Plucking Tax Funds for Sports Stadiums

Re “Tackling the NFL’s Idea for a New Stadium,” by Steve Lopez, May 12: The NFL is conniving with a few L.A. insiders to use public downtown-L.A. redevelopment funds for a stadium: This looks like the next chapter of the story that we are suffering through in San Diego. The public here has been plucked to a point of pain by the Chargers, since our local political patsies agreed to use public taxes to buy unsold tickets--after the Chargers let us spend a lot of tax money to build a huge stadium that they can’t fill with fans.

Now the Chargers are saying they don’t want to be in San Diego, after collecting this unearned gift, and they are talking about moving to L.A. I’m sure there is some link there. I think that they see a fresh big bird to pluck. Misery loves company, so I almost want to sit back and see the story unfold. Actually, I wish that we could put an end to this abuse of the public by sports promoters. That tax money is needed for roads, hospitals, sewers and schools, not some quarterback’s private jet.

Kay Stewart

San Diego