“Dedicating millions of dollars to bring an NFL stadium to the District is a bad deal and a poor use of an incredible opportunity.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user mosley.brian

“Dear PoPville,

I’m sure that you have read about the deal that Dan Snyder/the NFL is trying to jam through Congress to set up a new Redskins stadium at the RFK location. Charles Allen, Ward 6 Councilman, has started a petition for those who oppose such a move and any DC taxpayer money being used to fund such a stadium. Any chance you would post a link to the petition for those who might also be interested? Just FYI, I’m not affiliated in any way with his office — just a very concerned citizen who might just give up all hope on this city if Mayor Bowser throws away millions of my tax dollars to fund a stadium for possibly the worst franchise in all of American sports.

The text of the petition is below.

“As a DC resident, I am against a deal that gives away a single square foot of land or a single District tax dollar to build a new stadium for billionaire NFL owner Dan Snyder.

I believe the 190 acres alongside the Anacostia River could be so much more than oceans of asphalt for surface parking and a 60,000 seat stadium.

On average, most NFL stadiums only hold 10 to 20 events annually outside of eight NFL home games, meaning the stadium sits empty more than 300 days a year. An enormous space that sits empty doesn’t spur economic growth and doesn’t help the surrounding community, as study after study has demonstrated.

Make no mistake – people drive to NFL games and they’re going to park somewhere, regardless of how much is available. At San Francisco’s new stadium, they had to rent out all of the parking lots at a nearby amusement park. Where do you think people will park around RFK if there isn’t enough parking for fans?

Nationwide, since 1997 we’ve seen the NFL pit communities against each other while collecting more than $6.7 billion dollars from taxpayers to build stadiums for privately-owned teams. Overall, local taxpayers end up footing around half the bill for a new NFL stadium.

The costs of these projects are always higher than estimated. The five most recent newly-constructed NFL stadiums have surpassed more than $1 billion dollars each!

As a DC resident, I don’t want to see DC hoodwinked into paying for a billionaire’s stadium. The District needs our tax dollars to create new housing at all levels, support local DC entrepreneurs who run small and local business, take urgent steps forward to shift to a 100% clean energy environment, build larger and modern schools for our growing city, fund our Metro system, and in general spend money to make life better and easier for DC residents.

Sitting on the banks of the historic Anacostia River, a new stadium and all of the traffic and trash that would come along, would set the Anacostia River’s improvement back. RFK has never had to meet standards set by the National Environmental Policy Act, and I am concerned any deal worked out under the outgoing Congress would try to extend the exemption to holding the site accountable to environmental standards.

Dedicating millions of dollars to bring an NFL stadium to the District is a bad deal and a poor use of an incredible opportunity.

I urge the DC Council and Mayor Muriel Bowser to reject a deal made between the outgoing congress and this President and the NFL, which once again circumvents the local control and rights of the residents who call the District of Columbia home. Only in the District of Columbia does this happen without the residents having a seat at the table.

Thank you.”