The supposedly overriding reason for approving the Stadium Area Giveaway is the need to keep the Angels in Anaheim. Is this reason legitimate? No. Reasons why below the graphic.
(1) The Angels aren’t leaving. Unless the Council gives Moreno more time to renegotiate with someone else, he flat out doesn’t have the TIME to leave. Even if he did, leaving the area would mean leaving an extremely profitable cable TV contract. He won’t do it. And it’s not likely that any other city would have him, either — and it’s even more unlikely that he could get the sort of crazy good deal that he already had in the OLD lease, where the City has made about $1 million/year from parking, tickets, and outside events only when they exceed high threshold levels. Moreno is making lots of money off the lease even without baseball.
(2) But let’s say he did leave. Would another team love to move to Anaheim, with it’s fan base of 17 million or so people within reasonable driving range? Yes, they would. We’d have another team arrive easily.
(3) But let’s say no team came in. What then? Well, what could Anaheim do with such a parcel? Cynthia has already mentioned bringing in Broadcom, bringing in another university, etc. Anaheim would survive just fine. My plan might involve creating the world’s largest homeless shelter — although we’d have to put a dome over it — but I’m sure I’d be outvoted in favor of something more profitable. The funny thing is, though, that even such a mega homeless center would give the city more profit than it would get from this lease.
One wonders why the City Council seems intent on cutting off such a major prospective revenue stream. Do they have some interest in bankrupting the City? Anaheim as Detroit — is that the plan? Or is there no plan?
COME OUT AND TALK TO THE ANAHEIM CITY COUNCIL — NOW (OR LATER TONIGHT!)
Anaheim Blue Jays?
Anaheim Mariners?
Anaheim Rays?
Anaheim Brewers?
Anaheim Royals?
Anaheim Pirates?
Anaheim Tigers?
Anaheim Native Americans (no casino)?
I can see lots of MLB teams going after the sweet Moreno deal.
I am pretty certain LOS ANGELS is the team name.
Translated to THE ANGELS in English.
Phil Wrigley is laughing his ass off right now. “Hometown” team. Elhmark needs a fact checker!
I have been an Angels season ticket holder since 1979 (and thru my family since 1967) – I don’t give a rat’s ass what Arte calls the Angels, as long as they stay here. Arte is a stand up guy – he walks into the stadium thru the front gate like everyother fan.
Well then! That takes care of everything!
Yep he puts on his pants one leg at a time, just like me. It’s just that his pockets are going to be stuffed with our cash.
Zenger and Cynthia both gave good speeches! Mine was … loud!
This is astounding. The staff report is being given by someone who is basically arguing for the Angels.
“For the benefit of the City to relieve pressure on Angels — need to give full attention. Also Angels are champing at bit to start fixing stadium. Keeps Angels here for another 3 seasons.” THAT IS NOT NEGOTIATION.
Wish I could have made it out there tonight. Hanging out at my cousin’s place in Long Beach. There in spirit.
Side note :
Currently preparing the mother of all “cop accountability” speeches.
If you want to know what your OC law enforcement community does behind your backs with your taxpayer money and in your name don’t miss the next few city council meetings.
is there a baseball team in anaheim
I dont want the angels to leave either what i could do without is that goddamned harvest crusade that rolls around every year. 30 thousand annoying christians making a huge mess digging up chunks of grass and pissing all over the parking lot they’re more disgusting than dodger fans.
CW indicated that it is not a viable argument that the Angels would temporarily use Dodger Stadium while they built a new ballpark – from wiki:
“Dodger Stadium was also the home of the Los Angeles Angels (now Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) from 1962 through 1965. To avoid constantly referring to their landlords, the Angels called the park Chavez Ravine Stadium (or just “Chavez Ravine”).”
Even if it did happen, it would be better than what happened last night.
I hope you guys remain interested in the story of this meeting, because I’m probably writing about it at least once a day for the rest of the year. In youth culture, there’s a phrase “Epic Fail.” This was both.
“Even if it did happen ..” – so you are okay with the Angels removing from Anaheim?
Yes, under some circumstances — and so are you.
I don’t want it to happen, but I’m not willing to pay an exorbitant price to prevent it.
That the City’s hired staff, who are negotiating on behalf of the city, were saying (I’m paraphrasing) that it would be unthinkable to allow the Angels to leave — so much so that they had to extend Arte Moreno’s opt-out period for three years just to keep him from having an emotional reaction that would lead him to storm away from the city in anger — shows how badly they are representing the people of Anaheim at the negotiating table.
Watch the public comments, skally, and then the discussion of Item 14. Put down your partisan hat for a moment and just absorb it. You’ll be shocked.
And why skally even thinks this is partisan is just weird – he has a man-crush on Cunningham is all. He’s on the opposite side of Republicans Tait, Cynthia, Zenger, Biff, Ryan, Red Whine (I think…)
Actually I am pretty indifferent to the Los Angeles Angels and where they go. However the “pay any price to keep the Angels” is absurd, particularly since before last night the City was pretty much in the driver’s seat until 2029.
After last night’s debacle I am more convinced than ever that this deal was made and brokered by Pringle. I sincerely doubt if the land lease was Moreno’s idea. That’s how Pringle got his ball rolling in Anaheim.
I just love the deal point of leasing 50+ acres for a buck a year. I mean, that’s the legal MINIMUM! So where did Kris Murray start in the negotiating? Heh heh.
Just wait until Murray gets the lease amount upped from $1/year to $2/year — see, we told you that the MOU terms were preliminary! Look at how Kris Murray doubled the revenue on this deal! Just a simple hero, just looking out for the taxpayers of Anaheim!
Your dreams are too small, Biff. She’s going to get them to pay $100/YEAR for the property! That’s right, increasing revenue 100 TIMES!
The best thing is that it’s all on video, awaiting the loving attention of the press, which will have to be led by the nose to realize that the name change (or not) is the MOST TRIVIAL aspect of the story. It’s like the media is covering a bank robbery by talking about what car the robbers used to get away.
The get-away vehicle was an evil SUV.
VN – “And why skally even thinks this is partisan is just weird ..”
GD – “Put down your partisan hat for a moment ..”
Exactly where have I indicated that I believe this is a partisan issue?
I shoulda said “why he WOULD think…” but it’s frustrating that to you and Cunningham there’s never any such thing as too much corporate welfare. Matt gets PAID to spew that crap; I don’t believe you do.
Again: “partisan” can be used to refer to “factions” rather than simply the major (or even minor) political parties. skally is part of a political faction that leads him to defend, almost as a spinal reflex, anything done by “malefactors of great wealth.”
See, without your constantly having to explain yourself, your use of words like “partisan” in Anaheim is confusing and misleading, and suggests that it’s a natural Republican trait to want to give away the store to your closest cronies, and that it’s a Democratic thing to oppose that. I can envision several ways in which getting across a message like that could be very unhelpful.
Most of the people on the right side of this issue, as well as most of the people on the wrong side, are Republicans. Democrats are mostly (Jordan excepted) on neither the wrong side or the right side, but just aren’t engaged. For skally, though, there’s a pretty definite trend in the way his knee jerks, don’tcha think? I certainly don’t hold that against all Republicans.
If you think that this is the perfect moment and venue for this particular conversation, however, I think that you are mistaken. Have you read installment #6 of the series? If not, I recommend it.
K