Opinion: NFL Quarterbacks, Halfbacks, Fullbacks for LA? Sure -- Just Not on Taxpayers’ Backs

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Ed Roski Jr. has reportedly said he can’t imagine his grandchildren growing up without a local NFL team to cheer for. My grandfather just made sure I had a bicycle. Gee, I don’t know how old Roski’s grandchildren are, but he expects he can have a team playing in a stadium at the happenin’ crossroads of the 60 and the 57 freeways as early as the 2011 season.

Yeah, well, whatever. He and the NFL can reach any deal they like -- so long as it does not involve Dime One of taxpayers’ money. We went ‘round and ‘round about that a dozen years ago, when councilman Joel Wachs stood athwart plans for a downtown sports arena -- the future Staples Center -- for the Lakers and Kings, and he said that any public dough going to that cause is ``an improper use of taxpayer money.’’

When Roski and Philip Anschutz wanted the city to fork over the Staples land for a buck a year and another $70 million in tax breaks, Wachs threatened to put it to the voters, as an initiative to ban any subsidies for sports franchises. The billionaire pair ended up paying the city for the land and guaranteeing to pay back the $70 million in breaks themselves if Staples Center didn’t make the money it was expected to.

``Absolutely no taxpayer dollars’’ for this sports dream this time, Roski swears. It is time that will tell; if the pro football dreamers do decide to come begging, and the city or the county are gutless enough or starry-eyed enough to give them public bucks, I know just the name for the new team: the L.A. Moochers.