Burning Money

Published: Thursday, May 17, 2007 5:20 PM PDT

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I forgot to mention today in "jock itch" that National City Mayor Ron Morrison will be hosting Café San Diego Friday.

You should prepare your questions for him.

I made the point that South Bay suburbs appear to be so interested in getting professional sports teams and facilities to the area, it seems as if they have an itch they need to scratch: jock itch.

I got several e-mails in response to the column.

Here's a sample from someone deep in the bowels of City Hall whom I'll call Seagull:

Jock itch typically has another symptom ... the burning sensation. In this case, that would be sensation of burning money you don't have.

And another from reader JB:

[I]s there really ... absolutely ... without question ... no way that qualcomm could be restructured at half the cost of a new stadium ... for such little use?

need to lower the playing field . . . increase luxury boxes . . . isn't the rest, cosmetic?

every broadcaster who travels here to do a game comments on how special qualcomm is!

wrigley continues to be a choice ball park . . . chicagoans are excited about their "new" bears home.

-- SCOTT LEWIS

5 Comments so far on this story...

Rather get rid of them than subsidize a billionaire.

Posted by Billy Bob Henry | reply to this comment
May 17, 2007 10:38 am

Right on BBH! Our City barely got the funds to keep our social service programs going this year. Our city council didn't have the balls to ask CCDC to pay back the money they owe us....cause they don't want to steal from the pot of the CCDC cause they are doing such a good job downtwon....where we financed another billionaire Moores who sold his Peregrine stock at a prime with legality in question. Give me a break - if the Chargers want to leave our County because no one will give them free land or money, I will be the first to volunteer to help them load their vans and leave! Adios!

Posted by Norman | reply to this comment
May 17, 2007 9:04 pm

From an economic standpoint, it is costing the City more money to operate the stadium currently referred to as Qualcomm than it would be to tear it down and let the area turn into a massive homeless encampment near Donna's river. As for National City - if you do not have the money, it really does not matter how acute your professional sports jock envy is. As for problems with Qualcomm stadium - the majority are outlined here in a January 30, 2003 report. Here is the link: link It is a shame that even now four years later, folks still do not understand the issues at Qualcomm. Also since that time, the City has performed minmum maintenance and the deferred maintenance items continue to grow. Missed National TV Broadcast where the commentators were using umbrellas INSIDE their booth?

Posted by The Roaming Gnome | reply to this comment
May 17, 2007 10:10 pm

For the link to work: link

Posted by The Roaming Gnome | reply to this comment
May 17, 2007 10:36 pm

As much I hate to spend money on a new stadium, Qualcomm haters have a point. The stadium is very leaky. During one nationally televised game that took place in the rain, the drops poured on Phil Simms the entire game. Plus, the locker rooms are dank and moldy, possibly because the stadium is built on a 100-year flood plain. But the most compelling reason -- for Spanos, anyway -- is the owner's box, which has obstructed seating that prevents some of his guests from seeing one of the end zones completely. I'm not sure how we can pay for a new stadium, but the folks who claim the place is a dump aren't just saying that in order to get corporate welfare. The place IS a dump.

Posted by LeRoy Jetson | reply to this comment
May 17, 2007 10:57 pm

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