Piedmonter/Montclarion letters: Don"t waste…
Piedmonter/Montclarion letters: Don"t waste another cent on sports teams
By The Reporter |
Don"t waste another cent on sports teams
When politicians like Libby Schaaf allow their emotions to cloud their ability to make sound judgments taxpayers will foot the bill all over again.
I applaud Mayor Schaaf when she says that she is "looking out for the taxpayer"s dollar" in reference to our local pro sports franchises and insists that no public money will go to the construction of new stadiums. I am then immediately dumbfounded when she says that taxpayers will pay for infrastructure costs associated with the new facilities.
Upward of $300 million for upgrades at the Coliseum site so that somebody can build sports palaces for millionaires to play ball in and charge ordinary folks hundreds to watch them. Schaaf is clearly either schizoid or disingenuous, as it is hopelessly illogical to assert that one expenditure is worthy of taxpayers" investment while the other is not. Sports is so out-of-control with the salaries and facilities required to keep everybody happy that it simply absurd to even consider spending any taxpayer money to build stadiums for rich people to play games and rich folks to be entertained.
It is frivolous and foolish, and Schaaf needs to stop pretending that she is a responsible and effective steward of our money if she actually can convince herself that this squandering of public dollars is the highest and best use of a very scarce resource. Sports teams are owned by billionaires and they can build their own stadiums with their own money. Oakland is already broke, and the last thing we need is some foolish politician squandering our money on another boondoggle.
Jonathan Breault
Remember how city got burned before
I was delighted to see that the new mayor of Oakland was unequivocal in her belief that the taxpayers of her city would not subsidize sports arenas under her watch.
So often these stories neglect to point out the lingering debt we have because of poor decision-making in 1995. At that time the sports boosters and decision-makers used outdated demographic data to support the promise of sales of luxury boxes and high-priced seats. Had they commissioned an updated study, they would have seen that large corporations had or were leaving the city, making corporate sales questionable. There were precious few big companies left; they had moved to Contra Costa! They would also have seen that Oakland had one of the lowest median incomes in the area with a high unemployment rate in its inner city. The residents would work here but could not afford to get in. Those less enamored with boosterism would have negotiated a more sensible deal or none at all.
Every year $20 million must first be allocated to the millionaires club to pay for these promises. That money would pay for more police officers or school renovation or any number of badly needed improvements.
Frankly, one ballclub paid for by the club themselves is more than enough given the facts. A B team would be wonderful for the area. Families could afford to bring the kids, and kids could get in free on Saturdays, bringing back common sense. As a kid I came to the Oaks stadium every week with hundred of others for a great time. We grew up as fans. Now it"s just for the adults with cash. Shame.
Anne Spanier
Murals inconsistent with village identity
Whoever initiated and approved of the current and pervasive graphics in the Montclair Village murals, planters and utility boxes should be ashamed of themselves. Those individuals showed a lack of good design judgment.
Their amateur efforts have resulted in visual ugliness and defeats the Village character of Montclair.
Dorothy and Richard Julin
Less meat and dairy good for you, others
The U.S. Advisory Panel on Dietary Guidelines has finally mustered the courage to recommend that Americans eat less meat and dairy products. And not just to lower our risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity but also because it slows the rate of climate changes, with its own devastating consequences.
The recently-released report released on Thursday notes that half of all Americans have preventable diet-related chronic diseases and that two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are overweight. It concludes that a dietary pattern higher in plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods is more health-promoting and associated with lesser environmental impact than the current U.S. diet.
The 1977 recommendation that Americans eat less meat by the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs was quashed by the meat industry, and subsequent dietary guidelines panels have been very cautious. The 2010 dietary guidelines panel merely shoved meat and dairy off the official MyPlate icon, representing the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
Though the experts have now told the truth, our family"s health is still up to us. Fortunately, local supermarkets offer a variety of meat- and dairy-free options and the Internet has lots of advice on vegan recipes and transition tips.
Milton Connley
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