End Sports Profiteering Act of 2014 (Law'd)

[windjammer]

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Sponsor: Senator TNF

[TNF]

Basically, what this bill aims to do is to end the massive gravy train local and state governments send the way of private sports owners, while also fully socializing the gains from those sports teams, making them a good means of raising revenue for municipal initiatives.

[Maxwell]

Oh boy do I miss the Senate.

"Motion to Table"

[windjammer]

Senator TNF,
I'm not sure to understand the goal of this bill.
Could you explain more please?

[TNF]

The goal of this bill is to transform the sports sector into a socially productive one, that enriches the municipalities in which sports teams reside rather than allows someone to get rich off of the labor of other people.

[Deus Naturae]

The goal of this bill is to transform the sports sector into a socially productive one, that enriches the municipalities in which sports teams reside rather than allows someone to get rich off of the labor of other people.

Whose labor? The players? Municipalities would never be able to maintain their massive salaries (and even if they could, it would be an egregious waste of taxpayer money).

[bore]

The goal of this bill is to transform the sports sector into a socially productive one, that enriches the municipalities in which sports teams reside rather than allows someone to get rich off of the labor of other people.

Whose labor? The players? Municipalities would never be able to maintain their massive salaries (and even if they could, it would be an egregious waste of taxpayer money).

I'm not in favour of nationalising sports teams, but they are pretty clearly self financing.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Sports teams are set up using revenue sharing models and collective bargaining between the players union and owners, something I though TNF would love...

Most teams are self sufficient, and if not, they receive help from the league from other more wealthier teams, and they typically benefit local economies, not hurt them. The same goes for the arenas they play in, which are used for more than just sports in many cases.

Anyway, continue with your discussion.

[President Tyrion]

Sports teams are set up using revenue sharing models and collective bargaining between the players union and owners, something I though TNF would love...

Most teams are self sufficient, and if not, they receive help from the league from other more wealthier teams, and they typically benefit local economies, not hurt them. The same goes for the arenas they play in, which are used for more than just sports in many cases.

Anyway, continue with your discussion.

Well, I certainly don't support the nationalization of sports, but I will say that quite a few arenas are a huge expenditure sinkhole. Take the Marlins' new stadium in Miami; the city got taken to the cleaners in that deal, because Loria refuses to keep the team competitive, and yet the city footed almost the entire bill. 

On the flip side, AT&T Park in San Francisco is completely privately financed, so it's essentially creating jobs and tax revenue for the city without any real expenditure, besides the (very profitable) public transit needs at gametime and whatnot.

Really, a reasonable goal from this bill would be to heavily curtail municipal and public funding for sports arenas. One of my first bills (or it might have been my very first bill) in the Pacific Council was to that end, so I've already done a lot of the necessary research on the topic.

[Maxwell]

So Tyrion, what you're basically saying is we need to do the opposite

[President Tyrion]

So Tyrion, what you're basically saying is we need to do the opposite

Uh, yeah, I suppose. I didn't realize it was that stark, but, as it turns out, that's exactly what I was advocating.

Stadiums are certainly among the least profitable infrastructure projects. Sports teams are much more profitable, although a lot of the profit in holding them comes from the sale of the team (which would never happen now).

[Prince of Salem]

Anyone interested in introducing this amendment?

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[bore]

Something like just the first part of section 1 subsection 3 would be very sensible.

I'll sponsor Jomcar's amendment.

[TNF]

Amendment is unfriendly, obviously.

[Lumine]

I believe JoMCaR's amendment provides a good starting point, so I'll be supporting it. I honestly don't see the point in trying to nationalize (for lack of a better word) sport teams and stadiums. When has making a profit with something became something so bad that we need to step in and end it?

[bore]

In fact, we're going to be getting to this point eventually, so we may as well get on with it.

I'm offering this amendment instead of Jomcar's one:

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[TNF]

Even more hostile than the first.

[President Tyrion]

If we're doing that, can we just co-opt what we did in the Pacific?

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[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I would generally agree with the approach of Tyrion/bore as opposed to nationalizing the whole thing, but on the other hand, I would then state that I agree with Tyrion's decision last year to address this at the regional level and think that unless a reason exist otherwise, it is matter of regional fiduciary responsbility to its tax payers and a matter for those local politics to decide in that regard.


Can we even bind regional funding on an issue like this?

[bore]

Can we at least ban federal funds being used to build sports stadiums?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Certainly, but I grow concerned when I see the word "gov't funds" that isn't qualified so.

[windjammer]

In fact, we're going to be getting to this point eventually, so we may as well get on with it.

I'm offering this amendment instead of Jomcar's one:

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Senator bore, is this official or not?
Shall I consider you have introduced an amendment?

[bore]

OK, this is my final amendment, you can use this one windjammer

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[/quote]

[windjammer]

Senator TNF, friendly or hostile?

[TNF]

Hostile.