Courage to say ‘no
by Ralph Nader, Washington DC
Letter to the Editor: Star-Ledger
In his Feb. 4 op-ed, “Jersey knows pro sports aren’t the first priority,” George Zoffinger, head of the Sports and Exposition Authority, wrote of the public stand that he and Gov. James E. McGreevey took on behalf of the taxpayers and sports fans of New Jersey regarding the Nets.
Responsible government when dealing with greedy sports owners in their quests for higher profits on the backs of taxpayers is almost nonexistent. Government leaders across the country have fallen all over themselves to cram public money into the overstuffed wallets of these sports moguls and have put the economic binders on their citizens.
McGreevey and Zoffinger should be commended for their courage and leadership in refusing to broadside New Jersey residents. Unfortunately, many of their counterparts elsewhere continually fall to their knees under the weight of such boondoggles and worsen the deficiencies in funding for pressing, real-life needs as a result.
Other government leaders should follow this example and remember that their first duty is to the people they represent, not to corporate welfare kings or their phony contention that public subsidies are needed for their teams to compete.
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