So basically we'd be competing against San Francisco and Miami? Hmm. With that new Stadium, it would be hard to beat SF. Miami, on the otherhand... But still, McNair asking for a handout is f***ing ridiculous.
From the article: "If the proposal is approved the Texans and the Rodeo, primary tenants at Reliant Park, would cover the costs of the new video display screens on an interim basis. Both will eventually be reimbursed by Reliant Stadium's repair and replacement funds. Those funds, which come from hotel, motel and rental car taxes, are presently being used to pay off some of the bonds at Reliant Park." He doesn't want more taxes, and he wouldn't get them from you if you live here. Unless you use local hotels, motels or rental cars in the area, you don't pay anything for these taxes as it is. You know, TAXES THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. This is a non-story. It's a vote on whether or not they agree to reimburse the Texans and the Rodeo for a new scoreboard with funds already in place, not a request for more money. Reading is fundamental.
yeah, the Superbowl coming here won't improve our already well-off economy. Sure it'd be cool if the Superbowl came here, but it won't directly impact my life (except for messing up traffic for a few days) and I'm not losing sleep over it. Taxes should go to benefit the general public. McNair has already gotten enough public funds- time to pay for it yourself, bud. and yeah, we all agree that the scoreboard blows. But the City shouldn't be paying for something that will benefit only Mr. McNair. The Rodeo does fine without those scoreboards- they install the center screens that show everything just fine. Only the Texans "need" this.
No one is crying over taxes getting raised, the argument is over whether that money should go to something more worthwhile. Maybe you should read some for yourself, guy.
Another note -- Bob McNair doesn't own Reliant Stadium. He had a landlord that he goes to for improvements just like anyone else. This is a completely normal process when you want improvements to the facility you use. He pays up front and gets reimbursed with existing tourism taxes, which logically, generates more revenue if an improved venue brings more tourists to town through an increased number of events at the stadium.
Don't really see why everyone is getting their panties in a bunch for something that is nothing new. But I guess people just love to jump at the chance of b****ing at "the man"
Dude, it's reimbursement from the "Reliant Stadium REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT FUND" You know, funds to REPAIR AND REPLACE THINGS in RELIANT STADIUM. What other more worthwhile Reliant Stadium Repair and Replacement items should this go to instead? Hmm? I'm open to your brilliant ideas. Better roads? Through the stadium? Improved infrastructure.... within the stadium? It's not a general tax fund. It was established just for this purpose. If you have a wonderful idea for something else in the stadium that should be repaired or replaced ahead of the scoreboard, you have a valid argument. If not, you are at best ill-informed and at worst intentionally obtuse.
LOL McNair threw in the towel.. if we can't get to a Superbowl.. might as well bring it to Houston instead.
The bay area is like a 100x better than Houston. You got Muir Woods. You got Golden Gate Park. You got the bay bridge. You have actual public transport if you want to get around. You have the warf, the beach, the mountains. If it wasn't so chilly I might consider living there.
So basically you're saying that every dollar taxed from hotels, taxis, etc. go to the Reliant Repair Fund? The more things that foot the bill from that fund, the longer that Houston's taxes will have to pay off the stadium and such. You're missing a step. Pay off the stadium from that fund, and stop diverting more resources towards the Reliant fund. Funny, I'm sure this request wouldn't have been made in 2008. Now that the Texans are winning, everyone wants to give them everything they want without having to pay anything. Sounds wonderful. Maybe Bob should ask for a renovated owner's box while he's at it.
No, I'm not missing a step. You're correlating things that don't correlate. Not EVERY dollar taxed from hotels, taxis, etc. goes to the Reliant Repair Fund. They go to other things, also. However, every dollar in that fund does come from those existing taxes and are earmarked for repair and replacement in the stadium except by special request. One such special request was made in 2009 when the downturn in the economy made it necessary to find funds to help make bond payments. Special concession was made to use repair and replacement funds to make those payments, so your suggestion to pay off the stadium from that fund is already happening. Would he have done this when they were losing? I don't know, Les Alexander received 8-9 million dollars from the State Host Committee fund to help offset the cost of his new scoreboard and the Rockets aren't winning right now. Why can't people just accept that the purpose for this is exactly what they say it is?: to attract more events like the Final Four, the Super Bowl, the BCS Championship (something they've bid for in the past, I believe), etc., and to improve the gameday experience for fans compared to other top notch stadiums in the league? Roll your eyes all you want, but again, you're either ill-informed, not smart enough to understand the process and the system already in place, or you want, as someone else brought up, to rant about "the man", damn the facts. For the record, "the man" who you claim just wants to bilk the taxpayers out of money at the expense of more important things (your quote: "maybe he should ask for a renovated owner's box while you're at it") gave 100 million dollars to Baylor College of Medicine, and plunked down 700 million dollars in franchise fees to even get a team here in the first place, 400 million of which was financed in personal debt (since paid off due to huge revenue streams by the team), with the rest being cash from his personal fortune. Maybe he should pay off your mortgage and fix the pothole in front of your house too. How about those college loans? He probably owes you. And 'I' am not saying anything, dude. It's right there in the article for you to read. And every other fact about what has been spent, what funds were created and what they were created for are in black and white if you do but a simple google search. But, don't do that, because the actual facts don't back up the premise of your rant. So hey, rant on, I guess.
Your ignorance is staggering. It's apparent that you've never even paid taxes that are used to fund Reliant Stadium, the Toyota Center, etc... Or at least don't look at your line item receipts. If you had, you would know that there is a line item on the receipt that says: "Sports Authority Tax." The money can't "go to something more worthwhile." It has to go to the Harris County Sports Authority. So unless you see the cost of the city's pursuit of a professional curling team as "more worthwhile;" maybe you should shut your pie hole and look forward to a new scoreboard.
Uhh... the article explicitly states it's being paid by the hotel/rental car taxes, which can go to a variety of different things.
and NONE of that is in Santa Clara, a suburb which is about an hour outside of San Francisco on a good day. San Francisco is an amazing city, San Jose/Santa Clara are dumps.
Also implies that a certain amount of those taxes are already earmarked for Reliant Stadium Upgrade and Repair. All that this proposal would do is allocate those funds toward future reimbursement to Mcnair and Rodeo Houston for the the new screens. Funds that are going to Reliant Stadium regardless of their intended use. I don't know why anyone is up-in-arms about this -- this is not pulling any additional tax money from anywhere, it is simply using funds that they are already expected to receive.
