MLB Vote This Friday

Selig Calls for Friday Vote on Expos (washingtonpost.com)

It looks like the Baltimore/Angelos issue may not be put to bed yet (thank you, Linda Cropp):

Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich said earlier this week that the matter could wind up in court. Selig, speaking to the annual meeting of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, said an agreement had not yet been reached with Angelos, which could spoil Selig's hopes for a unanimous vote by the owners on Friday.

Also, this made me think again about the economic argument in favor of the new ballpark. Those who think it will be a good deal for D.C. claim a difference from other stadium projects: that this will bring in tax revenue from MD and VA, rather than just shift DC entertainment dollars around with no increase in tax revenue. But the same could be said of Camden Yards, which brought in tax dollars from VA, DC, and maybe even PA and DE. (I have lived in VA since 1990 and was a Memorial Stadium/Oriole Park mini-plan ticket holder from 1991 to 1998, so I paid my fair share). And certainly Ehrlich and Angelos are arguing that this is the case, although I'm not convinced the harm will be that great, and I don't really care even if it is. Yet, the analysis appears to be that Camden Yards is still a net loss for Baltimore and Maryland.

So I still don't by the rosy economic arguments for this stadium. But I still think it should be done.