|
By Kevin Bessler | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A new poll
suggests Arlington Heights taxpayers want the Chicago Bears to
come to town, but they don’t want to pick up the tab for a new
stadium.
The poll commissioned by the political advocacy group Americans
for Prosperity shows 68% of residents disapproved of using
taxpayer dollars to build a new home for the team, while 22%
were in favor.
Opposition to using taxpayer money widened to 73% from 21% when
voters were made aware the NFL is the most profitable sports
league in the world and it recently signed a $110 billion
11-year media deal.
“They don’t like corporate welfare,” said Brian
Costin, deputy state director for Americans for Prosperity.
“They think that everyone should play by the same rules and no
one should get special benefits that might cost other taxpayers
money.”
According to Forbes, the Chicago Bears are the fifth most
valuable team in the NFL, with an estimated worth of $5.8
billion.
The Bears bought the former Arlington Race Course in suburban
Arlington Heights for a possible future home. The team discussed
a move to Arlington Heights decades ago, but instead renovated
Soldier Field in Chicago with the state of Illinois raising
funds for the project.
“We have an ordinance that we are circulating petitions for
called an Anti-Corporate Welfare ordinance and we also asked
that in our poll and 54% of residents in Arlington Heights would
support that ordinance,” Costin said.
Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes is not yet on board with the
ordinance, calling it “extreme.”
Chicago officials have offered to make major renovations to
Soldier Field in an effort to prevent the Bears from leaving
town, but so far, team officials said they are not interested.
The team has played at Soldier Field since 1971 and are locked
into a lease through 2033, a lease they would have to buy out if
they left early.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in Illinois
for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of experience in radio
news reporting throughout the Midwest. |
|
