[Elvis]

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Messenger: The Day the Stadium Died

By Tony Messenger

If Don McLean were writing the song to put the St. Louis Rams leaving-or-staying saga in perspective, then Dec. 30, 2015, would be The Day the Stadium Died.

On that day, before the Rams would sputter to an embarrassing overtime loss to end the season in San Francisco, before the Rams management would issue a pitiful two-sentence statement indicating their official desire to move to Los Angeles, two documents became public.

When considered fairly, these documents cast doubt on the seriousness of the plan championed by Gov. Jay Nixon and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay to build a new football stadium for the Rams or some other team on the city’s north riverfront.

First, the president pro tem of the Missouri Senate, Republican Ron Richard of Joplin, wrote a letter to Slay, and copied it to Nixon, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and others, calling into question the city’s proposed financing plan approved by the Board of Aldermen.

“While it is understandable that local leaders from St. Louis are aggressively backing a plan to build a new stadium in their city, when such a plan seeks to use state resources it is only proper that the General Assembly, as the voice of the citizens of the entire state, be consulted in the matter,” wrote Richard.

That the letter came from Richard is significant, because over the years, he’s been a backer of many St. Louis economic development projects. As speaker of the House, he was an ally of Nixon’s in passing automobile manufacturing incentives that have been key in both Kansas City and St. Louis. Richard is not just some rural yokel spouting off against the big city. His letter makes it clear, to the NFL, to bond sellers and investors, that the public money promised by Nixon et al. is nothing but a fantasy.

“The bottom line is this,” Richard continued, “it would be speculative at best for the City of St. Louis and for the NFL to act in reliance upon this stream of $12 million from the state’s general revenue fund being continued into the foreseeable future as they negotiate a deal concerning the building of a new stadium.”

This is what happens when public officials, even with good intentions, bypass public process. From the beginning of the stadium process, Nixon has played the role of court jester, telling Rams fans he’s using all the power of his office to build a new stadium while his lawyers tell the courts that the governor has nothing to do with the process.

Eventually, such contradictions will catch up with the governor and his friends.

That day, too, might have been Dec. 30, when state Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, and his bipartisan group of supporters filed a preliminary injunction in St. Louis Circuit Court seeking to block stadium construction on multiple grounds that the process has violated state law.

The lawsuit questions the composition of the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Commission, noting that it has not followed state law in terms of political makeup of its membership or the expired terms of some members. It questions the ridiculous notion that the riverfront stadium is “adjacent” to the convention center, as required by state law. That issue had been previously litigated by a now former city attorney whose efforts in the case were, well, not as rigorous as Schaaf’s attorneys will be. Finally, and most importantly, the lawsuit questions the financing scheme, alleging that the “proposed refunding bonds increase the amount of principal and interest owed and extends payments for decades. As such, it is illegal and should be enjoined by this Court.”

Schaaf calls what is going on with the stadium negotiations “stadium-fever blindness.”

Two open records requests he filed last week help tell the story. The first was with the governor’s office, asking for the stadium proposal sent to the NFL. Nixon said he didn’t have it. The second request was for the same information from the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority. Schaaf received a ream of information, including the letter Nixon wrote at the front of the stadium packet calling the proposal “strong,” and “compelling.”

How could Nixon, who famously sued the former governor over open records violations, write such a letter on his letterhead and not give it to a state senator who asked for it?

“It is almost as if many people want the Rams to stay in St. Louis so badly, that they are willing to set aside their convictions about the proper functioning of government,” Schaaf said.

For Rams fans, that’s understandable. They want their team and they’re willing to look the other way if a few shortcuts are taken. But for Nixon and Slay to bypass a public vote as called for in city ordinance, to ignore the Legislature, to pretend the refinanced bonds aren’t new obligations, to sell the fantasy that this stadium project meets the barest level of public accountability? Well, McLean said it best.

“The players tried for a forward pass,” he wrote in his iconic hit “American Pie.’’ “With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.”

[Hacksaw]

We LA Rams fans have been put through a year of the most unbelievable behavior by that task force. With each box checked, with their cocky bravado in full view, we had to endure the confusion caused by the seemingly illegal but definitely undemocratic methods being employed by Nixon's gang. The anger and fear that we were slowly losing our teams ability to come home by such dubious methods laid heavy on our heads.

They put up a fight but should be ashamed of themselves.

Also wronged are the good fans in StL who have been given a sense of hope by these actions only to now see what the rest of us have seen all along.
One thing these StL folks are is proud, and this behavior on the behalf of their hero'd task force leaders has robbed them all of credibility.

I have been disgusted by all the StLoois goings on and by Spanos and his gang of liars. It has sickened me to see how these men behaved.

Karma is a bitch and I believe the StLoo task farce, Nixon, Spanos and alike are about to get bitch-slapped publicly.
I will personally revel in it.

[Stranger]

I have been disgusted by all the StLoois goings on and by Spanos and his gang of liars. It has sickened me to see how these men behaved.

Welcome to 21st Century America. It's everywhere.

But the real pro's at this game reside in DC. Those guys really know how to sell Big Lies like no one else on the planet.

[dieterbrock]

Peacock intention was never to actually get a stadium built. Sure if it happens great but the reality is that all he wanted was to give the illusion of the hero fighting the machine.
He wins regardless of the outcome.
Unless one actually looks with an unbiased eye

[SoCalRam78]

Yesterday wasn't a good day for the Riverfront homers, it'll get worse, too