This isn’t about Universalism but Washington.
As many of you might know, the former Montreal Expos were slated to become Washington’s new franchise, the Nationals, thus restoring pro baseball to the city since the loss of the Senators. If we are to believe Mayor Williams, this feat is crucial. But a large segment of the District of Columbia populus — given our odd and undemocratic status within the United States, I can’t say citizens of DC — are opposed to shelling out about a half a billion tax-payer dollars to subsidize the will of a private industry whose workers and managers are hardly hurting for cash.
Plus, in a city where democratic governance is still a touchy matter, it is monstrous how cavalier Williams (along with a few city council members, including my own Ward Two member, Jack Evans) has been with the will of the people, and how blind he’s been to the real costs (high) and real financial benefits (few) of a new baseball stadium to Washington. All this, mind you, before the team even has owners: the former Montreal franchise is held jointly by the rest of Major League Baseball.
Compromise on the Council has led to a public-private shared cost plan . . . that Major League Baseball has rejected. So they won’t play if we half-million Washingtonians and our businesses won’t pay for their Xanadu.
Good: let them take their ball and shake down some other city. Perhaps we can use the money saved and get our public hospital back.
No DC Taxes for Baseball.org
Washington’s baseball dream ‘close to dying’ (Joseph White, AP Sports writer)
