What is this world coming to?

You may have read over the weekend about the back and forth between the Yankees and Mayor Bloomberg’s office over luxury suites:

The Bloomberg administration was so intent on obtaining a free luxury suite for its own use at the new Yankee Stadium, newly released e-mail messages show, that the mayor’s aides pushed for a larger suite and free food, and eventually gave the Yankees 250 additional parking spaces in exchange.

The parking spaces were given to the team for the private use of Yankees officials, players and others; the spaces were originally planned for public parking. The city also turned over the rights to three new billboards along the Major Deegan Expressway, and whatever revenue they generate, as part of the deal.

The e-mail messages between the aides to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Yankees executives were obtained and released by Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky, Democrat of Westchester, who questions whether taxpayers were adequately protected in the city’s deal with the team.

You know, the real scandal here isn’t about what New York City gave in terms of billboards or parking spaces in exchange for a luxury box. The real scandal is that the city could deliver hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to the wealthiest team in professional sports yet it still had to offer more goodies in order to get the box in the first place.

Even the worst extortionists will pick up their victim’s beer tab once in a while.


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MooseinOhio
15 years ago

Now that is what I want my mayor fighting for in these tough economic time – a free luxury box and food for folks who don’t need free access to a game or meatball and chicken wings gratis.

Jason @ IIATMS
15 years ago

Moose: it wasn’t the Mayor, per se, but his aides.  Maybe they were getting the push from Hizzonor (slang borrowed from The Post).

It just sucks knowing you’re being screwed while they smile at you, patting you on the back with one hand, empting your wallet with the other. I think we’d rather be blissfully unaware of the corruption than knowing what’s gone (or is going) on.

A den of theives.

MooseinOhio
15 years ago

Jason – I was using ‘mayor’ to refer to the office as I am well aware that most of what occurs in the office is done by the minions as is the case with most office holders (e.g. governors, mayors, senators).  The use of minions is necessary as they are expendable when the public finds out about such shannigans – especially if it is truly something Hizzonor (or Heronor) wanted to happen. 

I believe that such office holders go through several classes to prepare themselve for rigors of the office and include: Covering Your Ass – The Basics; The Physics of the Fallguy; The Art of Scapegoating; and my personal favorite – How to Apply Teflon with Bill Clinton as the guest lecturer.

Craig Calcaterra
15 years ago

“The Physics of the Fallguy”

Does that have anything to do with Markie Post’s bikini?  Because if so, I’m all in.

Chris Simonds
15 years ago

When it first began, opera was popular entertainment, just like Shakespeare’s plays. You had your aristocratic aesthetes and your groundlings and everyone in between. Baseball is approaching the social level of modern opera going – it’s thought of as being reserved for a certain class of person, though some provision is made for the poor groundlings. It’s an ostentatious act of conspicuous consumption. I’m thinking of becoming an opera fan – it’s cheaper, the drunks are politer, and if some of the works go on way too long, hey, that’s just like baseball too.

Chris Simonds
15 years ago

Oh, and Craig – 4:53 am? Wow. Guess you’re pumped.

Craig Calcaterra
15 years ago

Chris—I was pumped, but not THAT pumped.  I wrote it last night and scheduled it to go live ahead of time. When I do that, I prefer for things to go live at 5:30AM, which is when I usually wake up.  I was of the impression that THT’s web publisher was set to Central time, however, and overthought things. I was wrong.

For future reference, anything that ever goes up after 5:30 is me doin’ it live.  If it’s between, say, 1AM and 5:30, it’s usually written the night before.

Jason @ IIATMS
15 years ago

Moose:

Do you have “Covering Your Ass – The Basics” on DVD, or is it downloadable at iTunes?

(well done, sir!)

MooseinOhio
15 years ago

Craig – If you are referring to the Lee Majors tv series then I think you mean Heather Thomas and she was not what I was referencing.  I was thinking more of the downward career trajectories said fall guys experience and how if done properly one can control the standard deviations away from “The Man” they land.

Jason – Appreciate the compliment and unfortunately I should have copyrighted the phrase before I put it out there as it could be a best seller if done right – I’m thinking The Daily Show/Colbert style would work well.  Obviously it is not all about the money with me.

Craig Calcaterra
15 years ago

I’m pretty sure Markie Post was on Fall Guy too, often in a bikini.  And even if she wasn’t the obvious looker that Heather Thomas was, she was always the thinking kid’s fantasy woman.

MooseinOhio
15 years ago

After a quick google search Markie Post was on The Fall Guy, my memory of her began with Night Court but apparently she was revealing her acting talents before that. 

In many ways I am glad that I did not recall that accurately as maybe not all pieces of useless trivia lodged itself into my brain and there is may be some space left for slightly more important things.

Craig Calcaterra
15 years ago

As a growing young lad in the mid 80s, I can assure you, there weren’t many things in my life that were more important than Markie Post.

/needs help

Ron
15 years ago

Welcome to the big leauges.