Gov. Hochul appears to support providing the Buffalo Bills football team owners Terry and Kim Pegula with $600 million in state funding to help pay for a new football stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. In ancient Rome, government attempted to curry favor with the masses by offering free bread and circuses. Today, we have sports pork.

How sad that taxpayers are continually asked to pay for new stadiums. Public dollars are being used as corporate welfare to subsidize a private-sector business. The only real beneficiaries of these expenditures are team owners and their players, who earn far more than the average fan.

It is impossible to judge the amount of new economic activities that these so-called public benefits will generate. Between selling the stadium name, season sky boxes and reserve seating, cable, television and radio revenues, concession refreshment and souvenir sales along with rental income for other sports, rock concerts and commercial events, it is hard to believe that the Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula’s can’t pay for his own new stadium. His net worth is $5.4 billion, according to Forbes Magazine’s 2020 annual list of billionaires.

Professional sports are not an essential service and should not qualify for government subsidy. Scarce taxpayer funds would be better spent elsewhere. If this is going to be such a great financial deal, why don’t team owners who are worth several billion float their own bonds or issue stock to finance a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills rather than turn to taxpayers and government for support? Go obtain loans from banks like medium and small businesses.

Real business people believe in capitalism and build companies on their own. How sad that some don’t want to do it the old-fashioned way by sweat and hard work. They are looking for shortcuts in the form of huge subsidies at taxpayers’ expense and favors from elected officials. What is the cost of improved sewer, water, electrical, road, traffic signal and other infrastructure improvements? There is also increased fire, police and sanitation services. How much will taxpayers be on the hook to pick up the tab?

Citizens deserve to know how State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie along with your local state Assembly or State Senate member votes on this funding request as part of the next state budget. Ditto for how other Democratic and Republican Party primary candidates for governor and lieutenant governor stand on this issue.

Larry Penner

Great Neck