Stadium News - Sort of

At least until Friday and possibly afterward, the stadium vote will be the main story in the news.  And today is another example of that.

Yesterday, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez gave his State of the County address.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez delivered one of his more important State of the County addresses Tuesday morning, amid what he considers the bleakest economy in our lifetime, while trying to sell the public on spending hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for a new baseball stadium.

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As for the baseball stadium, which would be built where the Orange Bowl once stood in Little Havana, it is as close to being a done deal as the Marlins -- through any ownership -- have ever been.

Simultaneous votes by Miami and Miami-Dade commissioners on Friday over five contracts would, if approved, finally cement the deal for a permanent home team owners have been in search of for the better part of a decade.

''Commissioners, I humbly ask for your vote,'' Alvarez said.

While Mr. Alvarez was giving his talk, a group of protesters had gathered outside.

Elected officials, community organizations, business owners and others gathered outside the Fillmore at the Jackson Gleason Theater in Miami Beach on Tuesday, explaining how the proposed Marlins baseball stadium would divert needed money from the local economy.

I won't go all economics on you about how when consumers and businesses stop spending it is the government's job to make up the gap in a time of a slowdown.  However if you want to enter into a discussion about this, I am more than willing.

The protesters did find a friend at the Hard Ball Times.

I hope this sort of thing actually moves Miami-Dade officials to say no to the stadium, but I kind of doubt it will. 

 Whatever.

However, the county isn't really making it easy on themselves to get the some of the commissioners onboard.   The county hasn't release the debt statement.

Days before the final votes on a $515 million ballpark, Miami-Dade's top stadium expense remains a mystery: how much it will cost to pay back the construction debt.

County Manager George Burgess said Tuesday his staff may not release a repayment plan on $347 million in ballpark bonds until Miami-Dade commissioners meet Friday.

Without those details, it's almost impossible to estimate the strain a new Florida Marlins stadium might place on Miami-Dade's budget or how much the ballpark ultimately would cost the county.

 You know, it don't come easy.