Looks like things are moving forward to bring another major league baseball team to the Pacific Northwest! Oregon house passes ballpark bill

[ May 08, 2003, 09:39 AM: Message edited by: Mike T. ]

Not so fast! DC Mayor Williams ups the ante by promising $338 million in government funding for our new ballpark. Link to story here. [hard to find in today's Post, but they did cover other sports stories than Jordan's departure!]

Here's another interesting take on the baseball-in-DC situation:

Let Virginia Have It

That article is so smug and annoying. Of course I live in Arlington, three miles from the city line and just 1.5 miles from the proposed park in Pentagon City. I think the writer of this article just needs to sit back, calm down,a nd look at housing costs and availability in the district. I looked there for months and found nothing. now I have a decent sized townhouse within minutes of the city and Dupont. DC residents are some of the most arrogant about the losers in the suburbs. They seem to quickly forget about their own choices in leadership that drew the city into disarray and it's current state.

It's so funny to see. I've had friends, long time VA residents, move into DC and within a year, they're making fun of me living "way out there" (3 miles from them) and how I eat up all their resources even though i metro only and never use a parking spot or road. It's actually very similar to the people who move out to Loudoun and then want no one else to move there and build a house near theirs. Arlington, Falls Church, and Alexandria are actually the only welcoming parts of the area if you listen to newspaper columnists and community activists.

I have said in another thread that they just need to make a decision and send this team somewhere. I don't care where anymore. if they're in DC or Arlington, i'll go, if they're out in rural VA, I probably would be just as likely to see them in Portland.

I had to rename the topic, because it looks like there's going to be a battle between two metro areas.

[ May 08, 2003, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: Mike T. ]

This has actually already been debated a few times on the board. I don't think there's really anything new to add. I really hate to hear allt he DC vs. VA arguments, I know it's going to happen, but it just ends up being annoying for people who live here to have to "defend" our area when we live 2 miles apart.

Your probably right DC_guy, but I had to raise the issue because I believe Portland should be the new home for the Expos. The east coast is cluttered with teams, but the northwest only has one team. Also, Portland, even though it's much smaller in population, would consistently draw larger crowds throughout the year than the DC area would in my opinion. (Portland = easy-going, baseball type town. D.C. = a city too caught up with business issues to have time for baseball.)

[ May 08, 2003, 10:17 AM: Message edited by: Mike T. ]

Any answers to those questions would be pure speculation. I could say that the DC area has a lot more unattached singles with expendable income and no family ties to keep them in on a weeknight, but I have nothing to back it up.

The fact is, they need to clearly state what they want and then make a decision. Seems like we've been hearing about this for years now.

DC Guy, just to clarify, I wasn't endorsing the article, just posting it. I don't care all that much for City Paper. I love my neighborhood in DC but for the most part the city is a hellhole and only has itself to blame. That's why I'm splitting at the end of the month for greener pastures in NOVA, near Pentagon City/Old Town, probably, and I hope to eventually have a stadium nearby. (Plus with lower taxes in VA I'll probably get what amounts to a pay raise.)

Sorry for being short about it, I wasn't applying it to you personally. I just went through purchasing a home and VA was my only option in the area. Best of luck finding a place. Maybe I'll run into you in Pentagon City.

I'll be in the restrooms by the Food Court, third stall. Ha-ha-ha. Just kidding.

How could NOVA possibly even pay for a baseball stadium when the anti-tax crowd and their ilk (dominant in NOVA) sabatoged a ballot measure that would have allowed NOVA-ites to tax themselves (and only themselves, not other Virginians) to pay for desperately needed new road projects and freeway improvements?

I was pretty angry about that as well. No one wants traffic, but they don't want more roads either. I voted for the sales tax increase. the biggest problem was the fact that there was nothing legally binding that said that money had to come back to Northern VA. It could have been skimmed in Richmond and used for other purposes. this was the primary reason a lot of people opposed it, but I figured something was better then nothing.

I just found a bought a house within 3 miles of work and the city and I never see traffic. I guess I should be glad, without the funding from that sales tax, my house value should just climb as it becomes more and more impossible to drive into the city.

I don't really have anything to add. Especially because I think I've said my fill on other threads on this topic. But I feel like I can't let this topic go by without even a quick shout out.

I've lived in the District for the past six years and it amazes me the amount of DC v. MD v. VA animosity. I do wonder if folks from Montgomery and PG county would go to games in NOVA, or whether folks from Reston are willing to spend a night in the deep dark District. Could be perilous for a franchise.

I will say, however, that I am incredibly excited to see a team come to DC. For any of you who don't live in a place where you can get on public transportation and go to a game, it's a whole different experience. Imagine sitting at your desk at 5:00 on a Thurday and just saying I think I'll go to the ballpark, walking out the door, getting on the Metro and seeing a game. It's GREAT, and it doesn't happen in too many places, but it could here, whether its in DC or Pentagon City. I've never been to Portland, but I'll bet it's not so easy there. Just the ability to see baseball on a whim will keep the stands mostly full. You think people see the Cubs for the quality of the team? No, it's mostly because they can walk down the street to see a game. Let me say it again, it's GREAT. I'll even go to Virginia to do it.

I think the same debate occurs with any city and its surrounding suburbs, whether it involves a sports franchise or other entertainment venues or shopping or dining.

Yoo hoo, get a clue, it's a tax scam, buddy. Nobody's public revenues should be paying for this kind of project. DC, Virginia and Portland voters would be wise to raise a major stink about the intended diversion of their tax dollars into private pockets. Field of Schemes

How about using public revenues to buy the franchise as well? Has this ever been done? If the good people of Arlington VA or wherever voted to BUY the Expos AND build a stadium for them to play in, then at least they'd be reaping the profits of their investment instead of some owner's group.

If I got to be a part owner, I wouldn't mind paying for baseball, but other than that, forget it.

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