Problems with big baseball bill SB 110 (Hearing today)

Senate Bill 110 would expand bonds to cover baseball in Portland
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

There is a hearing today on Senate Bill 110 which would create financing and bonds and a jock tax to finance a Portland baseball stadium.

Senate Bill 110 hearing Senate Committee On Finance and Revenue
03/31/2025 8:00 AM, 

Senate Bill 110 is a $800 million Portland baseball boondoggle.  Lawmakers want to build a private baseball stadium using $800 million in public money, which includes income taxes on baseball players and stadium employees who are allowed to divert their special income taxes away from police, fire, and schools and instead steer it towards a privately owned stadium.   It is like allowing your neighbor to divert their income taxes to build a private backyard swimming pool that they charge you to use.  As noted by Lars Larson, Oregon State University did this with Resers stadium and ended up $185 million in debt.  Also, when you pile too many taxes on players, you end up driving up costs which drive up ticket prices.   One measure shows the average MLB ticket price is $53.

Furthermore, the sport of baseball has been on a decline over the long run.  Additionally, Oregon’s minor league teams, such as the Eugene Emeralds and Hillsboro Hops, are among the least-watched in America.  The Hillsboro Hops already were given $40 million in various taxpayer funds last year.

Just as the sport itself is struggling with people, so too is Portland.  The City, this year alone, announced that it has dropped from the top 25 biggest cities in America because of population decline.   A declining sport in a declining city — what could go wrong?

Senate Bill 110 is bad for Oregon.

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