The future homes of the Eagles, Phillies, Pirates and
Steelers are at stake today as the PA House and Senate "are
expected to take up legislation to raise the state's debt
ceiling by" $500M, roughly $300M to $325M of which would go
toward new stadiums in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh,
according to Peter Shelly of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE.
If it passes, PA Gov. Tom Ridge "would be able to live up to
his commitment of providing $75 million to $80 million for
each of the new facilities." The "stakes are huge" for the
Pirates, as the team and Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy "have
said repeatedly that the state's share of the money needs to
be lined up before the end of this year." If not, the
Pirates might lose an entire season in the new stadium,
costing them $30M in revenue. The Legislation's passage is
"far from certain" though, and one legislative staffer said
Friday, "Start writing the obituary. Right now, it is dead.
DOA." One lawmaker who supports the legislation countered:
"They'll get it done" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 11/22).
THE CRYING GAME: In Pittsburgh, Justice Hill wrote on
Mayor Murphy's tearful pleas to Legislature for stadium
funding from the state: "To cry like a 6-year-old over how
the state dips into the taxpayers' pockets to pay for
stadiums that millionaires who own sports teams should pay
for is not the kind of public display you expect from a man
(or woman) who runs the government. From him, we expect the
inner strength of a lion" (TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 11/22).
