Negotiating Tactics 101

Is this a departure from the 'owners as welfare queens' regime we've been experiencing since 1992?

what does he mean by amusement taxes?

in omaha, the ricketts family literally tried to recall the mayor over that kind of tax.

Basically amusement taxes means taxing the tickets to the game. If they tax those tickets then it is basically taking money from the team as they have to factor that into their pricing. IE: If they think people will pay $50 a ticket then there is a tax put on that ticket of $5 per ticket they have to charge $45 (as $50 is what they think people will be willing to pay). Thus better to say 'we aren't taking public money' and pay it directly than to have the government collect it from you and give it back to you. Now, if the gov't would pay for it via general revenues they'd have no issue of course.

Amusement taxes are just a few steps ahead of the eventual "gravity fee" we will all be paying.

Amusement taxes are just a few steps ahead of the eventual "gravity fee" we will all be paying.

During the first (1973-74) gas crisis, a friend of mine in the Agriculture Department printed up a bunch of bogus "NOTICE: PROPOSED ELEVATOR FEE" signs and posted them in the main lobby elevators in his building just before the start of the work day. The "fee" was to be 50 cents a day, but with a monthly rate of "only" $10.00 that would result in "a substantial savings up to $1.50". As a kicker he added, "At present, no fees are being considered for use of the stairways." By noon the signs had all been removed, but not before half the building had been considering switching their voter registration.