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NO STADIUM BOONDOGGLE!
RACING AND RALLYING FOR AMERICA
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The Baltimore Ravens were not the only
football visitors to Georgia last week. Roger
Goodell, the NFL commissioner, also dropped
by Atlanta and had a conversation with two
of the top political leaders in the state:
Governor-elect Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor
Kasim Reed.
The National Football League is one of the
biggest moneymakers among America's sports
organizations, but Goodell was in town to
ask for a government handout. He wants the
city and the state to pledge hundreds of mil
lions of tax dollars to build a new stadium for
Arthur Blank and his Atlanta Falcons. If we'll
fork over the money, Atlanta may get a
Super Bowl.
I'm sure the state will grant
that wish. During the past legisla
tive session, a bill was passed
that imposes a special tax for a
30-year period to raise money for
an outdoor football stadium. The
current standard for a stadium
that would be good enough to
earn a Super Bowl is apparently the
Dallas Cowboys stadium in Texas that
cost nearly Si.2 billion. You can figure
that a new stadium suitable for Roger Goodell
would cost at least $600 million to $700 mil
lion in tax dollars—and possibly a lot more.
Georgia's top officials are being asked to
commit all this money while we're still paying
off an estimated $214 million for the bonds
that financed the construction of the Falcons'
current venue, the Georgia Dome.
There are some other entities that also
use the Georgia Dome. The SEC uses it every
year as the site of their football champion
ship game. The GHSA uses it to stage the late
rounds of the state high school football cham
pionships. It is the site of the Chick-fil-A Bowl
and the early season football game between
an SEC and an ACC school that is promoted
by the Atlanta Spo.ts Council. Georgia State
University uses it as their home football sta
dium. The NCAA has staged several "March
madness" basketball tournaments there.
None of them are demanding a new out
door stadium. They seem to be satisfied with
the current domed facility—which opened
less than 19 years ago and is still in good
condition.
Because of the economic downturn, the
Legislature has been forced to cut the state
budget by more than $3 billion over the past
few years. Lawmakers will probably have
to chop another $1 billion or so from state
spending next session.
Here is what we're already unable to pay
for because of this shortage of money: • A full j
school year that enables kids to attend classes
for 180 days. • Highways to drive on. We
now have some of the most crowded
highways and highest commuting
times in the nation. • Water to
drink and flush our plumbing
fixtures. We are about 20 months
away from a court-imposed dead
line that could cut off access to
Lake Lanier. • State troopers to
patrol our jam-packed highways.
Because of the budget crunch,
Georgia isn't filling vacant positions
in the State Patrol.
Finding a solution to those problems
should be the number-one job of the person
who was just elected to be our governs for
the next four years. How was he spending
his limited time last week? He was listening
to the NFL commissioner try to talk him into
spending money that we don't have for a new
football stadium that isn't needed.
I guess I'm old-fashioned. I always thought
the provision of good schools, safe high
ways and clean water were more important
to Georgians' quality of life than a football
stadium built to gratify the egos of the mil
lionaires who make up the National Football
League. Obviously, I was mistaken.
Tom Crawlord tcrawford@gareport
Tom Crawford is the editor of The Georgia Report, an
Internet news service at gareport.com.
by TOM TOMORROW
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6 FLAQPOLE.COM • NOVEMBER 17,2010
This is about a unique and quintessential^
American experience. My wife and I spent the
Oct. 29-31 weekend at the Embassy Suites in
Arlington, Va. Two huge events happened in
the area that weekend: The Stewart-Colbert
Rally to Restore Sanity and March to Keep Fear
Alive, which drew from 200,000 to 250,000
people, mostly political progressives, to the
Washington mall, and the annual Marine Corps
Marathon featuring 35,000-runners, most
accompanied by family and friends, all part
of a huge Marine Corps family. The rally took
place on Saturday—the marathon on Sunday.
The weather was ideal on both days.
The Embassy Suites is located near the
starting line of the marathon. It is also close
to the Pentagon City Metro Station, which
provides easy access to
the Washington mall.
The mix of the hotel
population appeared
to be roughly divided
between the citizens
of Comedy Central and
the Marine Corps fam
ily, with a relatively
small, but delightful,
handful of Howard
University homecoming
alums. Guests tend to
mingle at the Embassy
Suites—mostly, I
think, because of the
two-hour, complemen
tary wine, beer and
snacks feature that
happens each day at
5:30 in the five-big-
screen, "football games
always in view" atrium
bar and lounge. It was
a perfect environment
for a fairly large group
of Americans who
spanned the political
spectrum to simply
relate to one another
without the burden of
the political passions
of the day. Both groups
were in a festive but
also serious mood: the
Rally people because
of their distress over
the drifv to the right
in national politics,
and the Marine Corps
family because the
marathon was run and/
or attended by many people in memory of
fallen comrades, sons, daughters, parents and
friends.
The easy rapport between the two groups
was inspiring. The Marines were very inter
ested in the rally because many of them were
Stewart-Colbert fans, and those who weren't
honored the rights of Americans to gather on
the mall to express their views and celebrate
the freedoms which the military protects every
day. The rally people, like most Americans,
understood and deeply appreciated that dedi
cation. Most appeared to be quite interested
in how each marathon competitor performed
and, of course, how anyone could run 26
miles.
The intriguing aspect of this gathering at
the hotel was that it mirrored the essential
messages of both the rally and the mara
thon. Each inhabitant of the Embassy Suites
population for the weekend demonstrated that
Americans are comfortable with the diversity
of opinion and lifestyles that form the fabric
of our country, that political differences are
secondary to the national identity that we
all share, and that we can co-exist without
raising our voices to a fever pitch when we
disagree. That was the theme of the rally—an
event that opened with "The Star Spangled
Banner," sung a cappella by four members
Of the Armed Services, and ended with Tony
Bennett singing "America the Beautiful"—a
fabulous day on the mall sharing laughs, food,
water, and brief but thoroughly enjoyable
companionship with others who had been
strangers before that day. In a more subtle
and profound way, that was also the message
of a family of former strangers who joined
together to celebrate not only the lives of
their Marines, but also the American values for
which many have given their lives.
At the end of this amazing experience,
one could not help but believe, despite the
intensity of the political storms that seem
endemic to our national culture, that we are
all Americans with shared values that steel us
against the destructive forces of the politi
cal extremes currently gamering the public's
attention.
"Thank you" and hats off to Jon Stewart,
Stephen Colbert, their fans and the United
States Marine Corps family. They are all true
Americans... period. That message was made .
loud and clear by tht events in Washington
during a magical weekend.
Hue Henry
■
CAROLE HENRY