I’m going to begin by
saying: I’m a Cleveland sports fan. The mid-90s Indians to the perpetually sad
state of the Browns, from Mark Price to post-LeBron Cavs. I’m just a fan; I
know some people don’t like sports, and one day I’ll write a lengthy post on
how most arguments against sports are classist and racist under the guise of “knowing
best,” but today is not that day. Today is the day where I write a post railing
against public dollars for public stadiums.
People make the mistake
and believe sports even sports allegiances aren’t political, but they are. Some
people who support the Yankees believe you can buy championships and that there
shouldn’t be a pay cap. People who like Cleveland and Washington have a thing
for underdogs while at the same time some Cleveland and Washington fans are ok
with racism against Native Americans. Green Bay fans believe teams should be
public workers (and they’d be right). And a growing number of NCAA fans believe
players should be able to unionize. This is why I find it so amazing that
people believe all men can talk about sports, and it will all be fine. When I
talk about sports, it gets heated, yeah sometimes I’m trolling friends (hi JJ,
CF, KS and F!), but the NLF changes the rules when Green Bay bought their team,
and the NCAA is getting ready to union bust. So forgive me, if while I support my
Cleveland teams (and Green Bay in the post-season, a girl has to cover herself)
I’m opposed to the exploitation by franchises against their cities and fans.
Let me be clear, the Sin Tax is bad for Cleveland; it is
also expected to raise $260-320 million to keep the professional sports’
facilities running. That said, unfortunately there is a debate going on: vote
yes, which is the front runner, and vote no, the underdog (see foreshadowing). Vote
yes, “Keep Cleveland Strong” side has
the financial advantage and union support. Harriet Applegate, the Executive
Secretary of the North Shore Federation of Labor (representing 146 unions in
Greater Cleveland) said, “This is an existing tax and it generates multiple
benefits for Cuyahoga County and for workers here.” She continues, “Those
buildings were built by union labor, and the repairs going forward will be done
by union men and women. It means jobs, but it also means that we will protect
and preserve our very valuable reputation as a major league city—which is
important on multiple levels.”
That’s pretty legit.
Unions built Jacob’s Field (cold day in hell before I use the new name), and
they should make the repairs, but public dollars shouldn’t be used because
there is no guarantee that the teams will stay anyway. Also most of the labor
that comes out of these projects is seasonal and temporary. A job is a job,
sure, but maybe a job is a better job when it is full-time, year-round, and
well paid?
The opposition had a rough
start, but they are pulling it together. Cleveland Frown site operator,
attorney Peter Pattakos is the chairman of a group opposed to the
Cleveland Sin Tax. They have a list of why Cleveland should say no:
Transparency. Issue 7 was rushed to the ballot. There was no examination of the public’s obligations to the Cleveland professional sport facilities or whether the Sin Tax is the best option. Also, there is not agreement as to what the Sin Tax revenue will be used for exactly, and no other revenue has been considered.A fair partnership with Cleveland’s pro-sports owners. The partnership between Greater Cleveland and the owners was reached a long time ago, and now we’re not sure that the taxpayers aren’t going to be left footing the bill while the owners pocket the profits like when Jimmy Haslam got $100+ million for the naming rights to Browns Stadium, which was paid for by taxes.Fairness for Cleveland and Cuyahoga County residents. More than 50% of the visits to these facilities are from outside Cuyahoga County, so why should Cuyahoga County get the Sin Tax and not everyone in Ohio? A multicounty tax would share the burden being levied against Clevelanders. Or they could add a $3-5 fee on tickers as a “facility fee.”Fairness for the poor and working class. The Sin Tax is a regressive tax that takes more from the poor and vulnerable (young, uneducated, poor, etc). Social justice issue, friends.Control of public subsidies. The expiring Sin Tax has been combined with a half-dozen public subsidies: Parking Tax, Admissions Tax, Bed Tax, Video Game Tax, Rental Car Tax, and Property Tax exemption). This comes to more than $1 billion per year for these facilities.Leases that expire when the Sin Tax expires. The Sin Tax proposal is for 20 years; the leases are only for 15. If they want a 20 year commitment from Cleveland, they can give us a 20 year commitment.No more “business as usual.” The economy is different from when these originated (though they were wrong then too). We need to make sure this is a fair deal for everyone involved.No more threats. The name of the Pro Sin Tax campaign, Keep Cleveland Strong, is a threat that Cleveland would be weak without it or that the teams would leave without the Sin Tax. Cleveland has an infrastructure and a fandom unlike any other when it comes to supporting our teams. Additionally, voters nationwide are rejecting Sin Taxes (and corporate welfare) so where are the teams going to go? The Pro Sin Tax campaign talks about cuts to the general fund, but our political and business leaders will not let city needs go unmet before figuring out a better way to meet the public’s obligations. Anyone walking around Cleveland recently? If we’re going to have a Sin Tax, let’s fund schools on the eastside, it is getting rough over there.
Cleveland Frown’s Pattakos
also lays out some questions, which should be up for consideration that aren’t
being discussed by those in favor of the tax.
“Why have proponents of the Sin Tax been consistently unable to explain exactly what the public’s ‘obligations’ are to finance the pro sports facilities, or how Sin Tax revenues would serve to satisfy those ‘obligations’? How so Sin Tax revenues serve as anything but a bottomless pit of public funding for the pro sports owners?“Why are the citizens of Cuyahoga County being shouldered with the burden of paying this tax, when over 50% of the visitors to the facilities are from outside of the County?Why is the proposal for a 20-year tax when none of the three sports teams have more than 15 years left on their lease?“Why do proponents of the Sin Tax refer as much as they do to a ‘pennies on the dollar tax’ when in reality the Tax will amount to hundreds of millions of dollars of public money that could be spent on anything else?“Why are we pursuing stadium funding through a Sin Tax, which has been proven to be a regressive tax that disproportionately impacts the poor, young, and addicted?”
Tim Russo (candidate for
Cuyahoga Executive) is opposed to the Sin Tax and has laid out some
alternatives. Russo’s first point is that the Browns pay ridiculously low rent,
only $250,000 compared to the Stealers that pay $2.5 million. Some perspective?
The Browns rent is $125,000 less than the minimum NLF rookie contract. This
rent is the legacy of Art Modell, when he pointed a gun at Cleveland’s head in
1995 to pass the Sin Tax while he prepared to run to Baltimore (Cleveland’s
long memory, bastard).
All the while, no one is
saying leave the teams hanging; there are alternatives to the Sin Tax which
include exploring other funding options and to redefine the partnership between
Cleveland and the teams. In reality, Cleveland will probably pass the tax; we’re
not starting the revolution here. However, we need to evaluate our
relationships to the teams, particularly the owners.
I love my teams, but there
is no love lost for the owners. So often, fans are held hostage by these beings
through corporate welfare. The benefits to us just aren’t enough to justify the
exploitation of Cuyahoga County residents.
