I want the Chargers to stay in San Diego. I want a stadium funding plan that puts the costs on those who would benefit most. I read the Citizens Stadium Advisory Group (CSAG) report and followed the back-and-forth between the City and the Chargers, and I still want answers to a few questions.
Does the NFL really want to leave San Diego?
It makes sense for the Spanos family to leave San Diego if they can make more money in Los Angeles. The NFL’s math is a little more complicated. Do they want to add L.A., the nation’s second largest media market? Yes. Do they want to lose San Diego (28th) or St. Louis (21st)? Why would they, when they could move the Raiders and use the San Francisco 49ers to keep the Bay Area (6th)?
As to the idea of moving two teams to L.A., I think the NFL owners are trying to have their cake and eat it too. The NFL has used fear of L.A. to get new stadiums in a number of cities. If they demand an L.A. stadium be able to accommodate a second team, they can use that leverage in near perpetuity.
How much are we really giving the Chargers?
The CSAG plan avoids a tax increase by using expense savings, future rent and development income to create the City’s contribution. Opponents say that money should be put to more important City needs. Backers say the money doesn’t exist without the Chargers, because there would be no rent and the site isn’t as attractive for development without a stadium.
Other uses for the site have been mentioned: a river-walk and park, a university campus and a corporate compound, to name a few. I’d like some dollar values on those plans, preferably from the schools or businesses suggested who may want their own tax incentives. Free rent is only a cost if someone else is willing to pay for the room. Will the City really be able to use the Mission Valley site to generate revenue if the Chargers leave? Or are we really just deciding whether the Spanos family or someone else gets a handout to avoid a vacant lot?
Who builds the stadium?
The final funding plan will no doubt involve the Chargers getting help from San Diego taxpayers, many of whom were priced out of attending a Chargers game long ago. What do working families get, except whatever warm, fuzzy feeling comes from living in a truly “major city” with an NFL team? At the very least I would like to know that the stadium construction will create good paying union jobs for San Diegans. A deal to ensure current Qualcomm workers have similar jobs at similar or better wages in the new stadium should be considered as well.
What if we regret the Chargers leaving?
However high the cost of keeping the Chargers, it will be cheaper than getting a new NFL team. Ask Cleveland or Houston, who found themselves over the NFL’s barrel for hundreds of millions when they wanted a team back, or St. Louis, who is trying to avoid losing another team. That’s something I would consider before waving goodbye to the Chargers, though it may be the right decision in the end.
