Last week, the Washington Post reported that DC officials were close to a deal to build a new major league soccer stadium a few blocks from Nationals Park. A few days later, Mayor Gray asked the DC Council to approve a “complex series of land deals” to give the stadium its promised home. The DC taxpayers’ price tag: $120 million, as well as $40 million in tax breaks for D.C. United.
Forest Hills neighbor William Breer’s preference: No deal. He writes:
I have sent the following letter, which is self-explanatory, to Mary Cheh and will send to the rest of the council and to the mayor. I found the Nationals’ deal a huge rip off and the current one promises to be smell as bad. It would help if you could also weigh in and pass the word to others.
From: William Breer
Date: May 26, 2014 10:07:10 EDT
To: Cheh Mary
Subject: Soccer Stadium
Dear Mary:
Saturday’s Washington Post wrote that Mayor Gray is urging the council to approve the use of taxpayer money and city real estate to build a soccer stadium for private benefit. It is not clear what, if any, benefits the citizens of Washington would reap. On the basis of the plan in the Post, the major beneficiaries will be the property developers and owners of the soccer team, not the taxpayers of D.C. Ahead of the Nationals deal, there was much bragging about how much D.C. would benefit from the city’s investment, but there has been no public disclosure of the financial results and prospects of the Nationals deal. It appears that the city and promoters have something to hide.
I am totally opposed to using taxpayer money to construct a facility that will be used for private gain and to enrich so-called “private enterprise” at taxpayer expense. How about more money for education or for repair of our third world roads and sewers? The deal stinks like our aged sewer system.
Sincerely, William T. Breer