San Diego taxpayers to be Chargers laughingstock?

While the Chargers spend money to propagandize for their stadium/convention center (convadium) proposal, some opposition groups are pointing out what a smelly deal Dean Spanos is trying to foist on San Diegans.

Today (August 17), the group "No Downtown Stadium — Jobs and Streets First" sent out more information that the public may not be aware of. (Who has read the 100-page-plus proposal?)

The Chargers will pay nothing in rent, says the opposition.

"If voters approve the Chargers ballot measure, the only rent the team would be obligated to pay the City is for public safety costs for games and operations and maintenance," says the opposing group. "Under the Chargers ballot measure, the stadium would not generate any revenue for taxpayers even though taxpayers would own the facility."

Generally, billionaire team owners underestimate the cost of a subsidized stadium. In the Chargers proposal, if project costs exceed revenue, "the City would be forced to cut spending on street repairs and other important neighborhood services in order to make payments on the stadium bonds," the opposition group says.

"No Downtown Stadium" also points out that Comic-Con is opposed to the convadium concept, partly because a second off-site convention center could make Comic-Con's situation worse by opening up convention space for competing events.

I have communicated with Comic-Con, and in my opinion, the building of the Chargers' convadium might drive Comic-Con out of town.

Former councilmember Bruce Henderson points out that under their proposal, the Chargers would only have an option to build a stadium, "but it would not have an obligation."

In my opinion, San Diego would be the laughingstock of the nation if it approved such a one-sided proposal. St. Louis is now the laughingstock because of the ridiculous deal the city gave the Los Angeles Rams to move there. Now St. Louis has lost the Rams, which are returning to Los Angeles.