Recently there has been an upward trend towards building more sports stadiums with the conception that it will provide economic growth in a city. Citizens strongly believe that building new stadiums can help bring the city together and revitalize the energy that has perished. However, even if it might sound and seem exciting at first, it is essential to take a step back and analyze how the cons will far outweigh the pros. Articles published by scholars have pointed out how economic burdens will be created such as federal tax loss and the dilemma of affordability. Although the cons seem terrifying, people still make the argument that the construction of stadiums can lead to job growth and the title of a first-tier city. I strongly believe …show more content…
With a country struggling to be able to pay for many public services, the proposal of building more sports stadiums is like adding more spice to something that is already spicy. It is a proven fact that sports stadiums come with an enormous price tag that will have to end up being the responsibility of the citizens to pay for. In the state of Maryland, “[P]erhaps the most successful new baseball stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, costs Maryland residents $14 million a year” (The Bloomberg Institution). The unnecessary burden placed on residents underlines the importance of the dilemma of affordability. Even if it might seem exhilarating to have a new baseball stadium, the cost of maintenance might make one wonder if it is worth the hassle of even having one in the first place. The stadium in Oakland, California had “…the net cost to …show more content…
In a recent study by Daily Tax Report, “Tax-exempt financing of sports stadiums has cut $3.7 billion from federal tax revenue since 2000…” (Verspille, 1). The $3.7 billion that our country lost because of the insanity of having to nurse stadiums, since sports organizations do not feel like it is their responsibility to do so, is like making the argument that I need to take care someone else’s house when I already have my own. The lack of initiative that the sports organizations carry with them in our society only leads to the path of economic failure. The tax revenue that was lost could have been used for investing in our countries infrastructure, reforming our education system, and investing in clean energy which are all options that are in a dire need for funding. The lost revenue in that period is needed to run government programs such as Social Security, TANF, Medicaid, Child’s Health Insurance, and Food Stamps. One of the solutions that have been repeatedly raised is having Congress introduce a bill so “…any stadium used primarily for ‘private business use’ would no longer be eligible to receive federal tax-exempt financing” (Verspille, 11). By using this plan we can make sure that private sports organizations do not get any tax breaks and ensure the prevention of federal tax