stop me if you've heard this before. the most powerful person around attempts to sell the taxpayers on doling out enormous somes of public money - money that could otherwise be spent on activities like public education, public health - to assist beyond wealthy private entities with a project that they really should be able/required to handle on their own. taxpayers are told that providing this money is necessary to bring economic revival and are promised that when the private entities succeed we will all succeed. further, we are assured that there will be a return on our investment - so no worries.
listening to bush sell the bailout plan brought me back to the days when anthony williams, former dc mayor, was explaining to district residents why it was necessary, and in the city's long term interest, to publicly fund a new baseball stadium. we were promised major crowds bringing major money that would lead to major increases in sales tax revenue. and then there was the rent - the coffers would overflow with the money paid to the city by the team's billionaire owners. the reality is that the team sucks, the people don't come, the people that are there are buying as much as expected, and the owners refuse to pay rent.
the lesson - throwing money at something doesn't necessarily bring success. so -
NO NATIONALS STADIUM FOR THE NATION!
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