The Great Sports Rebate Swindle

S.V. Date explains how the great sports rebate swindle works in Florida.

Because “rebate” has a specific meaning in the minds of most Floridians. It’s when you buy, say, a television at Best Buy, and then, after you send in the receipt, the manufacturer sends you a check for $50 or $100 or $1,000.

When the typical voter hears rebate applied to sports teams, the logical inference is that the amount “rebated” is based upon or limited by the amount of sales tax collected at the new park.

And that is precisely NOT how it works. Read the law (link below). After a team has been qualified by the governor’s office as meeting the projected requirements, the Department of Revenue starts sending the stadium owners a monthly check for $166,667 for 30 years — no further questions asked.

It gets worse. The Tampa Bay Lightning received a $166,667 monthly check the year of the NHL lockout. Florida taxpayers paid the Lightning the not playing. Talk about a bargain. Charlie Crist has decide to give the Tampa Bay Rays the same deal.

The Rays are now asking St. Petersburg to build a waterfront stadium. The price tag is $450 million. The Rays will put up only $150 million. We can take a good guess who will be paying the rest of the bill.

Jim Johnson made the unintentionally hysterical argument of the positive economic impact that "John Gruden, Vinny Lecavalier, Mike Alstott - they all have to fill up their gas tanks." That doesn't cover Rayomnd James Stadium operating at a deficit. Another point that destroys Johnson's gas purchase argument is studies showing that sport stadiums do not generate revenue back into the community.

The great sports rebate swindle will continue until voters stand up and say no more.