Homeless in Arizona

The way this works is first Arizona Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall makes the outrageous demand to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors that the taxpayers of Maricopa County shovel him almost $200 million in corporate welfare or he is going to take his marbles and move else where. (Well $187 million in corporate welfare to be exact).

Next the taxpayers of Maricopa County are outraged and and more or less tell Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall to shove it.

Next the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors pretends to react the same way, knowing they will be booted out of office if they cave in to Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall demand for $187 million in corporate welfare.

Of course now things get interesting.

Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall gives all of the the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors a big fat "bribe". I'm sorry, did I say big fat "BRIBE"? I meant a big fat campaign contribution.

And of course this changes the minds of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, who suddenly change their minds and say it's not $187 million in corporate welfare for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but an $187 million investment for the citizens of Maricopa County.

And of course the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors vote unanimously to approve the $187 million in corporate welfare to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The taxpayers get screwed again.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors gets a big fat bribe.

The Arizona Diamondbacks gets $187 million in corporate welfare.

Sadly that's how politics works

Source

Montini: D-Backs greed: No runs, no hits, one BIG error

EJ Montini, The Republic | azcentral.com 9:59 a.m. MST March 25, 2016

The season hasn't started and the Arizona Diamondbacks already have struck out -- against us.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I can understand the team wanting to have a discussion about money with Maricopa County, about who is going to pay for the $187 million the team says is needed to make Chase Field all that it can be.

I take that back. I CAN'T understand the Diamondbacks or any baseball team wanting to have any discussion with a county -- meaning, taxpayers -- about money.

Don't whine: The team and its owners have cash

Major League Baseball is worth an estimated $36 BILLION.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are said to be worth between $800 million and $900 million.

The owner of the team, Ken Kendrick, is wealthy enough to pay almost $3 million for one baseball card.

So, no, I do not want to listen to the Arizona Diamondbacks come begging for money from -- us.

Besides, when was the last time you walked into the palace that is Chase Field and said, "What a dump?"

Are they really ready to sue their fans?

When the D-Backs talk about their deal with the county they're talking about their deal with us.

If they choose to take the issue of money to court they'd be suing -- us.

They'd be suing their fans.

Or would that be their FORMER fans.

All this at a time when those same fans had justifiable reason to be excited about the off-season signings and the team's chances to make the post season. Perhaps even another World Series.

And they want to talk about money now? Now?

They want to make threats about leaving town now?

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

The season hasn't started but the box score is complete.

Diamondbacks -- 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 BIG error.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2016/03/24/roberts-d-backs-threaten-d-part-unless-we-pay-up/82235546/

Roberts: D-Backs threaten to D-part unless we pay up

Laurie Roberts, The Republic | azcentral.com 10 a.m. MST March 25, 2016

Once again, a sports team is demanding that taxpayers pony up hundreds of millions of dollars more on top of the hundreds of millions already spent to give them a place to play.

This time, it’s our own Arizona Diamondbacks, threatening to bolt from Chase Field in downtown Phoenix if we don’t fix up the joint.

It is not enough, apparently, that we spent $238 million to build the place. Not enough that we’ve spent $40 million in repairs over the last decade.

Now, the team is demanding $187 million in upgrades, lest its players are forced to endure something less than state of the art.

"This spiral is insurmountable and will result in a Chase Field that will no longer be a state-of-the-art facility as our agreement requires and may, in fact, become unsuitable for continued use,” D-backs chief Derrick Hall said, in a prepared statement. “We cannot risk being put in that position."

Oh, the horrors of having to play in a 20-year-old stadium.

Just think if we forced Arizona's school children to endure such Spartan conditions ..

Oh, wait.