Nader, League of Fans & coalition to DC Council: Vote against additional public spending for stadium
As reported by WTOP on July 26, 2006, “At a recent stadium task force meeting, DC Council members were told [in the likely event that developer Herb Miller’s parking plan isn’t in place by mid-August] they would need to amend the current stadium legislation to waive the cap on spending and approve the additional costs.”
According to reports on the three fallback parking options from District Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi, the Council would need to vote on raising DC taxpayer costs for the stadium to somewhere between $655 million and $709 million. As the overruns and risks build, the Wall Street bond issuers are sure to take heed.
The DC Council — especially those members who switched positions on the stadium lease under the cover of a spending cap — must reject additional costs to the taxpaying residents of the District of Columbia.
With Council in recess, it has also been reported that the additional spending would not be submitted to the council for a vote until after the September 12 primary. Rest assured, however, that the additional spending will be a major issue in a city whose residents are 70 percent opposed to public spending for the stadium, and who have already been betrayed.
This issue is not going to go away. It’s time to say “No More!” From now on, let the owners of the Nationals invest their own money or raise it in the capital markets.
We ask that you respond, immediately, with a commitment that you will vote against additional spending for the stadium project.
Sincerely,
Ralph Nader, consumer advocate
Ed Lazere, Exec. Dir., DC Fiscal Policy Institute & member, NO DC Taxes for Baseball
John Capozzi, NO DC Taxes for Baseball
Mary C. Williams, Esq., Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 6D03
Marc Borbely, FixOurSchools.net
Chris Otten, Candidate for Mayor, DC Statehood Green Party
Chris Weiss, Director, D.C. Projects, Friends of the Earth
Parisa Norouzi, Co-Director, Empower DC
Robin Diener, Director, DC Library Renaissance Project
Shawn McCarthy, Director, League of Fans
Jenefer Ellingston, DC Statehood Green Party
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Sent to:
Councilmember Linda W. Cropp (Chairman – At Large)
Councilmember Carol Schwartz (At Large)
Councilmember David A. Catania (At Large)
Councilmember Phil Mendelson (At Large)
Councilmember Kwame R. Brown (At Large)
Councilmember Jim Graham (Ward 1)
Councilmember Jack Evans (Chairman Pro-Tempore – Ward 2)
Councilmember Kathleen Patterson (Ward 3)
Councilmember Adrian Fenty (Ward 4)
Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr. (Ward 5)
Councilmember Sharon Ambrose (Ward 6)
Councilmember Vincent C. Gray (Ward 7)
Councilmember Marion Barry (Ward 8 )
Sports Forum Podcast
Episode #22 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Rethinking Sports Fandom with Author Craig Calcaterra – We discuss Calcaterra’s new book “Rethinking Fandom: How to Beat the Sports-Industrial Complex at Its Own Game” and explore new ways to be a fan in the year 2022.
Listen on Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Anchor and others.
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More Episodes on Apple Podcasts; Spotify; Google Podcasts; PocketCasts; & Anchor
Episode #21 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Chatting About a Broken Game With Baseball Writer Pedro Moura – Moura is a national baseball writer for Fox Sports. We discuss how and why the game of baseball is broken, what factors caused it, and offer a few thoughts on how to “fix” a great game.
Episode #20 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Coaching Youth and High School Sports Based On What’s Best for the Athlete’s Holistic Development – We chat with long-time youth, high school and college basketball coach Jim Huber.
Episode #19 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Capturing the Spirit of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League with Anika Orrock – We discuss the hoops AAGPFL women had to jump through to play the game they loved as well as the long-term impact and legacy they have in advancing sports opportunities for girls and women.
Episode #18 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Talking about the 50th Anniversary of Title IX and the Lia Thomas Controversy with Nancy Hogshead-Makar – Hogshead-Makar is a triple gold medalist in swimming, a civil rights attorney and CEO of Champion Women.
Episode #17 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Talking Sports With Legendary New York Times Sports Columnist Robert Lipsyte – We chat about Lipsyte’s amazing career and some of the athletes he covered.
Media
"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
“Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
- League of Fans Sports Policy Director Ken Reed quoted in Washington Post column titled "What happened to P.E.? It’s losing ground in our push for academic improvement," by Jay Mathews
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
Books