This is Even Worse than Publicly Funded Stadiums
I have written a number of times about how I hate public funding of sports stadiums for billionaires. But, via the Arizona Republic, this is perhaps worse:
Mired in debt, the Insight Bowl is considering leaving downtown Phoenix's Bank One Ballpark unless the postseason college football game receives a public subsidy.
Great - using tax money to fund random college bowl games. And where does the money go - most of the money does to the participant teams and their conferences which this year are Notre Dame and Oregon State. Why does Arizona need to subsidize the State of Oregon's athletic programs. And Notre Dame? They have one of the largest endowments in the country. Neither of these teams have any connection to Phoenix or Arizona.
OK, I am being purposefully naive. The money may go directly to the teams, but the purpose of the subsidy is to get those teams' fans to come to Arizona on the week between Christmas and New Years and buy hotel rooms. In fact, it is an indirect subsidy of the lodging industry.
Why does the lodging industry have so much power in Phoenix? People come here anyway, because it is warm - our climate is the best advertising. And during the week between Christmas and New Years all the hotels are probably full anyway - certainly their rates are the highest of the year, as I have found when family have come to town that week. And don't even get me started on tax money for this.
If the lodging industry values this stuff, let them pay for it via one of their trade groups. The city of Phoenix does not advertise my business. In fact, it does not advertise most of the businesses in town. Why is lodging the exception?
