We hope today’s “IS IT TRUE” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address rationally and responsibly.
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IS IT TRUE that when money is taken from people’s paychecks that is called a TAX…when money is paid to a taxing authority for ownership of real estate, a car, a boat, or another object that is the subject of an assessment and a bill, that bill is called a TAX?…that every time money goes from an individual or organization to a taxing authority, that is a TAX?…the TAXING AUTHORITY is the place that levies a TAX and the person or company paying that money is a TAXPAYER?
IS IT TRUE that the taxing authority has the responsibility of using the TAXES that have been collected responsibly and they are accountable to the TAXPAYERS?…when a taxing authority collects a TAX for a specific purpose then the money is assumed to go for that purpose and any deviation from that purpose is subject to audit in almost every situation?
IS IT TRUE that Indiana House Bill 1001 was championed by State Representative Tim O’Brien, is one of those cases?…every dime that is collected at the state level is being considered for redirection to the City of Evansville for an increase in the amount of money captured from the Evansville Professional Sports and Convention Development Area, supporting local sports tourism is indeed a proposal to increase the TAX on the people whose activities are targeted to be taxed for this purpose?…the reality is that this is a TAX, it always has been a TAX, and calling a TAX by another name is simply to communicate with the intent to accurately inform?
IS IT TRUE that taking money from Evansville taxpayers to send back to Evansville taxpayers for this purpose may send more TAX MONEY to Evansville than would have otherwise been sent?…these funds may even be successful in attracting some sports-related entertainment to Evansville?…the reality is however that a TAX is a TAX and there is no other way for the state to get money than to TAX someone and any money coming from the State of Indiana to Evansville for any purpose whatsoever is and will always be a TAX.
IS IT TRUE that only three active Major League Baseball Stadiums in the United States were not built with taxpayer dollars?…those three are in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and St, Louis, with the last one being constructed more than 20 years ago?…those cities have had their share of financial mismanagement, and their stadium situations reflect a broader pattern of economic and political decision-making the that isn’t always rational?…on the NFL side, The Rams’ moves between LA and St. Louis (and then back again) were a clear case of billionaire team owners leveraging cities against one another to extract the best deal—usually from taxpayers?
IS IT TRUE in St. Louis, The Dome at America’s Center (formerly the Edward Jones Dome, or “The Eddie”) has indeed become something of a white elephant since the Rams left for LA in 2016?… the stadium, which was built with significant public money ($280 million, with a total taxpayer burden exceeding $500 million over time), now mostly hosts conventions, concerts, and the occasional XFL game?… It’s a prime example of how cities can get burned when they build stadiums for teams that aren’t fully committed.
IS IT TRUE If Evansville is looking at this baseball stadium as an investment, it needs to ask: What is the exit strategy if the team in fails or moves?…history shows that when stadium deals go bad, it’s the taxpayers left holding the bag—not the team owners?… Evansville already has a bad track record of projecting and managing financial performance with the Ford Center.
IS IT TRUE If private investors believe a AAA team will make money in Evansville, let them take the financial risk. If they demand public money, it’s worth asking: Why can’t this stadium stand on its own as a profitable business?
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