Sports Subsidy Dead

Jim Johnson is right. $100 million sports subsidy for the Florida Marlins, Orlando Magic and Tampa Bay Lightning is dead.

The Florida Marlins’ attempt to get tens of millions of dollars in a second state subsidy for a new baseball stadium may have to wait yet another year, with Senate Majority Leader Daniel Webster pronouncing Wednesday: “I think it’s a dead issue.”

He noted that the Marlins’ supporters latest proposal — a one-time, $100 million payment to be shared by the venues hosting the Marlins, the Orlando Magic basketball team and the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team — was taken up but then postponed in a Senate committee this week.

“I don’t expect it’ll be back up,” Webster said. He said the total dollar figure would have been a tough sell in a tight budget year.

The bill was written by Carlos Lopez-Cantera.

Revises certification of professional sports franchise facilities provisions; allows certain persons who have received funding for professional sports franchise facility to receive additional funding; increases number of current certifications to accommodate facility for Major League Baseball franchise; provides that certain franchise is deemed basis for specific prior certifications.

Read my previous post on how tax dollars for sports teams never has a positive long term impact on local communities.