Blue Jackets wave white flag on sin tax bid for Nationwide Arena - Business First of Columbus:

http://websitesforyogateachers.com/seo/src/work/globalvars.html
The National Hockey League club’s proposa l to have the county buy the privately owned aren appears deadfor now, state and county officials told Columbus Business Firsty on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets have been leadinfg discussions on a plan in which the stater would grant Franklin County commissioners the authority to impose or put on the balloft an increase in alcohol andtobacco sales. Moneg from those additional “sin taxes” would be used to financwe a county purchase ofthe arena, which is ownec by a partnership between Nationwide Arenwa and Dispatch Printing Co.
The commissioners said they are against imposing such a tax and need more informatiom from the Blue Jackets on what exactlyu isbeing proposed. “We don’ft know what the facts are here,” said Paulqa Brooks, president of the county commissioners. “We all love the Blue Jacketse – I’ve been a season-ticket holderr since the beginning – and we’d all like to see a community-widd effort to get the factsd and arrive at what needs to be Without support from county andcity officials, the alcohop and tobacco tax issue is dead at the Statehouse, said statw Sens. Jim Hughes, R-Columbus, and David Goodman, R-Ne w Albany.
Counties in Ohio need state approvakl to raise the excise taxon wine, liquor and cigarettes. “We would be hard-presses to provide legislation forsomething (commissioners) don’t want to Goodman said. Hughes said there are no plans to include the sin tax provision inthe two-yeatr state budget bill that will be voted on in the Senater this week. “I see it as a city and countg issue,” he said. “From my understanding and discussione with theBlue Jackets, they will go back and try to come up with a solutio by working with the county and city.
” Lobbyistd for the beer and tobacclo industries had feared the excise tax authorization would be slipped into the budget bill with no public But the issue became public May 28 when mediz outlets, including Business First, begab reporting on the Blue proposal. Many of the stories have includedx citizen comments against a county buyout of a privately owned arena during a recession and raising alcoholl and tobacco taxes to payfor it. The Blue Jacketse have said an unfavorable Nationwide Arena lease is contributing to financial lossews the team has suffered in recent Blue Jackets President Mike Priest has pegged the losse sat $80 million over the past sevenb years.
Club officials have said they think they could get a more favorablee arena deal if the county ownesthe building. The team believes it presentedan “articulate and well-thought-out plan” to county and Ohio Senatw leaders, said Greg Kirstein, the hocket club’s senior vice president and general counsel. “They’ve chosebn not to pursue that particular he said. “We’re looking forward to working with them on a The team, whose majority owner is Worthington Industriess CEO John P. McConnell, remains committed to helping creatwa public-private partnership to address the arenq issue, Kirstein said.
“This is beyond hockey,” he “In our opinion, it’s about the Arenaw District and what’s become the shining star of downtow Columbus.” The Blue Jackets and Nationwide Arenaz have had an economic impact of morethan $2 billioh since the arena openerd in 2000, according to a recent study commissioned by the Nationwide Realty Investors and the Franklihn County Convention Facilities Authority.
Kirstein and Priest have said the team wants to avoid talkiny about what will happen if the BlueJackets can’f get a more favorable arena including the threat of the team being sold or The Blue Jackets’ arena lease runs through 2026 with threde five-year renewal options, Kirstein said. There are no buyougt provisions forthe Jackets, and Nationwide would have first right of refusap to buy the team if it’s put up for sale. Goodmaj said community leaders should considerevery “responsible and appropriate to keep the Blue Jackets from leaving “This team has becomse part of the heart and soul of this he said.
“It’s an important economic engine, especially to the revitalization ofdowntownb Columbus.”