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Updated: Jun 19th, 2005 - 20:05:13 |
Plenty of Orlando Magic boosters, including writers at this paper, are trying to con you into thinking that the money spent on a new or renovated arena wouldn't take resources away from schools and roads.
It absolutely would.
It's true that any arena renovation probably would involve hotel taxes, which state law primarily prohibits from being spent on schools and roads.
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| State legislator David Simmons advoates spending $99 million of tax money for the Orlando Magic's arena rather than citizen needs |
But what the politicians and pundits aren't stressing is that the only concrete plan out there is a bill filed this week by state Rep. David Simmons, R-Longwood, to spend as much as $99 million of state sales tax over 30 years on the arena. And where would that money come from?
"The money actually comes out of general revenue," explained Larry Pendleton, president of the state's Sports Foundation.
And doesn't general revenue pay for things like schools and roads?
"That's correct."
Simmons said Wednesday that he thinks keeping the Magic in town will generate more money for the state, through sales taxes, than the state will give away. That theory, however, is highly debatable, since some economists argue that professional sports simply redistribute money people are already planning to spend on entertainment. Still, there are plenty of reasons to want to keep the area's only major-league sports team around -- which is why Simmons and folks such as Buddy Dyer want to spend tens, if not hundreds of millions, of public dollars to do so.
Just make sure you know whose money they're spending.
Seminole County Watch.com
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