TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Some Find Florida's Sports Pork Difficult To Digest
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Published: March 19, 2008
Updated: 03/18/2008 11:33 pm
TALLAHASSEE - With more than $3 billion of prospective budget cuts looming for the 2008-2009 fiscal year, advocates for the poor, the disabled and teacher and state employee unions went on the offensive Tuesday with a news conference about the Legislature's protection of corporate subsidies and tax breaks.
High on their list was the estimated $21.5 million that Florida doles out annually in sports subsidies.
"Those would be the budgets of the Golf Hall of Fame that receives a $2 million annual subsidy for 25 years, no begging required," said Karen Woodall, a health and social services advocate who leads the Coalition For Fair and Comprehensive Tax Reform. "The budgets of the Jaguars' Alltel Stadium; the Fishing Museum in Broward ... these budgets are not cut."
Other recipients on the advocates' list included Tropicana Field/Tampa Bay Rays ($2 million annually); Raymond James Stadium/Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($2 million) and Home Depot Stadium/Florida Panthers ($2 million).
"It's time for this Legislature to open its eyes and to really look at everybody's budget - the whole revenue picture - and to stop considering these special-interest giveaways, handouts, as sacrosanct," Woodall said.
Meanwhile, lawmakers are contemplating cuts to budget areas ranging from K-12 education to the Medicaid Medically Needy program, which helps the chronically ill pay for chemotherapy and other lifesaving treatments.
"If we get rid of this program, we're pushing thousands of individuals again to unnecessary hospitalizations and premature deaths," said Anne Swerlick, of Florida Legal Aid. "It's tragic that we keep going back to the same needy groups to fill our budget holes while other moneyed, special interests are not even considered to share the load."
Ray Sansom, budget chief for the House, said it's too early to say where lawmakers will make cuts for 2008-2009. With the state's economy sputtering, Sansom said that the Legislature has to consider carefully the effect of its budgeting choices on economic growth.
"The second page of what we deal with this session is getting the economy going," said Sansom, R-Destin. "Pro sports arenas are a way to keep the economy going. So I think we have to evaluate that and balance that out: If you do away with that, does it reduce your state revenue even more? Or does it enhance your state revenue by having these issues in the budget?
"Those are things we will evaluate," he said. "I don't necessarily have an opinion yet."
Reporter Catherine Dolinski can be reached at (850) 222-8382 or cdolinski@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( GF ) on March 19, 2008 at 4:05 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Can you sat oink? Our tax dollars at work. We can fire county workers but give the Glazers money. Makes perfect sense to me.
"Pro sports arenas are a way to keep the economy going."
HaHaHaHa. Yeah, that's the first thing I think of when a sinking economy comes to mind. Does he really believe that? Or is special interest that far up his a s s? What a joke.
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Posted by ( hatsoff ) on March 19, 2008 at 6:39 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Great story! I cannot see how the legislature can keep these funds in place while cutting basic services.
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Posted by ( markjdye ) on March 19, 2008 at 7:04 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
As much as I like baseball, I'd like to sell the Rays and give the taxpayers of Saint Petersburg some of their money back. As far as I can tell, we've not profited in any way by having a major league team. Wasn't this supposed to put Saint Petersburg on the map? Since we're the ones paying for Tropicana Field, the team should have been called the Saint Petersburg Rays. A new stadium on the waterfront? No way.
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Posted by ( Garbanzo ) on March 19, 2008 at 7:45 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Where are all of you liberal-bashing neo-com whackos now? Imagine all of this PORK from the right-wingers! HAHAHA. SUBSIDIES FOR SPORTS? Is that a sign of cultural sophistication? No! It's more like, I'll scratch your fascist back if you scratch mine. LOSERS!
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Posted by ( tryingtofindlove ) on March 19, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Does this mean NASCAR gets millions?
Does this mean ALL state agencies should cut the fat. I know one agency constantly spends excess money on resort hotels instead of cheaper hotels that are just as nice. Plus, their employees get suites to THEMSELVES, instead of having to share. Talk about a waste of taxpayers funds. What about the NON-NATIVE plants that use copious amounts of water around most, if not all, state buildings? Yeah, let's beautify and waste water so we can cut funds elsewhere. Crist and his entourage don't care...I know. I've e-mailed them. And, I thought he would be good. Come on McCain, take Charlie, please. We cannot afford him anymore.
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Posted by ( RRR ) on March 19, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
In these tough economic times I find it impossible to support these pork programs. It is now time for them to come to and end! Problem is, there is not enough testosterone or estrogen in the capitol to make it happen. Shame on those people.
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Posted by ( triprz ) on March 19, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
"Pro sports arenas are a way to keep the economy going."
Who's economy? Certainly not mine! But we all know that the sports teams will continue to get their money and education & health care will be cut to the bone. The Florida Legislature has been doing this to us for years. Term limits didn't help, the new ones are as bad as the old ones. Every time somebody running for office says they are different and will change things, I just cringe cuz I know it ain't true.
Many people are going to suffer until the economy rebounds (which it eventually will) but not the Glazers and their ilk. And they aren't going to help anyone who does.
Any ideas how to stop our legislators from supporting this sports pork? Public opinion certainly doesn't seem to make a difference.
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Posted by ( DarthRandall ) on March 19, 2008 at 12:38 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Garbanzo - I'm here. Here come the Liberals - jumping the gun as usual...... Let's look at something while we're at it:
"Carnival Corp., Florida's 10th-largest public company with 4,220 South Florida employees and a $136-million state payroll, posted more than $1-billion in profits last year.
It also paid nothing in Florida corporate income tax."
"In fact, 98 percent of the estimated 1.5-million businesses in Florida paid nothing. And many of those that did pay found ways to reduce their tax bills."
Yeah, it's all sport's fault. Do some research - and that goes for you too, TBO.com - good job reporting what you want to report.......
Should these stadiums that make millions in revenue have to pay tax? Yes - as soon as the rest of the businesses pay in. This isn't a Republican "Pork Barrel" thing here folks, Democrats had to vote for stuff also, so it's a politician "Pork Barrel" thing.......
*** http://www.sptimes.com/2003/10/26/State/Loophole_Inc__A_speci.shtml ***
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