What the Hale?

Brian Griffiths has an interesting -- if not possibly misguided -- posting about the fact that the city seems to be going in the direction of replacing the existing the 1st Mariner Arena in the same location rather than moving to a more logical and hospitable spot.

Brian claims the person that is getting screwed the most will be Ed Hale, former president of the Savings Bank of Baltimore, current chairman of 1st Mariner Bank, and owner of arena tenant "Baltimore Blast".  Brian parrots claims that he will get screwed because the Blast will be without a home to play for three years.

Well right now, the Blast are without a league to play in, so I am not sure having an arena will mean all that much.  The Major Indoor Soccer League folded on June 2, 2008, seeking to "reform".  So far, nothing has happened.  Good old Eddie might be able to field a team, but he has no league to play in, so he can cry all he wants.

I think a bigger question is why the City of Baltimore -- a city that cannot pick up trash, police its streets, educate its children, convict its criminals (Zach Sowers' black assailants come to mind), shovel snow, control sewage spills, and so on -- looking at spending what will probably be upwards of $800 million on a new arena.  Every time the issue of these facilities come up, everyone likes to talk about the so-called "side benefits" of this type of development. 

Sorry, but that just doesn't cut the mustard. The Russell Street area is still a cesspool, despite the presence of two major sports facilities. And with the new hotel, and the "no vendor zone" on Eutaw Street as a result, the economic benefits have largely disappeared for the small-business vendors around the stadiums.

The Calvert Street Communist Party Cheering Section has been touting the so-called benefits to the West Side of a new Arena at Howard and Fayette, but its all so much hype and so little proof.  Yes, the rejuvenation of the Hippodrome is great on Howard Street... but there is NO retail there.  Nada. Zip. Zilch.  Unless you count the illegal hucksters selling bottled water every fifteen feet.  That which was destroyed by the coming of Light Rail has yet to reborn.  The hottest retail areas are to the East -- Canton, Fells Point, and Harbor East.  That Best Buy chose to locate over near Little Italy, and not on Howard Street, should tell you a lot.  Private businesses know their markets best, and spend millions on location studies.

Back to my original point though:  if a new arena is such a great idea, why is government involved at all?  Why should government pick winners and losers?  Better yet, why should government be giving rent seekers like Ed Hale a place at the table?  (Yes, I believe sports teams are rent seekers.  Sue me.)  If Ed thinks it is a great idea to put an arena in East Baltimore, or even in the County, let him fund it. Let him find the tenants.  Let him find the name sponsor.  And let him profit from it.

Why must taxpayers foot the bill for this kind of horseshit?  And let's be honest here, the rest of Maryland pays enough goddamed money to that frakking city.  Why should we have to pay more?  The city of Baltimore couldn't patch a pothole if they were sitting on it.  They have no idea what traffic enforcement is-- hell, most of the people that work in that city wouldn't stop on a redlight if there was an artillery battalion in the intersection. They still have not accounted for $52 million in funds that disappeared from the school system in 2005.  WHY SHOULD WE PAY MORE MONEY?

Don't feel bad for Eddie.  He has the contacts (and the money, despite several lawsuits and mechanics liens against Canton Crossing, LLC and the tower) to start he expansion of his dream of Canton:  The District at Canton.

Eddie's not getting screwed at all.  And we should stop acting like he's some sort of goddamed saint.  Because he isn't.  And he isn't some "Baltimore guy" just trying to do right by the city. If he was, his legal address would be downtown Baltimore, and not Talbot County.