fans were as upset about this stuff as they are about the whole steroids thing.

[David]

Sports fans will be upset about whatever sportswriters tell them they should be upset about. Or at least the writers will make it seem that way.

[The Real Bill]

SF may be a leftist mess in many ways, but we got a beautiful, privately-financed baseball park and shot down the publicly-financed football stadium. Sometimes leftists aren't completely stupid.

[First String or First Chair?]

SF may be a leftist mess in many ways, but we got a beautiful, privately-financed baseball park and shot down the publicly-financed football stadium. Sometimes leftists aren't completely stupid.

I'll wager that a good number of the people who vote "No" on stadiums and arenas will vote "Yes" for concert halls, community playhouses, and museums. See, their entertainment "benefits the community" while the sportfan's entertainment is just a disgusting modern gladiator show.

So don't pat the "No stadium" voters on the back until you find out how they'd vote for an arts complex.