1 Man’s Opinion

Chargers Fans Task Force

I had hoped it would be more of an informational meeting, but instead it turned into a pep rally, this Stadium Task Force get together at Qualcomm Stadium last night, to discuss the future of the Chargers.  I would have preferred a Q&A session, 1-question per fan, 1-response from a committee member. 
 
Let’s get this out of the way; everyone who showed up was a Bolt fan, nothing wrong with that.
 
They wore their colors, hooted and hollered, sounded like a Parking Lot party, but not much of value was said to the Task Force seated there listening.
 
So I will pinch hit for the fans and make my own public statement to the task force.
 
Tourism is our main industry.  Saving the NFL franchise is equally important.  Therefore you must establish a priority and solve the situation for both sides.
 
A Convention Center annex brings in more dates into a new building, to compliment what we already have their on the Bay.  More hotel rooms, means more tax revenue.  Who wouldn’t want to hold a Convention here in the Fall-Winter-Spring.
 
The NFL Stadium hosts the Bolts, can be part of a Super Bowl rotation, and triggers so many other events.  All that generates more tax money for your city.
 
Yes, you lose tailgating, but that sure isn’t a problem in places like Seattle, where there was never a cookouts at the old Kingdome, nor now, at Century Link Field, built on the same sight.
 
Qualcomm is centrally located, and has the land to trigger further development for office buildings, more shopping complexes, even class room buildings or dom rooms for San Diego State.  And of course you have the Trolley Spur built in, along with the three major highways criss-crossing.
 
So for the Task Force, it comes down to this.
 
Which is more important, more facilities for tourism or keep the team and helping the rich man who owns it for 10-home games a season?  
 
Which is the best way to finance it, using a city-county wide hotel tax, where tourists foot a big share of the bill, or using a County Loan, and lessening the profits of the owner?.
 
Which area has the least toxic issue, the MTS lots or the low flood plains on the Q-sight?
 
Do you have the brass to demand that Dean Spanos put his, and the NFL’s money, some 400M combined into Escrow, as a show of good faith, that he will be a partner with his community to finance and build this rather than a Corporate welfare king?
 
Are you going to Phoenix to look at how they used car rental taxes to build all those facilities for the Diamondbacks, Suns, Coyotes, Cardinals, and the Cactus League sights?
 
Have you considered taking the average of local ownership contributions for the past five stadiums built, and billing Spanos for his share?
 
What other NFL cities charge PSLs, and can you survey the fans here, if they would be willing to pay a reasonable PSL fee to help fund this?
 
We have questions, now 9-good citizens, donating their time,must use their resources to come up with answers.
 
The Task Force meeting became a pep rally, nothing wrong with that.  Next up, sound the call to get me the correct answers to this puzzle.