The Failed Promises of Gateway

In a full page ad in the Plain Dealer in May 1990, many promises were made to voters to entice them to vote for a countywide sin tax to pay for the construction of Gateway.

“Who Wins With Issue 2?” it asked.

The answer was, of course, “We All Do,” as communicated with a photo of school-aged children holding a sign with those words.

What a bad joke.

We all know what a burden the three major league sports teams have been on Cleveland, and especially on Cleveland school children.

Indeed, the people of Cleveland recognized the game that was being played.

They voted to turn down the original sin tax proposal but Cuyahoga County voters narrowly passed the measure by a 51.7% to 48.3% margin. Only 43.8% of Clevelanders, meanwhile, voted in favor.

Indeed, Clevelanders didn’t know how right they were.

Because the ad promised:

“… $15 million a year for schools for our children.”

Instead, Mayor Mike White and County Commissioner Tim Hagan, major pushers of the tax, double-crossed Clevelanders by successfully winning the elimination of the property tax on all sports facilities – for baseball, football and basketball. The only property tax paid is on the land.

It has now been 33 years of essentially tax free property and hundreds of millions of dollars deprived from schools.

Sorry kids.

It promised “No tax abatement.” But it gave total 100-percent abatement forever.

It promised: 28,000 good paying jobs for the jobless. A lie. (By 1996, the Cleveland area had lost 18,000 jobs.)

It promised neighborhood housing development for the homeless. Nope.

It promised: Revenues for city and county clinics and hospitals for the sick.

It promised “Energy assistance programs for the elderly.“

They told big lies.

And the owners can’t stop asking for more.

Now, as Gateway’s take from the sin tax falls below levels needed for upkeep, and after a massive bailout, leaders are scheming to pay even more.

Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne plans on introducing legislation to increase the county sales tax, already tied for the highest in Ohio at 8%, by 0.15% without putting the issue before voters.

Despite the failed promises.

“Gateway will create a development that will generate $33.7 million in public revenue every year…” the ad said.

Instead, every year they knock on the door, and it’s never enough.

Brook Park seems ready to follow the Gateway model of offloading ownership of the facilities that are used by private sports interests which then demand constant upgrades and improvements that someone funds.

There is only one solution.

Give the teams their facilities for $1. Get the owners off the public dole.

It’s time they paid for their place of work and stop hiding behind the Gateway board of directors who have proven they don’t work for the citizens but for the wealthy team owners.

We need politicians who know how to say no instead of yes.