Here's a baseball e-mail from a dissatisfied customer

You think there's any chance at all that the Times can or will say something positive about the proposed stadium ?? The e-mail that I sent a few days ago I originally intended to send to the Times - but I decided instead to send it to the Mayor and the Chamber of Commerce.  My reasoning was that they might not be quite so biased. It would be nice to see the Times mention that our Chamber of Commerce web site has a picture of the proposed stadium - along with quite a bit of "positive" information.  It might also be helpful to provide a chart or graph showing how the Rays' proposal stacks up against other cities stadiums - or give your readers the websites of those other ball club's stadiums. What I didn't mention below, but will here is that a major league city deserves a major league newspaper, not one that pushes it's bush league attitudes on it's citizens. -- David Good

Dear Mr. Good: Speaking for myself, I have described the proposed stadium as beautiful and exciting, and the concept of the new "downtown west" on the existing Tropicana Field site as "gracious." Indeed I also have been critical of City Hall for keeping the proposal for a new stadium secret for most of 2007. I also have expressed the opinion several times that any deal needs to provide iron-clad protection for taxpayers on the front end. If this is a "bush league attitude," then so be it.

We have lots of information about the proposed stadium, renderings, virtual tours, etc., and related topics gathered on our web site in a single location.

Lastly, as I said in a reply to a reader the other day, it is kind of refreshing to be accused of being a negative nabob, since most of the time the newspaper is assume to be in the tank for City Hall, in bed with boosterism and so forth...

Comments

[Lawrence]

And what is Mr. Good's job? Oh yes, making the city look pretty to outsiders. He doesn't care who gets stuck with the tab for that as long as his pretty brochures and websites and stationary all look inviting to his audience. Kind of like all the realtors, attorneys, title companies and mortgage companies (although weakly) lining up behind the January 29th property tax referendum.

[Andy G]

And speaking of wasteful spending of tax dollars...has anyone noticed the spate of tv ads featuring Charlie Crist pushing his tax plan? I was pretty much in favor of it until that started. Something stinks.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/2008/01/st-petersburg-c.html

FYI, Mr. Good:

news·pa·per
–noun

… a publication issued at regular and usually close intervals, esp. daily or weekly, and commonly containing news, comment, features, and advertising.

chamber of commerce

… local association of business people organized to promote its commercial interests.

Now, I’m not positive, Mr. Good… but I’m guessing the Times would be happy to sign an “advertising contract” with the “chamber” in order to assist in accomplishing your suggestions, and their goals.

Keep up the good work, Howard. Put me down for having a "bush league attitude" as well.

Love,

Taxpayer number 298,634

I cannot believe that letter Bill Foster wrote. Scary.

[guy]

No Problem,

Drill for oil on the present site,
Build an underwater parking garage,
Consruct the sail over the new field out of titanium, ban all afternoon rain storms south of central avenue, and,
Last of all, just shorten the 1st base line to 10', to save filling in the bay.

[ed]

this "good" fellow is certainly one OPINIONATED BASEBALL FAN!! i've met some of them at the ballpark-ugh!! i'm hoping that most of the citizens[voters] have a "bush-league" attitude like mine!!

[Gene]

Put us down as a few more bush leaguers. Any deal that Rick Baker is involved in will always be shady. We will NEVER vote yes to this stadium deal. Baker's annointed boy Foster is going to be just like him and this pathetic letter is just a ploy to fool the naive churchgoing voters that don't have a clue that their city is ready to explode thanks to the police dept. being reigned in by the Uhurus and their supporters. What happened at BayWalk on Christmas is all a result of going soft on midtown. This city isn't major league. It's becoming one big toilet.

[Jan Allyn]

Comparing this deal with other cities' stadium deals is comparing bad with worse. Studies have shown that stadiums do NOT pay for themselves! We are suckers if we let the city go for this deal. In an email response I got from Governor Crist on this topic, he claims that professional sports generate 400,000 jobs in the state of Florida. Really, now... does that number sound reasonable to YOU??