I don’t know what you look for in a mayor, but for me the most important thing is showmanship. And in this category, all city pols must bow down to Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, who made the official announcement of his $500 million, retractable-roofed Colts stadium proposal on the field of the RCA Dome before yesterday’s sold-out Colts game. “We have a deal!” shouted the mayor, as he and Colts owner Jim Irsay thrust their arms roofward. (The crowd let out an apathetic sigh. No, seriously, what do you think they did?)
With the important matter of how much money Peterson wants to throw at Irsay settled, now only details remain – like where to find $500 million. The mayor’s plan would have the Colts kicking in $100 million in cash, with the other $400 million coming from the proceeds of legalizing slot machines in Indianapolis. The Indiana legislature would need to approve the plan, and its prospects there are uncertain. A slot-machine bill failed in the legislature last year, and Assemblymember Michael Murphy told the Indianapolis Star: “A downtown casino would be controversial because it’s a clear expansion of gambling. I’m sure the riverboats would fight it.” The Indiana Coalition Against Legalized Gambling isn’t real thrilled about it either.
I am not sure that I like plans that pay for stadiums using legalized gambling. I will say that I do go to school in a state where the state lottery allows many kids that would not be able to go to college to attend the state universities (South Carolina). I think that education is slightly better use of this funding than a sports stadium though.