The Magic just isn’t there….
Well apparently billionaire sports owners want us to susidize their already burgeoning pockets with our local tax dollars to build a new arena… again. They must think that we’re stupid or something. These billionaire owners (and multi-million dollar players too I might add) think they need a new place to play their game. Boy… if they get their way, it sure will be a game — a fleecing game.
This isn’t the first time this has been attempted and in the past, the public outcry nipped the plans in the bud. I say it’s time to do it again dear readers.
Currently our esteemed major Buddy Dyer has three projects on his plate to use tourist tax dollars on — a new performing arts center, refurbing the Citrus Bowl and a new arena. I cannot fathom why this is a difficult decision. The Citrus Bowl has what… Monster Truck shows each January? The sports team has a billionaire owner. And the poor Bob Carr doesn’t even have a center aisle so that major league productions can come to town.
Don’t get me wrong.. I’m not against the Magic getting a new arena. After all the O-rena (don’t hate me because I cannot call it TD Waterhouse) is 17 years old. I get it that the luxury suites are in the nosebleed, roofline areas and that it’s one of the smallest arenas in the NBA. And I’m not saying we, as a community, shouldn’t assist in some way. But, in my humble opinion, this should be a balance more like 60/40 or 50/50 with the team bearing the bulk of the cost. After all, if they’re going to use it half of the time, doesn’t this make sense??
Sure seems like a compromise could be reached.
There’s a great article about this topic in the Sentinel… check it out.
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I couldn’t agree more. Why can’t it be a partnership? These people need to understand that the concept of having us pay the full cost for a brand new arena for a private company to use in the pursuit of their financial endeavor which entails charging those same citizens prices of admission for events that most families can afford maybe once or twice per season, is just way too hard to swallow. Not to sound like a fair weather fan, but it’s not like this is a championship team that drives a substantial amount of tourism our way just because of their presence. Honestly, people travelling here for vacation could care less about catching a game. Give us a plan that does something other than leave us with the full tab and nothing to gain for it but the “privelege” of paying high prices for poor talent and maybe then we’ll talk.