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Last June, Santa Clara voters passed Measure J, allowing the 49ers to begin construction on a stadium in their city. Supporters of the measure assured residents that the city’s general fund dollars would not be used to fund the stadium.
At the end of the 49ers’ preseason this August, Santa Clara resident Deborah Bress received a tip that city police officers were providing security for the team at preseason games. Bress’ request for public records revealed that the SCPD had been acting in this capacity since 2007, without compensation from the 49ers. The city’s general fund pays for law enforcement services – a fact which angers stadium opponents who don’t want tax dollars supporting the team.
Santa Clara Chief of Police Steve Lodge said the city plans to bill the 49ers for the security costs in the next few weeks.
This is an awesome get. You have to wonder how much of the decision was at the police dept. level- maybe thinking this would be an awesome detail to get on if you wanted free autographs for your kids.
But the 49ers are for-profit, and doing this would seem ridiculous if instead of pro-football the business was area krispy-kreme franchises.
A member of our group wrote us with this link and said, “It’s about time!”
We certainly agree. Residents of Santa Clara have taken their school-aged children to our Central Library and found it closed for the entire Labor Day and Columbus Day long weekends – while our City’s General Fund was being billed for these motorcycle escorts for the San Francsisco 49ers. We shouldn’t even have to bring this kind of thing up – our elected officials should be stopping this kind of rip-off before it even starts.
A journalist I spoke with tried to call the motorcycle escorts a ‘nit.’ I told him that Santa Clarans are losing ‘nits’ of city services month after month because our city is simply not getting the revenue it once did.
Now, for the BIG money: Time for the City Council to fix the seriously broken Term Sheet before using it to create the binding Development Agreement. Here’s why: In the first year for a publicly-subsidized NFL stadium in Santa Clara, the 49ers will take home over $100,000,000 in TV royalties – while paying our General Fund a stinking $180 thousand.
Santa Clarans, there is really something wrong with the stadium subsidy “deal.” Please speak out on the Term Sheet. Demand that that your City Council fix it.
For the $444,000,000 that Santa Clara is paying up front and raising for the San Francisco 49ers, we deserve more and better.
Regards,
Bill Bailey, Treasurer,
Santa Clara Plays Fair.org
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Par for the course for Lodge. He has created a police state here. How about all of the wasted money putting GPS devices on students and stoners cars? I’m sure 20 year old students, old stoners & hippies terrify all Santa Claran’s. Google Santa Clara & GPS for the proof. PS – I supported the stadium. I need a patronage job.
Mike – Pruneridge and Los Padres.
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