How much money was lost to the public kitty – that is, to taxpayer coffers – over the last 16 or so years because of the sweetheart development deal that has resulted in a paucity of development on the former Civic Arena site in the Lower Hill District?
If public transit advocates, led by officials of Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT), insist that public transit is a “right” or a “public good” (which it is neither), how can they continue to support PRT unionized workers’ right to strike?
Stated the Tribune-Review headline last week: “Streaking Pirates’ playoff chances slim but not none.” That, as they rose above .500 for the first time in weeks but remain a handful of games out of wildcard contention. How can the Pirates be planning to ask the public for possibly tens of millions of dollars to upgrade PNC Park “to remain competitive” when they rarely have been competitive in the current, heavily taxpayer-financed ballpark that they pleaded for to supposedly make them competitive?
How can the Pittsburgh Steelers even be thinking about asking for far more taxpayer money for Acrisure Stadium upgrades – up to $900 million, per one local media outlet (Pittsburgh’s Public Source) — when five tiers of the cheapest seats in the existing house would cost a family of four $520 or more to attend, not counting parking and any kind of in-stadium libations or food? And by what percent would the Steelers, if they get their public-paid upgrades, then raise the cheapest family-of-four tiers to further pad their pockets?
And while we’re on the stadiums’ upgrade topic, it’s clear that officials of both franchises have been in “private” talks with public officials. “Private,” as in behind closed doors.
Why?
The barons of sport will be quick to defend the Shhhh! Secret! secret talks, arguing something along the lines of “not negotiating in public.” What an intellectually dishonest farce. With likely requested upgrades easily exceeding $1 billion combined, the public – you know, the taxpayers – whose pockets the sports team seek to empty once again have every right to know what’s being negotiated.
Now. And on a continuing basis.
Secret talks that produce signed, sealed and delivered stadiums’ improvement deals would be the biggest slap in the face yet to public process, public purpose and sound public policy.
Colin McNickle is communications and marketing director at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy (cmcnickle@alleghenyinstitute.org).
