20 years ago, the taxpayers of Lakewood were kept in the dark, when Bob Singer and his buddies decided to build a stadium using 24 million dollars of Urban Enterprise money. Urban Enterprise money is the sales taxes set aside from Lakewood taxpayers to be used to promote businesses and build infrastructure for Lakewood. Singer and friends decided to use all the money available to build a stadium for a new minor league team.
The team was called the Lakewood Blue Claws. Promises were made that the stadium would be an economic engine and would bring prosperity to Lakewood.
Of course nothing like that happened. Not one business in Lakewood receives any benefit from this 24 million dollar stadium.
Surely there must be some profits from rent or property taxes? Advertising ? Naming and leasing for events ?
The answer is no. The Blue Claws only paid 25 thousand dollars per year for 15 years. Now they pay 175 thousand a year. That is not nearly enough to pay for all the maintenance and insurance, road repairs and other ancillary costs our taxpayers need to pay.
A few years ago I noticed that the team stopped calling themselves the Lakewood Blue Claws. They dropped Lakewood. I assumed they didn't want to be associated with a town that was getting a bad reputation for overdevelopment and corruption. Most people , myself included couldn't care less if our name was on their shirts.
This week the Blue Claws announced that they will be called the Jersey Shore Blue Claws. In other words the millions of dollars that Lakewood taxpayers spent without even giving permission, is now to benefit a team representing the entire Jersey Shore.
Very often I see comments on social media that Lakewood Jews do not pay taxes. This latest name change should be seen for what it is. A slap in the face to every honest Lakewood taxpayer.
We should all demand that the stadium pay property taxes. We should demand a fair percentage of Blue Claws profits, which is in the millions a year. They can keep the name. Give us what we are due as taxpayers who never agreed to this deal.
Harold Herskowitz
Agree 100%
ReplyDeleteI'm just hoping that this is the first step in Lakewood township finally getting out of this disastrous deal
Grow up and get over it Harold.... I agree it was not right when it was done, and i wish they paid more, but it's getting tiring hearing you kvetch about it for the last 20 years... Who gives a hoot what name they use and if they are "representing" the whole Jersey Shore....
ReplyDeleteIt's still ongoing! We are still being raped by the Blue Claws owners. We still pay more for them to be here than they are paying us for the lease. It's NOT about getting over something from 20 years ago. It is Ray Coles who continues to rob us blind. We gain NOTHING by having the Blue Claws here. Vote straight Republicans and let's get our money back!
DeleteYou can vote for whoever you want, but you are not getting any money back so give that up.
DeleteInteresting how the people gripe about eivah from the rooftops are seeking to anger those of our neighbors who are not yet angry
ReplyDelete