Linda Cropp's 95...Errr 10 Theses

Field of Schemes (an impartial site without an agenda, right?) did actual reportin' and stuff, and contacted Linda Cropp's office to get the list of demands she's placed on MLB. She contends that if these conditions are met, that she can get the necessary votes.

1) No residential taxpayer will pay anything for baseball.

2) No more money shall be allocated for baseball other than the $535 million already authorized and all baseball-related income.

3) All local, small and disadvantaged business enterprise contracting and employment requirements will continue.

4) The commitment from baseball for local ownership of the team, and, for tax purposes, that the team will be based in the District.

5) Land and environmental costs of the baseball stadium will be capped and guaranteed by third parties, such as Major League Baseball, potential owners and/or developers.

6) Construction costs of the stadium will be guaranteed so that taxpayers will not face an open checkbook problem. The checkbook will be closed.

7) All development rights in the area outside of the baseball footprint, and taxes generated therefrom, will benefit the District and its residents, not baseball.

8) The District will have development rights (on top of parking required by baseball) on the baseball footprint, which will be directed to protect taxpayers from any cost overruns.

9) The $20 million team contribution to the stadium project budget shall be applied only to previously approved costs within the initial project budget as designated by the Sports and Entertainment Commission, and may be increased by the team’s new owners.

10) Certain community benefit obligations of the baseball team will be strengthened or clarified.

Field of Schemes says it's much ado about nothing. I'd have to agree, for the most part. There's not really anything new here, and some of the promises are so vague as to be relatively meaningless. It doesn't change the terms of anything, just rewords them, and packages them into a 'convenient' top-10 format.

The only one that could present a problem (hypothetically) is the local ownership one, but at this point who really knows?