Here's something you might be interested in.
Today's (April 13) Wall Street Journal has an op-ed piece showing how highly paid professional athletes essentially get their money from taxpayers who subsidize stadiums. The idea is not new; economists opposing the stadium scams have pointed this out for years. But the Journal's op-ed, "If They Build It, You Will Pay," summarizes the racket pithily. It tells about the Minnesota Twins' new stadium, Target Field. It cost $545 million and taxpayers picked up $350 million of that. Thus, the team was able to sign its star catcher, Joe Mauer, to an eight-year, $184 million contract. "The question is would the Twins have paid Mauer $184 million if the taxpayers hadn't paid for the stadium?" asked an economist at St. Cloud State University. "I don't think they would have." Unfortunately, the op-ed didn't get into the extremely sleazy connections of Carl Pohlad, the late Twins owner, who threatened to move the team, then have it eliminated through contraction, if he didn't get his way with the Minnesota legislature.
Today's (April 13) Wall Street Journal has an op-ed piece showing how highly paid professional athletes essentially get their money from taxpayers who subsidize stadiums. The idea is not new; economists opposing the stadium scams have pointed this out for years. But the Journal's op-ed, "If They Build It, You Will Pay," summarizes the racket pithily. It tells about the Minnesota Twins' new stadium, Target Field. It cost $545 million and taxpayers picked up $350 million of that. Thus, the team was able to sign its star catcher, Joe Mauer, to an eight-year, $184 million contract. "The question is would the Twins have paid Mauer $184 million if the taxpayers hadn't paid for the stadium?" asked an economist at St. Cloud State University. "I don't think they would have." Unfortunately, the op-ed didn't get into the extremely sleazy connections of Carl Pohlad, the late Twins owner, who threatened to move the team, then have it eliminated through contraction, if he didn't get his way with the Minnesota legislature.