By Roldo Bartimole
Before even getting into the battle over extending the hefty sales taxes on wine, beer, liquor and cigarettes, so-called sin taxes, we should take a close look at who is paying and who may be benefiting without paying any of the cost.
Actually, the larger metro area where some of the most wealthy live are getting a free ride.
Look at the map above of the 8-County Cleveland Metro area. And look at the only county paying the taxes: Cuyahoga. Not fair.
Now think of how the propaganda campaign of our politicians and leaders will direct us to once again finance our sports facilities for another 20 years. Added to 25 years already paid.
Us – being Cuyahoga County taxpayers who drink wine, beer, alcohol or smoke cigarettes provide the money. Already we have paid more than $340 million in this tax alone. We’ll be asked to pony up at least $260 million more in this tax alone. For billionaire owners and millionaire players. Is that fair?
The state legislature has already given Cuyahoga County the legal privilege of taxing itself for Cleveland’s three sports facilities – Progressive Field, Quicken Loans Arena and FirstEnergy Stadium. These three – baseball, basketball and football facilities – named for private businesses but built primarily by the public – now want further subsidization.
20 more years on the dole. Welfare for our richest. This after receiving regressive sin taxes for 25 years and tens of millions of dollars in other public funds.
Not to mention having the costly (to other taxpayers) privilege of paying NO property taxes on their facilities as they roll in dough from fan, TV and radio revenues in the multi-multi-millions. Money largely taken from Cleveland school children and teachers.
All owners, by the way, are members of billionaire families – Dolans, Gilberts and Haslams.
What the map shows is clearly at least a more equitable sharing of the holdup of Cuyahoga County taxpayers. Let all pay!
Time to let our politicians know. Vigorously. Loudly.
Shame on County Executive Edward FitzGerald (443-7178). What kind of leader accepts a scam on his constituents?
Shame on County Council members who are doing the same:
C. Ellen Connally (698-20339)
Dan Brady (698-2014)
Dave Greenspan (698-2047)
Dale Miller (698-2011)
Chuck Germana (698-2013)
Michael J. Gallagher (698-2015)
Jack Schron (698-2016)
Yvonne M. Conwell (698-2017)
Pernel Jones, Jr. (698-2019)
Julian Rogers (698-2022)
Sunny Simon (698-2035)
The fact that Cuyahoga County taxpayers have been paying the freight for freeloaders from around Ohio, especially what is considered the Cleveland Metropolitan area’s seven other counties, is shameful.
It’s a matter of the least providing for the richest.
It is because the Greater Cleveland Partnership (top corporate leaders), with three billionaire team owners, and very, very cooperative local politicians, who haven’t the guts or the smarts to demand that the rest of the taxpayers who enjoy not only the sports teams but many other cultural and essential services provided with tax-free gifts by Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, pay their Fair Share.
They take the easy way out. Making suckers of their constituents.
And we, the taxpayers of Cuyahoga County, let them get away with it.
The 20-year sin tax vote – if there is to be one (and there will) – should be metro wide. Regionalism at is most reasonable. If you enjoy, you pay.
Regionalism is a joke unless the costs are shared region-wide.
And don’t forget Mayor Frank Jackson, the go-along, what is is, mayor who can’t seem to represent his constituents. He allows tens of millions of dollars to escape Cleveland’s dire needs.
All this talk about our new Renaissance is floating on regressive taxes and corporate gifts. But more important it is floating on hyped-up wishful thinking.
Isn’t it time we stop coddling our local politicians? Isn’t it time we force them to make reasonable decisions for their constituents. Not simply for their own benefit and pay checks and chances for higher offices?
Those who take from their constituents aren’t only the ones who go to jail. They include the ones who steer goodies to those who set an agenda that benefits the well-off at the expense of the continually hard-pressed.
Financially, they are passing off the cost of their pleasures on those who can’t afford to enjoy the games. Hell, they couldn’t even afford the parking charges.
Let’s bring some fairness to this rigged game.
Roldo Bartimole celebrates 50 years of news reporting this year. He published and wrote Point of View, a newsletter about Cleveland, for 32 years. He worked for the Plain Dealer and Wall Street Journal in the 1960s.He was a 2004 Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame recipient and won the national Joe Callaway Award for Civic Courage in 1991. [Photo by Todd Bartimole.]
6 Responses to “ROLDO: Free-Riding on Cleveland, Cuyahoga Taxpayers”
Allen Freeman
There is no chance that a sin-tax extension will be a ‘regional’ vote, as there is no ‘regional’ mechanism to offer such a vote. Nor should there be.
But it shouldn’t matter. This question will be decided by the people of Cuyahoga county in an open election; there no ‘insurrection of the people’ required here to end this clear example of private corporate welfare. It’s as easy a fix as it gets.
So if the people of Cuyahoga county vote for the sin-tax again, it’s their own poor decision-making; they deserve to be fleeced for another 20 years.
It’s the electorate’s job to evaluate the validity of any issue being voted upon. If voters are too stupid to see past the ‘for the good of Cleveland’ charade, they deserve to have their pockets picked once again…
Roldo Bartimole
That’s a dismal outlook Allen. And one that would continue
to take from those least able to pay and give to those
who already have too much.
The mechanism would be there if that’s what the
state legislature deemed it to be instead of just Cuyahoga
County.
We have representatives who should be able to think
and be inventive enough to seek an equitable way to
tax.
Actually, I’m still for another plan – sell all the facilities
to the team owners at $1 each and put them on the property
tax rolls. That would give them a gift of multi-million dollar
facilities for a buck but get them off the welfare roles.
Thanks anyway for your comment
IndyCA35
Why should we pay the tax? We were perfectly happy with the Coliseum and didn’t need a new one far away in the inner city. Cleveland wanted it. Let Cleveland pay for it. But I like your idea of giving away the three stadiums and then charging property taxes.
Here’s a question for you. Who pays for all the cops at every sports game–keeping fans off the field at the end, directing traffic, and the like.
Roldo Bartimole
Snarky: Back when Gateway was built Mayor Mike White signed
a deal with the two teams there for police protection. With Council’s approval
Dick Jacobs’s baseball stadium would get 50 Cleveland police for games drawing 35,000 or
more. As you likely remember the first 400 games or so did draw capacity crowds
of more than 35,000. The deal with the Gunds provided 41 police with large crowds.
What the rest of the city got during that time period you can easily surmise.
The Browns also get extra police attention as does the gambling joint on
Public Square.
Is it any wonder we have situations where rape, kidnapping and murder
seem to puzzle the city’s police. They’re at the ball games. Well, not always
but it does indicate the city’s priorities. It isn’t with the citizens that’s for sure.
Thanks for writing Snark.
John Ettorre
Sorry, RB, but I don’t agree. Having major league sports teams these days is just a cost of doing business for a major city, almost a utility. And because of the competitive dynamics, the cost of keeping them necessarily (however seemingly unfair) involves these sweetheart deals. Otherwise, another region will gladly build a nice stadium and steal your team. That costs plenty in regional prestige, abilty to attract talet and general regional morale. I do agree that it makes sense to get the residents of other counties whose citizens enjoy the benefits of having the teams to contribute. But I’m not sure there’s a single precedent for any region doing that at present. Does anyone know of one?
Roldo Bartimole
John, I know this is your reasoning, blackmail as a cost of doing business.
Sorry, John, but this attitude simply encourages further gouging of the public
and with the mostly regressive taxes. Now even as Detroit
faces bankruptcy and ordinary people face losing their hard-earned pensions, the
family owning the Red Wings wants $283 million of public funds from Detroit for
a new arena. This is madness and it’s time it stopped. I wonder how much
the Detroit sports teams have helped that city economically. Let’s stop encouraging
this public theft.