Rep. John F. Tierney Holds Hearing On Whether Sports Stadiums Divert Funds From Public Infrastructure

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Rep. John F. Tierney Holds Hearing On Whether Sports Stadiums Divert Funds From Public Infrastructure

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM, SUBCOMMITTEE ON DOMESTIC POLICY HOLDS A HEARING ON WHETHER SPORTS STADIUMS DIVERT FUNDS FROM PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE

OCTOBER 10, 2007

SPEAKERS: REP. DENNIS J. KUCINICH, D-OHIO CHAIRMAN REP. TOM LANTOS, D-CALIF. REP. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, D-MD. REP. DIANE WATSON, D-CALIF. REP. CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY, D-CONN. REP. DANNY K. DAVIS, D-ILL. REP. BRIAN HIGGINS, D-N.Y. REP. BRUCE BRALEY, D-IOWA REP. JOHN F. TIERNEY, D-MASS. REP. HENRY A. WAXMAN, D-CALIF. EX OFFICIO

REP. DARRELL ISSA, R-CALIF. RANKING MEMBER REP. BRIAN P. BILBRAY, R-CALIF. REP. DAN BURTON, R-IND. REP. CHRIS CANNON, R-UTAH REP. JOHN L. MICA, R-FLA. REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, R-CONN. REP. MARK SOUDER, R-IND. REP. THOMAS M. DAVIS III, R-VA. EX OFFICIO

WITNESSES: ERIC SOLOMON, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR TAX POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY

ARTHUR J. ROLNICK, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND RESEARCH DIRECTOR, FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF MINNEAPOLIS

JUDITH GRANT LONG, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF URBAN PLANNING, GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY

PROFESSOR DAVID P. HALE, DIRECTOR, AGING INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

BETTINA DAMIANI, DIRECTOR, GOOD JOBS NEW YORK

STEVEN MAGUIRE, SPECIALIST IN PUBLIC FINANCE, CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE

[*] KUCINICH: Before the committee comes to order, I've been informed by the minority staff that Mr. Issa will be here, but he has asked if we could begin in his absence, but he has assented to that. And we've also been asked by Mr. Solomon if we could expedite his testimony, as he has other pressing time commitments. And we shall do that as well.

So the committee will come to order. The Subcommittee on Domestic Policy of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is in order. Today's hearing will examine whether professional sport stadiums divert public funds from critical public infrastructure.

Without objection, the chair and the ranking minority member, who again has asked us to proceed in his absence -- but he's on his way -- will have five minutes to make opening statements followed by any opening statements not to exceed three minutes by any other member who seeks recognition.

And without objection, members and witnesses may have five legislative days to submit a written statement or extraneous materials for the record.

The Department of Transportation says there are 12,176 structurally deficient urban bridges in America today, and I can tell you, coming from Cleveland, Ohio, we have quite a few in our city as well. One of those bridges collapsed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last August, killing 13 people.

Our bridges, roads, schools and water purification systems are all aging. Many are in need of repair and replacement. Assessing the whole picture, the American Society of Civil Engineers has concluded America's infrastructure is crumbling.

And for those that are in the audience, every county engineer in America has to keep a list of the conditions of critical infrastructure, particularly bridges, and to grade those bridges as to their structural stability. And I've seen lists in quite a few communities, and I can tell you that there is a great concern across America about the structural stability of a lot of our infrastructure.

But even though we have our infrastructure crumbling, the Minnesota Twins got public funding approved for a new stadium just a year before the I-35 West bridge collapsed. The Yankees are getting a new stadium valued at over $1 billion, even though New York City alone has 50 structurally deficient bridges.

Now, in Cleveland local and state government gave the Browns, the Indians and the Cavaliers new stadiums, yet we have five structurally deficient bridges in the county. And as an aside, while in Cleveland we're very proud of our Cleveland Indians and want to see them go to the World Series, we also know that in the city of Cleveland there was a great debate about the funding for these stadiums and that while the public provides the funds, the people who are living in the city aren't getting any free tickets to these games. They're paying -- if they can get a ticket -- for the ticket. They pay for the stadium. They don't get any of the profits.

Now, this story of crumbling infrastructure around the nation is pretty much the same everywhere in light of publicly funded and f...

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