Public Seizure of all Professional Sports Teams

Year after year, major cities across the United States spend millions on building new stadiums and arenas for their privately owned professional sports teams. Watching major league sport is one of this country’s favorite pastimes and should never be taken away from the everyman (and would most likely lead to public outcry). Though I believe that it is a total waste of money and time, it could certainly do with some reform. These huge shrines to the professional player are often paid for by public funds (that is, taxes from you and I, whether it be in property, income, or sales forms). However the payoff goes to the owners, managers, and players of the city’s team. That is why I am calling for a public seizure of these teams. This way, instead of directly into the pockets of the owners, these funds can be used to solve sociological problems at the local level.
As I am currently living in the Southeast, an excitable and often violent proving ground for American Football, I will use Atlanta as an example. In 1989, the city of Atlanta appropriated $214 Million dollars, through the Georgia General Assembly, to build the Georgia Dome, making it the largest publicly funded construction project in history at that time. In 1992, after the dome’s completion, the Atlanta Falcons moved in free of charge. In 2005, the Falcons spent $130 million to extend their quarterback, Michael Vick’s, contract for ten years. This exemplifies reinvestment in the company, but how much does the state of Georgia get? Nothing, except maybe a few PR related community outreach programs, which are really just promotional photo ops for the players. Meanwhile, Falcons CEO and Owner Arthur Blank, a man estimated to be worth over $1.3 billion, sits back and reaps the benefits. When the Falcons play in a sold out stadium, who makes the money. Not the principle investor, but the free-loading tenant. Furthermore, when U2 plays a sold out concert at the Georgia Dome, some third party concessionary (not to mention Prince Bono) reaps all of the benefits that Georgia taxpayers put fourth.
My call for public seizure of professional sports will revert that profit back to the principle investor, the state or city (and its taxpayers) that paid for the stadium or arena that the team plays in. These much needed funds could then be used to pay for various social welfare programs, parks, and general infrastructure for the city or state. It is unfair to expect us to invest in a company that we don’t see any gain from. Furthermore, these teams simply support the economy but have no direct role. There is only one publicly traded professional sports company in this country, the Green Bay Packers, and guess what, they’ve been owned by the city of Green Bay since the beginning. With the exception of owners, a few men of the elite, most other Americans would benefit from this program, allowing us to enjoy sport and a higher quality of life.

The Weather Report

Here I am sitting in a coffee shop (I don't drink coffee) in Seattle (and no it is not Starbucks or Seattle's Best, it's Kaladi Brothers, thanks for asking) to use the internet (a weeks worth of business in a few hours). Dreary. The weather that is. My spirits are high as they can be when I haven't seen the sun in days. I miss you all, especially my sweet Mollypop (guys, snicker if you want to, I don't care). I'm ready to come back. I want to see some snow, it's well past my birthday and I have yet to see those tranquil flakes drop from the clouds. That's all that really makes a good excuse for overcast heavens for days on end for me (of course as far as flakes, California definately has the most of them).

Strangely enough, even though the weather sucks here, the people are really nice. In this case I think Ssack is in good hands. I swear I get more smiles from people walking down the street than I do in Boulder. Perhaps it is because there are a lot of rich, pretentious assholes in Boulder, I don't know (but there are of course plenty of warm, wonderful people too). I guess maybe people in Colorado become spoiled by the sunshine (myself included) and don't feel like they need to brighten anyone's day because our closest star is already doing the job. Either way, many of the people here carry the sun within themselves.

This carries on from a conversation between Ssack, my dad, and I. Ssack had read that Vancouver had the third highest quality of life in the world. We decided that this was true if; you were a multi-millionaire and could afford to have a high quality of life in Vancouver, and weather didn't factor into the equation. It was about the same there as it is here, overcast with constant sprinkles (which are neither rainbow or chocolate as it turns out). I can't imagine what Vancouver has that Denver doesn't (I certainly didn't see it).

Well, whatever, don't let me bring you down, it's just the weather. I'll be back in the sunshine soon to get my color back. Love.