Sunday, February 2, 2014

John Elway Is Super!



By Jeff Simpson

Basking in the lights of the Super Bowl, John Elway gave an interview to Fox News:







Well, it goes to what my beliefs are,” Elway explained. “I believe that we’re giving the opportunity to succeed or not succeed.”

“I don’t believe in safety nets,” he continued. “Obviously, we’ve got to have some kind of safety nets. But I think my philosophy is when given the opportunity to go take advantage of that, I think that’s when you get the best out of people.”

It was nice of John Elway to take time away from lobbying to have the taxpayers of Colorado build him a new stadium where he can do business, to explain the problem with safety nets.

In one of the most massive legislative lobbying efforts in recent memory, two dozen lobbyists have been drafted by eight groups to win a tax-subsidized stadium for the Denver Broncos.
According to state records, the Broncos and others are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to win approval of a bill that would let taxpayers decide if they'll pay $266 million to replace Mile High Stadium.
"I've never seen such an aggressive effort on any piece of legislation down here, especially since there was no real organized opposition - no paid, professional lobbyists against it,'' said Sen. Mike Coffman, a 10-year veteran of the Legislature.
What's at stake that so much is spent on a legislative blitz? There are varied answers depending on who's talking, but most boil down to money.
Broncos owner Pat Bowlen says the new stadium is needed so the Broncos can stay competitive in the National Football League and to continue to get good players. His detractors say he needs it to raise more money for his company. The city of Denver says it wants to keep its NFL team. Other companies want to build the stadium, sell beer or just profit from a ride on the coattails of a winning team.

In case your wondering about their current stadium?  

Year Opened: 2001

Cost: $400 million

 
 
  


 
 

7 comments:

  1. Now hold on just one second sparky, tax breaks and subsidies to makers like the Denver Broncos, hedge fund managers, big ag, and charter school companies are not welfare. These organizations create jobs, replace failed institutions, and the people who work for them deserve all the capital - they've taken all the risks. Yet here we are being forced by the Muslim Kenyan Socialist to hand over our hard earned money to senior citizens, children, and veterans for food and healthcare. This is pure evil. These people are weak and made bad personal decisions. Handouts simply warp their minds and weaken their resolve to become productive citizens of the GREATEST NATION ON EARTH. In fact, we should all willingly turn out the pockets, empty the retirement accounts, and sign away the homes of everyone who does not look like us and give the proceeds to our benevolent makers and great men like Paul Ryan. I stand with John Elway.

    Signed,

    A Wisconsin Conservative Brain

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    Replies
    1. My friend, your point of view is severely flawed and misguided.

      For starters, the Denver Bronco’s organization doesn’t create any jobs for the everyday American. The so-called jobs that they create are the multi-million dollar contracts and high price salaries that they pay to the players, coaches, president, general manager, and so forth.

      One reason they’re able to do this is because us taxpayer’s pay for their workplace.

      Look at it from this perspective; suppose you and I both owned a business that builds and sells light bulbs. We both obtain loans from the bank to build our respective factories-showroom. Therefore part of our operating expense includes the mortgage payment for our buildings.

      Now imagine if another person-who also makes and sells light bulbs- came along and asked the government to build a factory-showroom for him and lease it to him for $1.00 a year.

      Now imagine if all three of us generated the same amount of annual revenue from our light bulb businesses. Who do you think would have the greatest profit? The third guy.

      Now you may argue that jobs are being created since the government is building his factory. Well that’s true but he isn’t creating them, the government is and we the taxpayers are paying for it.

      In the olden days, football teams obtained bank loans to build their stadiums, and as a result, their expenses were much higher and the players made much less.

      Now, thanks to us taxpayers, the Denver Broncos and other NFL teams don’t have to worry about the expense of a stadium added to their total expenses, and thus, the players and others can enjoy those fabulous salaries.

      What I find contemptible is the manner in which John Elway and others lobby and coax legislators to put stadium funding on a bill or referendum and the how they try to have it done during a special election-one that usually has fewer voters.

      You can demonize the poor and needy all you want, but it still doesn’t excuse nor justifies Elway’s hypocrisy.

      Signed,

      A Wisconsin Progressive

      Delete
  2. Karma police striking against GOP John today?

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  3. The article you quote is from 1998 or so, before the 2001 construction of their current stadium. There is no current effort to build another new stadium. Mike Coffman (quoted in the article when he was in the state legislature) has been in Congress since 2010. If your point is simply that the current stadium was built with taxpayer funds, you overplayed it.

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  4. Taxpayer money to fund sport stadiums is wrong.
    Let the millionaires fund their own hobbies and games.
    Let the people who attend the games pay for their amusement. I don't want to fund a bunch of millionaires playing ball. Let free enterprise support themselves. Professional sports have become Public Parasites

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  5. Reminds me of the sales tax deal the conservatives help run through for the Lambeau Field renovations.

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  6. Simpson, are you that naive? John Elway isn't lobbying for a new stadium. The paragraphs you quote are from 1999.

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