Barry Ritholtz, Columnist

Four Reasons Taxpayers Should Never Subsidize Stadiums

Elected officials have been played by team owners and sports leagues. 

Priceless doesn’t begin to describe it.

Photographer: Michael Chang/Getty Images North America
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Your tax dollars are being wasted, on an enormous scale, by uncompetitive socialist enterprises that ignore the basic rules of economics.

I refer, of course, to the practice of politicians who give taxpayer dollars to subsidize the business of sports by paying for the construction and/or renovation of stadiums and arenas. These exercises in crony capitalism make no sense whatsoever. There has never been a decent reason to subsidize these successful businesses, which rarely produce a real return on the public’s investment. Nor is civic pride a justification.