Lincolnite

Taxing the smokers worked brilliantly to build the Devaney Center. Then, in an ironic twist, they were no longer allowed to smoke in the building. Thanks for paying for our place - now get the hell out.

I’d not argue with that plan to be used again.

I can think of a great way to pay for it.. don’t build the arena.  I think Lincoln has some very big dreams about how much the arena will catch on, and I don’t think they are logical dreams.  It seems that we keep hoping we can reproduce the excitement that is shown over our football team; sold out every game… but it never happens.  Hockey, Baseball, Lincoln Events Center, Pershing…. All these places that are already established ... didn’t Pershing just need a huge infusion of cash because they ran out mid year?  Didn’t the Governor just announce that there is a huge shortage of funds and that cuts were going to have to be made?  So why are we looking at sinking millions of dollars into an arena that we can’t afford?

Can you think of a better way to fund it?
On the Journal Star’s website, charge commenters $0.25 for every exclamation point and $0.50 for every word in all capital letters. The arena will be paid for by Christmas.

Well said, Fortissimo. It’s good to see some common sense on this issue once in a while. 

I heard Doug Emery on the radio this morning say that the increased tax revenues from the arena will lead to lower property taxes. And he was serious! LOL!

Nobody has paid much attention to the fact that the city is paying for and promoting their own pro-arena propaganda.  So Lincoln taxpayers are paying for material that is trying to convince them to vote in favor of paying more taxes. The best part about it is that they’re implying that we’d be voting on tax increases for out-of-towners (so long as you don’t enjoy eating in restaurants). 

I think the city should contribute one dollar to the group(s) (when they exist) opposing the arena for every dollar they spend on their pro-arena propaganda (If we could get a 2-to-1 match, that would be great, hahahaa).  Otherwise, I don’t see much separating the Mayor’s office from the lobbyists who are demonized at every level of American politics.

I’m still waiting for other options to be announced from the “common sense” people.

Options for what? To make Lincoln more like Omaha?  I don’t buy the ‘need’ premise.  Just because a ‘need’ for an arena has been concocted doesn’t mean those who oppose it have to think of something that we ‘need’ more.

Having said that, here’s one option: Don’t hassle a developer who wants to build a 50 million dollar hotel in downtown Lincoln on the premise that the hotel plans violate the ‘master plan’ (another grand concoction of city government).

Options for Pershing.  Or is it ok?

What does that have to do with the arena?

I absolutely think we need the arena.

Options…

Find a different locate that does not involve millions of dollars of needless work; buying railroad property, moving tracks, build a new Amtrack station, parking garages and parking lots.  Focus on areas that are more easily accessible instead of compounding an already nightmare of Football Saturday’s. 

Lincoln was just voted as “needing more work” in regards to where our students rank state wide, lower than Omaha.  I have a much more vested interest in seeing that $350 million be diverted to schools than to an arena.  I find the proclamation “We have a really cool arena” as rather unimportant compared to “Our elementary school was listed as Needing Improvement for the second year in a row!” (7 of our elementary schools are failing, with 5 of them listed as failing for 2 or more years).

Ok, a different location.  Where?  UNL is now out of the picture, so where?

Steve, so what you’re saying is that I need to come up with alternative options for a publicly-owned arena that (I assume) will draw acts like Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears.  Again, the concoction of a ‘need’ does not place a burden on non-supporters to come up with something to fulfill that need.  I don’t see the providing of an arena as the responsibility of the government on any level.

All I’m curious about is whether you think we need to do something about Pershing, and if so what?  And if not, why?  I’m seriously not badgering…just curious.

Steve, see if you notice something about these (admittedly paraphrased) exchanges:

PERSON A: I don’t think we should build an arena.
STEVE: But how would we pay for the arena?

PERSON B: I don’t think we should build an arena.
STEVE: But then where would we put it?

As far as funding and location, my vote would be to let all those people who think the arena is going to be soooooo profitable and such a hit pony up the money themselves. Then they can keep all the profits. But of course, it won’t pay for itself, and that’s why these things are always paid for by the public.