October 10, 2004
Same cake, new icing
It's looking more likely that the only change the D.C. city council will make to the Expos stadium bill will be to tack on some additional funding for social services, without reducing MLB's taxpayer windfall. According to Eric Fisher, token sane reporter at the Washington Times:
Plenty of other potential tweaks are being discussed privately, including the possible creation of a tax-increment financing district around the proposed site in Southeast, with the new funds generated being similarly pegged for libraries and other underfunded social services. Some of the political trades may be more personal, with committee chairmanships forming part of the currency.
Turning the stadium bill into a stadium-and-puppies bill is unlikely to placate the deal's opponents, who are planning rallies outside the homes of pro-stadium councilmembers Sharon Ambrose and Jack Evans next Saturday. The D.C. council's hearing on the stadium bill is currently scheduled for the last week of October.
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