Karin Dryhurst

Bay Area Middle Class Not Into Stadiums

The San Francisco 49ers are pushing hard in the Bay Area for the Council to bankroll a new stadium in Santa Clara County that would house both the Niners and the Oakland Raiders. Middle class voters are not having it:

Support was significantly greater among voters on the top and bottom ends of the economic ladder. Those earning more than $75,000 a year or less than $30,000 approved of the stadium deal, 56 to 35 percent, while those in between opposed it by almost identical numbers.

The poll asked if voters supported the stadium plan in language crafted by initiative backers. But another poll that included language about using city funds for the project showed 54 percent of voters across all backgrounds opposed to the plan.

Probably because the city would have to spend $114 million on the project and likely get little more than traffic congestion in return. Stadium projects, like big-box retail and other developer favorites, often result in low-wage jobs undeserving of millions in taxpayer money.

Let's hope middle class families in Santa Clara continue to see it that way.

Karin Dryhurst: Author Bio | Other Posts
Posted at 2:03 PM, Mar 01, 2010 in Cities
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