A follow-up...

...to yesterday’s post concerning turning the city over to the NFL for the 2012 Super Bowl (SB for the sake of future brevity) - in this case with specific reference to parking facilities.

We woke up early this morning and began to think about the situation, and remembered a statement from the newspaper article which started a new train of thought.  A spokeswoman for the NFL was reported to have said "...the use of the state (parking) lots was part of the bid to host it (the SB), along with the use of parking lots at the Indianapolis Zoo, Victory field and the airport."

We thought we remembered something else and managed to find an article in the IBJ dated December 8, 2008, referring to the SB "bid" including "...an ‘indeterminate’ amount of state and local taxes waived on property, revenue and expenditures by the NFL in preparing for and staging the game, including the Marion County Admissions Tax on the game itself."

Seems to us a lot of very serious questions are being generated.  Since we haven’t seen them in the professional media, we’ll ask a few of them.

Who is the SB Host Committee, who appointed it, and under what legal authority does it act?

Does a "bid" to host the SB constitute a contract binding upon Indianapolis, Marion County and the state of Indiana?

Was the "bid" formally approved by any legally constituted legislative body before being presented to the NFL?

Under what section of the law is the committee authorized to offer waiver of the application of state and local taxes to private individuals or corporations?

Under what section of the law is the committee authorized to offer diversion of non-tax revenues (parking fees) to the use of private individuals or corporations?

Considering the state fiscal picture, giving away revenues is a little more understandable.  Not acceptable, but understandable.  Having read an article recently about city budget cuts, we feel more unhappy about handing out municipal revenues.  Particularly when the direct beneficiaries are also the direct beneficiaries of the massive revenues which will pour into the coffers of the NFL owners as a result of the game.

We suggest that, the next time such an attack of sports hysteria hits the city, everybody calmly sit down and think about it for 10 or 20 years.

Comments

[Larry Calloway]

As long as the right people benefit from largesse, laws have no meaning, except when they are inflicted upon the powerless.

[IndyRob]

I think the issue is not under which law that this (largess) is allowed, but rather that there are no laws preventing it or forcing an accounting of these benefits.

I'd love to see a full or partial accounting of the tax benefits being given to these billionaires.

I;d also question a non-profit such as the zoo, giving a free benefit to the NFL.

Where is this bid, and why is it not a public record?

[Vox Populi]

Things we minions won't ever see; the finances of any of our pro teams, the bid for the SB and any appreaciable benefit from the SB.