Livestream: Blame To Go Around In Oakland A's Relocation Threat? Start With Oakland Athletics
Livestream: Blame To Go Around In Oakland A's Relocation Threat? Start With Oakland Athletics - Video
Livestream: Blame To Go Around In Oakland A's Relocation Threat? Start With Oakland Athletics There's enough blame to go around in the latest episode of "Oakland A's seek a stadium" and this one should be titled: "Oakland A's Shoot Selves In Foot". Not saying the City of Oakland's not to blame either. The murder's row of suspects looks like this: John Fisher and Dave Kaval, The Mayor of Oakland Libby Schaaf, The City of Oakland, and The East Oakland Stadium Alliance. But the Oakland Athletics, in taking what was to be a city-run project, and trying to give the look of running it themselves, exposed how little they knew about the legislation behind their own ballpark project, and because of that sent out messaging that scared the public. How? The fact is that according to SB-293, the City of Oakland's supposed to establish a new agency that sets up tax increment financing and the bond issue and the cost of the bond, and determines what the bond money is to be used for. The Oakland A's are supposed to sit back, build the ballpark, and pay the property tax to the new agency, thereby starting the TIF engine of money that would pay for a giant bond issue. That bond issue would go for not just affordable housing and not just infrastructure for the ballpark but city-wide projects. In other words, the A's and Major League Baseball are leaving the City of Oakland with $700 million in community assistance money held up because it's trying to skip town. Wow. The City of Oakland screwed up by letting A's President Dave Kaval control the messaging on the project. Kaval does not understand tax increment financing. So, when he let loose about $12 billion in buildout development in the Howard Terminal District, which includes the ballpark, Dave forgot that the area collects tax increment revenue. The potential revenue haul? $9 billion for use city-wide. The City of Oakland staff knew this potential for years, but held it from public view. This staff does not operate like previous City of Oakland Economic Development Bosses I worked for. Who ever heard of a public official hiding money that can help the community, but that's what the City of Oakland has been doing with respect to potential redevelopment tax increment financing money that could solve the homeless problem in Oakland, and have money to spare. The whole deal is perfectly Oakland: so afraid to win that it figures out a way to screw up. Then, eventually, Oakland will craft a way to justify its actions. The good news is that does not have to come to pass if we're aggressive. We have to fight. We have to win. I am sick and tired of Oakland always losing. The Mayor's Office issued this statement: "We share MLB’s sense of urgency and their continued preference for Oakland. Today’s statement makes clear that the only viable path to keeping the A’s rooted in Oakland is a ballpark on the waterfront. We have made great strides with the Governor’s certification and release of the EIR. Now, with the recent start of financial discussions with the A’s, we call on our entire community – regional and local partners included — to rally together and support a new, financially viable, fiscally responsible, world class waterfront neighborhood that enhances our city and region, and keeps the A’s in Oakland where they belong.” Stay tuned.
via IFTTT
https://youtu.be/PSHWEqG4BAM
Livestream: Blame To Go Around In Oakland A's Relocation Threat? Start With Oakland Athletics There's enough blame to go around in the latest episode of "Oakland A's seek a stadium" and this one should be titled: "Oakland A's Shoot Selves In Foot". Not saying the City of Oakland's not to blame either. The murder's row of suspects looks like this: John Fisher and Dave Kaval, The Mayor of Oakland Libby Schaaf, The City of Oakland, and The East Oakland Stadium Alliance. But the Oakland Athletics, in taking what was to be a city-run project, and trying to give the look of running it themselves, exposed how little they knew about the legislation behind their own ballpark project, and because of that sent out messaging that scared the public. How? The fact is that according to SB-293, the City of Oakland's supposed to establish a new agency that sets up tax increment financing and the bond issue and the cost of the bond, and determines what the bond money is to be used for. The Oakland A's are supposed to sit back, build the ballpark, and pay the property tax to the new agency, thereby starting the TIF engine of money that would pay for a giant bond issue. That bond issue would go for not just affordable housing and not just infrastructure for the ballpark but city-wide projects. In other words, the A's and Major League Baseball are leaving the City of Oakland with $700 million in community assistance money held up because it's trying to skip town. Wow. The City of Oakland screwed up by letting A's President Dave Kaval control the messaging on the project. Kaval does not understand tax increment financing. So, when he let loose about $12 billion in buildout development in the Howard Terminal District, which includes the ballpark, Dave forgot that the area collects tax increment revenue. The potential revenue haul? $9 billion for use city-wide. The City of Oakland staff knew this potential for years, but held it from public view. This staff does not operate like previous City of Oakland Economic Development Bosses I worked for. Who ever heard of a public official hiding money that can help the community, but that's what the City of Oakland has been doing with respect to potential redevelopment tax increment financing money that could solve the homeless problem in Oakland, and have money to spare. The whole deal is perfectly Oakland: so afraid to win that it figures out a way to screw up. Then, eventually, Oakland will craft a way to justify its actions. The good news is that does not have to come to pass if we're aggressive. We have to fight. We have to win. I am sick and tired of Oakland always losing. The Mayor's Office issued this statement: "We share MLB’s sense of urgency and their continued preference for Oakland. Today’s statement makes clear that the only viable path to keeping the A’s rooted in Oakland is a ballpark on the waterfront. We have made great strides with the Governor’s certification and release of the EIR. Now, with the recent start of financial discussions with the A’s, we call on our entire community – regional and local partners included — to rally together and support a new, financially viable, fiscally responsible, world class waterfront neighborhood that enhances our city and region, and keeps the A’s in Oakland where they belong.” Stay tuned.
via IFTTT
https://youtu.be/PSHWEqG4BAM
Post A Comment
No comments :