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Keep the Saints in New Orleans
If you want to make a statement to Blanco , here is your chance ......
Saints fans unite ........... http://www.gov.state.la.us/govemail.asp Take action now or the next action may be waving goodbye ...... |
Keep the Saints in New Orleans
Saints still have a contract thru 2009
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Keep the Saints in New Orleans
How good is the contract if the payments aren\'t made? Is it still binding? Can\'t someone buy the Saints that is a big enough man not to hold the State hostage for money that could go to schools and roads? Do you like baked beans?
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Keep the Saints in New Orleans
Failure to contractually comply on the states part , releases the Saints .
Email Blanco and put the pressure on ........ |
Keep the Saints in New Orleans
BATON ROUGE, La. -- News that the state was $10 million short on its payment to the New Orleans Saints was a blow to lawmakers trying to choose among budget cut scenarios, but House Speaker Joe Salter said Friday the state shouldn\'t default on the payment.
\"That\'s not really an option,\" he said. Commissioner of Administration Jerry Luke LeBlanc, the governor\'s chief money adviser, said he doubts the Legislature would agree to use general operating cash -- known as general fund dollars -- to fill the hole, however. And Gov. Kathleen Blanco said she wouldn\'t support using the general fund, suggesting a possible renegotiation of the payment. \"Although discussing options is premature, I can tell you about my guiding principle: I will not support using any general fund revenue to meet our obligations with the Saints. We have many critical unmet obligations in our budget,\" the governor said in a statement released Friday. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1801785 |
Keep the Saints in New Orleans
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Keep the Saints in New Orleans
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http://www.nola.com/saints/t-p/index...0243330270.xml |
Keep the Saints in New Orleans
Don\'t worry guy\'s the State will show us all the money. The State realizes how much revenue the Saints bring to the table each and every year, not to mention the exposure for our great city. The Hornets are already rumored to be leaving, again, so would the State take the chance of having no major sports team? I think not. Let\'s get the money from the oil and chemical companies that have raped and polluted our State for years. Let\'s make them pay for the years of abuse and neglect to our State. Just an idea from a fan that really cares about the State and the SAINTS.
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Keep the Saints in New Orleans
It seems like every few years, New Orleans Saints fans have to worry about the future of the franchise in the Crescent City. Now, it is another one of those crisis periods. The State of Louisiana is $10 million short on a $15 million payment due to the New Orleans Saints in early July. In a deal crafted between the Saints and officials in the Foster administration, the State of Louisiana agreed to compensate the Saints $187 million in concessions and payments, with the first one being paid in 2003. However, in 2003, the state could not complete the $12.5 million payment and had to cover the shortage with assistance from the private group that manages the Superdome.
The shortage this year is ever greater and is due to several factors. For one, no one has been able to sell the naming rights to the Louisiana Superdome. The $3 million asking price has been too steep for any corporate takers, despite the fact that the facility hosts many high profile events each year. The problem is that the stadium has an already established name in the public’s mind and the Saints have been very clear that they would like to vacate the building as soon as possible. So, no corporation has been willing to take a chance on the naming rights, especially with that high price tag. In addition, the funds were supposed to come from the hotel-motel tax revenue. However, a fund that was growing at a rate of 7% per year has actually declined since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, making that source no longer viable. So, where will the funds come from? Obviously, in a $17 billion budget, there are plenty of areas where the state can derive the funds. For one, we still have legislative slush funds that account for approximately $20 million per year. We could dedicate a portion of this money and really put it to a good cause, as opposed to the whim of sometimes-frivolous legislative requests. In addition, the state just realized an additional $108-$160 million in revenue for the general fund due to an increase in oil and gas revenue this year. The Saints money could easily come from this extra revenue. Unfortunately, Governor Blanco has ruled out this attractive option, stating “I will not support using any general fund revenues to meet our obligations to the Saints.” The Governor wants the team to renegotiate the deal they just recently signed with the state, but what if the Saints do not want to negotiate again? If the Saints do not agree to renegotiations and the deal is voided, there exists the very real possibility that the team will leave New Orleans for Los Angeles or San Antonio or any number of other cities. If the payments are not made by July 5, 2004 then the state is in default and has 75 days to make good the commitment to the organization. If not, the Saints are free to leave. The loss of a NFL team would be enormous. The Saints receive a tremendous amount of exposure due to being in the most popular sports league in the country. The games provide tax revenue and bring tourists to town. The team has a significant payroll with players and full-time employees and has a large headquarters and training facility in Metairie. Also, the team uses the Superdome for 10 dates a year, with 70,000 fans each week, which benefit vendors, restaurants and countless other businesses in New Orleans. However, the biggest blow from this deal going sour, will be to the prestige of the State of Louisiana. Since the State agreed to the deal, it needs to fulfill its commitments. A state that cannot be trusted in dealing with a major business will not likely attract many other businesses to our struggling economy. We cannot be seen as untrustworthy or a bad business partner because our image is already very poor and reneging on a deal with the Saints will just make it much worse. The Governor of Louisiana needs to make this an immediate priority. It is disturbing that she has not had a private meeting with Tom Benson so far, especially since Benson is the owner of the state’s most important professional sports franchise. Will the Saints be the latest in a troubling trend? Just this year, State Farm, Exxon/Mobil and other major corporations have left Louisiana. Incredibly, some legislators do not seem to care if the New Orleans Saints are added to that list. There is a distinct sentiment from some rural and anti-Saints lawmakers to oppose any state funding for the team. There is an argument that some conservatives make that no state money should be used to retain business in Louisiana. However, when the economic benefits outweigh the state investment, as in the case of the New Orleans Saints, a state investment is not only good business, but it is imperative. Such an investment is a wise use of state resources for economic development purposes, something that other states have been doing successfully for years, while Louisiana has been left behind. Let’s not add the New Orleans Saints to the list of our economic development failures. The deal the Foster administration crafted with the team was a good one for the state. Clearly, an investment in the New Orleans Saints is a good investment. We particularly need to keep our commitment to the team since it is so high profile and it will send a message to other businesses. It was also enacted only a few short years ago. If we fail to complete this agreement, there are many other cities willing and able to take this team. The loss of the Saints would be bad for state prestige and the morale of hundreds of thousands of Saints fans in Louisiana. Let’s hope the Governor and her legislative team wakes up to this reality before it is too late. http://bayoubuzz.com/articles.aspx?aid=1645 |
Keep the Saints in New Orleans
Saints cost an obligation
When the story hit the newspapers, we could hear the radio call-in guests’ remarks before they even made them. “There go the Saints again.” “Hmph. The state has money to give the Saints, but it can’t afford to give the long-suffering teachers a raise.” “Harrah’s asks for money, and it gets it. The Saints ask for money and they get it. But the state’s healthcare system is facing yet another year of crisis.” The state last week said it was more than $10 million short on the $15 million it must pay the Saints this year, part of the $186 million package the team got from the state in 2001 when owner Tom Benson threatened to move the National Football League franchise. That year, many fans were outraged that Benson would dare demand concessions from the state after the team – considered by some a preseason favorite to make the playoffs – suffered a late-season swoon and spent the postseason at home. Many lawmakers from farflung parts of Louisiana ridiculed the idea of the state subsidizing a multi-millionaire. And there is a populist appeal to such a notion. After all, in a capitalist system, the team should have to fend for itself and if it can’t make money it should fold. The problem was that the team won’t fold, it will just move into a state that will make its economic surroundings more cozy. As for this year’s $15 million payment owed the Saints, the state needs to pony up the cash. State leaders, particularly then-Gov. Mike Foster, pushed through the deal and now the state must live up to its end. The state had planned on a hotel and motel tax in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish to generate enough revenue to pay off the yearly obligation to the team. In return, the team would stay in New Orleans. That, obviously, would be a good situation for the state. The Saints generate a lot of money in taxes and in secondary spending. In addition, having the Saints means the Superdome can try to get future Super Bowls. If the Dome loses its NFL team, the Super Bowl – and its hundreds of millions of dollars – is gone forever. However, after Sept. 11, 2001, the tourism that would have supported the tax dropped off significantly. The end result is that the state now has yet another budget crunch. This one could affect its business dealings with an important business, so paying up is a priority – despite what the amateur pundits say. Editorials represent the opinions of this newspaper and not of any one individual. As such, editorials are unsigned. Signed columns represent the individual opinion of the columnist and not necessarily of this newspaper. http://dailycomet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...1018/OPINION02 |
Keep the Saints in New Orleans
Saints | Officials Huddle with Governor; No Deal Yet - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 22 May 2004 10:02:41 -0700 Updating a previous report, Ed Anderson and Jeff Duncan, of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, report the meeting between New Orleans Saints officials and Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco Friday, May 21, to discuss how the state will come up with the money it owes to the organization failed to reach an agreement. According to a released statement, \"Gov. Blanco and (Saints owner) Mr. (Tom) Benson met to discuss the current situation and have agreed to continue talking.\" The state determined they would be $1.7 million short on the $15 million obligation to the Saints that is due July 5. \"The state and us have a contract, \" Benson said. \"We\'re going to live up to our contract. I have no reason to think that they\'re not going to live up to their contract.\" |
Keep the Saints in New Orleans
Saints solution search goes on
By DON HAMMACK Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Saints owner Tom Benson met for 60 minutes or so Friday in New Orleans, trying to figure out what to do about that state\'s difficulties in meeting its financial obligations to the team. In 2001, the state agreed to pay $186 million over a 10-year span. The money would come from taxes in the New Orleans area and Superdome revenues. You see, Louisianians outside the New Orleans area don\'t much like being forced to pay for toys for the state\'s largest city. A large chunk of the incentives for the Saints were to be paid for with parts of hotel sales taxes in the New Orleans area. In the 10 years before the agreement, that revenue had grown at an average rate of 8 percent. The funding for the incentive package was based on that continued growth, but the subsequent economic downturn was caused in part by terrorist attacks later in the year. Not only has the hotel tax revenue not continued to increase, it\'s started to decline. That\'s forced what the state is now saying is a $7.1 million deficit in $15 million owed the Saints by July 5. The numbers are less encouraging down the road, as the amount of the inducements increases, and there\'s been no sign the tax revenues will increase to pre-Sept. 11, 2001, levels. That was the backdrop for Friday\'s meeting, after which Blanco and Benson issued a short statement saying talks will continue. It was the first significant meeting between the Saints and the new governor, so there were question marks all around. Potential resolutions may be found in options presented in a study prepared for the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District, the state agency that oversees the Superdome and New Orleans Arena among its major obligations. Options include: • Pay the 2004 obligation from the general fund or alternative revenue sources as a short-term fix and put off addressing future payments. • Find a new source for meeting the agreement\'s obligations, whether it be a new tax or money from the state\'s general fund, and keep the terms of the agreement as is. • Pay what the state can before July 5, then use a 75-day grace period to negotiate a solution or face the possibility of the Saints moving without penalty after the 2004 season. • Build a new stadium for the Saints, which is what they\'ve been after all along. • Commit money to refurbishing the Superdome and restructure the Saints\' lease to reflect potential increases in their revenue streams from operating with better suites and other improvements. For more reading : http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunhera...ts/8735220.htm |
Keep the Saints in New Orleans
Saints | Governor Optimistic Over Payment Owed - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 5 Jun 2004 11:11:15 -0700 Ed Anderson and William Kalec, of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, report Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco met with New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson for three hours Thursday, June 3, and is optimistic that the state will find a way to fulfill their financial obligation to the Saints. The state needs to find the remaining $7 million of a $15 million payment owed by July 5. \"We are hoping we can do that,\" Blanco said regarding next month\'s deadline. \"Today, I can\'t tell you that is an absolute certainty, but I am optimistic.\" |
Keep the Saints in New Orleans
This doesn\'t look so good.
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http://www.nola.com/saints/t-p/index...4656287640.xml |
Keep the Saints in New Orleans
Why is anyone surprized is my only question? This happens everytime you get a Democrat in office? Except for Edwards, every democrat is against anything that takes money from their pet programs. I knew this would happen and she won\'t look very hard for the money either. The Saints will be leaving when she defaults. Our only hope is the legislature will step in.
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Keep the Saints in New Orleans
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Keep the Saints in New Orleans
I agree with everything he said...except the part about Aaron Brooks. :P
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Keep the Saints in New Orleans
Tanker factory - Yes , Saints -No ???
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rail car firm makes U-turn to La. Tanker factory will bring 850 jobs Friday, June 18, 2004 By Robert Travis Scott Capital bureau BATON ROUGE -- Three months after scratching Louisiana off its list, a Chicago company Thursday made the largest heavy-manufacturing job announcement in the state in more than 20 years by pledging to build a $100 million rail car plant employing 850 people at an undetermined site. Celebrating a rare economic development victory for a state desperately in need of new jobs and a more positive image, Gov. Kathleen Blanco told the Legislature that Union Tank Car Co. has signed a letter of agreement with Louisiana, which is offering an incentive package valued at $65.2 million. \"I was tired of telling good jobs goodbye,\" Blanco said. \"We\'ve been feeling defeated for such a long time. I think we can look ahead to better times. This shows Louisiana can compete successfully with Texas and other states for those big jobs.\" Although no specific location was named, economic development officials said the company has passed over the New Orleans and River Parishes areas and is focusing on two sites in central and northern Louisiana. Blanco said the company might announce the site early next week. After a year or more for construction, the company will employ 700 people for manufacturing and 150 for professional positions to operate a half-mile-long facility turning out 70 tanker rail cars per week. Another estimated 150 jobs would be indirectly created by companies offering services and supplies for the plant. The annual payroll for the project will be $30 million to $35 million, according to the Department of Economic Development. Though the company would not disclose salary ranges for the proposed positions, the economic development figures translate into average pay scales of up to $42,000. Company officials did not comment but released a short statement acknowledging an agreement with Louisiana for a \"new state-of-the-art rail car manufacturing facility and professional administrative offices.\" The statement said the expansion was prompted by increased demand for the company\'s tank cars. Union Tank will not consolidate its other manufacturing facilities as a result of the new plant, it said. La. gets second look The company spurned Louisiana during a multistate competition for the plant when it announced March 3 it was entering exclusive talks for 30 days with Texas for the project, which Louisiana officials called \"Project U\" as a code name. When the 30 days were up and the company still had not finalized a deal, Blanco contacted Frank Lester, the head of Union Tank, and followed up with meetings to persuade him to reconsider Louisiana. On Thursday her persistence paid off. \"Project U has made a U-turn into Louisiana,\" Blanco said. The state got the deal \"because of our diligence, our determination, our refusal to let this project go.\" The 110-year-old family-owned company makes and leases railroad tank and covered hopper cars to companies that ship products ranging from corn syrup and beer to petrochemicals and fertilizers. With a fleet of more than 100,000 cars, it is the largest tank car lessor in North America. Union Tank has plants near Chicago, Houston and Oakville, Ontario. It also has a repair and maintenance facility in Ville Platte, which it has pledged to keep as part of its deal with the state. Linda Prudhomme, director of business development for the Port of South Louisiana, said the port district aggressively pursued the project for sites in each of the River Parishes. But the company apparently was concerned that the local chemical plants paid employees salaries so high that the tank car plant would not have been competitive drawing jobs. Prudhomme and Port Director Joseph Accardo said they showed the companies studies demonstrating that the area has 8,000 underemployed people. Still, she said, \"We\'re happy Louisiana got it no matter where it went.\" Score one for Blanco http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpa...5632149320.xml |
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