Posted by: Stefan Mychajliw, Reporter
Created: 4/6/2006 7:41:21 PM
Updated: 4/7/2006 8:31:58 AM
Former Erie County Legislator Al DeBenedetti was one of only two lawmakers to vote against the Buffalo Bills lease deal with Erie County back in 1998. Greg Olma was the other.
Eight years later, and now retired, DeBenedetti has harsh words for team owner Ralph Wilson concerning his claims that the future of the franchise in Western New York is in jeopardy because of the N.F.L.’s new labor agreement. That deal calls for 60% of all league profits going to players.
DeBenedetti’s message to Wilson: show me the money.
"If he's claiming he's losing money, he's got to prove it to us. We can't just go based on his verbal claim. That's not a way to do business. He wouldn't do business with anybody that way. Why would we do business with him that way? Just take his verbal claims without seeing his books?
I'm confident they're making money. I think the question is: how much money? And is he just asking us to increase his profit,” asked DeBenedetti.
As part of that lease agreement, New York State kicked in $96 million for stadium improvements. Erie County’s share at the time: $26 million.
Just last year, Erie County taxpayers gave the Bills close to $6 million for stadium repairs, maintenance, and operations.
“We can't really give them any more than that. Taxpayers actually provide substantial resources to the Buffalo Bills. We maintain the stadium. They identify the projects, and we pay the costs,” said Erie County Legislature Minority Leader Dr. Barry Weinstein.
Erie County’s lease agreement also gives the Bills permission to sell the name of the stadium to a corporate sponsor. But the stadium was named after Ralph Wilson.
"I believe that Ralph Wilson's intent all along, was to have the stadium named after him. He could turn around and sell the naming rights and get whatever he could for them. A conservatively estimated $2 million rather than gouging the taxpayers of Erie County," said DeBenedetti.
“The Buffalo Bills are giving up this revenue. It's up to them. It's their call," added Dr. Weinstein.
If Wilson were to ask lawmakers for a new stadium, he more than likely would get a major chunk of that money from New York State. A new stadium would mean more luxury boxes, and the Bills wouldn’t have to share that revenue with other teams around the N.F.L.
2 On Your Side’s Stefan Mychajliw: "What would happen potentially, if the Bills did approach lawmakers and said, you know what, maybe we need to look at a new stadium?”
New York State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno: “I guess you'd have to take a look at what the specifics were. What the amount of money was, what the real need was, what the alternatives were.”
"It would be up to State for them to fund it. It's a state obligation. It's a State concern. It would be a lot of money. What does a new stadium do? It provides the boxes of unshared revenue. It's an expensive way of generating 20, or 50, or 100-million dollars in unshared revenue," added Dr. Weinstein.
"I love football. I go to games. I love sports. What I dislike intensely is private greed. And that's what this is all about. If he can prove to me that he's losing money, I'll personally apologize to him. I don't think I'm ever going to have to worry about that," said DeBenedetti.
So what do you think? Are we being gouged by yet another rich businessman in Western New York? More corporate welfare at the expense of the working man and woman?
I say that its time to plant a thick-soled size 9 up Wilson's butt and send him packing. 
Reply With QuoteOriginally Posted by DR_GONZO
Show Me The Money!
