« The commission sure is a stubborn bunch »

The AJC has an excellent article chronicling the Gwinnett Braves stadium history over the last year.  The article does a good job of outlining why this deal was bad for Gwinnett County taxpayers: cost overruns, weakening county tax revenues due to the recession, and inability to sell the stadium naming rights in the current economic environment.  All this while the county was slashing its budget, cutting jobs, and "[postponing] adding 88 positions for public safety and the courts."

Despite an overwhelming case that, financially, this was a worse deal in retrospect than it was initially, the commission stubbornly clings to the position that the county should have undertaken the project.

“Our board was completely unanimous on baseball Jan. 15 of last year, and I think our board will be completely unanimous on baseball today,” said Commissioner Bert Nasuti, the project’s chief proponent.

Gwinnett Board of Commissioners Chairman Charles Bannister, Commissioner Kevin Kenerly and Nasuti said they would have voted for financing the stadium last year even if they had known what they know now about the economy and the county’s finances.

“I think we would have voted for it,” Bannister said. “It would have been much cleaner — perhaps prettier — publicwise if all the dollars had been in the accounting upfront.”

What incredible arrogance to say that, even had they known then what they know now, they would have still proceeded.  What we know now is that, if the stadium revenue projections remain down, the stadium threatens to place a greater burden on taxpayer wallets.

Nasuti believes that the stadium will boost "boost Gwinnett’s economy."  He also made a valid point about economic development.

“You don’t shut down economic development opportunities when times are bad,” Nasuti said. “That is when you look at economic development opportunities.”

Nasuti is absolutely correct that smart managers pursue opportunities in hard times.  However, let the private sector make that decision, not government.  We elect Republicans because we want limited government, lower taxes and a positive environment for business.  I do not call making sweetheart deals for a professional sports franchise to be an example of limited government even the deal improves the business environment.  Over the life of the contract, the Braves will pay an average annual rent to Gwinnett County of $365,000 per year.  On top of that, the team keeps half of the parking revenue, all ticket revenue except for  $1 per ticket($400,000 minimum to the county), and a share of the stadium naming rights income.  This for an organization that just signed pitcher Derek Lowe for $60 million over four years.

I know I will never find the perfect elected official with whom I will agree all the time.  However, over the last year, the Gwinnett commission has begun to develop quite a track record of poor management of county government.  Socialized garbage.  Gwinnett Braves stadium.  North Georgia retreat to figure out how to save money.  The hole they are digging is already pretty deep.  Fortunately for them, the next election is still nearly two years away.  They have time to turn things around, but to climb out of this hole, they need to stop digging and starting putting the Gwinnett residents and taxpayers first in what they do.