Look, Listen Live! Stadium Lease Bill- D.C. City Council Vote

[Bob Hannah]

I'm using Windows Media Player.

http://www.octt.dc.gov/services/video/DC_Ch-13.asx

[Uncle Dak]

I'm using Windows Media Player.

http://www.octt.dc.gov/services/video/DC_Ch-13.asx

Hey, that's great.

Mark Fisher of the WP was just on with Tony Kornheiser. He said there are two votes, hopefully, today. Tha $300M cap vote and then the vote to sign the lease. If Linda Kropp thinks the votes are not there for the lease then she may pull the lease vote. Kropp was heard screaming at her staffers yesterday that it time to stop delaying the vote, a good sign on the theory that Kropp will be seen by the voters as the person that saved the District money and brought baseball to DC, so she is raedy to move forward.

Five council members are firmly no and 5 are firmly yes. Two swing votes seem likely, I don't remember the names. If there are 7 votes then others would likely vote yes since they do want to be seen as the deciding vote.

[Bob Hannah]

The latest is only the emergency legislation will be voted on today, not the lease bill itself.

Not a good thing. Arbitration here we come.

[Uncle Dak]

Unbelievable!

[Bob Hannah]

The latest is only the emergency legislation will be voted on today, not the lease bill itself.

Not a good thing. Arbitration here we come.

I may have hold off on the chicken little rhetoric. I didn't hear it myself, but a source says WTOP radio reports anti-stadium councilman Adrian Fenty says he believes the nine votes are there for spending cap legislation. If so, that could mean the lease is voted on today, too.

[Bob Hannah]

Another tidbit...

This gets more interesting all the time... this is from the Mayor's office site-

http://www.dc.gov/mayor/news/release...842&mon=200602

News Release for Immediate Release
February 7, 2006
Mayor Williams Questions Consultant

(Washington, DC) Mayor Anthony A. Williams issued the following statement today upon learning that the lawyer hired by the D.C. Council had previously worked against the District getting a baseball team in the first place. The Council paid Louis Cohen an undisclosed amount to advise Councilmembers on baseball; Cohen earlier worked for the Virginia Baseball Stadium Authority, which fought to keep the Montreal Expos from coming to DC.

“This is a shocking conflict of interest,” Mayor Williams said. “How can the residents of the District of Columbia trust the advice of a lawyer when his previous work was on behalf of Northern Virginia? It’s a blatant and inherent conflict - especially now that Cohen, and others at Piper Rudnick, have encouraged the Council to take actions that could jeopardize the fragile deal to keep the Nationals in DC.”

Williams added: “I assume the Council was unaware of this conflict of interest. A decision this important should not be left to a firm that sought to build a ballpark in a cow pasture in Virginia.”

[Uncle Dak]

I may have hold off on the chicken little rhetoric. I didn't hear it myself, but a source says WTOP radion reports anti-stadium councilman Adrian Fenty says he believes the nine votes are there for spending cap legislation. If so, that could mean the lease is voted on today, too.

Yeah, something has gotta give. There will be some serious name-calling if they nix this deal.

[Uncle Dak]

This gets more interesting all the time... this is from the Mayor's office site-

http://www.dc.gov/mayor/news/release...842&mon=200602

I posted this in the other thread too. I'm not crossing the river to go to Nationals games. Oh well.

[Bob Hannah]

Real life is stranger than fiction. Virginia back in the mix?

:radio WTOP's lead story at 1:00pm leads off with Virginia's new governor, Tim Kaine, has stated should the District not get their act together, then he would be interested in talking with Baseball about placing the team there. There has been no contact yet with MLB regarding this.

Unbelievable. It was only 18 months ago Virginia decided not to pursue a team, citing fiscal responsibility. Placing the team in D.C. was predicated on promise Mayor Williams could deliver votes needed from the city council. To that point, Virginia at times was deemed to be frontrunner in the relocation process. Unbelievable.

[Uncle Dak]

There is one thing that is crystal clear. Linda Cropp and Adrian Fenty are concerned with the number of votes they can milk out of this for the next "mayoral" election. Their concern for the people of the "district" is laughable.

And P.S., no offense to Northern Virginia, it would just take too long to go to games for me. Having a downtown ballpark is appealing due to Metro access and stuff to do.

[Bob Hannah]

And P.S., no offense to Northern Virginia, it would just take too long to go to games for me. Having a downtown ballpark is appealing due to Metro access and stuff to do.

I agree with you. The team is centrally located in D.C. metro area, an Arlington site was voted down by NIMBY's 2-3 years ago, the formerly proposed Dulles site is too far removed for many of those who would support the team.

Virginia ballpark legislation died over a year ago. Kaine was formerly along side past governor Mark Warner in rejecting ballpark funding in 2004. Maybe this latest will spur the D.C. council to act. Not likely, but it can't hurt...I think.

[eddiejc1]

There is one thing that is crystal clear. Linda Cropp and Adrian Fenty are concerned with the number of votes they can milk out of this for the next "mayoral" election. Their concern for the people of the "district" is laughable.

And P.S., no offense to Northern Virginia, it would just take too long to go to games for me. Having a downtown ballpark is appealing due to Metro access and stuff to do.

Speaking of which, I have two recommendations for D.C. Nats come the Democratic primary. (Schwartz and the Grease won't like to hear me say this, but that IS the de facto mayoral election in town.) If it looks like it's up for grabs, vote for Orange---he's been with us all the way. But if (as I suspect) it's a two-horse race between Cropp and Fenty, vote for Cropp---ESPECIALLY if the lease passes.

Eddie Cunningham (who can't bear to watch)