What started years ago as a need to renovate Cleveland’s football stadium has escalated into a confrontation making downtown Cleveland a candidate for hospice. People are expected to be in favor of the Cleveland Browns remaining at the stadium or becoming the Brook Park Browns -- without asking the voters.
Instead, the Ohio legislature’s “solution” rests on the premise that professional sports should be subsidized by taxpayers.
Most businesses pay for capital improvements out of earnings or bank loans. It appears such financing is a forbidden practice among professional sports team owners.
There will no direct return on investment to those underwriting the Browns subsidy. The team owners will receive a direct return from ticket sales, radio/television revenue, naming rights, loges, food and vendor sales, sponsorships and whatever casino options they can create. If it comes to be that the Cleveland Browns become the Brook Park Browns, the team owner will be the owner of the stadium that was built thanks to taxpayer money and loans.
I question the need to renew the sin tax for Gateway. If the team owners will not pursue private financing, then let the players become investors, paying for capital improvements from their multimillion-dollar contracts.
Tom Collins,
Westlake