"Officials in Las Vegas, San Antonio and Portland have had informal discussions with Marlins executives about relocating but have not talked with MLB regarding the Nationals. One thing working in the District's favor is that none of the cities is willing to pay for the full cost of a stadium, as the District agreed to do last year. By luring the Marlins instead, the team would likely be able to convince the team owners to pay for part of the project.
"On the other hand, MLB, which owns the Nationals, so far has been unwilling to contribute heavily to ballpark construction, agreeing to commit $20 million toward the Nationals' stadium only after a tense four-month negotiation over the lease.
"'We are not going to fully publicly finance a stadium,' said Christian Archer, a special assistant to San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger. 'That's not on the table here. Everyone knows what the tab is, and it's substantial.'
"Industry sources said Las Vegas may have the strongest chance oflanding a team because it is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation and mayor Oscar Goodman is a wild baseball supporter. But financing plans are still under discussion, and support from residents and casino operators has been mixed.
"Portland does have in place a bill, passed in 2003, that would use an estimated $150 million in income taxes from players and team officials toward ballpark construction. But city support for baseball has softened in the last year. New mayor Tom Potter has said baseball should not be a priority, and it is unclear whether governor Ted Kulongoski would support a stadium plan because he is seeking re-election." (WashingtonTimes)
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