Possibly I’m being choosy, however this Sports activities Illustrated headline pissed off me: “Baltimore Ravens Spending Over $50 Million Extra on Stadium Upgrades”. I noticed this headline and located myself assuming that the Ravens had paid for the general value of the upgrades and never simply the price overruns. On the very least, I anticipated to see the Ravens splitting the price of the upgrades with taxpayers.
Judging by the previous few years within the NFL, groups wanting intensive stadium upgrades will normally see remaining worth tags round a number of hundred million {dollars}. On this case, the full of those renovations was about $489 million. Nonetheless, not solely is the headline deceptive in regards to the Ravens paying for the upgrades, however the $50 million quantity shouldn’t be even the right quantity. Due to the Maryland Stadium Authority slicing the workforce a examine for $35 million, the Ravens will solely be paying $20 million for the brand new renovations.
You might be questioning about the remainder of the mission. Prepare as a result of Maryland taxpayers are liable for the remainder of the upgrades. That signifies that the rest of the $489 million upgrades will probably be charged to the state. However, I wrestle to search out different media shops which can be asserting this reality in a transparent method. WBAL-TV wrote a narrative final week titled “Baltimore Ravens unveil plans for $430M in upgrades to M&T Financial institution Stadium”. The following line says, “Some state funds to pay for upgrades”. I’m sorry, what? Some? The remainder of the article merely offers folks the general value of the upgrades.
Even higher, this cash will come from Maryland’s state lottery funds, which “in any other case would go to the state’s basic fund”. For many who don’t know, the overall fund for cities and states is the “predominant fund for financing a state’s operations”. It’s the major working fund of a authorities and accounts for actions together with public security, avenue upkeep, neighborhood providers, police, fireplace, and different issues. Fortunately, no one cares about these actions. Who cares if the police and firefighters receives a commission nothing? Moreover, it isn’t just like the state of Maryland is at present coping with a $3 billion greenback price range deficit. Certain, the Maryland Governor just lately was compelled into “making cuts to applications and including new taxes and charges”. However guess whose stadium could have a “new beer corridor” and extra “luxurious suites and golf equipment for followers who pay prime greenback”? M&T Financial institution Stadium! That’s who!
At the least Baltimore residents are glad about this…
“As soon as once more, the native taxpayers are being pillaged by the Baltimore Ravens, this time to the tune of $430 million. What’s going to the taxpayers get for this gargantuan outlay of tax {dollars}? They’ll get a cutesy little membership space which can solely be populated about 50 hours per 12 months by solely the wealthy and delightful folks…In the meantime, the Baltimore police and fireplace departments stay woefully quick on manpower. This isn’t to say the numerous metropolis faculties which have struggled via heating or air-con points. Lastly, the Baltimore Division of Public Works is a catastrophe. A DPW employee died on the job because of the warmth and an absence of hydration services. In different phrases, town and state is not going to hesitate to boost cash through bonds, use lottery funding initially earmarked for the colleges, and even borrow cash at at this time’s highest rates of interest to please…the Baltimore Ravens. What are the true priorities in metropolis and state authorities?” — Baltimore Solar, Letter, 08/2024
Oh, possibly not.
