The 49ers' Subsidies: "They're a bad idea, so let's do 'em anyway!"

Dear Santa Clarans,




We link to Neil deMause's "Field of Schemes" website from our homepage because the guy really gets it.  Today, with this essay, he proved that once again.

You'll see some brief but straight-on-point paragraphs on the inane waste of public money that goes into sports palaces - and the illogical thought processes of journalists and Councilmembers who think they understand the issue but who really don't:

• "When newspaper columnists (and, presumably, elected officials) are able to think to themselves, "Sure, virtually every economist agrees that public sports facilities are a terrible deal, but this is a public-private partnership, so that's a totally different thing!" then there's really no reasoning with them. And as recent events have shown, when people really want to believe in something, they have an amazing capacity for cognitive dissonance. "

If you're still under the illusion that subsidizing a stadium for the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara is any kind of 'public/private partnership':  Ask yourself why the 49ers will walk out the door with over $130,000,000 in broadcast, luxury box and club seat revenues the first year - and why our city's General Fund gets only a stinking $180 thousand.  That's what Measure J really does to our city.

The principle is the same here as it is for any arena in Sacramento - only here in Santa Clara, we'll pay many times more per capita for the exorbitantly overpriced entertainment being served up by the San Francisco 49ers.  That's a massive public subsidy of $444,000,000 - all so that we can get jobs paying less than $7,000 a year. 

We're blowing a lot of public wealth on nothing but bragging rights.  Santa Clara Plays Fair urges residents to demand more - much more - from this City Council and from the San Francisco 49ers.




Thanks for all of your support, 
Bill Bailey, Treasurer,
SantaClaraPlaysFair.org


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