Sucking the Life Out of Detroit—With a New Sports Stadium

In 1999, William Ford Jr., whose family owns the Detroit Lions,
said that a new stadium would “showcase the city’s turnaround.” In
1997, Michigan Governor John Engler stated that the stadium would
symbolize the city’s renewal. Over a decade later, the city is now
bankrupt. But rather than learning from the past, and despite an
overwhelming consensus amongst economists that sports stadium
subsidies have no positive effect on an economy, the new Detroit
Redwings arena proposal is being sold as a way to boost the economy
and bring Detroit out of bankruptcy. It’s pitched as a win-win with
no jeopardy to taxpayers. That’s at best, a half-truth. For more
information about Detroit’s crony capitalism problem, click
here.

Detroit Redwings Stadium Infographic