Parking options to increase for Rays fans

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[get-smart]

Too bad RRick K is gone. He would have a ready answer for this one. Maybe someone else can wrap the tin foil around their head and channel the Rays.

Why don't the Rays do the parking plan in reverse. With a new waterfront stadium, the Rays were going to park the cars at the Trop and bus the fans to the new stadium.

Since that deal is dead, why don't the Rays fans park at the Bayfront and USF and get bused to the Trop? That would solve the problem.

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[get-smart is very dumb]

Please shut it already. We're sick of your negative whining. WAKE UP!!!! Support the Rays and the new stadium already, like most other "smart" St Pete residents.

[Paul]

one question... what's wrong with the Trop? his ain't a gated community in tampa, thankfu

Right. Nothing... well maybe the City could ease up and let people charge to park on their property without having landscaping and permits.

The City should ease waaaay up this parking permit nonsense.

I like get smart's idea. Sounds smart to me.

[Paul]

now that was an interesting post result. not sure what happened, not quite what i typed.

[Thomas]

I support the Rays by watching games and buying tickets, jerseys, hats, t-shirts.

You see, "support" doesnt include massive public subsidies for an industry that is entirely capable of financing their own building.

If the Rays are "not happy" with the revenue at the Trop - they can write the check to build a new place.

So Skippy, you can put that in your "SUPPORT THE RAYS" pipe and smoke it

[My Town]

2:01 YOU shut it! Why won't you let the citizens have a voice?

MOST people in St. Pete do not support a waterfront stadium - or perhaps you think the Rays pulled the referendum off the Nov 4 ballot because they were SOOOO sure the voters agreed with them?

Or maybe there were just too many of those little red signs out there for comfort! Regardless of how many red signs the opposition took under the dark of night - the little red signs just kept multiplying like jack rabbits!

A new stadium maybe - but not at tax payer expense - and never, never on the waterfront.

Go Rays!

[Will Ferrell]

The parking lot needs more Cowbell. The more Cowbell you have, the more they will come.

[Don Mott emulating Rick K.]

I have spent many hours talking to ALL of the property owners within walking distance of the Trop. What I have confirmed is that 98.427 of these owners would GLADLY provide parking if the city paid THEM $200. And they would be MORE than happy to give 10% of the proceeds to the Rays. The Rays make money. The city SAVES money on enforcement and the owners get a few dollars too. It's a paired shared money making deal. According to my Economics 101 studies that is a win win deal.

[since1962]

This new scheme will result in 100 new spaces !

Hardly enough to justify this angst.

Does ANYONE from the TIMES attend council meetings?

This was discussed at last meeting!

EXTORTION,ILLEGAL PARKING,
INCOMPLETE REPORTING,INEPT TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT...

Rays, Fans, Times and 'City' have squandered civic pride.

Send Rays to Toytown and let them thrash it out there!

[Don Mott]

"Tropicana Field has 7,000 parking spaces. The city has issued permits for at least 2,000 spaces on private property near the stadium."

"That's not nearly enough to meet the needs of the more than 25,000 fans who have been showing up at games to see the Rays beat the Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs this season" Please tell us where these fans would park if the stadium was downtown. The Rays came up with 2500 spaces where are the rest?

[Voter 13]

The mayor, city staff "and now even our own city council" has given the middle finger to those who do not support a waterfront stadium and do not want to use tax dollars to pay for it. Just how disgusting is this.

No DCP on the Al Lang Field.

No DCP height restriction of 50'-75'.

More hearings. More meetings. Ect. etc. Bla Bla Bla. No action. Only inaction to thwart the will of the people.

City Council can just shut up and go away. A bunch of useless roobs.

But, payback is coming.

[Thomas]

Interesting read from Neil DeMause:

"Remember how the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to move to Kansas City, or maybe Las Vegas, if they didn't get a new arena? Apparently that was a load of horse hockey:

"It wasn't a possibility," [Penguins owner Mario] Lemieux said during a groundbreaking ceremony today for Pittsburgh's new $290 million hockey arena.
"We had to do a few things to put pressure on the city and the state, but our goal was to remain here in Pittsburgh all the way. Those trips to Kansas City and Vegas and other cities was just to go, and have a nice dinner and come back." ...
"(Pressure) was felt, and that was the important thing. A lot of things happened throughout the negotiations. Ups and downs. That was just a way for us to put more pressure, and we knew it would work at the end of the day," Lemieux said.

So what exactly did Penguins and NHL officials say to put "pressure" on the city of Pittsburgh?

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Feb. 2006: "The team's lease expires in a year and if there's no new building, there's no way this club can have any future in Pittsburgh."

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, Feb. 2006: "It needs to resolve itself in the next couple of months, otherwise they're going to have to look at options."

Lemieux, on the eve of a vote to approve the use of casino funds for a new Pittsburgh arena, Dec. 2006: "Wednesday will be a turning point in the franchise's future. We decide the fate of the franchise. After Wednesday, we will sit down and evaluate all of our options."

Let's keep this in mind as the Rays play out the stadium shell game. It already sounds a little too familiar - right Bud Selig.

Move threats are nothing but a cheap bluff.

[Bobby Fenton]

First of all, the Rays need a new stadium and will not be at the Trop within ten years. This is simply a fact. The argument about whether or not they need a new place stopped being relevant a long time ago and has moved on to the "if" and "where" phase. It's ridiculous to keep reading these "The Trop is fine" posts. The Trop sucks, but is fine for the next 5-7 years while everything gets figured out. It is not permanently "fine", nor does anyone expect it to be around much longer.

Second of all, my favorite quote from this article...

"Whoever would have thought 20,000 people would have shown up on a Wednesday?" said council member Herb Polson.

Yeah Herb, imagine that. Barely halfway filling up a major league ballpark on a weeknight for a divison-leading team. Who could possibly have had such unending vision?

[John D]

Bobby Fenton--
Since you obviously know a lot more about baseball and baseball stadia than I do, I respect your opinion that the Rays need a new ballpark.
Uh, but saying, "This is simply a fact." is laughable on its face. There are other knowledgeable folks who do not share your opinion, and calling it a fact simply doesn't make it so, no matter what Humpty Dumpty says.

[atrulyconcernedcitizen]

Bobby,

Your arrogance is only exceeded by your ignorance. "First of all, the Rays need a new stadium and will not be at the Trop within ten years. This is simply a fact"

This is simply a FACT? Says who? You?
Sleazeball Bud Selig? Greedy carpetbagger Stu Sternberg? Idiot Rick K.? What do you mean by NEED?

Please define need. The Rays have INCREASED their profit and equity position each of the past ten years with the WORST team in baseball!!! They now are reaping the benefits of a great team and drawing record crowds DESPITE what you and other baseball whores call NEEDING A NEW STADIUM.

Define NEED BOBBY. Are you talking about a family that has just lost their home to foreclosure? Are you talking about the tens of thousands who now face unemployment because of this economy? Are you suggesting that the Trop is literally falling down and that unlike Wrigley, Fenway, and other stadiums that lasted decades this stadium was constructed so poorly as to be inoperable after less than 30 years.
Or perhaps you are talking about the needs of Carl Crawford, Scott Kazmir, Evan Longoria and all the other welfare queens making huge salaries aided and abetted by LARGE taxpayer subsides. Do you not have a conscience Bobby? Are you really worried that the Rays might only be able to pay Crawford 15 million a year instead of the 20 million the Yankees or Red Sox might offer. Ohhh yeah let's take the tax money paid by some poor schmoe making 50,000 a year...when he doesn't get laid off..to make sure Crawford and other get their 15-20 million!!! Baseball survived for decades and decades WITHOUT public subsidies...and now that the 70's have come and gone and the owners/Selig have totally screwed the pooch you baseball sluts want us to come in and save your prescious millionaires. It's truly obscene!!!

Or are you simply talking about wussing out and giving into BLACKMAIL AND EXTORTION. YES if that's what your talking about Bobby then I get it. No doubt the scum that call themselves the MLB owners will threaten and BLACKMAIL AND EXTORT...what classy gentlemen they are...how they sooo respect the anti-trust exemption given them by Congress to perpetuate these immoral extortions. And so Bobby stop your whining about NEED!!! THERE IS NO NEED. NOT PHYSICAL..NOT FINANCIAL...ONLY THE GREED OF MLB OWNERS AND THEIR SYCOPHANT FANS WHO HAVE NO MORALITY OR COMMON SENSE.

NEED?...excuse me I NEED TO GO PUKE!!!!

[atrulyconcernedcitizen]

Bobby,

Your arrogance is only exceeded by your ignorance. "First of all, the Rays need a new stadium and will not be at the Trop within ten years. This is simply a fact"

This is simply a FACT? Says who? You?
Sleazeball Bud Selig? Greedy carpetbagger Stu Sternberg? Idiot Rick K.? What do you mean by NEED?

Please define need. The Rays have INCREASED their profit and equity position each of the past ten years with the WORST team in baseball!!! They now are reaping the benefits of a great team and drawing record crowds DESPITE what you and other baseball whores call NEEDING A NEW STADIUM.

Define NEED BOBBY. Are you talking about a family that has just lost their home to foreclosure? Are you talking about the tens of thousands who now face unemployment because of this economy? Are you suggesting that the Trop is literally falling down and that unlike Wrigley, Fenway, and other stadiums that lasted decades this stadium was constructed so poorly as to be inoperable after less than 30 years.
Or perhaps you are talking about the needs of Carl Crawford, Scott Kazmir, Evan Longoria and all the other welfare queens making huge salaries aided and abetted by LARGE taxpayer subsides. Do you not have a conscience Bobby? Are you really worried that the Rays might only be able to pay Crawford 15 million a year instead of the 20 million the Yankees or Red Sox might offer. Ohhh yeah let's take the tax money paid by some poor schmoe making 50,000 a year...when he doesn't get laid off..to make sure Crawford and other get their 15-20 million!!! Baseball survived for decades and decades WITHOUT public subsidies...and now that the 70's have come and gone and the owners/Selig have totally screwed the pooch you baseball sluts want us to come in and save your prescious millionaires. It's truly obscene!!!

Or are you simply talking about wussing out and giving into BLACKMAIL AND EXTORTION. YES if that's what your talking about Bobby then I get it. No doubt the scum that call themselves the MLB owners will threaten and BLACKMAIL AND EXTORT...what classy gentlemen they are...how they sooo respect the anti-trust exemption given them by Congress to perpetuate these immoral extortions. And so Bobby stop your whining about NEED!!! THERE IS NO NEED. NOT PHYSICAL..NOT FINANCIAL...ONLY THE GREED OF MLB OWNERS AND THEIR SYCOPHANT FANS WHO HAVE NO MORALITY OR COMMON SENSE.

NEED?...excuse me I NEED TO GO PUKE!!!!

[get-smart]

*** CENSOR ALERT ***
Possible Comment Policy Violation #1
Is libelous

I just bought my Rays logo T-shirt at Sears ($20). True to form it said 'Made in Mexico' and 'Accept no substitute.' I guess if it was made in America it would be a fraud! I don't get it; are they Americans?

[Paul]

I have to agree with the Trop being fine. I own some buildings, they were all built over 80 years ago... and they work just fine. I view the Trop as 'that new place' over on 1st ave south. What is it... 16 years old?! haha, you've got to be kidding me. Needs replacing, yeah right.

[Sure]

If Paul and ATrulyConerned say the Trop is fine, that is good enough for the Rays, MLB, and everyone else!

Idiots rule!!!!!

[John]

According to every poll out, the Trop is good enough for the majority of fans AND taxpayers as well.

I smell a rat...or could it be a Rick?

ANTI's RULE!!!!!

[atrulyconcernedcitizen]

Sure,

If it's not good enough for the MLB or others then let them "ante" up..a new kind of "ante" huh..what a difference one letter makes.

You all remind me of that Dire Straits hit from the 80's..Money for Nothing...
Remember the excellent background vocals of Sting singing...I want my MTV...I want my MTV..I want my...I want my....it's like we can get a chorus of Bobby, Rick K, Surely all singing...
I want my baseball team...I want my...I want my...I want my.....LMAO

[Don Mott]

One thing I think that should be considered is the ownership's dedication. So far they have shown true dedication in fielding a very good team. Not knowing the contract situations of the existing team I will go out on a limb and say there are going to be a lot of requests for huge raises after this season. Will the ownership pay up and not only keep the team intact but also pay for more improvement? Or will they dump the multi-million dollar contracts as teams have done in the past? That being said I still believe that taxpayers should not be subsidising major league sports teams owned by multi-millionaires who will reap huge profits on the backs of the working class. If they need or want a new stadium I think they are fully capable of financing it on their own.

[Fiscal insanity]

No taxpayer subsidies for private for profit businesses!