Fund All the Things

Screw the voice of the people, right?!! I mean, who do they think they are wanting a say in how public money gets used!!! Well, we (theoretically) do elect people who, as part of their job, are supposed to speak for citizens on the spending of public money. And on certain things, we as taxpayers do have a general consensus on what we are willing to accept or not, and (again theoretically) “voice” that every election. I know, I sound like an idealist that our system really works like that but maybe it is because we have let too much apathy seep in and accept it. I do not know.

Judge Says No Vote Needed To Use Public Money For New NFL Stadium (KMOX Radio)

In the particular instance of funding a new football stadium in downtown St. Louis, there is the city ordinance for a public vote on the matter that a lone judge has decided to ignore. And so, millions of taxpayer money that could be used elsewhere will go into a shiny new sports stadium right across the street from the "obsolete" one for a bunch of whiny millionaires. Yes, it will create jobs, boost the economy, etc...but where does it end??? And then there will be the angrily wondrous uproar when the city asks for other bond and tax increases due to budget concerns because they cannot cover emergency services, trash services, transportation, etc...but we will have a shiny new stadium that the people did not get to vote on!!! And while I am sure the vote probably would pass, it is the principle of the matter.

Oh look, there it is. That did not take long...

St. Louis Voters To Decide Fate of $180 Million Bond Issue On Tuesday (STLToday.com)
 
Not sure how spending $400 million of taxpayer money on a new stadium that could be used to address a city that is broke, and getting worse - while also currently asking for a $180 million bond from increased property taxes (which will be perpetual, not one-time) to do that very thing - will reverse that trend if the current stadium obviously has not had that affect. Undoubtedly, despite the same rhetoric from 20 years ago, any revenue generation for the city from the new stadium again will go toward paying off the bonds - just like with the current stadium, which is still being paid off - and not get funneled into the fire department, public schools or anything else. Frankly, I would rather just see taxpayer money going directly toward those services rather than toward some millionaire's ego who cannot fund his own stadium.

Perhaps I am just too much a fiscal-minded curmudgeon sick and tired of taxpayer waste on the ever-expanding cost funding the unneeded, unwanted and uneconomical given the price tag. But yes, let us subsidize shiny new sports stadiums, act on the political junk science that is “climate change”, spend on ill-conceived illegal immigrant programs rather than simply investing in securing the border, etc, with taxpayer money while our emergency services, infrastructure, schools, etc, crumble! So by all means, fund all of the things...and all of you get off my lawn!

©2015 Steve Sagarra