I don’t know what’s more egregious, Major League Baseball preventing bidders from offering to cover cost overruns or this political pissing contest within the D.C. City Council:
[D.C. Mayor Anthony] Williams continued to meet with council members yesterday to try to win support for the stadium lease agreement. He stepped up the pressure on the council in a statement criticizing council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) for supporting the use of public money to help build a parking garage for a future Target store in his ward while opposing public funding for the stadium.
“His actions are inconsistent and shortsighted,” Williams said. “It’s time for Mr. Graham and other council members to stop holding up our agreement with Major League Baseball.”
Graham said the Target project was different because the costs are much lower and the use of public funds far less. “I hope the mayor is not in meltdown mode,” he said.
How can two people be so far apart on an issue, and be so wrong in the same way? The size of the infraction doesn’t matter, since they both have their hands in the City’s fiscal cookie jar to offer private businesses a free gift. Qualitatively, both are stealing from the taxpayers for inexcusable bribes to businesses. Who cares if one does it to buy votes and the other to buy a legacy?