Unsurprisingly, given the economic conditions of South Florida, the possibility of a new Marlins stadium is drawing some ire.
Likewise, if we absolutely must spend the money on infrastructure, then I wish we would do so wisely, rather than sloppily stitch up a mass-transit system that will run empty because it goes places few of us want to go, such as to a proposed Marlins Stadium.
Spending money on infrastructure projects is the wise thing to do. I could go into the economics reasons of why that is so and even draw some graphs but I'm guessing that wouldn't change the heart of Mr. Sousa.
The real point is while he doesn't want to attend Marlins games, that doesn't mean others wouldn't find it an enjoyable place to go. Granted the economy has been torched and the recession may last for a number of years, however a future mass-transit stop at what was formerly known as the Orange Bowl may be very forward thinking proposal. And a good mass-transit option sure beats the heck out of people from Palm Beach County driving in for the games. And yes, there will be some.
Then there is take on it.
Miami-Dade County will contribute $347 million to the project and the city of Miami $13 million. With one of every 93 homes in Miami-Dade in foreclosure and government budgets imploding, can taxpayers afford to spend all that money on a place for millionaire ballplayers? Don't ask about the price points of tickets, peanuts and Cracker Jack.
I completely understanding setting priorities, and maybe the stadium shouldn't be one of them, but please don't use "millionaire ballplayers" as your argument, it just weakens it. The Marlins have very few players who will make over a million dollars next year. The Fish aren't the Yankees. And anyway, the stadium is not ostensibly a benefit to the players income. Their income is set by the league, at least until arbitration, and judging by way things have been going when most reach a certain level of income -- they are gone.
There are probably some solid arguments against building the stadium, but not planning on attending a game or that it will benefit the "millionaire ballplayers" aren't among them.