WembyRenaMania – Toying with Taxpayers’ Emotions

It was probably inevitable that landing the #1 pick in the NBA draft would spawn chatter about a new arena for the San Antonio Spurs.  As usual, the preeminent concern is tapping the taxpayer to foot part of the bill. 

And as usual, that should be a no-go.  Alas, appeals to emotions are probably not far behind.

The first reason is obvious: professional sports teams are not owned by poor people.  These folks didn’t become wealthy without a few, and then many, financial backers expressing confidence in their ideas by providing the necessary capital. 

If that network, steeled by market competition, doesn’t think building a new arena is worth it, why should taxpayers be manipulated into pick up the tab?  If pro-arena forces think it’s cheaper to pay for a marketing campaign, and fill politicians’ bank accounts to get them onboard, citizens should beware.

One routine selling point likely to be absent from any push is the promise of “economic development.”  East-siders are wise to that, and unlikely be pacified by the possibility that a “broken promise can be addressed regardless of where the Spurs play.” 

It’s a shame they were ever sold that in the first place.

Entertainment is a consumer good.  Consumption does not spur growth or “development,” much less represent it.  It is literally the opposite.  Even moreso for seasonal sporting events. 

Real economic growth springs from production.  This could be a factory, or software engineering firm that grows or relocates, and brings with it steady, well-paying jobs.  Doctors’ offices, restaurants, cleaners, etc. will follow. 

Despite this organic community benefit, some in the establishment might be susceptible to leveraging the new arena as a cash cow fund social programs.  A couple concerns arise from this.

First, government is rarely an effective, much less efficient way to allocate resources in order to provide a good or service.  With no competition or threat of going out of business, and a forced source of funding in the form of taxation, it has no incentive to do a good job. 

Plus, programs often discriminate against some of their tax-paying benefactors by declaring them ineligible to tap these services.

Moreover, what’s to stop local government from unleashing the eminent domain bulldozer?  Adorning your establishment or home with Spurs paraphernalia might not be enough to avert the gaze of elites being sweet-talked by those who’ll be watching the games from luxury suites. 

Officials have already misguided citizens into over $3 billion of debt on the city’s balance sheet.  What have we gotten in return?  Over-construction on city streets, the fantasy that quality “affordable housing” can be achieved if municipally-driven, etc. 

Meanwhile, the ensuing interest costs, which continue to rise, flailing programs and spending on non-value-added, oftentimes counterproductive departments puts more and more pressure on property taxpayers. 

Shouldn’t our leaders look out for us more than they do well-heeled pro-sports team owners, developers and their lobbyists?  Denying the public information on negotiations does not inspire confidence.