Field of Schemes
Pay up: If Jeffrey Loria wanted a stadium for the Marlins, he should pay for it himself ("Stealing Home," Tim Elfrink, May 5). George Steinbrenner did in New York; Jerry Jones did in Dallas. Why can't he? The Marlins are one of the highest-grossing teams in the MLB. If the public is supposed to pay for someone else's business, the residents of this city should get a cut of profits from the stadium.
M. Narino
Sue 'em: This is the last Coliseum being built by a dying Roman Empire led by madmen emperors and parasitic hucksters. The county's leaders have committed nothing short of a crime in saddling South Floridians with a multidecade debt that will cost taxpayers across the board. This is ripe for a taxpayer-backed lawsuit against the team owners and our county leaders who sold us out.
Terry Gonzalez
Hard hit: A great article! Every time the county says it has no money for worthwhile things, I think about the stadium. I have a business and real estate in Miami-Dade, and I am hit with huge taxes and poor services and then hit with a hostile environment from inspectors and ridiculous requests from the city that are costly and useless. I tell my friends that moving a business to Miami-Dade is a poor idea... unless you are the Marlins. After all, who is going to make up for the tax revenue that the Marlins are not paying? The hardworking taxpayers who the county treats with disdain. I look forward to the day I move out.
Anonymous
Curb appeal: I drive on 836 every day to work, and the stadium looks beautiful. It will be a big positive addition to that area of town for all tourists driving by to see. This is something for us to enjoy. Stop being such haters. New Times is always looking for a sensational story, and its readers eat it up like suckers.
Anonymous
Eyesore: I drive by this eyesore almost every day. The more I see it, the uglier the stadium looks. If you are going to force this stadium down the people's throats, at least let it look good.
Noel
Keeping up: After reading this article from beginning to end, I have to say that this is another disgrace for Miami. I congratulate all those who took the time to document this disgusting deal. Keep all of us posted. Thank you.
Anonymous
Make do: The stadium will provide jobs for county residents, and that's a plus. On the other hand, I do not like the fact that the Marlins sold us a bad bill of goods. The team should have been made to pay back the county a certain amount of money per year until they have complete ownership of the venue. A better deal could have been made, but we will have to live with what we have. Let's support the team, and hopefully this location will fill some seats.
Derrick
Winning proposition: The bulk of the "taxpayer" money originates with hotel taxes. Unless you live in a hotel, the funds are not derived from county residents, but from tourists. Most fans are locals, so in effect we are getting a stadium paid for by nonfans — maybe even a few New Yorkers. It's a win for Miami. The principals will reap the rewards like pharaohs, and the golden rule applies: "He who has the gold makes the rules." So if you don't like the deal, don't support the team, don't go to the stadium. I prefer elbow room anyway.
Anonymous
Staying empty: After the hype about the new stadium wears off, there will be the same number of fans going to see the games as there are now (hardly any). If they wanted more fans, they should have built it farther north. I won't be surprised if in a few years, the Marlins move the team elsewhere. It's really pathetic to turn on a Marlins game and all you see are the empty orange seats. How sad.
Anonymous
No say: What about us semi- or non-Marlins fans who couldn't give a rat's ass about this crap and/or can't afford to foot the tax bill for it. We never had a say in this deal. The whole thing illustrates the ongoing problem with Miami's politicians: They're all corrupt, and electing a new mayor isn't going to solve any of our problems.
L. Manicotti
Grammar check: What do you expect from a paper that thinks Uncle Luke has righting [sic] skills or half a brain?
Anonymous
Discreet spending: This author is unbelievably uninformed. First of all, the money given to the Marlins was earmarked specifically for developing tourism. This means the money can be used only to improve parks, art centers, etc. Where else was the county going to dump this money? More money for the performing arts center? Don't think so.
Anonymous
