| Line 6: |
Line 6: |
| | {{cquote|Five NFL stadiums have been built in the past decade. The one in Los Angeles, a $5 billion palace, was built for the Rams and Chargers with private money. The other four, built for the Vikings, Falcons, Raiders and 49ers, involved taxpayer subsidies ranging from $114 million (Santa Clara, CA) to $750 million (Las Vegas).<ref>https://www.investigativepost.org/2022/01/25/the-pegulas-should-pay-up/</ref>}} | | {{cquote|Five NFL stadiums have been built in the past decade. The one in Los Angeles, a $5 billion palace, was built for the Rams and Chargers with private money. The other four, built for the Vikings, Falcons, Raiders and 49ers, involved taxpayer subsidies ranging from $114 million (Santa Clara, CA) to $750 million (Las Vegas).<ref>https://www.investigativepost.org/2022/01/25/the-pegulas-should-pay-up/</ref>}} |
| | In fact, there are estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in indirect taxpayer subsidies for the new [[SoFi stadium|Los Angeles stadium (SoFi)]] too, in new roads and in tax breaks totaling $100 million.<ref>https://buffalonews.com/news/local/pay-to-play-how-21-nfl-stadiums-have-been-financed/article_319a3686-0c28-11ec-a568-dbcbdd817498.html</ref> | | In fact, there are estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in indirect taxpayer subsidies for the new [[SoFi stadium|Los Angeles stadium (SoFi)]] too, in new roads and in tax breaks totaling $100 million.<ref>https://buffalonews.com/news/local/pay-to-play-how-21-nfl-stadiums-have-been-financed/article_319a3686-0c28-11ec-a568-dbcbdd817498.html</ref> |
| | + | |
| | + | As explained below, [[Dem]]s gave a $1.1 billion handout to the billionaire owners of the Buffalo Bills in 2022 anyway. |
| | | | |
| | == Stadium subsidies == | | == Stadium subsidies == |
| | + | |
| | + | In 2022, the [[Democrat]]-arranged government subsidy of the Buffalo Bills planned new stadium, which is owned by a billionaire family, was the second largest in history and exceeded more than $1 billion government handouts to the wealthy owners: |
| | + | {{cquote|The deal, struck between [New York Democrat Governor] Hochul and the billionaire Pegula family that owns the team, will be the second-largest taxpayer contribution to a sports stadium in history. Of the project’s $1.4 billion in projected construction costs, New York’s government is putting up $850 million, or 60 percent of the total. Hundreds of millions of dollars more were inked for upkeep of the stadium throughout its 30-year lease, bringing the public’s total projected expense to be more than $1.1 billion.<ref>https://readsludge.com/2022/06/25/hochuls-stadium-swindle/</ref>}} |
| | | | |
| | As TheStreet explains, "Thirty of the league's 31 stadiums were built with it and new stadiums in Atlanta, Minneapolis and Santa Clara are getting a whole lot of it."<ref>https://www.thestreet.com/opinion/the-nfl-doesnt-discriminate-against-money-12692833</ref> Erie County and New York State has already paid $220 million for renovations to Ralph Wilson Stadium, for the Buffalo Bills owners. Paul Brown Stadium for the Cincinnati Bengals left their home county broke. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to paid for $130 million of CenturyLink Field's costs, while taxpayers were left on the hook for an additional $300 million. | | As TheStreet explains, "Thirty of the league's 31 stadiums were built with it and new stadiums in Atlanta, Minneapolis and Santa Clara are getting a whole lot of it."<ref>https://www.thestreet.com/opinion/the-nfl-doesnt-discriminate-against-money-12692833</ref> Erie County and New York State has already paid $220 million for renovations to Ralph Wilson Stadium, for the Buffalo Bills owners. Paul Brown Stadium for the Cincinnati Bengals left their home county broke. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to paid for $130 million of CenturyLink Field's costs, while taxpayers were left on the hook for an additional $300 million. |