Opinion: The real 'downward spiral,' Prop B, is a tax increase that never ends

Remember the promises former Mayor Henry Cisneros made about the Alamodome?

The following is an independently written guest commentary submitted to the Current.

We are writing in response to former Mayor Henry Cisneros’ recent editorial in the San Antonio Express-News, in which he argues the Spurs could leave if voters reject Proposition B, sending San Antonio into a “downward spiral.”

We were presidents of COPS/Metro in the ’80s and ’90s, and we have a long history with Mayor Cisneros.

We’d like to set the record straight.

We’ve heard these threats, lofty economic promises and pleading for public support before; namely for the Alamodome, when we were promised that we would have an NFL team if we just foot the tax bill to build it. Well, we’re still waiting.

If there’s anything that’s sending us into a downward spiral it’s the crumbling state of San Antonio’s infrastructure, the recent preventable flooding deaths at Perrin Beitel crossing and the economic state of our city.

Mr. Cisneros was quick to say that “those in opposition say the hotel venue tax and the car rental tax can be used for other municipal spending. They cannot. By state law they are assigned to physical capital projects.”

But he is wrong and documented history disagrees with him.

In 2008, the very same County Venue Tax was used to create 22 community projects, promoting tourism and the quality of life of San Antonio families. These projects included parks, museums, art venues, music venues, walking trails, river walk improvements and desperately needed infrastructure throughout our city and county.

They could have chosen to invest in projects like this again, but our elected leaders chose not to.

Let’s get to the heart of the issue.

Recently, a San Francisco hedge fund and two out-of-town billionaires became part-owners of our local team. If the team leaves, it’s because these new owners are putting profit over community. Owners who care about San Antonio wouldn’t threaten to leave simply because they don’t get their way, particularly when San Antonio, through our loyalty, has helped that business grow from $400 million to $4 billion since 2012.

Proposition B is a tax increase as stated clearly on the ballot and starts a domino effect that would commit the city to hundreds of millions of more dollars in taxpayer money.

Between city and county contributions, taxpayers are on the hook for hundreds of millions to help build a new arena for these billionaire owners.

Taxpayers are being asked to approve a massive public commitment without knowing what the final deal will even look like. And the only so-called “independent study” used to justify the project wasn’t independent at all. It was completed by a company owned by one of the Spurs’ investors.

Once this tax is approved, it doesn’t go away. There’s no expiration date and no guarantee it will ever be used for anything other than a fourth arena, arena renovations or — who knows — a fifth arena in 20 years?

It should be called the Tax Increase That Never Ends. That’s the real downward spiral.

This isn’t about basketball. It’s about corporate welfare, fairness, transparency and keeping our community’s priorities where they belong.

Vote Against Proposition B, the Tax Increase That Never Ends.

If you’re interested in submitting a guest commentary to the San Antonio Current, please submit it to snowlin@sacurrent.com.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Opinion: The real ‘downward spiral,’ Prop B, is a tax increase that never ends

Tags: