If the Oakland A’s need more funding for their proposed stadium at Howard Terminal, they cannot count on the local taxpayers voting to support the project.
According to a recent survey, 46% of Oakland area taxpayers oppose using tax dollars to fund the stadium while 37% of taxpayers support the project. Those numbers change, but only slightly, if those surveyed identify as Oakland A’s fans, with 44% of A’s fans in favor while 42% oppose. This was a relatively small survey however, with just 500 people responding.
Oakland A’s cannot count on taxpayer dollars
Fortunately, this is not something the A’s need to be concerned with just yet. The project is not going to use any tax dollars, at least not directly. The A’s themselves are paying for the stadium, with the town handling the infrastructure and other areas.
But that is not enough for the taxpayers. 81% of the people surveyed felt that A’s ownership should be providing the financial backing for the Community Benefits Fund, which would provide the housing, offices, and an entertainment center at the site.
It really should not come as much of a surprise that the A’s have that little support when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars on a ballpark. Their flirtation with Las Vegas has left a sour taste in the mouth of the fanbase. Likewise, their actions, from cutting popular promotions, doubling ticket prices, and saying that they would trade away their core, have only served to anger the fanbase.
And frankly, it serves the A’s right. They have seemingly done everything in their power to alienate the fanbase and point fingers at everyone and everything for their issues. It was almost as though they were hoping to force their way to Las Vegas and shift the blame back to Oakland for making them move.
Oakland area taxpayers are not in favor of spending their money on the Oakland A’s ballpark. It is not difficult to figure out why.