Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDGoRiders
Lemme put it this way: How much PST do you think the province of Saskatchewan has collected off of ticket and merchandise sales since the inception of the PST? How much revenue in liquor taxes?
How much economic activity has the presence of the Roughriders generated for the City of Regina over the years? Also from Grey Cup festivals held in the City?
The taxpayer doesn't subsidize the Riders. If anything the Riders subsidize the taxpayer.
Expecting the public to participate in a new stadium - which gets used by community groups NOT named 'Saskatchewan Roughriders' on a regular basis - every 80 or so years is not too much to ask, nor is it a subsidy when the team is paying for a significant portion of the build ASIDE from their own leasehold improvements.
IN FACT the Riders have the greatest share. Last I checked $100 million is more than $73 million or $80 million.
And not only that, but since becoming profitable the Roughriders have been big time givers to the community. They've given away hundreds of thousands, if not over a million dollars to various groups in the last decade. The money invested in extra endzone seats and a big new scoreboard - things not making the trek to the new stadium - weren't sold off to recoup any of that investment. No, those were given away. By the Riders. At their expense.
The Roughriders have done more for the taxpayer over the years than the taxpayer has done for the Roughriders. Fact.
Another fact? The City owns old Mosaic. All of it. Which means that the City actually DOES have the moral and ethical responsibility to make sure that such a piece of infrastructure exists. You know, given the defined need for a stadium and all?
The City and its taxpayers are getting a world class facility for a $2 million yearly loan payment.
So boo fuggin' hoo.
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If you are referring to additional economic activity in Regina and the Province of Saskatchewan, the answer is 0 or close to it.
If the CFL were to fold up shop, Rider fans would not save the thousands of hard-earned dollars spent on games, merchandise, etc. They would divert that money towards other entertainment options or consumable goods. These options, of course, would provide the province with tax revenues as well.
There are a number of studies that illustrate the lack of economic growth provided by stadiums/pro sports teams.
http://news.stanford.edu/2015/07/30/...s-noll-073015/
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/s...orth-the-cost/
https://www.marketplace.org/2015/03/...winners-cities
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffrey.../#6a2d536b4f07
Those are just a few articles discussing the economic impact or lack thereof provided by pro sports and new stadium builds.
A more grounded selling point for new publicly funded stadiums/arenas within communities would be the quality of life argument - it provides the city with an additional entertainment option. However, since it would be difficult to sell the public on such a heavily subsidized project with one primary benefit, certain interested businessmen and government officials like to exaggerate or even fabricate the extent to which sports team or new stadium will impact the economy of a region/city.
It's great that Regina and cities like Winnipeg, Ottawa, Hamilton, Edmonton and BC have new/refurbished stadiums which will do a great job in securing each team's financial future, but let's not pretend these provide some kind a overall net positive economic benefit to the city/region in which they reside. In the end, it is just another entertainment option - one that I and many others really enjoy.
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