Like it or not, the City Council voted to spend about $5 per Lincolnite -- $1.2 million -- on studies that will help form the foundation for next year's vote on a new arena. The folks from 2015 Vision will chip in the remaining $1.65 million. I don't know how many members are in 2015 Vision these days, but I think $1.65M comes out to quite a bit more than $5 per member.
To me, this feels like money we have to spend. It's only fair that we vote on the arena, and the only way to have enough information to make an educated decision is to pay for it. I, for one, look forward to seeing what they come up with.
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See what your friends and neighbors have to say about this.
As a regular citizen, I know the arena is going to cost a couple hundred million dollars. If our city leaders need a study to tell them that, then they really have no business making any decisions. If the purpose of the multi-million dollar study is to somehow sugarcoat the idea of spending a couple hundred million dollars on something that will leak money for decades, then it’s a complete waste.
It’s things like this that make me vote against all bond issues regardless of what they are for.
It appears they intend on replacing those monies that are used to come up with the 1.2 mil.
I see your point about the bond issues, Dave. This will be the second time (the first being the possible closing of those two schools) in the last 12 months where some people will feel officials misrepresented details about the impact of a bond issue.
I agreed with Dave K. and Jon Camp on the same day. I must be coming down with something. 😉
I am OK with this they need to do the research so they can present a fair picture to the public when it is time to vote on building an arena. I for one am very interested in getting a nice arena in Lincoln. I feel it has many more upside then down sides.
I felt like the Republicans on the council were making the most sense when it came to this issue.
They’re taking money from funds created via a bond issue for reasons absolutely not mentioned in the vote. They say the city budget is trimmed as tightly as it can be, yet they can come up with $1.2 million for a “pet project,” as it was called in the story.
Did you see that the 2015 Vision Group hopes to be repaid their expenses by the city? As if the fat contracts that are sure to come their way aren’t payment enough, now they expect to get a $1.65 million refund for their cooperation in helping to sweeten up a juicy hunk of corporate welfare.
Not only that, Seacrest flat out told the council how to vote.
Why is the city only seeking proposals for the convention center? Why isn’t the city seeking proposals for the arena? Is it just because we’ve accepted that the 2015 folks get to decide the details?
It sounds like you’re coming down with a severe case of wisdom.
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