I wonder how many tens of millions of dollars Charlotte City Council’s decision to initiate contact with the Panthers on possible stadium upgrades will cost city taxpayers. Put simply, nothing good will come for taxpayers from this decision. The public — and that includes city council and city staff — knows very little of what the Panthers have in mind and thus enter negotiations at an extreme disadvantage. The Panthers will exploit their information advantage and the city’s acknowledged desire to give them money to extract the maximum amount of money possible from the city. The likely result will be a more lavish refit, with additional work effectively paid for taxpayers.
And then we have this from the UPoR:
Democrat Claire Fallon, who supports meeting with the team, said it’s important to “find out what they are thinking, where they are going.”
She said one concern among council members is the future of the team. Richardson, the team owner, is 76 and received a heart transplant three years ago.
“What’s he going to do with the team?” Fallon asked. “We need to know about the succession plan. I think it’s smart business for the council to look ahead.”
This is more lame-brained reasoning. City leaders really don’t need to know the succession plan. For one thing, it could change tomorrow. Or next year. Or the day after the upgrades are complete. And for a variety of reasons. More importantly, the issues with succession will most likely only become apparent after a succession occurs — exactly then will any personality conflicts, divided loyalties, distracted management, or a desire to move play out. A majority of city council are seeking assurances where none can exist and where any such guarantees are beside the point. In doing so, Fallon and friends are demonstrating an extreme lack of confidence in the viability of Charlotte as a NFL market, and are thus further undermining the city’s negotiating position.
