If you thought New Yankee Stadium was only going to cost tax payers around $446 million -- the 2006 estimate -- think again, chap. A recent study by Good Jobs New York is placing the cost somewhere in the $663 million ballpark. The study also claims ex-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and current Mayor Michael Bloomberg are to blame for part of it.Giuliani's firm, Giuliani Security and Safety, was listed as a stadium security consultant in 2006 court documents, the group said. And the ex-mayor approved a $21 million rent reduction for the team when he was in office.
"Public faith in government is eroded when private corporations hire former government officials and use their expertise and influence to evade participatory planning and established economic development principles," the report said.
Wait, so you're telling me a company a government official has a hand in got business from an entity and gave them a nice little discount elsewhere as a favor? I've never heard of this before. My faith in the democracy has been shaken. Someone please come hold me tight.
{Via the Biz of Baseball.}




