Are building stadiums a good use of taxpayer dollars?
141617
This is a pretty good question. Without a simple answer, I think. So many factors come into play in any given area, in regards to this question. I don't think there really is a one size fits all answer.
580803
No, because the bigger school would lose money travelling to Podunk for a game in a stadium that only has 25,000 seats! Imagine a home-and-home between Michigan and San Jose State. Michigan Stadium seats over 110,000 people. If the estiamted priced of admission is 50 dollars, that's 5,500,000 dollars just on gate alone! Try that at San Jose State where ticket prices are less expensive and seats are fewer. No way would such a deal fly because of the financial loss to the bigger school. "Cupcake" games are a way for smaller schools to make their budget and for bigger schools to get an easy "W" on saturday. So give up the "fairness" dream of home-and-home cupcake scheduling; it'll never work!
831660
Why should the government take money from my pocket and give it to ANY athlete? If I wanted them to have money, I would give it to them myself. If athletes want to participate in a sport, let them find the money to do it, don't expect the government to pay their way.
650993
Why we are spending money to build baseball stadiums when we have a budget deficit and a 50% high school graduation rate in the public schools.
647163
Hey, Benni.  When I was interning in the power industry I had to review some electric bills for a rather large office in downtown Chicago.  They were on the order of tens of thousands of dollars per month.  And this was not anywhere near what a stadium would use.\n\nI'll try to find some figures for you and will edit this post with sources when I find them.  Note that, for indoor stadiums, the cost will be much higher because of heating/cooling.\n\nUpdate: Below is the site of a stadium that says its bulbs are 1500W each.  Each pole looks to have about 12 bulbs.  There looks like there are at least 8 poles.  That's 144kW in lighting.  Assuming they're on for 5 hours a night, that's 720 kWh just in the lights every night that they're turned on.  At $0.05/kWh (they probably get a better rate than that), that comes to $36,000 per night.  Note that that doesn't include ANY other power sources, but is still a highly speculative number.  I'll let you know if I can find anything more definitive.\n\n2nd Update:  The Baltimore Ravens' stadium has two jumbo screens that can consume up to 80 kW.\n\nFinal Update:  The New York Giants' stadium consumes enough power to run 4,000 homes on gameday.  Assuming a typical home uses 800 kWh / month, that is about 1 kW at any given time, which means their stadium uses about 4 MW on gameday.  Assuming this lasts for 5 hours, that's 2000 kWh in one day.  Not a bad number with the above lighting (for a smaller stadium) listed at 720 kWh...  At $0.05/kWh, that's $100,000 every game.  I also came across a site which said Penn State university's electric bill is over $1 million each month.\n\nUpdate on your question:  My above calculation is incorrect.  If a stadium uses 4 MW on gameday for 5 hours, it uses 20,000 kWh on that day, which is then $1,000 at $0.05/kWh.  I think the number is conservative, though.  Sorry for the misunderstanding!
758672
Yes, they are great for the economy. Tax cuts allow money to stay with in the private economy where Tax money is really pulled out of it and tied up in Government controlled ventures. Government controlled ventures have no real influences on the productivity of private industry, which is where money grows. \n\nThe more availability of resources, the more money is spent in areas that money wasn't spent in before, providing greater opportunity and resources for companies to expand and develop, not to mention provide new job opportunities. They don't do that if they aren't pulling in the resources to allow for it to happen. \n\nSo, the long and short of it, it's been proposed and done under Kennedy, Reagan, and now Bush. It's how you can let the people have the resources to do with as they deem necessary. And because the people of the United States are amazing in their ability to grow and expand, it works like a charm every time.
63578
they needed the money\nthe new stadium took lots of money
1136197
Yep.  Its a great way for the state to make money without raising taxes.  My state FINALLY figured that out a couple years ago.  Its great.
489683
You're dead wrong on one point.  That number is way higher than 85%.\n\nHigh ticket, parking, and concession prices are especially aggravating because they're not even the main source of revenue for team (TV is their biggest source), yet they keep a large portion of the local population out.  Even more outrageous is the fact that most of the teams are playing in taxpayer funded stadiums, yet many lower middle class taxpayers can't afford a ticket.
1064312
Umm,it just does............kids too poor to go to college get a free ride to college by being good at sports,hence Education............tourism is a great thing also,go to Wrigley Field or Yankees Stadium,see what I mean.............As far as human society it gives us all a break form the real world for a while,something to beleive in and feel a part of..............and Employment,each major sports venue gives hundred of jobs to people,sometimes thousands
655296
If you have 100's of "fat cat" fans, you have 100's of "fat cat" fans to satisfy.\n\n...not to mention what profitability the lease fees bring for the arena owners.
1056906
Money spent on education is well spent!\nMoney spent on development is well spent!\nMoney spent on social security is showing we care for our people!\nAnd the list can grow!\nNow, whenever money is spent, it is for a certain reason, but also on a particular area, local, certain group, etc. Thus, the money spent should be spent to cover the greatest need and for now, short term and long term!\nMinorities!\nEveryone belongs to some minority! There are ethnic, citizenship, religious, etc. minorities! When money is spent to build a new expressway, it is mainly done for those with cars, but eventually all are benefited. When a school is built, it is good for the youth, but all are benefited, parents, companies, even the ones who do not have kids!
255699
Don't know what government you're talking about.  Here in U.S., only local/state governments would contribute, definitely not Federal.\n\nAnswer to your question depends on the opportunity costs of the expenditure by government.  It might make sense for a government to invest in the Olympics if the associated infrastructure development will be useful for economic expansion following the events.
497417
If they really needed it then why not.\nGet  people to sponsor you to do something (football match , run, silence, reading marathon). Garage sale.
955553
I think it bites if the government can take your privately owned property so that some privately owned commercial business can have it.  If it's for roads etc., it might be necessary.
194854
It's a crying shame to see Tiger Stadium become what it is. I have spent many a afternoon there as a kid. Many fond memories of the Grand Ole Lady. Tear her down, and may she rest in peace. Preserve the field as a playground for the nieghborhood kids, and all who want to walk the same field that Ty Cobb Al Kaline George Kell and many Tiger greats played.\n\nThe problem is that the city of Detroit owns it now, and the mayor is too darn lazy to do anything. Plus the city pays mike ilitch for maintaince (big deal, the grounds crew goes in once a month to cut the weeds), and mike ilitch is more concerned with making money then he is about preserving a vital part of our history.\n\nThere is nothing left there to beg borrow or steal. Everything I pass it along my way to Comerica it breaks my heart to see what mike ilitch and the city have done to it.
488996
To be truthful I've no idea - only been in the executive boxes!! But I'd love to hear...fantastic stadium, great facilities, lovely staff, I'm sure the seats are good though.