After all the foolishness involved in this, the vote was passed. If you cant see the difference between $1 per ticket Tax and the city of Mesa putting $99 Mill into this deal, you are a real idiot! Because you still pay the 'Entertainment Tax" which is just going back to the City for an undetermined amount of time. Your ticket tax, which still exists, just wont be dedicated for the Cubs. It will go into the "Streets and San" fund, which will be depleted to the help the Cubs build the facility, as an example. Never mattered where this money came from, because it was going to get done.

MESA, Ariz. (AP)—Voters in Mesa have approved funding for construction of a new spring training facility for the Chicago Cubs.

With nearly all the ballots counted Tuesday night, the proposal was leading by 21,000 votes out of 86,000 cast.

The city will provide up to $99 million to construct the complex two miles southwest of the team’s current facility at Hohokam Park. Any additional funds and upkeep of the new park will be financed by the Cubs, who plan to develop a shopping and entertainment area near the ballpark.

The team, which regularly draws the biggest spring training crowds in Arizona, has trained in Mesa since 1979 and had an earlier stint in the city from 1952 to 1965.

Mesa’s funding will come, in large part, from the sale of undeveloped city land.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Cool.

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Team Cutler.

Just remember the next time that you bash Reinsdorf for taking advantage of local taxpayers that the other team in town just took $99 million from a city for fake baseball games for about a month.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

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Truth.

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I'd be interested in seeing some numbers for Mesa restaurants/hotels/bars/golf courses etc. between February and March to see how much of an impact the Cubs have.

I'd imagine they'll make up the money within a few years? Really no clue

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Team Cutler.

Those numbers likley go up anyway just with the "snow birds". However, the cubs are a huge attraction out there, and I have no doubt that the influx of cubs fans throughout the year help the local economy. Also, in addition to the new facility, there are plans for a "wrigleyville" west ( gag me with a F'n spoon!!!!) with shops, bars and restaurants and I'm sure this will help out there as well.

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

it's spring training...why do they need a new ballpark and shopping and entertainment center?

what is this all about?

and why would so many people vote for it?

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UNLIKE REINSDOUCHE AND HIS WHITE SOX, THE CUBS ARE AN ECONOMIC ENGINE BOTH IN ARIZONA AND CHICAGO.
Those fake baseball games the Cubs play in Arizona fill up hotels, restaurants and bars.

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There goes one over the fence..Tru Link Fence..Beauty, Privacy Security....Call Tru Link.
Murph's Union 76 Truck Stop....A great Thanksgiving Tradition!!!!

WOO LIFE!!!!

Hendry was down there bullying and intimidating people at the voting booth according to reports...

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Team Cutler.

HOW ABOUT CREATING JOBS, YOU DUMB FUCK?????

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There goes one over the fence..Tru Link Fence..Beauty, Privacy Security....Call Tru Link.
Murph's Union 76 Truck Stop....A great Thanksgiving Tradition!!!!

WOO LIFE!!!!

Some of my fellow White Sox fans refuse to see the fucking forest through the fucking trees.

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There goes one over the fence..Tru Link Fence..Beauty, Privacy Security....Call Tru Link.
Murph's Union 76 Truck Stop....A great Thanksgiving Tradition!!!!

WOO LIFE!!!!

Are you saying that when tens of thousands of people attend baseball games at US Cellular Field that it doesn't also have a significant economic impact?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Are you talking about the fans that constantly bash an owner that is the only baseball owner in any of our lifetimes to deliver a title to Chicago or are you talking about the White Sox fans who buy season ticket plans even though they bash the owner constantly?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

thats what this is about? really? creating jobs?

Arizona just got more plastic...its spring training...one month out of the year...i still dont see the point

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Kiss Reinsdorf's Ass forever!!!!
Act like some peasant...forever grateful.
WHAT HAS HE DONE FOR US LATELY????

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There goes one over the fence..Tru Link Fence..Beauty, Privacy Security....Call Tru Link.
Murph's Union 76 Truck Stop....A great Thanksgiving Tradition!!!!

WOO LIFE!!!!

Look in a mirror....the point is at the top of your head!!!!

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There goes one over the fence..Tru Link Fence..Beauty, Privacy Security....Call Tru Link.
Murph's Union 76 Truck Stop....A great Thanksgiving Tradition!!!!

WOO LIFE!!!!

more like Ricketts...although I'm not sure how he fits into all this...but somehow this means more money for him, no?

I mean he's been makin a bunch of trips down there, obviously to bully people around for his own agenda

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u still cant explain to me why people r pushing for this

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Ask the customers at your Wendy's while you take their orders.

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There goes one over the fence..Tru Link Fence..Beauty, Privacy Security....Call Tru Link.
Murph's Union 76 Truck Stop....A great Thanksgiving Tradition!!!!

WOO LIFE!!!!

Bob now has a cape with a big dollar sign on the back of it

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Christ, are you this fucking dense

Spring Training is one fucking month, yes, but there are other games that go on there throughout the year. The ballpark and facilities were shit, and they needed to be upgraded.

Use some fucking common sense before you start asking moronic questions like a braindead 10 year old.

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Actually, bigfan should never jump on that tax issue with Jerry ever again. We are talking about 2 weeks of practices and maybe 12-15 home games for $99 million.

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http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/66972


"The Cubs’ presence in Mesa for spring training is estimated to provide more than $130 million in annual economic impact. Not only are Cubs home spring training games a consistently strong draw, but the club’s broad popularity also helps fill other Cactus League parks for Cubs away games.

The Cubs have trained in Arizona since 1952 with the exception of the 1966 season. They have been in Mesa since 1979 and from 1952 to ’65 before that.

“Voters definitely get the economic impact. They know the Cubs are a major force here,” said Robert Brinton, Mesa CVB president and chief executive and former Cactus League president. “What they don’t get right now is that these spring training facilities are now truly year-round hubs, between rehab assignments, tryouts, draft preparation and a whole host of other activities, so there’s education on our part that needs to be done."

If that figure is accurate, seems like a no-brainer for the voters in Arizona.

Edit: CSN Chicago puts the estimated impact at 138 million.

Seems like a win win for both the Cubs and Mesa

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Team Cutler.

Its a win for everybody involved, absolutely. Its also something that the Cubs don't have to pay for.

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First of all, have you ever heard the Cubs try to sway votes against the Sox? For either the scam for US Cell or the AZ facility of the Sox opened just last year?

Reinsdorf actually tried to do all he could to stop the Cubs from getting Tax funds.

What does shock me is the Sox fans ignorance (which means the ability to know something, but not knowing it, so it is not as much of an insult as you think) regarding their owners ability to acquire tax moneys without real $$$ for $$$ impacts.

I know BR and Frank have all the numbers I don't have, thus I will revert to Alan Sanderson, Prof of Sports Mgmt at U of C, who has used US Cellular as a Model State expenditure that did not even come close to paying back the debt it created. He regularily comes on the Score and other stations and talks about how these stadiums (Not just US cell) do not have the impacts the owners claims in the attempt to "extort funds" from States.

With all that said, I do think States should participate financially in these projects as a Public Good does get created and it might not be able to quanitified, such as US Cell. Specifically land donations and tax credits are what I am talking bout.

My Issue with US Cell is the amazing never ending basket of money that the state dumps into the facility and the revenue then comes back to the Sox. Yes, I have a HUGE issue with that!!!!

The fact that the Cubs in Arizona actually do create a huge impact and thus the spending of the money is warranted, seems to be a source of jealousy for a number of Sox fans and because now the Cubs got tax money, this makes all the money the Sox have got as OK?

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Its not jealousy. Its $99million for 15 exhibition games. You would have 15 threads started all in caps if Jerry did this. I am positive The Cell brings in many many more dollars for the city than the 15 spring training games will for Mesa. Hell, the parking taxes and fees alone are probably hundreds and thousands of dollars for Chicago each year.

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They all do it, not just your enemy Jerry. Thanks for admitting it. The Colts did the same thing. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Lza69EjuLd4J:www.indystar.com/article/20080824/NEWS05/808240397/New-deal-lets-Colts-rake-in-cash+lucas+oil+field+taxpayer+cost&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
I'm not jealous. I could care less about spring training facilities. I'll probably never attend a spring training game in my life.

Jerry isn't different or unique. He may be more effective but almost every owner does this kind of stuff. That's the point.

The citizens of Mesa are paying for the Cubs practice facility for about a month. That is as bad or worse than any way that Jerry has "fleeced" Chicago.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

1. The Cell is a LEASE and brings in X % of the attendance. anywhere from $1.50 - $3.50 per fan if at least 1.6 M come in. The Cell is a terrible deal for the State. So while it brings in more revenue, it sure doesnt come close to make any money.

2. The ongoing funding is what is the unpublished scam here. Those parking lots you think the state gets money for? All paid for by the state and the revenue goes to the Sox! or the Parking managment company it was harvested out to.

The fact that the State funding of this facility never ends, seems to never be brought up.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

It isnt "THE POINT". Because others do something that is wrong, it's OK for others to do it? The difference is I live in the State and City that are Broke because of stuff like this and thus every fee associated with living in the city and state has increased.

Look at what the FIRE wanted. They just wanted Land and they would build on it. The Cubs never ask for a dime from the City, they just pay $6 m a year in taxes.

When a GREAT deal came along in the United Center, Jerry didnt let the ISFA touch that deal? Or did he just reserve the really good ones for the people of the State of Illinois.

Remember all the concerts and events that were going to be held there and make all this money back for the State?

Once again, I didnt expect the State to make money on this deal, I do think the City or state should have contributed, but it's over. Stop the Political ATM.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”