Through good seasons and bad, Falcons fans have been loyal. This is a football-loving town, but now the Falcons want another new stadium, partially paid for courtesy of Georgia taxpayers. During a time of economic upheaval and uncertainty, Georgians aren’t convinced that $330 million should go toward a project designed to increase the Falcons’ profitability.
As an American for prosperity, I’m not one to promote class envy; actually, I’d welcome more billionaires and millionaires to Georgia. But as a fiscal conservative, I have one big question about the proposed new stadium:
With all due respect to the Falcons and the owner, why should taxpayers be on the hook for the improvement of your bottom line? Simply put: It is not the responsibility of the taxpayers to fund your new football stadium. The current one won’t be paid off for eight years. Make it do or pay for a new one with private funds.
Whenever opportunities arise that require tax dollars to subsidize them, a responsible person might ask if the project fulfills a core function of government. While this stadium project would provide some temporary demolition and construction jobs, it would not provide new, permanent employment. Moreover, creating jobs with taxpayer money isn’t a core function of government anyway. As Winston Churchill said, “It’s like standing in the bucket and trying to lift yourself up.”
What core functions of government could be addressed with $330 million? Particularly in tough economic times, government spending becomes a matter of priorities. Is a new stadium more important, say, than repairing Atlanta’s collapsing water and sewer system? Certainly a new stadium is sexier. But who wants to fall in a sewer-induced sinkhole on his or her way to a Falcons game? Or fear for his or her safety around the Dome because of a police shortage? But, you may ask, should Georgia tax dollars be used for Atlanta sewers and police protection? Why not, if it can be used for a stadium in Atlanta?
Predictably, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed supports this new stadium. After all, it’s other people’s money, and city government contributes nothing.
Having spent some time at our Georgia Capitol during this economic downturn, I have two suggestions for any Georgia tax money left on the table: Either spend it on a core function of government or, better yet, use it to lower income tax rates.
As a matter of fact, the kind of money they’re asking for would cover half the cost of eliminating the corporate income tax for one year. That would encourage private job creation, which increases tax collections for the state and gives taxpayers more of their money to save or spend as they wish.
Who knows? Maybe they’ll buy Falcons tickets.
Virginia Galloway is state director of Americans for Prosperity, Georgia.
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