You're right. Politicians can see through slogans (since slogans are their stock in trade). But they are swayed by the general voting public who can be swayed by slogans. "How can you vote down MLS when it can cure segregation in our city? Don't you want to see segregation ended?" --- As I was thinking about last night's meeting, I'm sure now the opponents were playing the "stall game", knowing that PSV and MLS have a deadline. At one point there was conversation about requiring an additional study to be done on the McKalla site to be doubly sure that it is not a wetlands, even though the city's highly qualified expert deemed it not to be. Earlier a community member presented a slide show with pictures of cottonwood trees, cattails, and red wing blackbirds, along with a puddle of water, suggesting it just might possibly be a wetland. Do you think that was accidental? I say it was strategized beforehand. Councilman Flannigan then had a terse "cross examine" of the city staffer present, "Has the city council ever required a 2nd opinion of any other development project before it?" He answered, "No, not to my knowledge." Also Councilwoman Houston stated she was not prepared to vote last night due to PSV delivering the revised term sheet late the night before. So that was the 1st strategy: stall this thing to death using PSV's deadline against them. The 2nd strategy is to load the contract with deal killers. The Mayor was shockingly blunt with his description of some of the amendments as "poison pills" offered in order to kill the deal. That's some hard ball politics going on in the council chambers live on community access TV. Can you imagine what's going on behind closed doors?
So are they really going to kick the can down the road on the full traffic/parking analysis? They've had months to do it so it's pretty obvious it would weaken the argument for the stadium at McKalla. But how can they approve a 20K stadium with 1K parking spots and no study?
Well, just to play "PSV-Advocate": -I assume the city gave that number to PSV. The architects would never have overlooked something so important. You can't even build a church without having the minimum required numbers of parking spaces according to code. So, even though it is far from ideal, it is apparently in the city code. -If the city didn't demand so much green-space, park, trails, affordable housing, PSV could easily put another 1000 parking spaces. So, city...decide what you want more. I'm sure PSV could rip that stuff out and put more parking spaces if the city demanded. -I wonder if PSV could work out shuttle buses to/from the IBM campus. On game day IBM lets them use a lot from 5pm to 10pm. In return, maybe IBM gets a billboard in the new Dell(?) Stadium? Maybe a logo on the sleeve of the jersey? A discount on their corporate box? -During the College World Series, the bus company runs shuttles from shopping areas all over Omaha, not just the immediate area. -Uber drivers will make a mint. -The light rail will help. -If I was a business owner in the area I would totally make parking spaces at my business available after 5pm- for $30 each. Ka-ching!! Nice little additional profit center. Anyway, if I was PSV, that's how I would answer.
Well, that's sort of the point. PSV has had plenty of time to make arrangements along those lines but doesn't seem to have actually done so. Maybe they've asked and been turned down. Or maybe they haven't even asked. But city council members should certainly be asking what the plan is.
I was thinking about last Thursday's meeting. When the Mayor had the exchange with Councilwoman Pool about "poison pill amendments", Pool said something like, "This proposal doesn't have the votes to pass right now. With these amendments some of us might be able to support it." They Mayor answered confidently, "I think this proposal would pass if we voted right now." So who is telling the truth? Who has got the math right? (PS. Saw a headline behind a paywall that Suttle thinks that PSV has the votes to pass. Maybe that's why he acted so dismissively towards Pool.)
This website - estadiomckalla.com - sees the council For- 4: Mayor Adler, Councilmembers, Casar, Garza, (I'll add Flannigan) Against- 4: Councilmembers Pool, Alter, Troxclair, Houston In Play- 3: Councilmembers Rentaria, Kitchen, Tovo
PSV has now agreed to sweeten the deal to the tune of a few million dollars. I'd think that would be enough to get the deal approved by council tomorrow.
Not so fast my friend: On the heels of her visit to Columbus, @LesliePoolATX has a lengthy post up on the #ATXCouncil message board: "Precourt and MLS: Pitting City Against City" https://t.co/PKAZOftSUvICYMI: Here's a link to my story from earlier: https://t.co/Ka8kzoZJsK #MLS2ATX #SaveTheCrew pic.twitter.com/jwgkZUMx8p— Chris Bils (@ChrisBils) August 14, 2018
In an article posted in the Columbus newspaper today about ATX Councilmember Pool's visit to Columbus, there is this quote: "Despite Pool’s gesture of visiting Columbus, the term sheet is considered likely to pass." http://www.dispatch.com/sports/2018...ity-council-member-commiserates-with-columbus Where would the Columbus reporter get that idea if not from Pool herself? (Of course, if he is a good reporter he is following bigsoccer closely ) Regardless, as noted in jaykoz3's post about, Pool is still fighting and trying to influence the other council member to slow down and negotiate according to their timeline not PSV's. The results of her efforts? We should know tomorrow by noon.
More fun: http://www.columbuseaglesfc.com/wp/...ncil-regarding-psv-womens-soccer-savethecrew/ Remember that list of questions @ALTERforATX submitted? Answers have been posted on the city's website. You can read those here: https://t.co/lUsEP7Azrg #MLS2ATX #SaveTheCrew— Chris Bils (@ChrisBils) August 15, 2018 Well, sort-of-answers...🤷🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/bZB3Zlo8XV— Miki Turner (@turneresq) August 15, 2018 Follow-up question: Why won't PSV disclose these possible sites? https://t.co/h7BB65BH7w— Miki Turner (@turneresq) August 15, 2018 Live blog of today's proceedings: Doingitlive, one more time. #MLS2ATX #ATXCouncil #MLS #CrewSC #SaveTheCrewThe Decision 2: Austin City Council Votes on MLS2ATX [Live-blog] https://t.co/jv4EJnSDpY via @turneresq— Miki Turner (@turneresq) August 15, 2018
While I agree with Pool on the merits, she has been opposed to a stadium at McKalla from the beginning. PSV doesn't need to win her vote. Kitchen or Tovo look like the key votes.
The Austin council meeting is still dragging on. I doubt PSV will object to any of the amendments council approved.
I listened to much of the ATX City Council debate (who could listen to all of it?). I heard several council members return to the theme of "MLS can help end the segregation in our community" as a reason for justifying their support. Mayor Adler's slogan helped "push the ball over the goal line" (sorry for the mixed metaphor). He imbued the effort with moral purpose that the 3 "on the fence" politicians could get behind. (He's good.)
Austin City Council voted 7-4 to approve the latest terms and empower city employees to enter into a contract. Good outcome for PSV. Not impressed by Adler. He was basically PSV's inside lobbyist, constantly expressing concern about Precourt's finances rather than the city's. The campaign dollars he got from Suttle et all were well spent.
I'm still amazed by the complete inability of supposed MLS fans on this forum to understand the concept of wanting an MLS team. I recognize that for you this issue represents screwing over Columbus, but Steve Adler is not the mayor of Columbus. His job is do what is best for Austin. He thinks--*gasp*--that having an MLS franchise would be a positive for the city. Even uber-NIMBY Ann Kitchen ultimately came to the same conclusion. Hell, even one of the "no" voters (Troxclair) seemed genuinely excited to get a team, even though she preferred more negotiation. I've been trying to explain to you guys that this is not a straight dollars and cents deal. There is an intangible value of having an MLS franchise. There is no intangible value of building yet another shopping mall next to a shopping mall. At the end of the day, this is a pretty well negotiated deal. It's neither a massive public giveaway--like say, a tax-payer funded stadium on downtown parkland--nor is it telling MLS to ******** off the way all the experts on here said Austin would do. This a compromise deal that works for both Austin and PSV.
But Austin doesn't have a team yet. PSV has been losing the suit in Ohio and doesn't look likely to be able to deliver a team to Austin. The stadium financing will surely be contingent on having an MLS team to play there. But the court cases could drag on for years, past the date at which the city can cancel the contract they sign with PSV. Austin would have been better off if they had simply applied for an expansion team, the way San Antonio did.
If you say so. The Modell law is without a doubt the least interesting aspect of this to me, and it seems obviously unconstitutional to me, but I don't see how PSV isn't complying with it. He gave notice of his intention to move to Austin. He is accepting offers from local buyers. In any case, I'm not terribly worried about a brand-new soccer stadium at McKalla place sitting empty. That is nonsensical. Cities don't apply for expansion bids, billionaire wannabe investor-operators do. Who knows if/when such an individual will decide to show up?
My neighbor has a sweet car. Instead of doing the work to afford such a nice vehicle, I’ll just take his. I mean, there is no issue because I really want it. Amiright? I’m actually glad Austin will the worst owner in the history of American sport as their first owner. First, because we won’t have to deal with him anymore but mostly because of posters like the person above. Have fun being the most hated team and fan base league wide IF it even happens.
The only comment on Modell Law us that he probably is not in compliance if he just "accepts offers." The law requires an "opportunity to purchase." Throwing the offer in the trash can is not the same as providing an opportunity to purchase. The other comment is that the city of Austin left $20 million on the table. Precourt would have paid the raised rent. My last note is that I expect the Crew to play2019 in Columbus under new ownership and Austin to start play as an expansion team in 2021, once the stadium is built. I doubt Precourt will have similar success in Austin because I doubt Berhalter will move to Austin... I expect him to go to the national team. Precourt got lucky with him. It won't happen again. Maybe you'll land Adrian Heath.
That's some neat fan fiction. We'll see. I'll be shocked if PSV is prevented from relocating the existing Crew franchise. If Columbus has a potential owner with the ability to both cover an expansion fee and get a new stadium built, I absolutely believe that he/she would likely get granted a new franchise (with the Crew branding if wanted). I say that not because of the Modell law but because it simply would make sense for MLS. If the ducks are in row Columbus works as a market for MLS. We'll see if that happens. As those of us who have been hoping for Austin expansion know, billionaires that like soccer don't grow on trees.
We'll see if the motion to dismiss is approved or not. If not, the Crew will be in Columbus next year. If the motion is not dismissed and there are buyers in Columbus, Austin will start play once the new stadium is built. A team called the Crew will play in Columbus. One will be an expansion team, on paper. Columbus has a couple of billionaires. Maybe more than Cincinnati.
Except for one minor detail, where Austin didnt steal shit. Columbus came begging to move into Austin. So, with your idiotic analogy, the sweet car went and parked itself in Austins garage.