Our wallets are just sooooo convenient to people with wonderful causes and great deals. It is just odd that they seemed compelled to go after our wallets instead of those of legitimate VOLUNTARY investors.
The meeting to decide on a referendum and give taxpayers a vote is tomorrow (June 20, 2017).
On June 20, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on supervisor Pete Candland’s proposal to place the project on a voter referendum for the November ballot. As it has previously been proposed, the ballpark would be constructed with $35 million raised by the county through Industrial Development Authority bonds, with the P-Nats paying back about $2.7 million in annual debt service over the course of 30 years. (from here)
It is about baseball. Real important! And the Potomac Nationals want you on the hook so that they can build themselves a big new stadium.
- Minor League Baseball president to testify in Prince William ahead of Potomac Nationals stadium vote (potomaclocal.com)
- Potomac Nationals: Stadium deal can’t wait on November referendum (www.insidenova.com)
- P-Nats Owner Urges Supervisors to Reject Referendum (ballparkdigest.com)
- The Potomac Nationals want a new stadium, but will taxpayers pony up? (www.washingtonpost.com)
Don’t take my word for it. Read up on this. Do we want politicians helping out their cronies this way? With millions of dollars of our money?
If this is a wonderful idea, then private money can and should cover the costs. That is how for profit enterprises work. We don’t take the risk, and they make the money. They make the money ONLY if they take the risk. There is no reason for taxpayers to foot the bill or to serve as loan guarantors. Not our job!
Please note the following members of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors have received large sums from the Potomac Nationals and/or Mr. Silber. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Chairman Stewart has received over $100,000 and Supervisor Marty Nohe has received at least $6,200. Have their votes been bought? Probably not, but putting taxpayers on the hook for what is nothing more than an ordinary business deal is not appropriately a function of government.
Please contract your Board member (see this link) and insist upon a referendum. Let’s vote this idea down.
As much as I love a good baseball game, I must agree “If this is a wonderful idea, then private money can and should cover the costs”!
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