I never thought I’d see the day when California politicians allowed another state to outbid them in a race to finance a bad idea. But it has happened and I want to give credit where it's due.
Oakland, Calif. Mayor Libby Schaaf has put her foot down and declared Oakland taxpayers won’t be giving handouts to the NFL’s billionaires.
According to coverage by the San Francisco Chronicle, Schaaf stated in no uncertain terms, "I am willing to lose this team if the public money is the issue."
Tax dollars are a particularly sore point in Oakland since "residents are mad that tax money is still being used to pay for luring the Raiders back from Los Angeles in 1995."
You see, the Oakland Raiders aren’t like a cheap politician. The Raiders have their standards. You can’t buy them, but a long-term lease is possible.
The Raiders left Oakland for greener tax dollars in Los Angeles way back in 1982.
The owner at that time, Al Davis, had complaints about the stadium in Oakland and Los Angles city fathers offered to let him fleece their taxpayers.
Then in 1995 the new had worn off the Los Angeles stadium and Davis was open for offers. Oakland, like a battered spouse, offered its taxpayers up again and the Raiders came back "home."
Now Al’s son, Mark, wants a new stadium and Oakland politicians have had enough.
Las Vegas though is eager to prove P. T. Barnum’s rule is still valid — there’s a sucker born every minute — and the desert city is offering to finance $750 million of the new stadium’s cost. One would think a city built on gambling — where the house always wins — would realize when you deal with the NFL – the NFL always wins.
But Las Vegas evidently doesn’t, hence the money.
What’s really galling in all this is the NFL is charging the Raiders $375 million as a "relocation fee." This enormous fee will offset costs the league incurs while . . . well while nothing. It’s just an arbitrary fee the NFL pockets.
It’s also money the Raiders would use to spare Nevada taxpayers some of the expense.
Even after the Raiders pin down their Las Vegas deal this will still qualify as one of the worst breakups ever. The team will play one remaining season in their current "unsuitable" stadium — maybe with a countdown clock in the end zone.
Then a second season sharing a stadium with the San Francisco 49ers. Finally, in 2020 the Raiders will hit Sin City.
It’s a move to the nation’s 40th TV market, but the owner — who may believe his own hype — assures the NFL that Oakland and Los Angeles fans will fly in for games.
We’ll see, but I’m betting more will be saying "good riddance."
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker’s bureau. Read more reports from Michael Reagan — Go Here Now.