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September 02, 2011
Foster's secret Rays stadium plan isn't
Hey, remember St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster's secret plan to resolve the Tampa Bay Rays stadium standoff? Turns out it's not so much a plan as, well, not a plan at all:
My plan consists of three strategic elements: 1) ensuring that the legal integrity of the city's agreement with the Rays is not compromised; 2) supporting private sector efforts to retain the Rays as a regional asset without compromising the city's agreement with the Rays; and 3) continuing to support and promote the Rays as a professional sports franchise in west-central Florida.
Or as St. Pete Times columnist Sue Carlton translates:
1. Hold the Rays' feet to the fire, since they are under contract to play here 16 more years and St. Petersburg and Pinellas have invested in them big-time.
2. Support ongoing private efforts to keep them here.
3. Support your local team. Go Rays!
Foster described the whole "secret plan" thing as "the erroneous speculation brought about by my own words." Which, if you'll allow me to translate, means roughly: "I thought alluding to a secret stadium plan would get people off my back about the Rays, not turn up the heat. Jeez!"
When you hold all the cards, that's actually a pretty good plan.
Posted by David Gratt on September 2, 2011 04:24 PM
Yeah, the St. Pete Times makes me sick with all their cheerleading for a new stadium or private rail from whatever fantasy state of Florida they seem to be living in at the moment. The state and city I live in is running dangerously short of funds, with continued slumping real estate and unemployment numbers.
Flushing good money after bad to placate these jerkoffs is the last thing any sane citizen should be in favor of. Let them threaten all they want. Or let Tampa shoot themselves in the foot and ripoff more tax income to a bunch of out of state billionaires. Just keep your greedy hands out of the public cookie jar.
Posted by Tolly on September 6, 2011 10:58 AM
the mayors secret plan sounds like nixons plan for vietnam
Posted by joe Mauro on December 9, 2011 05:13 PM
the mayors secret plan sounds like nixons plan for vietnam
Posted by joe Mauro on December 9, 2011 05:13 PM