If you ask me I think redevelopment agencies SHOULD be cut right now. In case no one has noticed, the state of California is in a major budget crisis. Governor Brown is slashing non-necessary spending and I, for one, applaud him. That means the precious Forty Niners stadium plans might not receive $40M that was "promised them" to help defray costs building a fancy schmancy new stadium in Santa Clara. (See article)
Never mind that the residents of Santa Clara County voted DOWN subsidizing said stadium with their tax dollars and expect the money to come from the State of California. Never mind that they are all boo-hooing "but it was prooooomised to us BEFORE the budget crisis" and are scurrying to change the verbiage in the plans to make that point blatantly evident. Never mind that currently there is no public transit to said proposed stadium thereby creating MORE traffic and more dependency on fossil fuels. Never mind average people like yours truly can't afford the price tag to an NFL game (or rather don't want to because I have groceries and a mortgage to pay). Never mind the the industry itself is so bloated with money.. why don't the players and owners pay for it?!!?
Never mind that redevelopment money should be going toward the good of ALL California residents specifically our children by way of money toward the schools. If you don't like kids how about improving highway potholes? Who hasn't hit one of those little beauties while motoring down the 580 or 680 and thought their car was going to bottom out? Certainly if we MUST spend our state money on redevelopment, wouldn't it be better if it benefited all of us and not just a handful?
We have, as a society, lost our freaking minds. People moan about health care reform and taxes and the price of gas, but godforbid we don't provide a swank stadium for some overpaid "athletes". Sure you can say "but sports are a way of getting our mind off of the current state of affairs." You might even say that it helps us rally behind something together. Yes, I'm all for a united front and easing the burden of reality and heck, I even watched the Super Bowl this year for the first time in probably two decades. Before you poo-poo me, let me say I grew UP on football. As a child I lived with an AVID ... nay, RABID 49er fan. Not my dad, my mom. She was INSANE. However, I'm pretty sure even she (a staunch Republican) would be taking the same stance as I am were she still alive. Hey.. if The Stick was good enough for Joe Montana, why not for David Carr? At least Joe gave the Niners 4 Super Bowl wins and took them to 11 Championships. Just sayin'....
I hope Governor Brown doesn't give in and I'm sure if we good people of California can't cough up the $40M.. they'll find a way to fund it. I hope for the sake of propriety the whole project is put of indefinitely. What's wrong with what they currently have?
If you're still thinking of yelling at me for being un-American and anti-football (neither of which I am), allow me to put it to you like this.....
Let's say you're at the grocery store and you're in the check out line behind someone paying for their groceries with WIC food stamps. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with someone getting help when they are down. However, say later in the week you saw that same person at the mall buying expensive makeup at the MAC counter. Flash forward another week and you see them getting a mani/pedi WITH the spa treatment and nail decorations! How about later you see them getting an expensive haircut/color? I bet by now you'd be pretty upset wouldn't you? How could they afford all of that unnecessary and expensive cosmetic crap when WE are paying for those food stamps!?!?
Exactly.
