Take a knee, but not a tax break

The NFL is not a bunch of happy kneelers with President Trump's tax reform proposals that would cut billions in sports stadium subsidies that help build and operate sports stadiums across the country.

The proposal would get rid of big tax breaks that cities and states receive on money borrowed to build stadiums meant to lure or prevent sports franchises from moving to another city.

"The proposed tax bill would target the tax exemptions on municipal bonds," Pro Football Talk wrote, "and those bonds have become a key piece of the $750 million in public funding that will build a new stadium for the Raiders in Las Vegas."

But the new tax reform bill doesn't sit well with the NFL. They argue that new stadium construction and renovation of existing stadiums are good for the economy in local communities. "If the idea is to promote economic growth, this would be a step backwards," said NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart.

The Las Vegas Raiders in a team that could be one of the first to be affected by the new tax proposal.

The team recently moved to Vegas and the plan is to get the team up and running with one of the most expensive sports stadium complexes in the history of the United States. The plan features a $750 million in publicly issued, tax-exempt bonds to fund its construction.

But the new tax law prevents the ability to issue tax-exempt bonds, according to the Associated Press, and it puts the Raiders' deal in jeopardy.

The question is whether big tax breaks for sports stadiums bring even more economic growth to any city that applies for them?

No. The truth is that the millions of dollars that cities and states give sports teams are almost never returned in kind. This is true not only for the NFL, but for all sports.

And as far as some Americans are concerned, they deserve it; especially the NFL.


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