West Side Jets repel
Cablevision sharks
Editorials
The brawling over whether the Jets should be permitted to invest $800 million in a domed stadium on Manhattan's West Side has begun to clarify the merits of the plan. Opponents have landed a couple of public relations hits, but if that's the best they've got, the stadium should sail toward the end zone like a pass from Joe Willie.
Led by cable TV giant Cablevision, the opposition argues that the project threatens public spending on schools and other vital needs because the city and state would each kick in $300 million to help finance it. Cablevision is spending freely to get the message across in TV ads, including on Albany stations watched by state legislators.
The facts are quite different, and they're not going to change regardless of how many half-truths Cablevision pushes out. The full truth is that the city and state will more than recoup investments in the stadium through dramatically increased tax revenues. The best, most credible and still unchallenged projections indicate that the stadium would generate $75 million annually for the city and state if, and this is important, the facility also serves as an annex for an expanded Jacob Javits Convention Center across the street.
So why do Cablevision and its chiefs, the father-son team of Charles and James Dolan, object to the Jets on the West Side? The answer lies three blocks away in Madison Square Garden, the nation's oldest venue for pro basketball and hockey. Cablevision owns the Garden and stands to lose gazillions in revenue with the coming of a state-of-the-art domed stadium.
As an entertainment monopoly, the company had enjoyed a sweet deal for a long time, including $11 million a year in property tax breaks on a highly profitable business. It's understandable that the Dolans will fight to protect those interests, and last week they took it beyond the max in Albany as legislative leaders and Gov. Pataki struggled fruitlessly to reach agreement on legislation to authorize a much-needed expansion of the Javits Center.
Helped by some very well-connected lobbyists, the company managed to circulate an amendment that had nothing to do with the Javits Center and everything to do with the Jets. The terms would have barred the state from supporting a stadium on the West Side, effectively killing it in a back-room deal.
That didn't come to pass, and it must not come to pass. Cablevision has no business in any discussion of Javits and should stay clear. At the same time, Gov. Pataki, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno must themselves stop playing games with the Javits legislation.
Their talks failed over suspicions that the parties were pushing various and sundry provisions either to sneak the Jets stadium forward or block it. All now say they want a bill that focuses solely on Javits without any suggestion that it favors or opposes a stadium across the street. Achieving that should be a simple proposition and should happen posthaste. Then it will be time to move the ball on the Jets. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/206461p-178174c.html
jake · 2004-06-28
West Side Jets repel Cablevision sharks Editorials The brawling over whether the Jets should be permitted to invest $800 million in a domed stadium on Manhattan's West Side has begun to clarify the merits of the plan. Opponents have landed a couple of public relations hits, but if that's the best they've got, the stadium should sail toward the end zone like a pass from Joe Willie. Led by cable TV giant Cablevision, the opposition argues that the project threatens public spending on schools and other vital needs because the city and state would each kick in $300 million to help finance it. Cablevision is spending freely to get the message across in TV ads, including on Albany stations watched by state legislators. The facts are quite different, and they're not going to change regardless of how many half-truths Cablevision pushes out. The full truth is that the city and state will more than recoup investments in the stadium through dramatically increased tax revenues. The best, most credible and still unchallenged projections indicate that the stadium would generate $75 million annually for the city and state if, and this is important, the facility also serves as an annex for an expanded Jacob Javits Convention Center across the street. So why do Cablevision and its chiefs, the father-son team of Charles and James Dolan, object to the Jets on the West Side? The answer lies three blocks away in Madison Square Garden, the nation's oldest venue for pro basketball and hockey. Cablevision owns the Garden and stands to lose gazillions in revenue with the coming of a state-of-the-art domed stadium. As an entertainment monopoly, the company had enjoyed a sweet deal for a long time, including $11 million a year in property tax breaks on a highly profitable business. It's understandable that the Dolans will fight to protect those interests, and last week they took it beyond the max in Albany as legislative leaders and Gov. Pataki struggled fruitlessly to reach agreement on legislation to authorize a much-needed expansion of the Javits Center. Helped by some very well-connected lobbyists, the company managed to circulate an amendment that had nothing to do with the Javits Center and everything to do with the Jets. The terms would have barred the state from supporting a stadium on the West Side, effectively killing it in a back-room deal. That didn't come to pass, and it must not come to pass. Cablevision has no business in any discussion of Javits and should stay clear. At the same time, Gov. Pataki, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno must themselves stop playing games with the Javits legislation. Their talks failed over suspicions that the parties were pushing various and sundry provisions either to sneak the Jets stadium forward or block it. All now say they want a bill that focuses solely on Javits without any suggestion that it favors or opposes a stadium across the street. Achieving that should be a simple proposition and should happen posthaste. Then it will be time to move the ball on the Jets.DN: West Side Jets repel
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/206461p-178174c.html