Good Idea or Boondoggle?
Here are some responses we received to the idea of making Cape Coral the spring training home to the Cleveland Indians. Feel free to add your comments on the issue.*****************
Generally these sport team deals result in the hosting city getting the financial shaft while the sports franchise gets a spot to freeload. Will our property taxes go down? NO! ... (Real $$$ amounts not the phantom millage rates that obscure what is really going on!) Will ***********************
I read about this in the paper......Nick and I enjoy the Miracles (Twins A team), and often go over to Ft. Myers to see their games. I do not know about all the ins and outs of the financial end, but do we need hundreds of cars travelling our roads even in that area?.Del Prado is a zoo now with the Northerners and Christmas shopping. I dread to think what travelling the Del Prado extension will be like when those thousands of homes are completed. It used to be such a nice drive coming off of 41. Glad I won't be around to drive around in twenty-five years....I would say the developers have had theirway and Cape Coral will forever be changed... glad their pockets are lined!!!! BR
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boondoggle, a big one. Merry Christmas. D & SS
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As regards the possibility of the Cleveland Indians moving their spring training site to Cape Coral, perhaps the powers that be should first talk to the folks in Homestead as to what it cost that city when the Indians backed out of a deal with the city Homestead in 92-93. Those folks developed a multi-million dollar complex only to be left high and dry by Cleveland. If they continue to in their attempts to get the Indians to Cape Coral, and for the sake of the taxpayers in this city any city officials who pursue the effort should insist that if the Indians renege they will have to reimburse the City of Cape Coral for all deveopment costs. JN
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I am not a baseball fan to start with, so spending $40 million up front to build a stadium and infrastructure that goes with it is crazy. Somebody needs to ask Ft. Myers what they really get out of having a spring team. Not the BS about money coming in for business, filling hotel rooms we don't have and a great boost to the local economy. Someone really has to sell me on this one and provide some figures in black and white. These teams will cut and run when another city makes them a better offer and hold you hostage year after year.
Once they leave we end up with a stadium for HS games and the over 80 softball league. Did the mayor come up with this on his own or did XJoe make the suggestion? GH
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The charter schools are bad enough. This would be ten times worse. GW
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Oh no, here we go! The Cape Coral City Council is thinking about trying to attract a major league baseball team. You would think they would have learned a lesson from Ft. Myers and Port Charlotte. Why should the taxpayers foot the bill for a sports team? Do they add employment past spring trailing? No. Who will benefit? The hotels and restaurants will. So let them form a conglomerate and build a stadium. If it is such a moneymaker why don't the mayor and council invest their own money?
Port Charlotte has an empty stadium that is costing the taxpayers money. The teams are looking for the beat deal for themselves. The Indians are going to leave Winter Haven. How long would it be before they left Cape Coral? The county had to bail Ft. Myers out or the Red Sox would have left. Baseball is a business and the city doesn't need to get into a business. That is not what government is for. How many more families would have to be put out of their homes to make way for this sports business? Cape Coral doesn't need to be put on the map Mr. Mayor, it’s already there. TC
Port Charlotte has an empty stadium that is costing the taxpayers money. The teams are looking for the beat deal for themselves. The Indians are going to leave Winter Haven. How long would it be before they left Cape Coral? The county had to bail Ft. Myers out or the Red Sox would have left. Baseball is a business and the city doesn't need to get into a business. That is not what government is for. How many more families would have to be put out of their homes to make way for this sports business? Cape Coral doesn't need to be put on the map Mr. Mayor, it’s already there. TC
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I don't think we can afford it. SG
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Do you think the county would be willing to take another ball field when it gets too expensive fore the city like they did with City of Palms park in Ft. Myers? I think they are going to have trouble raising the money for the public service bldg. I can't see finding another 40 million for a ball field. JN
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"Would it be worth it to taxpayers to make concessions to bring the Indians to town?" NO! RD