June 10, 2004
Shelly and the Jets
On top of yesterday's charges by New York assembly speaker Sheldon Silver that plans for an expanded Javits Convention Center would evade public oversight, other assemblymembers are concerned it could contain a backdoor attempt at authorizing construction of a new Jets football stadium as well. "My view of the Governorís bill is that it is more stadium-esque than perhaps we are being led to believe," Manhattan Assemblyman Scott Stringer told the New York Observer, noting language that authorizes construction of "adjacent facilities containing a plenary hall, meeting and exhibition space."
Even if that language was interpreted to mean a stadium - staff for Gov. George Pataki, who drafted the legislation, insist it doesn't - the Javits Authority would still need funds to pay off any stadium bonds. And as we explained yesterday, that's a far more difficult matter.
In other New York stadium news:
- New York City comptroller William Thompson has questioned the city's proposed $600 million subsidy for the Jets, saying, "I don't know if in the end that we receive enough back to be able to justify that."
- A new poll finds that while New York City registered voters favor hosting the Olympics (67%-25%) and expanding the Javits Center (49%-35%), only 37% support using tax dollars to lure the Olympics, and 55% say the Javits expansion will cost too much public money. As for the Jets, local voters oppose a West Side stadium (51%-41%) at all, with a whopping 68% who say it will cost taxpayers too much money.
