The Star has an editorial today opposing the use of public funds to construct sports arenas. I’ve seen liberal, conservative and centrist commentators all opposing this absurd waste of money but I’ve seen very few (if any) efforts to defend the planned wave of government funded arena construction and renovation.
Why no defence? Because this kind of waste is intellectually indefensible. It subsidizes the preferred leisure activities of some taxpayers at the expense of others and it spends money that we just don’t have.
This nonsense reminds me of a classic 1990s era op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. Read the whole thing for a quick, punchy and persuasive explanation of why sports fans should pay for the sports stadiums and opera fans should pay for the opera houses.
