Seemingly because he SOMEHOW keeps the D next to his name Mattiello keeps getting reelected? Dude, if you have a 100 score from NRA and are pro life, maybe you're a Republican. But he doesn't want to be elected on the merits of his platform, only jumping on the party cottails like a lot of RI politicians. Mattielo's not in my district, but maybe if you win a recount election you shouldn't be speaker?Does that come in a Mattiello version? It is fantastic that a guy who got 3,500 votes has so much power.
It would be funny if he loses to Frias this time around. Pretty hard for a Democrat to lose a political race in RI but that could be the outcome in November.Does that come in a Mattiello version? It is fantastic that a guy who got 3,500 votes has so much power.
Great post!Seemingly because he SOMEHOW keeps the D next to his name Mattiello keeps getting reelected? Dude, if you have a 100 score from NRA and are pro life, maybe you're a Republican. But he doesn't want to be elected on the merits of his platform, only jumping on the party cottails like a lot of RI politicians. Mattielo's not in my district, but maybe if you win a recount election you shouldn't be speaker?
You touched on it vaguely, but the reason Mattiello was able to keep the speaker position is because he's a mainstream Rhode Island Democrat. It really is one of the most confounding things about Rhode Island. We almost exclusively elect Democrats to the General Assembly, but most people want those Democrats to behave like RepublicansSeemingly because he SOMEHOW keeps the D next to his name Mattiello keeps getting reelected? Dude, if you have a 100 score from NRA and are pro life, maybe you're a Republican. But he doesn't want to be elected on the merits of his platform, only jumping on the party cottails like a lot of RI politicians. Mattielo's not in my district, but maybe if you win a recount election you shouldn't be speaker?
It’s the same way in many parts of Massachusetts. They vote democrat because that’s what they’ve always done. Even though if you actually talk to them they sound like Republicans. At least they do to me, probably because I lean slightly left.You touched on it vaguely, but the reason Mattiello was able to keep the speaker position is because he's a mainstream Rhode Island Democrat. It really is one of the most confounding things about Rhode Island. We almost exclusively elect Democrats to the General Assembly, but most people want those Democrats to behave like Republicans
What I've been saying all along to people. This is NOT a "done deal" as yet. Every union and other cause in the city is going to complain …. "you are laying off , can't give raises, but have the money to back a ballpark?"There is something in there about at least some of the state money going to parking. The stadium alone is $85-90 million.
Of course, the City Council hasn't voted on this yet. I can't imagine it isn't a done deal, but I am sure there will be vocal opposition to this at some point.
Also, he can't alienate the RI fans;Give the dentist credit, he is spending time in the fan center at McCoy talking directly to fans. He spent some time at the booth for the local broadcast. He is going to put all his wizardry into not alienating the RI fans. He said that McCoy is still viable for other levels and lightly insinuated that they may help facilitate that. He did an admirable job not throwing shade on the RI legislature and heaped praise on Grebien. He also threw out that there were many other cities in contact with them.
I could see another municipality stepping up if Worcester falls through and Pawtucket/R.I. doesn't play nice.AND (drum roll)
4) they're going to be stuck in Pawtucket if the Worcester situation falls through and never happens
I see that now - I see that the territory limit is 35 miles (I thought it was less), and I doubt the Yard Goats would give up those rights even for a big payment after everything they've been through.I believe Springfield is within Hartford's exclusive territory so they would quickly run out of New England markets worth building in, unless the Red Sox waive their rights for a Boston metro site.
IIRC, didn't the PawSox announce they were essentially through in Pawtucket when the team changed hands? And then the "House of Cards finance" plan for Providence ended in a no-go; then playing off Pawtucket against Worcester.I could see another municipality stepping up if Worcester falls through and Pawtucket/R.I. doesn't play nice.
Attaching several necessary infrastructure updates to the project also lowers what is needed for this to be a “win” - if it was just a stadium people would be expecting a significant ROI, where the area updates lower that expectation.Obviously bad deal: city agrees to fund the construction of a stadium for a minor league baseball team with no attachment to the community, e.g. town in the midwest funds a stadium and attracts an affiliate from a west coast or east coast MLB team.
Potentially better deal: municipality agrees to fund stadium construction for the top minor league affiliate of the hometown, very popular Major League team.
Yes--any level of affiliated baseball is included.Do the territorial rights include non AAA teams?
http://www.lowellsun.com/baseball/ci_32113816/its-up-lowell-leaders-fans-save-spinners#ixzz5RZxgnvqRI have it on good authority that Lucchino has already made overtures on behalf of Fenway Sports Management to purchase the bankrupt Batavia, N.Y., franchise. Batavia is presently being operated by the New York-Penn League, which for obvious reasons would like to unload this financial albatross. Batavia is affiliated with the Miami Marlins, also through 2020. When that affiliation expires, Lucchino plans to move the Batavia franchise to Pawtucket in hopes of mollifying fans there and affiliate it with the Red Sox, leaving the Spinners dangling for a new major-league partner.
I also would take in Sox AAA games from Greater Springfield, but I expect to move before the Worcester stadium becomes a reality.It's a pleasant drive of less than an hour and a half to Worcester. I don't know if I'm a typical fan from WMA, but I would go to games there much sooner than go to Boston to deal with high prices and impossible (to us) traffic. I was excited when I read that Worcester was a possible future location for the PawSox.
They are currently called the Muckdogs.Yes--any level of affiliated baseball is included.
Chaz Scoggins has an interesting angle; I'm not sure I buy it, but...
http://www.lowellsun.com/baseball/ci_32113816/its-up-lowell-leaders-fans-save-spinners#ixzz5RZxgnvqR
I agree with this. Moving the NY-P team to Pawtucket from Lowell doesn't make a lot of sense. Not sure how excited the fan base here would be about a rookie league team.What would indicate that an A franchise in Pawtucket would be a better business proposition than playing in Lowell?
And only 37 home games!How could they put a team that would draw 2500 fans in McCoy? It would seem like plying in an empty stadium. I guess they could put a tarp over the grandstand seats?
Larry got along well with the Pawtucket Mayor, Don Grebien, and singled him out for praise after the deal was done. His beef was reserved for the Speaker of the House.I agree with this. Moving the NY-P team to Pawtucket from Lowell doesn't make a lot of sense. Not sure how excited the fan base here would be about a rookie league team.
I also think Larry could care less about Pawtucket once the the team moves to Worcester. He's not the "mollifying" type.
Well, the only reason would be that the Sox don't own the Spinners, and a group buying the Batavia franchise would likely have some crossover with Red Sox ownership. There's a long list of reasons I don't see this happening, from the size of McCoy and the fact that its deficiencies are now exhaustively documented to the fact that the Lowell setup is pretty ideal, with players living in UMass dorms and using UMass dining and workout facilities all within a block of the ballpark. But I find it implausible that any team would go into McCoy otherwise--with the Paw/WooSox controlling the territory, the only way it seems even remotely possible would be if it were a Sox-connected team.The Lowell Spinners have been a model organization and an unqualified success. Why would the Red Sox allowed that to be trashed to throw Rhode Island a weak consolation prize?
All of those minutes spent on choosing and designing it were well spent.What an amazing, outside the box, concept!
Yes--any level of affiliated baseball is included.
Chaz Scoggins has an interesting angle; I'm not sure I buy it, but...
http://www.lowellsun.com/baseball/ci_32113816/its-up-lowell-leaders-fans-save-spinners#ixzz5RZxgnvqR
Does it have tackle twill?No one picking up on the $99 pricetag?
When plans were unveiled for Polar Park in August 2018, its construction costs were estimated at about $90 million. Of that amount, the city was responsible for about $56.1 million of that cost, with the Worcester Red Sox picking up the rest of the tab.
But the cost of building the ballpark has now been pushed up to $99.5 million, in large part because of higher overall construction costs.
Construction costs in the region have risen by about 5% a year in each of the last three years, according to Jacob Sanders, who handles intergovernmental and municipal initiatives in the city manager’s office.
Meanwhile, Augustus said the city will be responsible for covering the roughly $20 million in additional costs and property acquisition and site preparation for the ballpark. That included the cost of acquiring roughly 11 properties, relocation costs for businesses, as well as hazardous materials abatement of both soils and buildings, building demolition, removal of underground structures and general site work.
“Due to a number of unknown factors, particularly related to business relocation costs, and the need for a more complicated retaining wall system resulting from the steep grade of the site, those costs total $20.69 million,” Augustus said.
The claim is that the team is absorbing the stadium cost overruns. However, this fee is for a fund that the team will get to draw from to cover the higher repayments to the bond fund. If they can jack it up once, they can jack it up again.Under the original Letter of Intent with the ballclub, a 50-cent facility fee was going to be charged for home game tickets and a $1 fee for other events. But with the revised agreement, that fee will increase to $1 for ballgames and $1.25 for other events.
The original Letter of Intent capped parking fees collected at designated city-owned parking facilities at $5 for “basic” parking locations and $10 for “premium” parking locations. But the city and team have now agreed to increase the parking fees to $8 for “basic” and $12 for “premium” locations.
Agreed, It's a totally bogus argument that it will pay for itself. The ballpark itself would never be cost neutral. The claim is that the supporting development will generate enough taxes to pay for it. That is always voodoo math. Development would probably happen with or without the ballpark, especially if they just did the infrastructure improvements and didn't kick in $43M for the ballpark. They always use the rosiest of projections and usually discount the taxes paid by the property / businesses already there to show higher than what will be actual net revenue. No one will ever see a true accounting of the net revenues generated.Furthermore, I don't buy this "pay for itself with increased tax revenue" argument. If Fenway is dead in the winter and team on the road weeks, I wouldn't have faith in Worcester either. It's pie in the sky hope.