SomeGuy wrote:
Curious Hair wrote:
I am still vehemently opposed to the Cubs taking public money for this. Last night, I watched a video of the Glendale City Council having a budget meeting, running down all the cuts to services that actual people need because they were bamboozled into bailing out the Phoenix Coyotes. I am so done with this whole "public-private partnership" line of bullshit where the public loses money so the private can gain money. I say this as a Cubs fan, mind you.
Agreed. This shit is fucking dumb and a really scam.
The Cubs make plenty of money and the Cubs leadership is all grown up....float some bonds, do whatever but don't slum for public money. Especially with the absolutely disastrous fiscal situation of not only the state but the city of Chicago itself.
What ever the "scheme" is it will be a total rape of the public coffers.
This I caught in the car before abandoning the show. I talked to Dan about this last year, pre-Theo but post-Rahm, and he didn't like it. Little has changed since except more is known.
Politically, it isn't just Aldermanic mayoral wannabes that will make hay the this, but the bulk of his spending/expenditure/deficit policies will bear the cost. Too many structural deficits (city/state/CPS) for Rahm to ignore. City & schools alone are $1B. He just unveiled a $7B capital works plan with no specifics except hints of private partnership, and selling/leasing Midway has been resurrected (Tribune) which is an issue I don't have to run for mayor to point out the reckless fiscal deficiencies to sidetrack and Albatross him with.
Bottom line, it's hard to give tax dollars to an entity that changed ownership in a manner that avoided paying taxes. Dress up or paint the turd whatever way you like or believe will make it pretty. But politically, and legally, this one won't fly because everyone in office who campaigned against this Type of boondoggle/entity (Rahm, Quinn, Quigley) are hamstrung. It doesn't help the Trib in any form to champion. And the rest who could make a difference don't care enough because the risk doesn't match the reward.