[Photo from Wikipedia]The powers-that-be in the fair city of Ocala, located in the rolling hills of central Florida, are thinking about instituting a half-cent sales tax in order to raise enough money to build a baseball stadium to house a New York Yankees minor league team.
Isn't that wonderful?
Other powers-that-be have spent almost $200,000 of taxpayer funds to put "In God We Trust" on the county seal! And that, some think, is another really wonderful thing. But not all. Some of us think it is a monumental waste of money and totally unnecessary! Oh, yes, it's also unconstitutional in that it clearly suggests that the government favors Christianity over all other religions.
Back to the baseball stadium. Why in the name of all that's holy or profane, should a city have to finance a place to play baseball for a for-profit enterprise? And don't spout that old refrain about all the jobs such a deal would bring to the city. That's bull. It's going to cost a fortune and most times the teams get a cut of everything until they pull out leaving the hapless citizens holding the proverbial bag (empty, of course!).
If the New York Yankees, a team that is wallowing in money, needs a baseball stadium, tell them yes, provided they can find suitable property that is approved by the powers-that-be and they can put up the cash to build it and sustain it.
But don't give them a dime of taxpayer money!
Especially in light of the fact that the schools are letting several hundred teachers and aides go because there is no money to pay them and that our roads are being neglected because there's no money to fix them, and because the County Sheriff's department is bleeding from lack of funds...
there are lots of things we need and perhaps a half-cent sales tax would help. A baseball stadium sure as hell isn't one of them!
