Virginia state senator Chap Petersen (D) has withdrawn his support for a bill that would have provided hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in subsidies for a new stadium for the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Petersen was one of the most important senators who supported the subsidies before he withdrew his support yesterday. His statement announcing his opposition was scathing. Petersen said:
I don’t have confidence in The Washington Commanders as a viable NFL franchise. . . . I grew up a Washington Redskins fan and was a season ticket holder for 22 years. That team defined our community for multiple generations. The Washington Commanders are not that team. They have no history, no tradition and no fan base. I do not consider them an appropriate economic partner for the Commonwealth of Virginia, because I don’t think they have the community support to survive.
Stadium subsidies are always tempting to politicians. Republican governor Glenn Youngkin supports subsidies to move the Commanders to Virginia (probably the biggest mistake of his tenure so far). Petersen is wise to oppose the subsidies, and his opposition could end up killing the proposal. The Times-Dispatch says, “If the project fails, or doesn’t come up for a vote, the team that was once expecting a bidding war between three localities (D.C., Maryland and Virginia) is instead looking at receiving no direct public support from any of the three in its quest for a new stadium.”
That would be great news because the Commanders are completely undeserving of taxpayer dollars. Petersen’s statement likely refers to the team’s numerous ongoing scandals. The Commanders franchise is currently under congressional investigation for claims of sexual harassment within the organization and financial improprieties. The NFL began an independent investigation into the franchise in February as well. The team hasn’t performed well on the field, either, having not won a playoff game since 2005.
The Commanders (formerly the Redskins) currently play at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. The team proposed a new stadium complex to be built in Woodbridge, Va., which is over 45 minutes away from Washington, D.C., on the highly congested I-95 corridor. The total project would cost $3 billion. The legislature had originally proposed $1 billion in public support for the project but narrowed it to $350 million in the most recent proposal.
That’s still $350 million too much. Stadium subsidies consistently fail to deliver the economic benefits they promise. If the Commanders want a new stadium, they can pay for it themselves. And it looks the the legislature may tell them exactly that.
The same can’t be said for New York, which is poised to give the Buffalo Bills the largest stadium subsidy in American history. As NR’s editorial pointed out last month, the subsidy is so bad that even Andrew Cuomo wrote in opposition to it.
Let’s hope Youngkin realizes his mistake. One of the reasons for his political success is rejecting the model of blue-state governance that has been perfected by New York. Blowing taxpayer money is something we expect from New York Democrats. Don’t follow their lead, Virginia.