It doesn't have to be this way. I like sports- I devote a lot of time, energy and money to following my teams. I used to be all for states and cities building new venues because I believed there was enough economic investment to make them pay for themselves over the long haul. I don't believe that anymore. There is just conclusive evidence now over decades and decades of studies that shows that investments taxpayers put into stadiums have a net negative impact on the communities in terms of revenue and business generated. These stadiums *do* make incredibly wealthy owners even more money, but with finite public money, I don't think you can justify continuing on this path.
100% correct and when I travel for work, I go rent a car or a hotel and if my car was $39 per day after taxes it's like $59 per day with 10 different line items of tourist taxes............it's a friggin rip off, I don't see how pricing tourists out for what we use is the solution for me personally. The McNair's have seen their team value from 1.5 billion to 6.1 Billion.....with a B dam it, I love the McNair's but they and they alone should pay for this, are they going to give us a "break" on costs to watch them....hell no, so its not right to charge the common folks if they're getting a break with tax subsidies. You know what, I would vote for a tax referendum to fix the potholes in this friggin town if it would make that happen faster. Personally, I am not paying a dime to a Billionaire so THEY can put a product on the field that they reap all the benefits
This is the most common horrible argument for funding stadiums with taxes. If a city can raise more money from tourists, do it. Then decide what to do with it. There is no need for a stadium to introduce a tourism tax, and no reason to spend that tax money on a stadium. Where you get money and how you spend money are two different questions.
The Houston Texans are valued at 6.5 billion dollars and they paid like 600 million for them when the franchise was "gifted" to McNair. That whole family has been sucking off the teat of the city. They can borrow against the value of the team if they want a new stadium. They have done nothing on the field to deserve a new stadium - and the county and city already lag behind other comparable cities when it comes to spending and quality of livable space and attractions and benefits for citizens. I love Houston dearly and their are many great parts about it - but it is lacking sorely in other areas.
This - and I will try to keep politics out of it, but we are in an era that is incredibly billionaire friendly with great tax benefits, cuts and great power for the absolute wealthiest in the USA. Yet the other 99.99% is supposed to PAY for the stadiums - which is why the value of the team has gone from 1.5 billion to over 6 billion is about a decade? Absolutely not. At this point I wish the county could just buy the Texans for 6-7 billion and manage and own and run the team with the profits and value going back to the tax payers. I am all for free enterprise in most cases, but sometimes it gets absurd.
If it's renovated, where would the team play while the work is being done, and PSL holders would have their seats removed?
The "Houston Sports Authority" tax is a permanent fixture and those taxes can only be used on area sports venues and sports events. Check out their Website for disclosures on what they do with those dollars. After the tax was approved, the Rockets wanted a piece of the action for the future Toyota Center but it had to go through voter approval and it initially failed, and thus; this website was originally "SaveOurRockets.com." People thought the Rockets wanted a new tax but it wasn't a new tax, it was just a vote on how to allocate tax dollars that were already approved and could only be used for area sports. This website helped get the word out about what they were voting on. Clutch might have to start SaveOurTexans.com. This is what we'll be voting on. Do you want Houston Sports Authority tax dollar revenue to be used on a new Texans stadium? "No" Vote - Lose the team and the tax continues "Yes" Vote - Keep the team, get a badass new stadium, and the tax continues
Bob McNair was hungry for a new stadium and we bought him one. 20+ years later, Houston fans are still starving for a Super Bowl. Now the McNairs want us to buy them another new stadium. Sorry folks, it's *your* turn to buy.
One more interesting fact: The Texans are the only NFL franchise with zero debt. The McNairs have plenty of good credit, an excellent fanbase, and are valued higher than 21 other teams. They can afford to fund their own stadium. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/05/official-nfl-team-valuations-2024.html
Come on - that is not the trade off and I presume you know that. The city could defund or eliminate the sports authority and redirect those taxes anywhere they want. What laws set up, laws can change and there is absolutely no permanent legal reason that tourists taxes can’t be used for roads, schools, police, etc. Again for those in the back - deciding HOW to raise funds and deciding WHERE to spend the money are two fundamentally different things. It is ALWAYS a spin job when anyone says “we can fund priority X at no cost to locals with a new tax (or reallocating an existing tax)”. It’s the same as the “play the lottery to fund education”. The funding is coming either way - how to allocate it or which incoming funds are tied to which expenditures is just a political shell game.
Rather my money go to the stadium than the conference center closing down Polk street into downtown. #eadorant
Again, it is the COUNTY…not the city of Houston. The city of HOUSTON cannot do anything with that tax money.
not sure what the point of having those three towers are but it looks stupid and makes it look like a cathedral.
