Cleveland sports teams wanna crap on the city's head again: asking for extension of "sin taxes"

Yup, it's the new world where having a drink or two is a "sin", but pillaging the public treasury is not.

From The Plain Dealer

Voters and fans supported the sin tax in 1996 to help build a new stadium to ensure a football team return to Cleveland.

But since the Browns returned, the team has struggled on the field changing coaches and quarterbacks, routinely leaving fans frustrated with a last place team. Still the Browns are owed the money for repairs per the sin tax and lease agreement with the city under the Mayor Mike White administration.

Monday afternoon Browns officials and city leaders met to talk about how to pay for $5.8 million in repairs to seats, ramps and concrete at Browns Stadium.

Well, it's better than in Pittsburgh, where people voted against the stadiums and got them anyway.

The irony here is rich since these were no doubt sold as investments that would help the local bars, clubs and entertainment venues. Instead, they are being driven under by taxes.

The Browns want credit for the money they have given to local charities. Scumbags--you are a charity living on the dole.

Rumors are flying that The Indians and Cavs will join the lobbying effort for a tax extension.

From The Cleveland Leader

The sin tax was originally approved by Cuyahoga County voters in 1990 for a term of 15-years to pay for the construction of Progressive Field (formerly Jacobs Field) and Quicken Loans Arena (formerly Gund Arena) through what was known as the Gateway project. Then, in 1995, voters approved extending the tax for another 10 years to help build Cleveland Browns Stadium. The sin ax put a tax on cigarettes of 4.5 cents per back, 16 cents per gallon of beer, 32 cents per gallon on wine and mixed beverages, and other spirits at $3 per gallon.

By the end of 2015, bonds issued by the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County to pay for their shares of the construction of all three projects will have been repaid. Each of the three professional sports teams has 30-year leases that put the burden of capital repairs on the city and county governments.

Please Cleveland, respect yourself and stop being kicked around and treated like garbage.