June 5, 2002
Easy to understand why people oppose taxes for Cards stadium
Mike Elliot finds it incomprehensible that many want to block the building of a stadium with tourists' tax dollars (Letters, "Let's not sabotage stadium," May 24).
For most of us, though, it is easily comprehensible.
Not all the tax money will come from tourists. Anyone who needs to rent a car or a hotel room, for any reason, would pay the tax, and there is no exemption for residents.
Any local group putting on a conference or seminar would pay the tax. Visiting relatives would pay the tax - even if for weddings, funerals or other important events. That tax money does not come from tourists, and we would indeed be taxing ourselves or our families.
Besides, it doesn't matter that the tax money comes from outside our locality. It is inappropriate for the public to subsidize someone else's privately owned, multimillion dollar business.
If I choose to invest in a company, my fortunes become linked with the company's and fluctuate accordingly. But with taxes, the money is outright taken from someone and given to someone else. If the venture succeeds, the owners reap all the benefits; if it fails, we all suffer.
The situation is one of no potential for gain (at least, not that anyone has shown concretely) with only potential for loss. In the real world, we seek a solution to this problem. In the case of a publicly financed stadium, we are seeking out the problem.
Yes, many people say the stadium will benefit and revitalize the community. But where is the benefit to revitalizing an already vital community?
Besides, we've seen downtown Phoenix since Bank One Ballpark went up. Increased traffic, noise and nuisance, vandalism, trash and public urination have caused property values to decline.
Where's the benefit? If that's "revitalization," I'd rather stay depressed.
To the stadium advocates, I say this: Show me the money! We've never seen a single financial statement showing how the community will be improved. We have, however, seen some data on other publicly financed stadiums - all negative.
If the Arizona Cardinals want investment capital, there are plenty of legitimate avenues available. They can borrow the money.
They can sell shares to the public, as the Green Bay Packers and the Rochester Redwings have done. They can sell bonds. If it's such a great financial benefit, prospective investors would be lining up around the block and stopping traffic to invest, and they'd have to turn away investors.
But they know no one will voluntarily invest. Thus, they engage the government's taxing power - backed by the use of legal force, if necessary - to compel us to finance their business and make them money without making us money. Oh, they may choose to put money back into the community - but if not, the rest of us are out of luck.
If the Bidwills want to build a stadium, fine - let them pay for it. That's what entrepreneurship is all about, and what makes America great.
But taxing the public - any public - is really just theft with the imprimatur of government. And that is plain wrong.