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Editorial
Editorial Archives
Friday, December 24, 2004; Page 21
Baseball Wins; D.C. Must Win, Too
After a lengthy and fractious battle, the D.C. City Council, last Tuesday, finally passed legislation approving a financing package that will pay for the construction of a baseball stadium in the District of Columbia on the Southeast waterfront. After 33 years, baseball is returning to the Nation’s Capital.
Credit must be given to Council Chairman Linda Cropp who stood in front of the speeding train and took a number of hits for her attempts to put a bad deal on the right track. Her motives were questioned, but her efforts forced the Mayor and others to agree to two changes in the package that allow for 50 percent of private financing for construction costs and will limit the District’s liability for cost overruns and damages if the stadium doesn’t open in 2008.
Jack Evans wins the Award for Consistency (or stubbornness) for refusing to depart from the terms of “the original deal” signed by Mayor Anthony Williams and Major League Baseball. Councilmembers Chavous, Ambrose, Orange, Allen and Brazil, who approved the ballpark financing plan, including two new amendments, said they supported the plan because they believe baseball will not only bring economic benefits to the city, but that women and minority owned businesses will benefit, as well, and that “thousands” of jobs will be created for D.C. residents.
Councilmembers Fenty, Catania, Graham, Mendelson, Patterson and Schwartz were not sold. Consistently, they asked the questions and voted against a plan they don’t believe will benefit the residents of the city. The deal, Councilmember Schwartz said, is the “world’s lousiest,” and she and her colleagues said they were willing to risk their elected seats rather than support a measure that hurts the residents of the city.
Baseball will have its benefits, we agree. But the Mayor and his administration will have to work hard now to prove that the benefits to major league baseball and local residents will be mutual. |
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