For Immediate Release:
January 7, 2019
Contact:
Matthew Nocella, 202.286.1987 - mnocella@dccouncil.us
Grosso seeks to prevent special taxpayer funding of new football stadium
Washington, D.C. – In advance of the Council’s first legislative meeting of the new year, Councilmember David Grosso today re-introduced an interstate compact that would prohibit a race to the bottom between the District of Columbia and its neighboring jurisdictions of Maryland and Virginia to lure the Washington Football Team with taxpayer-funded giveaways.
“This compact sends a clear message to Dan Snyder: the District of Columbia and its neighbors will not be played for fools,” said Grosso. “Wealthy companies seek to pit jurisdictions against each other to see who will offer the greatest incentives–we saw this most recently with the Amazon HQ2 contest. Like Amazon, a football team worth over $1 billion should not need to rely on special government assistance to fund their facilities.”
The Washington Area Professional Football Team Franchise Facility Interstate Compact Establishment Act of 2019 creates an interstate compact that precludes members from providing or offering special public incentives or financing for the construction of facilities for the Washington Football Team.
Research shows that NFL stadiums do not generate the dramatic local economic growth promised and cities tend to not recoup their significant financial contributions through increased tax revenue.
“Funding a new stadium is just not in the District of Columbia’s best interest,” Grosso said. “Furthermore, District taxpayers’ money should not be used to further the commercial use of racist and derogatory terms that dishonor indigenous peoples.”
Maryland Delegate David Moon (D-Montgomery) plans to re-introduce the compact in the Maryland House of Delegates this month. Virginia Delegate Michael Webert (R-Fauquier) re-filed his version in the Virginia House of Delegates last week.
Grosso had previously introduced the compact in 2017.
Last month, Grosso sent a letter to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton urging her to oppose efforts by Mayor Muriel Bowser, Daniel Snyder, Republicans in the House of Representatives, and the Trump Administration to slip a provision into the must-pass end of year federal spending package that would pave the way for a return of the football team to RFK, as first reported by the Washington Post. With Democrats now in control of the House, it is unlikely such a provision will pass.
During his time on the Council, Grosso has repeatedly called for the team to change their name–a racial slur against American Indians–most recently joining indigenous peoples and activists to deliver petitions to the football team. In his first term in office, Grosso introduced and secured passage of a Council resolution calling on the team to change its name. He has also been a champion of legislation to end D.C.’s recognition of Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
The interstate compact bill was introduced in the Council Secretary’s office ahead of tomorrow’s legislative meeting, the first of the new Council Period. From the dais, Grosso plans to introduce legislation to protect special education rights of youth defendants; legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana sales in the District of Columbia; and overhaul the way D.C. handles records of arrests, charges, and convictions in the District of Columbia to support reintegration of people with such records into the community.
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