October 21, 2004
49ers funds no sure thing
Plans by San Francisco 49ers owner to tap $100 million in city funds for a new stadium/mall project may not be as simple as he made it sound. City financial analyst Joel Ventresca, who led opposition to public stadium funding when it was first proposed way back in 1997, told the San Jose Mercury News: "If they're serious about moving ahead with the project, I'd anticipate another ballot fight to reverse the zoning and the tax subsidies." The initial 1997 vote passed by a hairsbreadth after a heavy lobbying campaign by the team, and was marked by allegations of vote fraud by the administration of then-mayor Willie Brown.
Posted by Neil deMause
COMMENTS