Lawmakers want $800M Portland baseball park

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

The Oregonian reports, “The Portland Diamond Project is asking Oregon legislators for $800 million to aid construction of a baseball stadium, more than five times the amount lawmakers approved two decades ago. Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, sponsored an amendment to Senate Bill 110 on Thursday in an effort to help attract Major League Baseball to Oregon when the league next expands. “

This comes one year after voters in Eugene rejected taxpayer bailout funding for their minor league baseball team.

This comes one year after lawmakers helped raise $38 million in different tax funds (state, local) to bailout the Hillsboro Hops — one of the least watched teams in America.

The Taxpayers Association did a graphic at the time (note the empty seats!):

It is not the role of government to tax Oregonians 500 miles away to subsidize the private privilege entertainment of others.

Rural Oregon will pay for this stadium but they won’t be able to use it and if they do indeed use it then it will cost them to use something they already paid for.

Additionally, baseball attendance in America over the long run has been in decline.   Why should taxpayers make a big risky gambler’s bet on a troubled industry?  Furthermore, Portland just dropped out of the top 25 biggest cities in America due to their declining population.   A declining sport in a declining city — what could possibly go wrong?

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