Miami-Dade voters are at a virtual standstill when it comes to David Beckham's proposed plans to fill in the FEC boat slip next to American Airlines Arena and build a new soccer stadium on it. According to a Benedixen and Associates poll commissioned by the Miami Herald, 45 percent are against the idea, while 43 percent are for it. The poll has a 4.3 margin of error, so it's a statistical tie.
Of course, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
Beckham and his group are hoping to put a referendum concerning the plan in November. However, it's still unclear if that referendum would be put just before City of Miami voters or all of Miami-Dade.
Considering that much of the push-back against the plan deals with the changes it would make to Museum Park, it's likely that City of Miami voters may have stronger opinions on the issue than all of Miami-Dade voters. How much do people in Hialeah and Kendall really care whether people in downtown high-rises have an unobstructed view of a bay-front park anyway?
The poll also finds that younger voters back the plan at a greater rate than older voters. Fifty-four percent of voters between 18 and 29 support the plan. Sixty percent of voters 65 and over oppose it.
As the Herald points out, older voters are a lot more likely to cast ballots especially during midterm elections. Though, this same ballot would include the Florida amendment that would legalize medical marijuana, so we could see a slightly different midterm electorate than usual. Could Beckham's future plans rely on pot?
However, the poll finds through other questions that Miamians might just be stadium-ed out. Voters were split at 46 percent each as to whether they opposed or favored a plan for the county to pay the Dolphins "finder's feed" for bringing in big-time events like Super Bowls. Meanwhile, 53 percent opposed to recent deal to renew the Miami Heat's lease agreement at the Triple-A. Only 38 percent favored in. (A Heat lobbyist says the question should have pointed out that the team may have relocated if they didn't get the deal, but we all know that's utter BS.)
The reverberations of the Marlins stadium disaster still loom large in Miami. Obviously a spokesman for the Beckham group told the Herald that the question should have included the fact that the team would build the stadium with private funds.
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