Rays Stadium Deal for Could Mirror Braves' Secret, Not-So-Great, Potentially-Illegal Deal (Pt. 2)

In case you missed the story here last year, Hillsborough Co. Commissioner Ken Hagan, the self-appointed lead negotiator for the county, is a big fan of how the Braves' deal with Cobb Co. went down - quickly, secretly, and with little public scrutiny:

“The Atlanta model was very different,” he said. “That is encouraging to me, that with all the due diligence we’re doing on the front end, once we’re given the opportunity to sit down with the team, it will not take as long as it historically has to determine a location and a fundraising package.”

Well, now that Hagan's had a chance to sit down with the Rays, he confirmed yesterday he will no longer be providing the public - or his fellow commissioners - with updates.  All the while, touting how transparent the process will be?!??

I can appreciate Hagan's desire to keep any potential land acquisitions secret for leverage purposes.  The more people know, the more expensive it could get.

Which is EXACTLY why pro teams like keeping stadium negotiations secret.  The more the public knows, the more it costs them.

You just have to shake your head - if we've learned ANYTHING from the Marlins' stadium financing debacle in Miami, it's that taxpayers lose when we keep conversations about subsidies and funding a secret!

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