The $4 Million Giveaway

No matter how bad things get in your neck of the woods, there’s always someone worse off. In yet another sign of just how true this old saying is, the City of Mesa has decided to contribute over $4 million of the taxpayer’s money to a worthy charity – the Chicago Cubs. As part of the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between the city and the baseball team, the politicians in charge eliminated the early termination penalty in the existing lease with the Cubs and they also changed the cancellation notice period from two years to one year. And, even though the city will own the stadium, another little bonus tossed into the deal gives the Cubs exclusive naming rights to the facility which could also be worth millions.

Of course, there are other considerations which go well beyond the money involved. As one economic development official stated, “Having millionaires pay their own way around here is not the sort of image we want to project to the rest of the world.”