Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross seems to have given up on the grab for public funds for the renovation of 
his stadium. Now he just wants to stop paying almost $4 million in annual property taxes.
Well, of course he does.
Why wouldn’t he? If that’s good enough for the Miami Heat owners and the Miami Marlins owners, he wants the same smelly deal for him. If it’s good enough for David Beckham, who is in the midst of negotiating with the county to develop a Major League stadium on choice public land, why can’t he play tax free?
So, Ross apparently met with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez a couple of weeks ago — hush, hush because nobody knew about this — to talk about a new “unprecedented deal,” I am sure, in which he billionaire developer would pay the $350 million renovation to his stadium, the one he wanted us to pay last year, all by himself. Instead, Ross — whose net worth since he tried to pull the last scam rose almost a quarter, or just $1 billion, to $5.4 billion — wants to keep about $3.8 million a year that now goes to schools, libraries, services and the municipality of Miami Gardens.
Oh, Ross promises he will take care of the Gardens people. He’ll pay something, he says. Just not general revenue tax dollars that can be used on anything.
We can tell Gimenez is already behind this. Ladra wonders if it was another Saturday morning deal in the nicely remodeled kitchen of the mayor’s house with lobbyist Ralph Garcia Toledo, whose profile has risen so much from driver that he now hosts the governor in his home and who would arguably have a lot to gain from a stadium upgrade. How can we tell? By the threats.
“I frankly don’t believe we’re going to get another Super Bowl if we don’t do something with the stadium,” Gimenez was quoted as saying in the Miami Herald piece posted by Doug Hanks, who broke the story.
“Quite frankly, it is a much better deal than what we were talking about last year,” he said.
But, wait… Gimenez loved that deal, didn’t he? He called it an “unprecedented” model that had to happen or we would lose the opportunity to have Major League Soccer dying to come here… oh, wait.
But this deal is “much better” now?
His statement, in full:
“Miami-Dade County is known as a ‘big-ticket’ event destination; including having hosted ten Super Bowls. The economic impact of these events cannot be overstated, and therefore we always want to remain competitive as a host for the Super Bowl and other such events. I have met with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and we agree that unless renovations are made to Sun Life Stadium, Miami-Dade County will lose the opportunity to host another Super Bowl. Mr. Ross’ proposal is better than last year’s. However, there are still hurdles that the Dolphins organization must overcome before I feel comfortable with the proposal. Throughout this process, we will continue to seek ways to enhance our competitiveness while protecting the interests of our community.”
Gimenez told the Herald that he is concerned about the schools share of the taxes and Miami Gardens. But not the county? Not 
the pink slips coming to make employees pay for the 5% pay restoration? Not the libraries and the paramedics you threatened to fire last year? Not the employees whose contracts will automatically snap back to pre-concession terms that will cost the county tens of millions more? Not the no-kill animal shelter voters demanded and that you promised activists would come in due time? Not the hole this will add to the hole that already exists in the coming year’s budget?
Tell you what Mr. Mayor and county commissioners. If you were so willing to put a tourist tax increase on the ballot for Mr. Ross and his shiny stadium last year, why don’t you put this on the ballot? Why don’t you ask voters — who still feel raped by the Marlins Park giveaway and are just learning that the Heat have paid only part of their lease and only recently — if they want to give the huge swath of land on which the Sun Life stadium sits away to a billionaire?
Good luck with that.
Dolphins stadium owner wants different kind of tax break added by Ladra on
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