Former Anheuser-Busch executive David Peacock and attorney Bob Blitz sold the residents of the city of St. Louis short. Instead of finagling a legal, yet reprehensible, path to bond financing for a proposed new downtown football stadium, they should have had faith in themselves and St. Louisans.
There should have been a campaign to win votes and win at the ballot box. The people of St. Louis should have decided on whether to use city dollars on the project.
If that had occurred, Peacock, Blitz and Gov. Jay Nixon might not be dealing with a handful of Republican legislators grandstanding in an effort to block the state from helping finance the stadium – especially hypocritical state Sen. Rob Schaff of St. Joseph.
Schaff has vowed to do everything in his power to halt any issuance of bonds without a legislative vote of approval or a statewide ballot question.
State Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick of Shell Knob (yes, there is a Shell Knob, Missouri) has also threatened to work against state funding for the stadium, saying, “I will do everything within my power” to ensure “that this plan does not go forward unless there is first an affirmative vote of the people or the General Assembly specifically authorizing the issuance of debt.”
This isn’t about the state, the NFL, the Rams or the stadium.
This is about the GOP’s hate for anything Democratic – including Gov. Nixon. This is also about a Republican-dominated legislature that – for the most part – could care less about the city’s fate. Yes, race plays a role in that thinking, don’t delude yourself into thinking it doesn’t.
As for Schaff, he wasn’t suing or trying to torpedo a $25-million tax credit from the Missouri Development Finance Board in June 2009 that helped construct a new practice facility for the Kansas City Chiefs in – you guessed it – St. Joseph.
The deal saw the Chiefs give Missouri Western State University $10 million to build an indoor practice facility in exchange for the $25 million tax credit. It also included $2.25 million from the city of St. Joseph without voter approval and $2.25 million from Buchanan County without voter approval.
All those dollars went the Chiefs’ way without a peep from Schaff. Of course, he is just following in his predecessor’s footsteps. A June 2008 Post-Dispatch editorial stated “State Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, used to scoff at the tax credits going to St. Louis, but he led the charge for the Chiefs and their training camp in, ahem, St. Joseph.”
Fitzpatrick is 27 and in his second term as a state representative. His quick rise to vice chair of the state Budget Committee has made him one of the most powerful legislators in Jefferson City. It’s obvious he has his sight set on his political future. Winning favor from his conservative base by trying to stomp on St. Louis means more to him than a football stadium or the loss of the Rams to Los Angeles.
Other GOP legislators mouthing off about the stadium deal include Rep. Tom Flannigan of Carthage and Sen. Kurt Schaefer of Columbia.
I won’t throw Rep. Jay Barnes of Jefferson City into this Johnny-come-lately group because he spoke up with his concerns many months ago. He does not appear to be pandering for votes or hating on Gov. Nixon.
Sen. Ryan Silvey of Kansas City is obviously being two-faced by fighting the deal, just like Schaff. Of course, we do have at least one local politician lost in partisan foolishness.
Sen. Bob Onder of Lake Saint Louis told St. Louis Public Radio, “I don’t understand why Nixon is spending the last year of his administration trying to pull a stunt like this. But it’s not going to be successful.”
As for these gentlemen opposing $15 million in tax credits for the new stadium (which could grow to $50 million), they should be reminded that the Chiefs and Kansas City Royals received $50 million in credits for renovation of their respective stadiums.
Sprint Arena in Kansas City received $20 million in state tax credits, and it is still searching for an anchor NHL or NBA franchise it has desperately needed since it opened in 2008.
The St. Louis Cardinals didn’t get what they wanted from the state in financial support, but did receive more than $20 million in tax credits for the newest Busch Stadium which opened in 2006.
Regardless of how residents of the St. Louis region feel about the proposed new stadium deal, each should be aware that Schaff, Fitzpatrick and their Republican buddies do not and never will have St. Louis’ best interest at heart.
Alvin Reid is a panelist on the news discussion show “Donnybrook” on KETC Channel 9, and is also an author and radio commentator.
