So Who Exactly Built That?

As thousands of Republicans chant "We Built It" in the middle of a taxpayer-subsidized arena, I just can't help but laugh.

Are you confused what the heck these people talking about in the first place? Of course, because I am sure tons of non-politically aware people have wondered onto this blog. If you really don't know, President Obama said during a speech that private sector leaders didn't build the American infrastructure that allows capitalism to flourish here. Here's a clip. If you are still confused why this is a big deal, hey, I don't know what makes these guys tick that well either.

Now I'll let the national blogs mock these people for missing the whole "we built that" message that Obama was conveying. I would like to pick something else apart.

The Republican National Convention right now is happening in the Tampa Bay Times Forum. That's right, a venue named for the evil liberal media giant known as the Times. This paper happens to be the largest circulation publication in Florida and the only major newspaper in Florida that is not corporate-owned, so it either represents the best of small business or the worst of corporate independence, but I assure Republicans in the Sunshine State hate the Pulitzer Prize-winning rag. I, for one, feel blessed the paper is here, but then I am a liberal pinko.

But the truth is that this newspaper didn't build the Forum. Indeed, many of those of us who lived our whole lived in the state still bristle when this venue is called anything but the Ice Palace. It was built to house the Tampa Bay Lightning, a franchise in that beautiful representation of private sector success and machismo which is professional sports. But they didn't build it alone.

Turns out some $86 million in taxpayer subsidies went to raising this stadium from the ground, much more than the $53 million contributed by the Lightning. Corporate sponsorship from the wicked liberal media came much later when naming rights were put up for sale.

Like so many sports venues, the use of public funds was justified because the venue serves a public good. Such subsidies are hugely controversial across the political spectrum, of course, but business leaders typically line up behind such efforts to lend political support. Why? Because having a pro sports team raises a region's profile in enormous ways. In addition to bringing a Stanley Cup to a region known for its beaches, the venue puts Tampa on national television with some regularity as the Lightning play their sport for an audience reaching for beyond the Bay area.

And, of course, the venue allows us to host other major events, i.e. the Republican National Convention.

You see, there is no doubt the Tampa Bay area is benefitting economically from the convention being in town. If the most Democratic of business owners has enjoyed a boost is business as hotels fill up, restaurants serve food out and strip clubs bring folks in. All of that wouldn't be possible without a venue in town that could host such an event as the RNC. No city in America can host this type of event without major venues like this, and that is why the public expense is justified. It will take a lot of rent money for that $86 million to get paid back, but the public benefit is enormous and the businesses who pay taxes in the area will feel a return in their cash registers just this week that more than makes up for their share of the initial expense.

Now most of the people at the RNC are not from Florida, much less from Tampa Bay. So while they may be renting the venue this week, spending their dollars at local malls and to stuff the corsets of area strippers, they didn't build any of this. The taxpayers did.

Your welcome.