Soccer Trolls
Welcome to the pro-stadium readers who have found this blog listed as an opponent of the tax payer subsidized stadium development in Ward 8.
My original post on the matter is here.
I would like to state the following: I oppose the building of a soccer stadium using public dollars because I see no compelling reason for the city to finance this. We are in the midst of a recession and a city budget crunch and DC has ALREADY been screwed once on this same issue. The idea that the city will magically benefit from more public financing of private enterprise is wrong. DC United and their lobbyists have BOUGHT their support from Marion Barry and his cronies. This is NOT the right direction for the city nor the ward. If the owner of DC united wants to make a commitment to the city, he should do so by investing in his own damn stadium.
UPSET THE SETUP
Filed under: Upset The Setup | 4 Comments
Tags: DC, DC United, public financing of private enterprise, Soccer stadium, Ward 8
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I just posted on your other thread, in what I think was very much a non-troll-like tone. I hope you’ll approve that post, and this one, in the interest of furthering debate, which I think you’ll agree, does more to Upset the Setup than hiding behind trendy slogans.
At any rate, we are in the midst of a recession, and yet development is all over the city. I don’t see the connection between being in a recession and opposing the spending of money in a way that will create jobs and promote further development of a badly neglected piece of land.
At any rate, approve this message for display, or don’t. Just know that you do yourself and your blog a disservice by calling all those who disagree with you “trolls.” No doubt, some of us are lacking a bit in the tact department, but lumping us all together and lobbing unfounded accusations at those who have shown themselves to be among the most upright of corporate citizens just shows that your argument is lacking on the merits.
Anyway, good luck to you. I hope you read all of this and didn’t merely delete it because you disagree with some of what I had to day.
1. seasonal, part-time, low-paying jobs without health care or other benefits that cycle through employees from event to event do not really count for much in the way of job creation. selling beer and fries just isn’t a way to uplift and develop citizens.
2. that badly neglected piece of land should be RESTORED, not necessarily developed. all land doesn’t need a new _________ (insert your chain of choice here).
3. curious to know what you, AMT, think that the citizens of ward 8 need?
First, off, the land will be developed, whether a soccer stadium sits on it or not. Clark has won the development rights, and you can bet your anything they’ll develop every bit of it that they’re allowed (the bidding requirements mandated a certain amount of Poplar Point must be devoted to parkland).
The specific job creation I was referring to dealt more with the construction of the stadium, which would take at least a year, which while not necessarily a permanent gig, is much better than nothing during this time of economic recession. The fact that a large portion of the jobs will be reserved for workers living in Wards 7 and 8 (most likely by contract with the city, who will own the land itself) will ensure that there really is benefit to those living east of the river.
Also, please don’t assume that I prefer McDonald’s to Falafelshop or Ben’s. The more local business ownership, the better as far as I’m concerned.
I don’t pretend to know exactly what Ward 8 and its residents need. I’ve put forth my proposal, and nobody has given me any reason to think there’s a preferable alternative. As was pointed out (I think in the other thread on this issue), devoting the money left over from the business tax levied to finance Nats Park to other uses (job training, retiring the debt from Nats Park, etc.) would all be wonderful in the short term, but it would, I think, create far less long-term benefit than an anchor to the development at Poplar Point that would be guaranteed to bring thousands of visitors and their money into the neighborhood dozens of times a year. Ideally, once the stigma is removed from Ward 8, more people will be willing to go there for other purposes, maybe even move there (as part of sustainable, mixed-income development, of course).
Is that vision guaranteed to happen with a stadium? Of course it’s not, but I honestly think that it’s the best bet to get it started. It’s no silver bullet, but if a stadium is combined with the proper investment, it can do a lot of good.
and you wer all like, i hope you approve my comment.