Rays fans weigh in after DeSantis vetoes
$35 million for Florida team's training facility
Fox News,
by
Matt Leach
Original Article
Posted By: Solid_Oak,
6/8/2022 12:47:09 PM
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Tampa Bay Rays fans spoke to Fox News about Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to veto $35 million in funding for a new training facility.
"We as taxpayers should just worry about bringing lots of … fans to the area and support that," Bonnie, of Bradenton, told Fox News. "The governor has no business in that."
After vetoing the funding, DeSantis said Friday that he doesn't "support giving taxpayer dollars to professional sports stadiums" and that "it's inappropriate to subsidize political activism of a private corporation." The Rays had pledged to donate $50,000 to Everytown for Gun Safety in late May following the Uvalde, Texas, shooting.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
voxpopuli 6/8/2022 12:57:18 PM (No. 1179811)
$50,000 to Everytown for Gun Safety
for 35 MILLION?
can i get in on that?
15 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
anniebc 6/8/2022 1:19:43 PM (No. 1179827)
DeSantis is spot on!
31 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
wilarrbie 6/8/2022 1:27:49 PM (No. 1179832)
Why doesn't 'corporate greed' apply to sport teams the way it does to oil companies?
21 people like this.
THIS is why DeSantis is my guy for our next POTUS! He is fearless, smart and conservative! I also believe he will build a really kick butt group of advisors around him!
20 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
billsv 6/8/2022 1:32:57 PM (No. 1179836)
The Rays can finance and build their own stadium if they want a new stadium. They can get fans to help. Why burden taxpayers?
27 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Birddog 6/8/2022 1:34:35 PM (No. 1179838)
They COULD have done it quietly, the way MOST people give to Charity, instead they did it verrrrry publicly, virtue signalling, and jumping into the political Gun Ban Game. While demanding $35Mill for a "Practice" facility? From TAXPAYERs???
That could build 10 New Schools, for the flood of people moving to Fla.(even at that, $3.5 Mill for a school is waaaay tooooo much, cost per foot is Cathedral Pricing, double or triple normal residential/commercial costs)
19 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
leonardo 6/8/2022 1:40:28 PM (No. 1179845)
Hey Bonnie, DeSantis is trying to preserve the freedom of all Americans and discourage liberally-biased corporations from enriching liberal causes with taxpayer money. Sports are generally ENTERTAINMENT. What do “fans”get out of being fans? Does it really MATTER to your LIFE which team(s) win or lose. The players, teams and stadiums will otherwise keep collecting their millions long after you are gone. Will YOU get any of those millions? “Fans” is short for FANATICS. Time to GROW UP and get a life. But SOME people will NEVER grow up, and THAT’s what the teams, players, stadiums and advertisers depend on as they take their “fan” money to the bank.
16 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
thefield 6/8/2022 2:22:29 PM (No. 1179873)
School construction more like 4.5 million.
2 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
3XALADY 6/8/2022 2:36:23 PM (No. 1179885)
I have been in the Ray's stadium. Why do they need another one? Parking? People, wear comfy shoes and hoof it.
6 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Highvoltage 6/8/2022 2:45:30 PM (No. 1179897)
I’m sick of these sports teams thinking they are a gift to mankind. Let them practice in a cow pasture and hick cow patties around and get the ell off my TV.
9 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
stablemoney 6/8/2022 2:49:05 PM (No. 1179899)
It is apparently DeSantis's business, as the bill for taxpayers to pay for the Ray's facility is on his desk, and he has said he is not going to sign it. The owners of the Rays can invest their own money. Rays fans can pay higher ticket prices and pay for it.
11 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Hermit_Crab 6/8/2022 2:58:45 PM (No. 1179905)
Me too, OP, Me too.
Millions for the players, Hundreds of millions or billions for the team owners, on the backs of taxpayers.
All to provide silly distraction for the peasants; Bread and circuses, Bread and circuses.
10 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
cgood 6/8/2022 3:15:19 PM (No. 1179918)
What fans? I watched their game last night and the stands were nearly empty except for the Cardinal fans.
4 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
Luandir 6/8/2022 3:38:46 PM (No. 1179943)
Good for DeSantis! As for Bonnie of Bradenton's allegation that "The governor has no business in that," when you and the Rays ask for public funding you MAKE it his business.
3 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
snapper451 6/8/2022 3:55:49 PM (No. 1179957)
Based on the sale of the Denver Broncos in the NFL for over $4 billion, Stu Sternberg literally "stole" the Rays when he bought the majority stake years ago. Any MLB franchise, even in a small market like this, would be valued over $1B now. Stu has plenty of money to build his own stadium, he does not need taxpayer money. If he is not happy, he is free to move. We lived without baseball for years and can do it again. Good luck in Nashville, LasVegas, or North Carolina Stu. Don't let the door hit you in the behind!
5 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
TJ54 6/8/2022 4:03:21 PM (No. 1179962)
One of the commenters, Amanda the moron, does not think DeSantis is doing a good job running Florida. She should move to Kalifornia or New Yawk if she wants the see what failed leadership looks like. FL has the 15th lowest unemployment rate in the US, CA and NY are 43 and 45 respectively
5 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Luke21 6/8/2022 7:16:50 PM (No. 1180132)
"We found a fan who agrees with us," says that awful Fox News.
1 person likes this.
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Comments:
For a long time I have been against taxpayers subsidizing professional sports owners and players. First of all, they have a monopoly, and therefore control the supply. That helps the bottom line. Then they get taxpayers to build expensive stadiums, and give them special tax breaks. The owners and players are making billions, while taking money out of taxpayer's hands. Now they are contributing to this liberal cause or another. Since money is fungible, I think it is fair to say that taxpayers are helping them contribute to liberal causes. The Rays pledged to give "Every Town For Safety" 50,000.00. This is a liberal gun control group who doesn't support teachers being able to carry.