Anyone else get the sense that the Blue Jays screwed up the Roy Halladay business? They’ve had him out there forever, no deals are happening, and the sense is that they’re asking too much. Then, either as a result or by happy accident, Cliff Lee, Scott Kazmir (maybe), Jarrod Washburn and Bronson Arroyo
all come on the market. Sure, Halladay is better than all of them and
stands as a much better choice of guy around which to build a ballclub,
but this is the time of year when teams are looking for short term
boosts at the lowest possible prices. In light of that, and in light of
all of the other available options, I can’t imagine anyone wants to pay
the Jays what they’re reportedly asking. It’s almost as if the Jays
don’t want to trade Halladay.
Nevada Senate vote on proposed A’s stadium in Las Vegas extended until next week
Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada Senate adjourned Thursday without voting on a financing bill for a proposed $1.5 billion Las Vegas Strip stadium for the Oakland Athletics, extending the special legislative session into the next week amid negotiations over whether to contribute $380 million in public funding to the project.
The measure can still be amended by lawmakers, and if it passes the Senate it would still need approval from the Assembly before going to the desk of Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who has expressed support for it. Both the state Senate and Assembly are adjourned until Monday.
In a hearing that began Wednesday and stretched into the early morning hours Thursday, lawmakers peppered tourism officials and a representative from a firm partnering with the ball club with questions about the feasibility and benefits of financing such a deal.
Public funds for the stadium would mainly come from $180 million in transferable tax credits and $120 million in county bonds. Backers have pledged that the creation of a special tax district around the proposed stadium would generate enough money to pay off those bonds and interest. The plan would not directly raise taxes.
The A’s would not owe property taxes for the publicly owned stadium. Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, would also contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.
A’s representatives and some tourism officials say a deal would further grow Las Vegas’ developing sports scene and act as an economic engine, but a growing chorus of economists and some lawmakers warn that the project would bring minimal benefits for the hefty public price tag.