Posts Tagged LeBron
Here We Go Again… More Money for Billionaires
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Media, Politicians on June 3, 2010
June 3, 2010… MMPI of Chicago is closing in on $100 million kitty thanks to hard-pressed Cuyahoga County taxpayers. Thanks, Timmy and Jimmy.
The Medical Mart quarter-percent tax passed by Tim Hagan and Jimmy Dimora with acquiescence of Peter Lawson Jones (the guy who can’t take public transportation home but needs a special tax-paid driver) delivered another $2.9 million in May. All for a good cause, right? Wrong.
That brings the total taxes collected for the Medical Mart/Convention Center to $97,359,348.55.
Do you think a newspaper with the resources of the Plain Dealer could tell us just how that money is now being spent? I do. Apparently its editors don’t, however. Because we never get an accounting. Waiting for the FBI, I guess. Twenty years from now.
County taxpayers – really smokers and drinkers – have contributed another $1.6 million in May. That brings the total since August 2005 to $66,233,782.20. A lot of money. But hell we have to help the billionaire Lerner family. Don’t we?
And smokers get hit for another $1.5 million in May for the Arts & Culture tax. It brings the total collected since Feb. 2007 to a cool $62,308,332.51. Think we could get the PD to give us an accounting of how this money has been doled out? Not a chance.
All these taxes by the way are regressive taxes. In other words, they weight most heavily upon those of us with small incomes.
County Commissioners can never think of a luxury tax that would hit the rich for these things they MUST have. Maybe the new reform County government will take a look at how to take from the rich instead of giving to the rich. Nah.
The total for the three regressive taxes, rounded off, is now more than $225 million. You paid it. You should know.
Wonder how many necessary products that would have bought and how many jobs it would have produced if not given mostly to help billionaire sports owners.
Let’s keep LeBron. Doesn’t matter what it costs. We must have him.
Wise to Combine LeBron James and a Gambling Casino?
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development on September 19, 2009
The fact that Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association will own casinos is reason for a NO vote against the casino issue on the November ballot.
I can’t understand how NBA chief David Stern can look the other way when one of his franchise owners combines basketball in Cleveland with a casino.
The NBA and Stern were marred when the FBI investigated and found that NBA referee Tim Donaghy was betting on games he officiated.
It seems to me that not only does it put the NBA in a ticklish situation but it also puts Cleveland Cavalier players in a bad position.
Would LeBron James, for example, spend some time in Gilbert’s casino after Cavs games? Would he be barred? If he were barred, why would he be barred? Or Delonte West?
It raises serious questions. If he were barred one reason obviously would be that he’d likely be rubbing shoulders with bettor on Cavs games.
Now you wouldn’t expect that James would have to ingratiate himself with gamblers but you never know, do you?
Stern admitted that half of NBA referees violated the league’s no gambling rule by visiting casinos in one year. Stern took the violations lightly, saying that the rule was “overly broad.”
Awfully lenient of Stern.
Well, when the referees and players are a few minutes from a casino doesn’t that suggest there could be a problem?
Frankly, I don’t know how any major league sport league could allow a team owner to combine ownership with a gambling joint.
And with the corruption problems that Cuyahoga County has been hit with in recent times, do we want to add the influence of gambling and the characters big time gambling attracts? I don’t think so.
Gilbert also is the wealthy chairman and founder of Quicken Loans, leading online home lender.
He is, of course, benefits greatly from the public subsidies of Quicken Arena, formerly Gund Arena, which has been heavily subsidized by Cuyahoga County taxpayers. Indeed, Cuyahoga County is still paying for the $120 million in bonds issued to complete the arena in the early 1990s. Doesn’t he have enough?
And will he be looking for tax subsidies for the hotel that’s promised with the casino? Well, of course, he will.
These guys never stop with the golden begging cup.
Finally, why isn’t this gambling situation a major issue in the casino battle?