September 16, 2004
Piling on vs. Jets stadium
You know your stadium plan is in trouble when even traditional City Hall suck-ups are listing the reasons why it won't be built. Daily News columnist Michael Goodwin today declares New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Jets stadium plan to be "in Big Trouble" - just like that, with the capital letters and everything - quoting scads of state officials to that effect:
"The odds are not good at all," said one Albany player. Said another, "I'd bet against it." Even supporters call it a "tossup."
"I'd say it's 50-50," said one.
Most notably, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno has not joined the Republican mayor's team.
"The verdict is not in yet about putting a stadium on that site," Bruno aide John McArdle said yesterday. "He's still open, but he's not convinced it's a good idea."
Meanwhile, an increasingly testy Newsday editorial page tore into Bloomberg's threat that losing the stadium would cost New York its Olympic bid, writing:
He might have sounded like the quintessential peevish papa - "Don't make me take your Olympics away!" - save for one thing: He needs $600 million in city and state cash to help the Jets pay for new Manhattan digs. Taxpayers and politicians should debate this expense at length.
And if the back and forth costs us the Olympics? Too bad.
Added Newsday: "He shouldn't try to scare New Yorkers into a premature choice." What, and give up show business?
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