It's kinda like New York without the Jets and the Giants -
both of whom play in New Jersey...
The Chicago Bears and Indiana state lawmakers took a big step this morning toward the franchise moving across state lines to build a new stadium near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana.
The city of Hammond held a 4 p.m news conference to discuss a “tentative plan” to bring the Chicago Bears to northwest Indiana. The conference came hours after a proposed amendment pointing to Hammond as the next home of the Bears passed the Indiana House committee unanimously.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. discussed a billion-dollar proposal that would bring thousands of jobs to the stadium and surrounding facilities, not to mention a significant boost to local businesses. An exact location for the stadium was not revealed.
McDermott announced Hammond is expected to pass an admissions tax that would help pay back the billion dollars. A food and beverage tax would be instituted for Lake and Porter counties, as well as a Lake County inkeeper’s tax for visitors staying locally overnight. McDermott said he did not believe property owners would be directly impacted, as the value of property would proportionately go up.
Earlier this morning, the Bears gave a statement signaling their “vision” to build a stadium in Hammond during a meeting by the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee, which unanimously passed a proposed amendment to Indiana Senate Bill 27 that names Hammond as the location for a new Bears stadium.
The Bears say the amendment’s passage by the full Indiana House of Representatives “would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date.”
Catering to billionaires just makes the proles poorer but bread and circuses you know keep them in line.
ReplyDeleteHammond? The residents of Gary must be very disappointed! So many opportunities missed. Car Jackings, Muggings, Armed Robbery to name but a few.
ReplyDeleteNice scam there. Everyone has to pay extra taxes to fund what is effectively a private business.
ReplyDeleteI thought the best best was it was offset by a increase in house value which isn't actually realised until you sell your property in 20 years or so.
Exactly,
Deletewe already have a Lodging tax and a Food and Beverage Tax in NW Indiana, now they want to tax EVERY visitor to enrich the folks that own the properties around the proposed sites, and to enrich the folks at already have hotels near the proposed stadium.
But everyone that stays and eats i the two counties will be paying the tax to fund the stadium, not just those that come for the Bearz.