How the NFL Fleeces Taxpayers

[Chiefcrowe]

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/how-the-nfl-fleeces-taxpayers/309448


Moving this to P &N since the responses here are by and large political.
Admin Allison

 

[Humpy]

I wouldn't say that the NFL fleeces taxpayers. It's more that government is continually screwing over taxpayers and the NFL and team owners are some of those who benefit. At least for fans, it's one of easier fuckings to tolerate.

 

[SSSnail]

The way I look at it, I'm being fleeced every which way til Sunday, at least with the NFL I get some entertainment out of it. Can't say that about everything else though...

 

[ElFenix]

$4 billion from TV. 32 teams. $125 million per team. the salary cap is $123 million per team. so, before a single ticket is sold, before a beer is poured, the NFL is paying its largest expense. and some dipshit on CBS sports radio tonight claimed team owners weren't making money.

 

[BoomerD]

Yeah...the NFL and the teams are definitely feeding at the public trough...and they're not the least bit apologetic about it. In fact, they keep demanding more and more from local governments or "We'll take our team somewhere that we're appreciated!"

Bigger and more expensive stadiums, tax breaks for the teams, sweet revenue sharing deals, and more and more and more and.................

 

[lupi]

Title is a way bit more than just misleading, the instances of the taxpayers taking part of any of these decisions a long way past few and far between.

 

[Jeff7]

Nice that multimillionaires can qualify for so much government assistance.

Meanwhile, I came to find out that an older relative of mine is facing some high hospital bills, and doesn't qualify for much in the way of government assistance. $1500/month in Social Security means she has too much income.
If only she owned a football team...

 

[skimple]

Cliff Notes: Liberals think rich people are evil.

 

[JTsyo]

Cliff Notes: Liberals think rich people are evil.

Maybe you should read the article before making cliff notes.

 

[DrPizza]

Cliff Notes: Liberals think rich people are evil.

Interpretation of theses cliff notes: Conservative thinks middle class and poor people should be taxed and the proceeds given to rich people.

 

[Genx87]

Cliff Notes: Liberals think rich people are evil.

Hardly. In MN it was the liberals who were frantically getting down on their knees for the Vikings to build a stadium for a billionaire. Before that they were building a baseball stadium for a billionaire banker. A banker apparently couldnt give himself a loan to build it without tax payer support.

 

[TwiceOver]

MN Taxpayers took it in the ass. Thanks guys!

 

[skimple]

Maybe you should read the article before making cliff notes.

It was Cliff Notes of the OP's post, not the article.

Here's an idea - instead of bitching about the tax breaks given to the big bad corporations like the NFL, why aren't you bitching about the amount of taxes the "taxpayers" have to pay?

The idea of "tax break" starts with the fundamental assumption that the government is entitled to the money in the first place.

 

[skimple]

Interpretation of theses cliff notes: Conservative thinks middle class and poor people should be taxed and the proceeds given to rich people.

How about a libertarian that believes the government needs to stay out of people's lives and stop telling us that they know better how to manage our money, run our healthcare, and control our schools?

And guess what - poor people don't pay taxes.

 

[Genx87]

It was Cliff Notes of the OP's post, not the article.

Here's an idea - instead of bitching about the tax breaks given to the big bad corporations like the NFL, why aren't you bitching about the amount of taxes the "taxpayers" have to pay?

The idea of "tax break" starts with the fundamental assumption that the government is entitled to the money in the first place.

When it comes to the NFL. Tax breaks are small potatoes compared to the direct subsidies it recieves.

 

[DrPizza]

It was Cliff Notes of the OP's post, not the article.

Here's an idea - instead of bitching about the tax breaks given to the big bad corporations like the NFL, why aren't you bitching about the amount of taxes the "taxpayers" have to pay?

The idea of "tax break" starts with the fundamental assumption that the government is entitled to the money in the first place.

It goes far beyond just simple tax breaks. Read the article.

And guess what - poor people don't pay taxes.

Can you prove this? I assert that they most certainly pay taxes, directly and indirectly. As they are poor, they generally spend 100% of their income. Ever heard of sales tax? Property tax? (indirectly, if they rent), etc.? Maybe you meant that they don't pay federal income tax.

 

[smackababy]

So, exactly how much money does an NFL team bring into a city? How many jobs does the stadium provide?

 

[SP33Demon]

Glad I don't live in a state with a team, but I'm glad for the neighboring state residents who gladly foot the bill so I can enjoy their stadium.

 

[JamesV]

Yeah...the NFL and the teams are definitely feeding at the public trough...and they're not the least bit apologetic about it. In fact, they keep demanding more and more from local governments or "We'll take our team somewhere that we're appreciated!"

Bigger and more expensive stadiums, tax breaks for the teams, sweet revenue sharing deals, and more and more and more and.................

That's what is happening in Cleveland. The Browns can't even win a game, yet they want millions of dollars to 'fix up' the stadium, or the looming threat of them going elsewhere. Why their billionaire owners can't use some of their change to fix their own business...

Watch Cleveland schools get even worse and have more cuts, so a tiny minority of football fans can watch the Browns screw up another season - really pisses me off.

 

[crownjules]

Cliff Notes: Liberals think rich people are evil.

Eight posts before someone had to shit it up with left/right mudslinging. I know, it's easier than actually coming up with thoughtful commentary.

As much as I love watching the NFL, I hate how these owners throw their weight around to get public handouts. They're making plenty of money. They do not need public taxpayer assistance to build their stadiums. Unfortunately they get away with it because there's always going to be politicians in another city willing to throw the cash at them as brownie points for the next election cycle. "Look at all the jobs I brought to us!"

 

[ElFenix]

So, exactly how much money does an NFL team bring into a city? How many jobs does the stadium provide?

not enough to overcome the debt servicing.

NFL, baseball, etc., are entertainment dollars. they compete with movies and going out to eat. that money gets spent anyway. but, there is a positive effect in the immediate locality of the stadium. so, it may make economic sense for an outlying city to build a stadium because that can draw visitors from the larger area. but for the overall area, stadium building depresses the economy.

That's what is happening in Cleveland. The Browns can't even win a game, yet they want millions of dollars to 'fix up' the stadium, or the looming threat of them going elsewhere. Why their billionaire owners can't use some of their change to fix their own business...

Watch Cleveland schools get even worse and have more cuts, so a tiny minority of football fans can watch the Browns screw up another season - really pisses me off.

isn't the browns owner the guy who basically put his company into bankruptcy by pulling every dollar out of it in order to buy the browns?

 

[smackababy]

That's what is happening in Cleveland. The Browns can't even win a game, yet they want millions of dollars to 'fix up' the stadium, or the looming threat of them going elsewhere. Why their billionaire owners can't use some of their change to fix their own business...

Watch Cleveland schools get even worse and have more cuts, so a tiny minority of football fans can watch the Browns screw up another season - really pisses me off.

If the Browns left Cleveland, the Clevelandites (or whatever they are called) would have to realize they are all just horrible people. They couldn't blame their classlessness on Browns fans, as it would just be people from Cleveland. It is an (expensive) insurance policy so the rest of the US doesn't hate everyone from Cleveland, just Browns fans.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I did enjoy how the article mentioned the three teams where taxpayers HADN'T footed most of the bill for the stadium, and two of those teams happen to play in the same stadium (which, coincidentally, is not located in the state either team supposedly represents). Silly sports economics.

 

[JimKiler]

The way to end all these subsidies and waiving of local taxes is for the Federal government to tax them at 100%. Who is going to fund a stadium then or give tax breaks to corporations when they have to pay $1 on top of the dollar waived in tax breaks?

 

[Genx87]

So, exactly how much money does an NFL team bring into a city? How many jobs does the stadium provide?

Not enough to make up for the lost opportunity cost to the tax payers.