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Dolphins begin stadium renovation campaign with mailer, visits to Miami-Dade senior centers


The first domestic absentee ballots were sent Tuesday for the May 14 referendum asking Miami-Dade voters to approve a subsidized renovation to Sun Life Stadium. And timed with their release was the Miami Dolphins' first campaign flier.

The piece highlights the team's estimate that the $350 million stadium face-lift will create 4,000 jobs and promises the upgrades would attract more Super Bowls, college football championships and international soccer games. "The Miami Dolphins and tourists will pay, not county property taxpayers," the political advertisement says. It's paid for by the team's campaign arm, a political action committee named Friends of Miami First. (More here.)

The mailer does not break down how much public money the stadium would receive -- up to $289 million from the county and $90 million from the state, both over 30 years -- though the it says the Dolphins would repay $159 million. That number comes from the $112 million and the $47 million the team has pledged to refund the county and the state, respectively, at the end of 30 years. That's, of course, if Florida lawmakers sign off on providing the state sales-tax subsidy and allowing Miami-Dade to raise the hotel-tax rate to 7 percent from 6 percent -- which is left unmentioned in the flier.

Dolphins campaign workers have also apparently been making the roundsd at Miami-Dade senior centers, home to reliable, older Hispanic voters who typically cast ballots (usually by mail) in every election. Sweetwater photo

"Vote sí por la modernización del estadio Sun Life," read a poster standing next to seniors having lunch Tuesday at the Claude and Mildred Pepper Senior Activities Center in Sweetwater. Vote yes for the modernization of Sun Life Stadium.

"Our grassroots supporters have been fanning out across the county speaking to community centers, going door to door, and discussing the benefits of this plan with their friends and neighbors," Miami First spokesman Eric Jotkoff told The Miami Herald in a statement. 

--with reporting by El Nuevo Herald staff writer Brenda Medina




Rev up the Boleteras! Here we go!
Time to bribe the little old people with pastelitos and a shot of
Cuban coffee. Per usual, Lady Rundle will look the other way as Baretto
And his clan prpare to break every election law in the book......Ron Book, that is!

Eustace Mullins

• 49ers already started construction on their new stadium months ago. They will definitely be awarded Super Bowl L(50). All this SB-hysteria is based on the Dolphins worried they will lose to the Houston Texans(existing new stadium) for SB-51. Meaning SB- likely will be awarded(or maybe already awarded) to Houston and Ross is using this to boost his equity.

• Ross just won the bid to develop around 49ers new stadium site in Santa Clara. This is a massive conflict to Miami Dade County, assuming this SB-bidding/competition is reality ;which it isn’t. Ross will stand to make hundreds of millions from this west coast project. http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-04-17/sports/sfl-hyde5-rosss-related-group-to-develop-santa-clara-stadium-20130417_1_steve-ross-sun-life-stadium-santa-clara-stadium

• Ross is also minority owner of AEG. AEG builds and manages NFL stadiums. Conflict? http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/21/ross-says-aeg-bid-doesnt-reflect-intent-to-move-dolphins/

• The Denver Broncos have been granted permission from Goodell to bid for super bowl in 2018. Goodell explained to the Broncos there stadium does not need a roof. The Broncos were under the impression that futures SB venues must have some type of roof to repel and control climate. Goodell explained to the Broncos “football is meant to be played in the outer elements”… Well if that’s the case then why are the Dolphins proposing a new roof as a reason to get Super Bowl 50?? It’s a lie,,, Ross is using this to boost his equity. Remember Ross massively overpaid for the Dolphin($1 billion). He needs to flip it.

• “On January 20, 2010, the firm Sun Life Financial officially announced that they had acquired the naming rights, and the name of the stadium became Sun Life Stadium. - Sun Life Stadium WILL have yet another name within three years(2013), as Sun Life Financial has announced it will not be selling life insurance in the United States anymore. It is expected that the Dolphins will be looking for a new naming rights partner”(Wikipedia)…..mmmm… This happens in every city involving a new stadium . Changing the name goes hand in hand with new facilities…Why? Because this is how owners make extra cash on the back-end(changing the naming rights is a big money maker.).. In addition with new or renovated sport facilities ,a new seat tax is always implemented. None of this money is recycled back to the community.
Below are some more links that show what is happening in Miami is (and has been) happening in the rest of the country :

San Diego Chargers

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts

In this link you will see some teams including Joe Robbie are currently at 0% of public funds. Like the Pats, Redskins, Panthers , Giants and Miami(Joe Robbie) received funds from an NFL grant pool to pay for those past stadiums. This doesn’t mean Miami should now be responsible for newly renovated proposition by Billionaire Steve Ross.

Why do mayors love sport stadiums

In conclusion , This pathetic deal states Miami Dade county's annual bed tax share would start at $7.5 million, escalate 3 percent a year, and continue for 26 years. So by my rough math, we're talking a county share of $200 million-$230 million. And then there would be a state sales tax rebate of $90 million over 30 years. So Now , we the taxpayer, are paying around $320 million????. So basically ,, the public portion will definitely exceed $300 million , before the team's “repayments”…. Are you Starting to understand the massive trickery happening before our eyes? How does that jibe with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross' statement the Dolphins will pay "70 percent of the costs" of the refurbishment? When in reality Ross only has 12% stake (skin) in the game.
And speaking of “repayments” , Steve Ross is 73 years of age; by the time the 30 year payments are paid in full ,Ross will be 103 years old. There is no way he will be a Dolphins owner let alone alive to pay the taxpayer back.
Across the country, NFL stadiums are built according to a simple formula: An owner hints at, or threatens to leave. Fans clamor. Mayors capitulate. A tax increase, or bunch of them, is passed. A new stadium rises. The owner's equity in the team skyrockets…. At the end of the day, a stadium and an NFL team are luxuries for any metropolis. The way the game is rigged, you have to pay to enjoy the luxury (and even if you pay, they'll black out the games,,, sometimes). Miamians should give up this delusion of hope that the NFL will ever stop depending on LOCAL governments and raise capital for their facilities the way capitalists do: BY SELLING SHARES!.
You ,Miamians OF DADE COUNTY, want to know Ross’s true colors? Vote No (you have nothing to lose) and see how Ross reacts. See how Ross’s tone immediately changes towards jumping ship to another city. In other words, the Dolphins(Steve Ross) want to force Miami Dade County to make a decision: Invest in our football team or LOSE your football team.

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