MISSOURI WATCH: PSST! WANNA BUY ANOTHER STADIUM?

"Why do the deal for the Rams? Because some people around the nation think St. Louis's best days are behind us. We needed to do something dramatic." -- Tom Eagleton, June 1995

Missourians should know that some of the "people" mentioned in the above quote by former senator Tom Eagleton have ideas about performing "something dramatic" once again in the state's largest urban area. Specifically what these people have in mind is engaging the State of Missouri in another stadium arrangement that, like the last one, would result in making a professional sports team owner extremely wealthy, thanks to the generosity of 5.5 million other citizens of this state.

In the event some skeptics may doubt the authenticity of the above statement, let them read the fine print of a measure passed in the recent legislative special session, known in Jefferson City circles as CCS HCS SB 1, creating regional sports complex authorities in both St. Louis and Kansas City. Granted, the language sounds innocuous enough until readers with reasonable memory recall remember the language in the first bill that eventually led to a $600 million taxpayer investment in a stadium for the former Los Angeles Rams. That original bill only called for the creation of a study committee to "evaluate and investigate" the possibility of improving tourism.

This most recent effort to "study" the needs of professional sports teams in two metropolitan areas of the state is the result of deficit operations at two Kansas City sports stadiums, which require both state and local subsidies to operate each year, and the eagerness of the owners of the St. Louis professional baseball team to rid themselves of some bothersome state and local taxes which finance schools and other non-athletic events such as public welfare, safety and health.

The inspiration for all of this tax downsizing is none other than a former St. Louisan who owns the athletically challenged St. Louis Rams while maintaining her permanent residence in another state. Although taken to the bosom of St. Louis like a long-lost cousin, Georgia Frontiere may not know much about running a professional football team but she certainly knows how to hornswoggle presumably intelligent St. Louis civic leaders, not to mention state officials who went along like blissful sheep headed for slaughter.

Seven husbands after she left her hometown, Georgia returned amid the cheers of all the suckers who made her entrance surely the grandest visit since Lindbergh returned in 1927 in the "Spirit of St. Louis." Thanks to Missourians in 114 counties, Sweet Georgia returned with a lease costing only $250,000 a year for a stadium that the state and St. Louis city and county pay $24 million a year in bond payments. Exactly half of this money comes from the state's general revenue fund, which also is supposed to support essential state services.

Since the stadium, costing Georgia only a quarter of a million a year, is legally owned by the three sponsoring governments, no real estate taxes are paid by the Rams, thereby depriving the already inadequate public schools of St. Louis of a single penny of support. But, wait, there's more. Georgia is receiving funds for such expenses as the Rams' $26 million debt on their California stadium, plus $13 million for moving here, plus a new $15 million, again tax-free, practice facility.

But, wait, there's more. The lease the benevolent St. Louis civic leaders handed Sweet Georgia requires the state, city and county to pay the cost of maintaining the stadium, and in the event it does not rank among the top 25 percent of the country's sports facilities in less than eight years, the Rams can walk away from their lease.

Unfortunately, there's still more. Sweet Georgia gets 75 percent of the first $6 million in stadium advertising fees and 90 percent of all fees above this amount. She also receives $1.5 million from the nearly bankrupt airline TWA, which is entitled to attach its name to the taxpayer-owner facility. In addition, the Rams get about $240,000 each year from parking garages around the stadium, all net revenues from concessions and catering on the 10 Rams' game days and other football related events. Also the Rams' owner receives 100 percent of the revenue from 120 luxury suites and 6,200 club seats, and an agreement guaranteeing 85 percent of these seats will be sold. This clause, alone, means $12 million a year for Sweet Georgia, who will receive at least $20 million each year from just these side agreements. No wonder Bidwell is bitter.

Indeed, since Georgia has arrived in Missouri to take possession of the taxpayer-funded fatted calf, the market value of her publicly aided franchise is now $243,000,000, making it the second richest in the country, just behind the Dallas Cowboys. And her Rams have yet to demonstrate they are any more than a losing football team. Witness the high cost of bad deals.

Is it any wonder the three owners of the St. Louis Cardinals, viewing Georgia's deals with Missouri governments with as much disbelief as the rest of us, are anxious to gather up as much political honey as possible? After all, times were so tough earlier this year owners cut the wages of Busch Stadium maintenance workers from $9 to $5 an hour. Never mind that they reduced their $150 million investment by $91 million by selling some garages near the baseball stadium and now have a franchise with an estimated value of $134 million. Should the state take over Busch Stadium and become responsible for annual maintenance costs, the Cardinals' owners would be relieved not only of that expense but their annual $444,718 real estate tax bill. Of course, that would deprive public schools of the same amount, but, shucks, if Sweet Georgia could commit burglary in the name of civic pride and redevelopment, why can't others do the same thing? They can, and unfortunately, they may.

Jack Stapleton of Kennett if the editor of Missouri News and Editorial Service.