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April 10, 2012
Illinois governor: No public subsidies for Cubs, except for maybe some public subsidies
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has weighed in on the Wrigley Field renovation subsidy controversy, declaring himself opposed to public funding of the project without exactly saying that he'd stand in its way:
"Our State has severe fiscal challenges so the very idea of the State of Illinois spending millions and millions of dollars on Wrigley Field, I don't think that's in the cards at all," Quinn said Monday morning on WLS radio's "Don Wade & Roma" show. "They bought the team and they should make the lion's share of the investment to fix up the park."
If you parse that carefully, you'll see that the governor didn't actually say he wouldn't use any state funds (so long as it's not "millions and millions" or "the lion's share"). Also, the main tax kickback being discussed would be a city ticket tax, not state, though state legislative approval would be necessary. And if you listen to the full interview, he says that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel agrees with him that the Cubs owners should pay for the bulk of any renovation costs.
So basically you have Quinn giving at least lip service to the notion that public subsidies are bad — or at least voters don't like them so long as you call them public subsidies. Emanuel would no doubt say the same thing, regardless of what he ends up doing in terms of ticket tax money. It seems like everyone in and around Chicago is figuring out how to finesse the terms of debate to do something for the Cubs without having to call it a subsidy; whether it will actually be one, we're just going to have to wait and see what the plan is.
Why can't the Cubs get tax payers dollars?? The White Sox use 167 million to pay for their new stadium!!
Posted by Mike on April 11, 2012 09:28 AM
#1, The Cubs don't deserve tax payer dollars. #2, do you have no idea how bad the state of Illinois & city of Chicago's finances are? This isn't the 1980s or 1990s anymore. The rules have changed. The gravy train has left the station. #3, maybe all those rich yuppie Wrigleyville people & the Ricketts can pay for the renovation when they're not too busy putting ads everywhere, buying land from the McDonald's, adding dugout seats, luxury right field bleacher seats & raising ticket prices. There more than enough Cubs fans to pay for all it themselves. Don't burden the taxpayers with your brand of century-plus championshipless baseball.
Posted by Mark on April 11, 2012 11:24 AM
#1. You're right, it's not the 80's and 90's anymore. Which at the time didn't have an "amusement tax" which the Cubs throw "extra" money at out of their own pocket in hopes of being able to use it to do renovations. #2. Since scummy Sox fans can't read, the 200 million is for in park renovations, wider seats, wider concourse, better concessions, updating the luxury suites, bathhroom remodels, ect. #3. dugout seats, bleacher renovations, right field seats/ patio, all out of their own pocket, yet the scummy Sox take 3 million of the tax payers money not too long ago and build a freakin restaurant. Jerry Reinsdork has been milking the tax payers for years to "remodel" a stadium that's less than 20 years old because it's too big and fans never show up, after threatening to leave the city and move the Sox to Florida and you guys blindly accept it.
Posted by Steve on April 12, 2012 10:08 AM