Letter to the Editor: Sports welfare

Contra Costa Times (California)
April 16, 2009

Dear Editor

Oakland has a history of horrendous sports deals, e.g., Raiders, Warriors, A's, ice rink, etc. The incompetence of Oakland's sports-negotiations ability leaves one in awe. Ignacio De La Fuente, of Raiders' $200 million debacle fame, wants yet another stadium-monument.

Oakland schools are a disaster, its streets unsafe, its politicians a world-class embarrassment, and yet Oakland residents continue to re-elect the same crew. The past is forgotten. Oaklanders, your priorities are skewed.

Oakland spends its dollars on stadiums, the loser parts of the sports business. A city simply cannot make money from a big, dead specialty-building. If a stadium was a good investment, the A's would be the first to finance it.

The new Yankee Stadium cost $1.2 billion, all for a building that remains vacant most of the time while taxpayer costs escalate. It will forever drain the wealth of N.Y. residents.

Professional sports teams "deserve" nothing. They should get off the welfare dole and make an honest living. Their government-protected monopolies should die.

Oakland politicians assure that each new sports scheme will cost nothing and will revitalize the surrounding neighborhood. Has anyone ever walked along Hegenberger Road at night near the Coliseum?

Joe Moran
Orinda