Spurs Looking To Build New Stadium Downtown

[djohn2oo8]

She is having a press conference. It’s going to ruffle feathers for sure.

[scott]

I would have to think that the tax is 1) incredibly small - as in, measured in dollars and not tens of dollars and 2) would be entirely passed down to the consumer. Even if borne, in some way, by hotels, you'd think they wouldn't be putting out joint-press releases expressing their support (https://news4sanantonio.com/news/loc...r-major-cities). I appreciate the nuance you suggest though, but ultimately, I think the people who would feel the effects of the tax are not residents of the City.

Even if taxes are completely passed on to the consumer (like sales taxes), the "producer" still bears some of the burden of the tax. Here is an explanation that's as good as any other: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_incidence

Every individual actor needs to decide for themselves if they are for or against something... my sense is that hotels are all for this as whatever tax burden they bear is an investment in the future. Project Marvel/a more vibrant downtown/etc. are all good for their business. I don't have an opinion of whether hotels or rental car companies should be for or against it, I'm just correcting the notion that the burden of the tax falls squarely on tourists.

I do think there may be some harm in how the mayor is handling the negotiations - which I say from the perspective of the complete lack of alignment between her and city council. She obviously has a job for her cons uents, and any incremental gain from the Spurs is a win - but this isn't a one-time deal. The City and SSE need each other going forward - so if she is burning goodwill because the City should have, but didn't, get its own EIA study months ago, they may very well not be a good thing. This is a relatively minor point admittedly, but the lack of cohesion between her and council members is .... weird.

I think it will all be water under the bridge between the Spurs and the city once a deal is struck... the only real long term damage is likely between the mayor and the rest of council. The lack of cohesion doesn't surprise me at all, as it strikes me that San Antonio (and most public governing bodies) have been going increasingly in the direction of amateur hour with clowns running the circus (just look at the White House as an illustration).

[BatManu20]

[djohn2oo8]

[ChumpDumper]

Meh, the city flat out refused to pay for SBC anywhere and the county had to come through with the only logical site they owned.

Otherwise, the Spurs would've left decades ago.

If the mayor wants them to leave, she should just say so. No hard feelings. Then she can do whatever unen bered.

[BatManu20]

[exstatic]

But not to GOJ.

[NASpurs]

A commitment of $2.1 billion... is that normal from a sports team that doesn't have the deep pockets like Balmer?

I bet if it was a WNBA team, she would be all over this.

[Dex]

A commitment of $2.1 billion... is that normal from a sports team that doesn't have the deep pockets like Balmer?

I bet if it was a WNBA team, she would be all over this.

And absolutely no one would vote for it unless we somehow got Caitlyn Clark.

[DJR210]

I'm just glad there is still a forum where I can say what needs to be said. Gina Ortiz Jones, she's nothing more than an ugly carpet munching, Spurs hating and should put some figures behind her stance. ing lesbian is into volleyball and softball, she dgaf about the Spurs or what they mean to the city

[NASpurs]

https://www.ktsa.com/san-antonio-may...roject-marvel/

Not long after her press conference, the Mayor stopped by a District 10 budget town hall, hosted by Councilman Marc Whyte.

Jones was invited to speak at the beginning of the town hall and when she brought up the topic of Project Marvel, Whyte attempted to take the microphone from her.

The Mayor urged Whyte’s cons uents to tell him to vote for resolution at Thursday’s council meeting.

When Whyte got the microphone back, he told the town hall that the Mayor had agreed to 5 minutes and would not bring up Project Marvel

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Such a giant C*nt she’s another fake that added Ortiz to her name after getting political aspirations. Can’t believe maga didn’t come out droves to vote against this .

[BatManu20]

This chick either has no clue, or she's gaslighting us (likely) by saying that she's speaking on behalf of Spurs fans and that we are the ones who are weary about this new arena

[ChumpDumper]

I do have to admit her concerns are valid in principle but ultimately what is the alternative? The Spurs are going to a new arena somewhere by 2032. Where else would it be built? In what situation would the Spurs put up more money than they have proposed now? I suppose the city could go small time and just try to get the arena and convention center expansion with a weird ghost town around them in Hemisfair. They could open a Spirit Halloween store in the courthouse. If the city wants to get out of the Spurs and convention business altogether, bulldoze all the crap and make an urban park around the tower.

[exstatic]

I do have to admit her concerns are valid in principle but ultimately what is the alternative? The Spurs are going to a new arena somewhere by 2032. Where else would it be built? In what situation would the Spurs put up more money than they have proposed now? I suppose the city could go small time and just try to get the arena and convention center expansion with a weird ghost town around them in Hemisfair. They could open a Spirit Halloween store in the courthouse. If the city wants to get out of the Spurs and convention business altogether, bulldoze all the crap and make an urban park around the tower.

This is very much my position, and why GOJ has committed political suicide.

[djohn2oo8]

This is very much my position, and why GOJ has committed political suicide.

Committed political suicide how?

[ChumpDumper]

Committed political suicide how?

Being obstructionist without an actual counterproposal and sucking ass at messaging.

[BatManu20]

Her arrogance pisses me off.

[BatManu20]

Clown show.

[some_user86]

I am a Democrat. I voted for Kamala, Biden, Hilary, Obama x 2. GOJ represents why people hate Democrats. So incredibly tone deaf and obstinate for no reason. Had Pablos not gone full MAGA at the end, he may have pulled off beating GOJ, and we would have been better for it.

[BatManu20]

[vy65]

Regardless, the City of SA sure look like a bunch of slap idiots right now

[scott]

I do have to admit her concerns are valid in principle but ultimately what is the alternative? The Spurs are going to a new arena somewhere by 2032. Where else would it be built? In what situation would the Spurs put up more money than they have proposed now? I suppose the city could go small time and just try to get the arena and convention center expansion with a weird ghost town around them in Hemisfair. They could open a Spirit Halloween store in the courthouse. If the city wants to get out of the Spurs and convention business altogether, bulldoze all the crap and make an urban park around the tower.

On the flip side - what's the real damage of waiting another 3 months to address the concerns? Is there a real reason that Council has to vote on this term sheet now? Have the Spurs set a deadline by which they'll start negotiating with other cities if a deal with San Antonio is not done? The urgency seems artificial, tbh.

With that said, the Spurs are fortunate that they have the political apparatus and the public on their side, but they appear to be acting in good faith and not taking advantage of that. They could completely railroad the city and county here if they wanted, because it's quite obvious that people who are otherwise "fiscally conservative" or "weary of corporate welfare" throw both of those things out the window when it comes to the Spurs

[ChumpDumper]

I will get nitpicky here because as I understand it, some regular city taxes WILL go to the project mostly in the form of streets and other infrastructure built around the project. It is not insignificant and should be mentioned in these discussions. I doubt it would be a deal breaker and the project backers shouldn't risk appearing like they are hiding something.

[ChumpDumper]

On the flip side - what's the real damage of waiting another 3 months to address the concerns? Is there a real reason that Council has to vote on this term sheet now? Have the Spurs set a deadline by which they'll start negotiating with other cities if a deal with San Antonio is not done? The urgency seems artificial, tbh.

I agree and have mentioned this upstream. The Spurs could technically wait years and actually save upwards of $100 million if they stay out their lease at FBC. I imagine getting this approved ASAP (November) gives them a clear path forward for the next 30 years which definitely isn't nothing, as well as rendering moot any sticker shock San Antonians might experience over time hearing the B-word repeated in the media while it's up in the air.

With that said, the Spurs are fortunate that they have the political apparatus and the public on their side, but they appear to be acting in good faith and not taking advantage of that. They could completely railroad the city and county here if they wanted, because it's quite obvious that people who are otherwise "fiscally conservative" or "weary of corporate welfare" throw both of those things out the window when it comes to the Spurs

It's a YUGE commitment. People need to look back to how hard the county had to bend over for the Spurs with the SBC deal -- it's difficult not to see the Spurs offer (including the lease-breaking payment if that's still a thing) as making up for that now.