Arkansas Blog

However NO article anywhere explains that Mayor Van Hoose is married to the sister of the major property holder whose land will be developed for the ball park. And the surrounding land which will skyrocket if this thing flys Tue? Owned by members of the same family who also own a major bank. Wonder who will float the bonds?
The Walmart bank or will the local George family bank get a piece of the action?

No article anywhere describes what will happen if the welfare stadium is approved, built and does not work out as expected which is exactly why the private landowers and would be investors wanted the city to take the risks. The delightful poll run yesterday and a few months before failed to bring up that issue. Imagine that!
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Also there's a fine ad signed by a bunch of 'local business leaders' in support of the vote. If a ballpark is such a golden opportunity, why aren't these goofs ponying up their own cash? It's worth building for public funds, but not private. WTF?!?

The arguments made by stadium supporters are strong. Springdale needs something to give itself a name in Northwest Arkansas that isn't to the effect of "Rooster Poot," or "Los Springdalos."

I'll be there for every game if a team comes to town, which will at least bring in one out of town taxpayer.

SOP -

ALL ballparks/stadiums/arentas/etc.are only good worth paying for with public funds. Of course the owners have tons of cash they can spend to build these things, but they've managed to convince city Mayors that the only way they'll bring a team in is if they pay for the ballpark, because if that town won't, another town wil. Is it the best way to go about doing these things? No. Is it fair? No. But, like my pappy always told me, the fair only comes once a year.

Fayettevillian - You forgot Chickendale. Also, if it comes to town I'll be at most of the games too....want to carpool and help offset the 5.00-a-gallon gas we'll be paying next summer?

My only regret that it'd be brining in a farm team from the Royals, instead of a team that feeds baseball's greatest franchise, the Cardinals.

now wont a Tyson chicken mascot look just so purty?

With all the BIG DOG business guys up this way, it seems a stretch to tax the people for a ballpark that is at best a long shot for the local economy.
Wally and Tyson could easily write out a check to fund the whole project (take a cue from Stephens Inc. boys, they put their money in and gained the support of the citizens in NLR, got to see the new park last time in LR, first class facility.)
Wally-Tyson-Arvest-J.B. Hunt...Field, any one of them, if they really had an interest would be putting up some major cash for a ballpark named after their respective companies. Here's some ideas for the team, if it should happen.
Wally could sponsor them with little smiley faces on the hats and sleeves, low price smiley boy could be the official mascot.
Tyson is a no brainer, the Fightin' Roosters, a great promotion would be to release a thousand live fryers in the stadium for the fans to catch a free chicken dinner.
Arvest of course would have to be Battling Bankers, free CD's for ticket holders when a player hits a home run that matches up with the number on your ticket. Lot's of ATM's of course.
J.B. Hunt, also a no brainer, could always blare out the old "East bound and down" song for the official fight tune and call them the Tusslin' Truckers. The dugouts could be designed like J.B. Hunt trailers too. Just some thoughts.
My bet is it goe's down, people who vote against taxes show up to the polls, especially in the middle of the summer, remember the December Highway Bond vote?

It won't pass, which is a shame. Screw all this wellfare nonsense, if it's not this it will be something else the people in Springdale will be paying for.

But it sure would be nice to get a minor league team around here. I'd be there every game, too.

Fayetttevillian - I plan to be at a lot of games as well. I'd be happy to support the ballpark with my discretionary income, but not my tax dollars.
But why does Springdale "need something to give itself a name in Northwest Arkansas"? That's Chamber of Commerce/Babbit boosterism.
We have a strong economy, low crime rate, reasonable property values, and a strong school system. Boring, yes, parochial, yes, somewhat backward culturally, but, hey! We can't all be Fayette-Nam.

let the private sector finance it, NOT PUBLIC TAXPAYERS.Umm, what a novel idea?1?1

Well, I gazed thru the unofficial public surveys..seems they were asking mostly under 40 folks , middle income types who say sure we will atttend..that is until their gas fill-ups double and everything -like food- goes up a whopping 25% then maybe not.
And mayb they will attend IF the team i is winning half the time.
But I've worked a few "special elections" and quickly learned that older voters make up most of the turnout.
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That's the point, nonsporter, is that the private sector won't finance it. At all. Because if Springdale taxpayers won't vote to pay for it, then the team will pack up and go to another city that will.

An interesting side-story is Bro Ronnie's shift to not supporting the project after he detected the threat of Demon Rum - why the shift? He has been observed his own self at establishments where booze is sold. Don't tell me he just now found out that Beer and Baseball go together like sanctimony and arrogance?