Measure for Measure

Photo by Bruce Guthrie
Photo by Bruce Guthrie

We — and by "we" of course, I mean "me" — would like to see Comic-Con International remain in San Diego forever and ever. It's the perfect town for an event like that and as I've explained in other messages here like this one, I think the con would be greatly harmed by relocation elsewhere. I've also said that I think it will remain there indefinitely as long as the city doesn't do something really, really stupid.

Something really, really stupid might be to pass Measure C on the November ballot in that town. Measure C would raise San Diego hotel taxes by more than $1 billion to build a new NFL stadium and convention center annex in downtown S.D. It would be the new home to the Chargers and would keep that team in San Diego for decades to come. It would also make a ton of money for the owners of the Chargers and would put the city on the hook for all sorts of cost overruns and revenue shortfalls. Has anyone ever built a stadium and convention center without cost overruns and revenue shortfalls?

Now in the interest of Full Disclosure, I should probably stop here and tell how I feel about football. I don't care about football. In fact, I can't think of too many things I care about less than football. I don't just mean I wouldn't care if my local team moved away. I wouldn't care if the whole sport ceased to exist. If you love it: Fine, great, whatever. Its extinction wouldn't bother me and I'd be happy if cities in this country no longer raised taxes and cut social services and schools in order to ram more tax money up the buttocks of zillionaire team owners, lest they take their lucrative franchises elsewhere.

It sounds to me like Measure C could cause San Diego to lose a fortune and maybe have to divert money that should be used for street repairs and other civic improvements. It also could be very bad for the continued future of Comic-Con in that burg. They might be able to find a way to carry on there but they also might not.

Not being a San Diego resident, I can't vote on Measure C but I'm sure someone reading this can. For more info, this website has been set up by opponents of the measure. And this article summarizes what the whole battle is about and will link you to a piece giving the Chargers' view of all this. It sounds to me like the Chargers' view is that they'll make acres of cash from this new stadium and that they feel about the well-being of San Diego the way I feel about football.