You Guys Are Getting Ripped Off By The Glazers

[BDYZR]

So you gurus believe that the Bucs, good or bad, have no economic value

over the $260 million or so it cost to build the stadium? You believe that the economy of the Bay area would be as it is without professional football?

[Matt]

brad...you cant raise a county tax a full cent unless education is involved in some way.  so hillsborough had to raise .5 for education and .5 for the stadium.

i dont have  a problem with it.  if we didnt do it the bucs would of probably left by now and we wouldnt have an NFL team and USF would be playing at the old stadium still.  

people like to complain a lot but business is business.  look at what is going on in sacramento right now in the NBA.  they have the best home attendence in the WHOLE league and one of the worst stadiums by far.  they voted down a tax increase to build a new one, now the best supported team in the league might leave the city.

look at LA in the NFL.  they STILL dont have a team....after how many years?

NFL teams do A LOT for cities.  i dont mind paying the extra 1 cent/

[Brad]

Rezz, aren't the Kings the only team in the city?

You'd have to drive a 100 miles to San Fran.

As far as the value to the community, there have been studies pro and con - some from USF.

I don't think it would have been a great deficit to the Bulls had the Bucs left.  Sure, we might not have the Bucs stadium to rent, but we might have a better following of Bay Area football fans since we then would have been the only pigskin game in town.

If I had my way, I would have bid them adieu and looked to the Bulls becoming the darling of the taxpayers and football fans of Tampa.

[Triple B]

I rarely agree with MSB, but in this case, the Hills. Co. residents (and anyone that shops there) got taken.

Nobody got taken. The CIT money is still rolling in to the Hills County municipalities on an annual basis and is being put to good use ... It was a win/win for all involved.... some just were bigger winners than others.

I don't think it would have been a great deficit to the Bulls had the Bucs left.  Sure, we might not have the Bucs stadium to rent, but we might have a better following of Bay Area football fans since we then would have been the only pigskin game in town.

You have seen the quotes from the players and coaches about the impact that playing in RayJay has on the program?

If I had my way, I would have bid them adieu and looked to the Bulls becoming the darling of the taxpayers and football fans of Tampa

Do you honestly, deep deep down, truly believe it would have played out that way??

[Apis Bull]

Governments give breaks and incentives to businesses all the time.  This was no different.

[Guest JulmisteForPrez]

Rezz, aren't the Kings the only team in the city?

You'd have to drive a 100 miles to San Fran.

As far as the value to the community, there have been studies pro and con - some from USF.

I don't think it would have been a great deficit to the Bulls had the Bucs left.  Sure, we might not have the Bucs stadium to rent, but we might have a better following of Bay Area football fans since we then would have been the only pigskin game in town.

If I had my way, I would have bid them adieu and looked to the Bulls becoming the darling of the taxpayers and football fans of Tampa.

Tremendous points, Bulliever.  I agree.

[Brad]

I don't think it would have been a great deficit to the Bulls had the Bucs left.  Sure, we might not have the Bucs stadium to rent, but we might have a better following of Bay Area football fans since we then would have been the only pigskin game in town.

You have seen the quotes from the players and coaches about the impact that playing in RayJay has on the program?

in lieu of quotes about the benefit of playing in an on-campus stadium or a renovated Big Sombrero, or the Olympic Stadium football field...or whatever...it is what it is and we are there.  Sort of hard to argue what-ifs, but I stand by my statement.

[WoolyBully]

There is - like it or not - the label of being an 'NFL' city. Whether you think the Glazers

are scamming or not, I doubt the scenario would be any different regardless of ownership.

The city of Tampa, Hillsborough County, the Bay Area, did not want to loose the only NFL

franchise around. Remember...had the Bucs left, and assuming Tampa were to court another

team, the same rules would apply: taxpayers pick up the tab for my stadium or I ain't moving.

That is life in the NFL boardroom.

Had the Bucs left, who knows what would have happened...an OCS? Renovated Sombrero?

And it may have had a positive impact on season tickets and interest in the Bulls.

However, we are - for better or worse - going to have to live in the shadow of bigger money

for some time to come.

[Guest]

Remember that in 1995, two sales tax proposals failed (1/2 penny for schools and 1/2 penny for police/fire)... when former County Commissioner proposed a single 1/2 penny for schools, fire/police, neighborhoods, and 1/2 of a stadium - it passed.

Also, the Glazers pay for half of the stadium... they use the seat deposit money as well as parking, concessions, and advertising to help cover that expense... but they are paying 1/2 the debt service.  Technically.

Jim, I know you are more politically in tune than I am...but the way I remember it, living in Pasco County at the time, was that the Hillsborough county residents voted down a "Stadium only" sales tax increase.  Then our crafty politicians made it so that the stadium would be tied into parks, roads, and schools.  It then passed.  The stadium was the first thing completed and when I left the Bay Area a number of allegedly funded public projects were still pending.  I rarely agree with MSB, but in this case, the Hills. Co. residents (and anyone that shops there) got taken.   After all, the building of the stadium tripled the value of the franchise...that's not what public funds should be used for.  

Velcro -- No. There was never a stadium only tax.

Copyright Times Publishing Co. Sep 13, 1995

Hillsborough County voters Tuesday sent local officials the message that crime and crowded schools might be bad, but having the highest sales tax in Florida would be worse.

By nearly a 3-2 margin, voters rejected two sales tax increases that would have boosted Hillsborough's sales tax to 7.5 cents on the dollar - the highest rate in the state.

The two half-cent tax increases would have raised about $828.7-million.

School administrators planned to use an anticipated $670-million from a 10-year tax increase to build new schools and buy more computers for students. Now, without the additional money, they say double sessions are inevitable and layoffs likely.

"In the next few days, we're going to have a big reduction in programs in the system," Superintendent of Schools Walter Sickles said. "It looks to me like some people are going to be laid off."

City and county officials sought a similar half-cent increase, but for only three years. They promised to spend the $158.7-million on public safety projects, including a new 768-bed jail and a new police station for the Tampa Police Department.

Source Link

There was a debate about the stadium... because the Glazers had just bought the team and were asking for a new stadium... however, it wasn't until the next summer that the Community Investment Tax was proposed.

The vote in 1995 had nothing to do with the stadium.

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brad...you cant raise a county tax a full cent unless education is involved in some way.  so hillsborough had to raise .5 for education and .5 for the stadium.

Rezz... see above from the St. Pete Times.  You're a bit off on the breakdown of the local sales tax.

1/2 cent funds the Hillsborough Health Care program for the poor and uninsured.

1/2 cent is the Community Investment Tax.

[Matt]

ok, i thought it was for education....usually when counties take up the extra cent sales tax it goes towards education and something else.