Trustee Archive

SPORTS »» REGULATION »» STADIUM SUBSIDIES »» Mar 01, 2021
Public funds are often used to lure pro sports teams to a city or to prevent one from relocating. These enticements include building or renovating stadiums and making improvements to surrounding infrastructure. Team owners often threaten to relocate their teams in order to secure taxpayer assistance for improvements to stadiums and arenas. Since 2000, more than 45 stadiums were either built or renovated at an average cost of $412 million. Since the early 1960s, 91 sports stadiums have been built with public funding, and 22 of them were fully paid for with taxpayer funds. Sometimes, local officials seize land through eminent domain and donate it to sports franchises. Some cities pay their team's property taxes as well as the costs of street construction, security, traffic control and parking. Studies have shown the public receives few, if any, economic benefit from the construction of new stadiums. Critics say taxpayer funds should not be used on building stadiums for wealthy sports franchises when communities have more important needs.

Pending Legislation: H.R.2446 - No Tax Subsidies for Stadiums Act of 2019
Sponsor: Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR)
Status: House Committee on Ways and Means
Chair: Rep. Richard Neal (MA)

  • I oppose reforming current stadium financing policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA).
  • I support prohibiting a professional stadium bond from being treated as a tax-exempt state or local bond. A "professional stadium bond" is used to finance or refinance a facility or real property used as a stadium or arena for professional sports exhibitions, games or training, and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of either Rep. Richard Neal (MA) and/or Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR), and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.
Winning Option »» No issues were voted

  • I support prohibiting a professional stadium bond from being treated as a tax-exempt state or local bond. A "professional stadium bond" is used to finance or refinance a facility or real property used as a stadium or arena for professional sports exhibitions, games or training, and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of either Rep. Richard Neal (MA) and/or Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR), and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.
Trustee Candidates

  • Representative
    If elected as a trustee, the campaign committee of Rep. Richard Neal (MA) will be unconditionally awarded the funds pledged to this issue along with a letter requesting him to favorably consider passing S.2446. If more than $1,000 has been pledged to this issue, the campaign committee of sponsor Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR) will be unconditionally awarded 10% of these funds.

  • Cato Institute
    If elected as a trustee, CATO Institute will be awarded the funds pledged to this issue along with a letter requesting these funds be used to advocate against public funding of sports stadiums.

    About; The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization — a think tank — dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Its scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a wide range of policy issues. Using all means possible — from blogs, Web features, informative direct mail, op‐eds and TV appearances, to conferences, research reports, speaking engagements, and books — Cato works vigorously to present citizens with incisive and understandable analysis.

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Poll Opening Date March 01, 2021
Poll Closing Date March 07, 2021