Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Marlins Boosters (All 3 of Them) Hold Surprise Coup in State Legislature

Not only will the Senate vote on a tax subsidy for the team, another vote wil be held to allow the county and Hialeah to use state sales-tax money to fund a ballpark.

(Some fun quotes from today's action...)

Sen. Michael Bennett, R-Bradenton says, "Anyone who can afford $90 million to have a guy throw a ball can build his own stadium." (What $90 million Marlin player is he talking about? We don't even have a $9 million player.)

Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey says, "I love the Marlins. I go down and watch them whenever my New York Mets come in to play." (Yeah, that really sounds like the definition of Marlins love to me.) "But if I live in Tampa Bay or the Panhandle, why should my dollars be used to build a stadium 300 miles away?" (Because, the last time I checked a map, South Florida is still a part of Florida, and state money usually goes to some part of the state. Until it's decided to chop Miami off the peninsula and let it float off towards Cuba, then Miami can get some state money, too.)

'"I don't know why people here are so anti-Marlins. The Marlins are a great group of guys. They won two world series. With a $72 billion (state) budget, help the home team out," said (senator and coup-plotter) Villalobos.' (SunSentinel)

MORE POLITICS: Sales-tax-break amendment is attached to a bill giving the same break to the Orlando Magic.

Check out our goverment inaction...

"The Senate was divided and paralyzed Wednesday morning in the fallout from the defeat of two education votes dear to Gov. Jeb Bush. (Senate Pres Tom) Lee had managed to resurrect one of the defeated items the previous night on a procedural move, so Democrats retaliated with a maneuver of their own Wednesday morning: requiring a few bills to be read in their mind-numbing entirety.

"Democrats dropped the tactic after they proved they could stop the Senate in its tracks.

"Villalobos, who sided with the Democrats in defeating the education initiatives, angered Miami-Dade leaders last year when he backed Lee's opposition to the stadium. Lee fired Villalobos Monday night as leader of the Republicans, freeing the Miami senator to stitch together the ballpark plan with the aid of Democrats....

"The Marlins' Samson said he knew nothing of the plan but was so ''excited'' by the news he could barely watch Wednesday's game against the Washington Nationals." (MiamiHerald)

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