Soccer stadium trumps social needs. A politician laments over what's wrong.

Soccer stadium trumps social needs. A politician laments over what’s wrong.

The end of 2018 brought two news items that don’t make sense to me—a soccer stadium and a politician’s farewell speech.

First, the soccer stadium. Columbus and Franklin County will help fund the proposed Arena District soccer stadium. The city will contribute $50 million for site development and infrastructure costs, and the county will pitch in another $50 million.

What do we get in return? Supposedly, the project will mean $1.1 billion in direct spending, the creation of 983 jobs over 30 years, and the involvement of an “historic number” of minority contractors. Nothing to sneer at, but I can think of a lot of other ways to spend $100 million.

Let’s see—the Columbus School District received an F from the State Board of Education. The school district is always in the news and never because it’s doing well.

According to think tank Economic Innovation Group, the areas immediately surrounding downtown Columbus are either at-risk or at a distressed economic level.

Homelessness is on the rise. The Columbus Dispatch reported that the lack of affordable housing is keeping people in Central Ohio in shelters on average 50 days per stay.

Infant mortality is on the rise as well. Each week, two or three babies in Franklin County die before their first birthday. The infant mortality rate for black babies is 2.5 times that of white babies.

I guess a soccer stadium has more pizzazz than education or infant mortality.

Now for the farewell speech. On December 19, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., lamented the broken state of our political system. He spoke of the great distrust that exists and how we spend more time trying to convict one another than trying to develop our own convictions. Ryan said he doesn’t have the answer but knows that fixing the problem starts with humility. He plans to spend the next chapter of his life working on a solution.

Who can find fault with anything Ryan said? Still, I have to ask, why is Ryan complaining about this now? For two years, he was the third most important person in the federal government, and I don’t remember him doing a thing to address the problem.

If Ryan wasn’t willing to confront the problem as speaker, what good are his words now? Everybody—except President Trump, that is—knows the system is broken. Ryan was in a unique position to call out bad conduct and set the right tone and standards—and to make a point of it. But he didn’t.

We can only guess as to why. Was it too hard? Did he lack the fortitude to be outspoken? Was he too busy? Did he fear how others might respond?

Regardless, when you’re a leader, it’s your responsibility to make things happen. Ryan took a pass—for two years—and, apparently, overcome by regret, gave a speech on how things should be. And, yes, this same responsibility extends to others in office, Democrats included.

Catholic that he is, maybe what Ryan really needs is time in a confessional back home in Wisconsin.

_________________________________

Jack D’Aurora writes for Considerthisbyjd.com

__________________________________________________

Also published on Medium.

27
DEC

Mark December 27, 2018

It took 5 painfully long years, but finally something we can agree on…….your Soccer stadium thoughts. Perhaps it’s a start.

….”And, yes, this same responsibility extends to others in office, Democrats included”. Well then let’s hear about that and others you might feel have acted the same way. Surely, if you think hard enough Jack you might come up with members on both sides. Take your time.

There’s room for discussion whether Ryan, or any person for that matter ought to be confessing to anyone in the Catholic Church. How about your thoughts on that topic?
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com January 1, 2019
  
  Glad that one of my pieces finally resonated with you.
  reply
Tony Jones December 27, 2018

Jack – As I was reading your blog the first that came to mind was everything you had touched Education, Homeless and Infant Morrality all will benefit from the $100 million.
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com January 1, 2019
  
  I like your optimism, Tony, but I’m waaaay skeptical.
  reply
Debbie December 28, 2018

Right on, Jack, as always. You never fail to get to the point. Now, if only the uneducated, unhoused, underdeveloped households and their children could afford a game in the new stadium that gets built up in place of them (along with the new ticket fee for the arts) maybe that would ease some of the consternation and give them something to look forward to at least a little bit. Sigh…..so sad!
reply
Charles Rodenfels December 28, 2018

Jack, my friend, as usual I enjoyed reading your blog. I do find it frustrating that too many people believe we need to spend our way out of social problems (Education, Homelessness, Infant Mortality). While the few specific social issues you mention are very real, the liberal politicians in County and City government who supported the proposed new soccer stadium have not shown the “leadership” to truly address these very important social problems. I would ask……”Is it too hard? Do they lack the fortitude to be outspoken? Are they too busy? Do they fear how others might respond?” Come on Democratic leadership…..LEAD!
As you said…..”Regardless, when you’re a leader, it’s your responsibility to make things happen”. Our 90% Democratic County/City government officials continue to take a pass—as they have for many, many years—and, apparently, have not chosen to give a speech on how THEY….as leaders, should lead us through these social problems toward a solution. Perhaps you should call them out on our Central Ohio social problems….kind of the way you called-out Speaker Ryan? They too can wait in line at the confessional.
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com January 1, 2019
  
  Ryan was simply an obvious choice to write about. But, remember, Charlie, I didn’t write that the Dems are doing just fine. They, too, could be doing much better. As for spending our way out of social problems, any program that seeks to improve the problems I listed will necessarily require an expenditure of assets. How do you fix anything–I don’t care what it is–without devoting resources to it?
  reply
Jim Sanfillipo December 28, 2018

You have to come to the conclusion that a lot of people just don’t care about the child mortality rate especially minority children.
I live in Columbus and I haven’t done one thing to improve my home in the last 3 years and my property taxes have increased $2,000 annually in the last 3 years. I really don’t want to see any public money go to build a stadium that others will reap the profits from.
As far as speaker Ryan, he has been so quite the past 2 years I almost forgot he was the Speaker of the House. After his verbal attacks on Trump during the 2016 election season then once Trump got to the White House he has just sat there like a beaten puppy scared to voice his opinion.
Nancy Pelosi would not be my first choice for the new Speaker of the House but I promise you will know she is in charge of the House the next two years.
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com January 1, 2019
  
  Pelosi isn’t my first choice either, but I agree with you: I bet she makes things interesting.
  reply
Steven Spring December 28, 2018

Great article, Jack!!! Team owners have long held local governments hostage with threats of moving their teams if taxpayers don’t build them new state-of-the-art stadiums or arenas, replacing “outdated” twenty-year-old buildings. One thing I recently learned is that the Columbus Blue Jackets do not pay rent at Nationwide Arena. Because of that, the city recently passed a bill, enacting a 5% tax on all tickets sold to any event, with a few exceptions, to pay for upkeep to the arena.

I love sports, but that is disgraceful.
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com January 1, 2019
  
  There’s even more history to the problems with Nationwide Arena.You’re just touching on the most recent history.
  reply
Bruce Lackey December 28, 2018

Jack, you make me smile and frown at the same time. I understand both your points and also find agreement with many points made by those commenting on this article. I would like to be part of the solution and will discuss the same with those both in front and behind me in the confessional line. Consider this; Have a Happy New Year and resolve to write more positive articles in 2019! Best to you and Deb!
reply
- jdaurora@behallaw.com January 1, 2019
  
  All the best to you as well. I’m confused by the resolution you offer for me–that “I resolve to write more positive articles.” I don’t know if what I write is either positive or negative, as much as it is an objective analysis of issues. If that analysis does not reflect a positive state, well, I’m not sure I can do anything about that.
  reply