Dynamo Stadium News VIII: TSU Agrees to Become Tenant

Re: Dynamo Stadium News VIII: TSU Agrees to Become Tenet

Friendly reminder art:

Instead of "tenet", it is "tenant".

 

I was going to reply to Art's comment on the other thread that football lines aren't all bad, but the thread was closed.

But to continue that thought, they sure do help check on offsides calls.

 

That's the word on the street...in Brazil.

 

with all the back room deals and secretiveness-I wouldn't be surprised if there was a "Tenet" involved.

 

Don't know if this was posted in the prior thread, but this is from an email from OL yesterday:

"Thank you again for your help in sending letters of support to our various elected officials re the stadium. You will be pleased to hear that there are a couple of banks that actually are interested in providing the TIRZ financing that we require. This puts us one step closer to getting all the details worked out."

 

I am sure this comes with some advertising for said banks. Not a bad little deal. Unless they are "bailout" banks, but then again, they have taxpayers money to spend towards the whole thing.

 

Re: Dynamo Stadium News VIII: TSU Agrees to Become Tenet

And don't use Tennant or you get this:

 

Re: Dynamo Stadium News VIII: TSU Agrees to Become Tenet

what part of the prior is news?

 

Re: Dynamo Stadium News VIII: TSU Agrees to Become Tenet

Or this:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YMkpIAIGB0&feature=related"]YouTube - Pet Shop Boys & D. Springfield - What Have I Done To Deserve This?[/ame]

 

i read somewhere in this post a while back that soneone is going to set up a webcam at the dynamo site. I was passing by the place earlier today (Feb 19th) and saw that the bulldozers are on site, no more warehouses, fended, and the ground is being working on. the only block that is still untouch is the one that we had the press conference on.

 

I'm the guy who said he would set up a webcam. I didn't get that done for the demolition. I will try to get something done if/when construction starts.

There were bulldozers on site on the Feb. 19? I didn't notice that at all but I don't remember specifically looking out the window last night either. The buildings were all knocked down a while back. I'll have to check tonight to see what they were doing yesterday.

 

Guys. Barry Klein and Helena Brown of the Harris County Republican Party will make one last ditch effort to sway County Commissioners at the meeting next Tuesday. They have signed up several people to speak out against the stadium and their aim is to persuade the three Republicans on the commission to change their vote. I understand that a deal is probably finalized, but we can't take any chances. Attend the meeting next Tuesday and sign-up to speak.
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This really begs the question: what do two members of the HCRP get for opposing the soccer stadium? The public funds used in helping fund the stadium will ultimately pay handsome dividends for a number of entities in the Houston area: the county, the city, the Dynamo and its fans, and Texas Southern U all come out winners.

Not saying that this is something that lies in only one party in Texas, but it really makes you wonder whether they're opposing it out of latent racism, or at least xenophobia. Soccer is, after all, quite often considered in Texas to be a (brown) foreigners' game.

While I am not certain, I find it difficult to believe that the HCRP opposed the funds going into Reliant. Just something to think about...

 

The HCRP has opposed all of the funding for stadiums, Enron/Minute Maid, Toyota Center, and even Reliant Stadium (although I think that was very muted opposition, in part because of the Rodeo). They have been consistent in this position for a very long time.

I know this is hard for many on this board to believe, but the opposition to this stadium is far, far less from the Republicans than what the level was on the Astros & Rockets venues.

 

The opposition is less because in reality there's really not too much that HCRP can do about it. The other stadiums were subject to voter approval - the TIRZ participation is not subject to a vote.

I'm not too sure that any further testimony in favor of the stadium is necessary because it seems that we are way past the stage where the Commissioners might be swayed by a concerted for or against effort. I think that we are really close to a deal.

Barry Klein will be limited to one minute.

I'll probably show up in orange and stand in the back - but I don't think it's necessary to say any more.

 

I just don't think it is that big of an issue given the limited amount of public investment. If it was they would have been all over it earlier.

 

I'll just be glad when one day all the posts will be bitch*ng about something their not happy with at the satdium (cold popcorn, warm beer, too many Dynaho's, jumbotron not being run correctly, etc etc).

A big thanks to Nigel and others for keeping the rest of us informed through all of this in the meantime...

 

Yup, and back then - as now - it's really ONLY about politics... as a significant chunk of Republicans and conservatives voters (and even a few of the actually politicians these days- though their numbers seem to be dwindling based upon what we've seen from them ones in Washington) are against spending the people's money on subsidies for individuals or private business. Heck, as a functional libertarian myself I might be against this project if it weren't for my love of the Dynamo (yes I know, hypocrite alert)... as I believe the only things government should be doing are protecting lives and property (police and military) and engaging is some general use (not individual use or individually owned/operated) public infrastructure (like roads).

And Yup. If they were asking for $100 million or for money that wasn't coming out of future property taxes I think this would be more ardently opposed... but in the end the relatively minimal amount of money being asked for has limited the opposition to this little bit of posturing that we're seeing. I mean, heck, we haven't really even seen any opposition to his from local conservative talk radio... and they were much, much, much more vocal in opposition to the other more expensive stadium projects.

 

This effort is part of his consistent stance and not a political party thing. Based on the last meeting I attended this opposition was not as strong as you think. We will wait and see but seek more details in the mean time.

 

I heard as well that Barry Klein/HCRP are appearing 2/24 at C.Ct. I know of at least one long-standing credentialed Republican Klein/HCRP have incited to show up and speak to the Court -- supporting the project.

 

SITREP - 2-24-2009 - 11:00 Zulu

Undercover PSBU agent 503 (wearing an orange shirt) attended the 2-24-2009 meeting of the Harris County Commissioners Court.

9 persons had signed up to speak on the Dynamo Stadium.

a. Erin Mosier was a no-show

b. Alan Wood was a no-show

c. Charles Thompson remarked that he felt it was a frivolous use of money to which Judge Emmett responded that there was currently no proposal to spend money before the Commissioner Court.

d. Ann Lee - A longtime Republican spoke in favor of the use of TIRZ funds, she remarked that local government is not always partisan and not all Republicans are against the stadium. She said that she felt that public-private partnerships made good sense and that if TIRZ 15 was so bad then does that mean the other 14 were also bad. Ms. Lee remarked that Soccer is the worlds sport and that building a stadium would be good for Houston. Ms. Lee made a very good presentation.

e. Helena Brown - HCRP Precinct Chair - spoke against the stadium mentioning that Harris County Republican Party was against such use of taxpayer dollars. She then began a rant which to my mind totally destroyed any credibility she might have had. Ms. Brown stated that although she was a Republican Party Precinct Chair she had no desire to run for public office and "wallow in the muck" going on to say that "we" are opposed to the stadium.

Commissioner Eversole asked Ms. Brown "Who is We"? to which she responded - "The American Taxpayer".

f. James Galvan - spoke against the stadium

g. Barry Klein spoke against the stadium

h. Mr. Smith spoke against the stadium

i. Roy ****** (the guy who spoke before and didn't know if he was for or against the stadium) also spoke against the stadium.

Judge Emmett then asked if anyone else wanted to speak on the matter - I had not signed up and had initially had no intention of speaking - but after Ms. Brown's rant I felt I just had to say something.

I was very brief - I told the commissioners that I also was an "American Taxpayer" and also a "Republican" and that I was in favor of the county joining in TIRZ 15. I finished by saying that I felt confident that if the matter does come to a vote that the Commissioners will do the right thing.

Judge Emmett responded - "Great Comment"

On the way out - I spoke to Roy ****** and he told me that he's going to the game tonight. Nice guy - but rather confused.

End of Sitrep

 

maybe that's all it will take for him to change his mind