Emmanuel Garcia Lacunza wrote a very literate letter bemoaning the investment of $380 million in public money in the $2 billion stadium (Saturday Review-Journal). Reading his letter, you would think somebody sent Amazon $2 billion and they will deliver the A’s stadium off at the site. A large percentage of the stadium cost is labor, and it is being built by Las Vegas residents, permanent or temporary. Their wages get spent here with local merchants, paying rent or real estate taxes. Local businesses will also benefit by providing materials and services for the construction.
Once the stadium opens, it will create jobs for locals as well as bringing high income athletes and their families, adding to our local economy. The total economic benefit far exceeds the $380 million in public funds.
As to adding that $380 million to school budgets, it won’t make a difference. How many times have we heard that the latest major education spending increase will markedly improve our schools? Yet they continue to fail our students. If money were the answer, public schools would outperform charter schools. But it is not the case.
