Tag: Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Vegas Mayor says A’s belong in Oakland; Schools over Stadiums ready to move language for petition drive to stop A’s ballpark funding

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The Tropicana Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas the future home with the Las Vegas A’s hoping to break ground in April 2025. The issue of private financing has been so off schedule and unorganized that Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman has said the “plans don’t make sense” (Las Vegas Review Journal file photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury, because of all the lawsuits the Oakland A’s might lose the public money because of all the lawsuits and the Schools over Stadiums initiative ballot that stops using public money that could make the public ballot. This money is only earmarked for the Tropicana location and no where else. The A’s might be having problems figuring how to get a ballpark on nine acres at the Trop.

#2 MLB had no comment after Las Vegas Mayor Goodman said that the A’s ought to stay in Oakland.

#3 Mayor Goodman can read between the lines as the reaction at the Chamber of Commerce meeting was cold and talk has been the business community now has it’s doubts about the A’s since owner John Fisher has been going hat in hand looking for financial support.

#4 It’s Super Bowl week Amaury, and you would think the biggest news in Vegas would be about the Big Game but now the Oakland A’s are a headline with the Mayor saying the A’s shouldn’t come to Vegas but stay in Oakland.

#5 Amaury, the Last Dive Bar and Oakland 68s who are strong A’s fan groups are holding a Fan Fest at Jack London Square in downtown Oakland proceeds will help with legal fees toward Schools over Stadiums in Las Vegas to stop the use of public money to finance the ballpark. The first step of success is Schools over Stadium had Oakland A’s fans raise enough money to cover Schools over Stadium’s legal fees to get language to stop the public funding and get a petition drive to get initiative on the ballot for the Nov 2024 election not to mention that Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has been named as a defendant by Schools over Stadiums.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice for the Oakland A’s on the Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel Dullum: Commissioner says there wasn’t a viable path to stay in Oakland

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In what should have been a happy moment for Oakland A’s owner John Fisher (pictured) and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in announcing unanimous vote to relocate the A’s to Vegas during the whole press conference from Thu Nov 16, 2023 they both looked uncomfortable and were apologetic about to Oakland fans at at times looking guilty (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s relocation podcast with Daniel:

#1 Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said there was not a viable path to stay in Oakland even though it was Oakland A’s owner John Fisher and Manfred’s to remain in the Bay Area.

#2 Daniel, did you find it strange after all the criticism that the Tropicana ballpark got nationwide, that you didn’t hear anyone outside of MLB ownership or the Commissioner’s office say this was a great idea. You have to ask what was the motivating factor for the owners to vote 30-0 to approve the A’s relocation?

#3 A’s president David Kaval said after the vote last week when asked if Fisher is ready to pay his share of the new Las Vegas ballpark. Kaval said that debt and equity would come from the stadium funding legislation.

#4 Kaval also said that the A’s could play their 2025-2027 seasons either at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Las Vegas Ballpark, or at the Oakland Coliseum. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao the A’s could finish at the Coliseum but they would have to give up their team name and colors and the city would be promised a MLB expansion team.

#5 One motivating factor is Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo saying that Las Vegas is a sports town and having the A’s are an added addition for the Vegas sports scene.

Join Daniel Dullum for the Oakland A’s relocation podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel Dullum: A’s show grit in splitting with Rays; Owners only ones standing in way for A’s move to Vegas

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Oakland Athletics’ Tony Kemp dives safely into third on Esteury Ruiz’s single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Thu Jun 15, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Daniel:

#1 The Tampa Bay Rays Luke Raley belted the game winning 4-3 go ahead home run in the top of the eighth inning to hand the Oakland A’s their second loss and a split in the four game series Thursday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum.

#2 The Rays got help from their rookie starter Taj Bradley who struck out the first A’s six hitters and set the tone early in the contest. Bradley finished with 11 strike outs for the game. Bradley did give up a home run to the A’s slugger Seth Brown in the bottom of the fifth inning.

#3 Daniel, during their seven game win streak and even in their last two loses to the Rays to close out the four game series the A’s were always in the game. On Thursday down 3-0 the A’s came back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game that was a character that the A’s lacked until reason.

#4 The Rays are going well with their win on Thursday they became the first team this season to win 50 games. Taking that in consideration the A’s got a split against the Rays for the A’s to battle back it’s been a real mind over matter series for Oakland.

#5 Daniel just to get some updates the owners are preparing to vote on the relocation of Oakland to Las Vegas. If eight owners vote to oppose that would stop the relocation how much does MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred have influence on the owners vote for the A’s move to Vegas?

#6 Daniel, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo who signed off on SB1 which moves the stadium forward for construction and the park would sit in a “sports and entertainment improvement district” put together by the Clark County Commissioners. The way the park would be paid off by tax increment funding that would use all tax revenues in the district to pay back the $380 million in bonds.

Join Daniel Dullum for the Oakland A’s podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A’s are one step closer to Vegas; Nevada Assembly is thumbs up in second round of voting; Bill heads to Lombardo’s desk; Only owners can stop an Oakland move now

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During the Nevada State Legislature’s 35th Special Session the Assembly stood and applauded the NHL Stanley Cup Vegas Golden Knights on their NHL Stanley Cup Championship win on Wed Jun 14, 2023 later the Assembly would vote 25-15 in favor of SB1 to publicly fund a new Tropicana ballpark for the Las Vegas A’s (photo by the Nevada Independent)

By Jerry Feitelberg and Barbara Mason

The Nevada State Assembly voted on Wednesday 25-15 to move the second round of voting in two days to Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo’s office for his signature on SB1 the Tropicana Hotel and Casino ballpark which could start development with shovels in ground as soon as 2024 to be completed as late as 2029.

Public tax credits would go towards the construction of the park to the tune of $380 million. Governor Lombardo has made it clear that he would sign SB1 when it hits his desk being a proponent of the measure.

The bill passing Wednesday comes one week after Lombardo called for a special second session to vote on the ballpark. The state would put in $180 million for tax credits and the county would contribute $120 million. The bonds would be paid off from revenue from sales and tickets sales at the stadium. Clark County also will be chipping in another $25 million for infrastructure needs at the Tropicana site which is reported to be a nine acre space for the park.

Wednesday’s Assembly vote saw 15 Democrats to 10 Republican votes in favor of the measure. Assemblywoman Shannon Bilbray Axelrod said that she wanted to see $2.2 billion put into the Nevada education system (Nevada ranks 49th in education in the US) Axelrod said that without out of the box thinking education will be left behind.

Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch (D-Reno) was against the measure saying that it was a complete waste of money and did not support using public tax dollars to support a billionaire for a new stadium project. It took two weeks since the first Memorial Day vote that was put off and there were delays in Tuesday night’s Senate vote which passed 13-8 and Wednesday’s vote when lobbyists and representatives were trying to make deals to get the two houses to pass the bill.

Lombardo vetoed two bills early this month that was resurrected one for rail and monorail projects the other excess tax revenues from a homeless prevention fund. Sen. Edgar Flores (D-Las Vegas) and Sen. Fabian Doñate (D-Las Vegas) who were hold outs on SB1 but when the Monorail project and the homeless prevention fund made it in the budget Flores and Donate changed their votes in favor of the public tax for the park.

Barbara Mason and Jerry Fetielberg are Oakland A’s beat writers for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: The Homeless A’s

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The Oakland A’s could abandon the Oakland Coliseum ahead of their lease expiring which is at the end of the 2024 season. The A’s could play at Las Vegas Ballpark home of the triple A Las Vegas Aviators after this season if the Nevada State Assembly approves the Tropicana Ballpark on the Vegas Strip. (photo from thegreatgame.com)

The Homeless A’s

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Oakland is as diverse as any other city in its size in the country and has a much larger media market than Las Vegas. Yet Oakland is currently going through a serious slump and seems to be more often than not in the news with a plethora of negative news and many challenges (as listed below); trying to keep the A’s is just one of those challenges.

-Homelessness. According to recent surveys of Oakland residents, it is the most urgent issue facing the city of Oakland. Conservative estimates list at least 5,000 homeless people “living” in the streets and parks in Oakland. A’s night games at the Coliseum are averaging less than 5,000 per game. -Drugs in the streets.

According to the OaklandSide, Methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant drug, is on the rise in Oakland. In both its quantity on the streets and the number of people who die from using it, meth comes second only to opioids (including fentanyl and heroin) in Alameda County.

But unlike fentanyl and other opioids, which have buprenorphine as a medicated treatment option, there isn’t yet a drug on the market that can treat patients’ meth addictions. -Crime: Oakland, CA, is a city that unfortunately suffers from significantly higher rates of crime than the US average. For violent crimes, the rate in Oakland is 75.5 compared to only 22.7 incidents nationally.

Property crime is also alarmingly above the national average, with 81.2 occurrences in Oakland compared to 35.4 on a national level. Clearly, this city needs to take steps to ensure the safety of its citizens and reduce these high crime rates to improve the quality of life for its residents.

-Affordable housing: Once Oakland was a “reasonable city” regarding rental prices for apartments and real estate/homes. Not anymore. In February, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao fired Chief of Police LeRonne Armstrong from the city without a cause. Mr. Armstrong, an Oakland native, was one of the most popular chiefs of Police in recent history for the city of Oakland.

Oakland has had 12 chiefs of Police during the past 10 years. Oakland A’s and why the City of Oakland needs their baseball team to stay. It is good for their economy and good for the morale of not losing their third professional team during the last six years.

Considering all the stuff happening in Oakland in the last few years, Oakland needs the A’s more than ever today for financial and psychological reasons. Mayor Thao said she is “fighting for the A’s to stay in Oakland” this week.

During the negotiations in the Nevada Legislature, when lawmakers asked Oakland A’s representatives if they could not get the financing needed for their new ballpark, would the team reconsider going back to the table with Oakland, then Steve Hill, the CEO and President of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, jumped in to clarify the A’s stance and said (quote) “If this agreement does not go through, they will look for other cities to move to.

They will not decide to stay, even if this does not go through”. The A’s moving to Las Vegas has the support of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and most of the biggest Labor Unions in Nevada, plus the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.

Currently, the Homeless A’s are looking for a city to play their games, as they still hope to build a new park. Do the A’s need Oakland more than Oakland needs the A’S? Time will tell. Howard Terminal negotiations agreement with the baseball team expired during the month of May. Maybe owner Fisher will sell, maybe not.

MLB Commissioner Manfred has been very quiet during the past couple of weeks. The A’s are on pace to establish the new record for the lowest record during a season, that of the New York Mets in their inaugural season (1962), when Casey Stengel’s Mets ended with 40-120 (.250), finished tenth and last in the National League, 60 1/2 games behind the National League Champion San Francisco Giants, who went on to the World Series won by the New York Yankees in seven games.

Finally, but very important, about revenue sharing – The A’s would receive only a 25% share in 2022, a 50% share in 2023, a 75% share in 2024, and a total share in 2025. The shares in the last two years were contingent upon the A’s having an agreement in place for a new ballpark by 2024.

No agreement, no revenue sharing, My wife posed a very interesting question: With all of these back and forth, will the A’s be able to sign high-priced talent, to be competitive again? Las Vegas until next week: Joe Lombardo, Governor of the State of Nevada, has postponed the vote for the A’s stadium in Las Vegas and extended the vote until next week.

When lawmakers meet in these special sessions, a lot of horse trading goes on behind closed doors, like “if you scratch my back, I scratch yours”; they all want something. This recently elected Governor has publicly said he believes the A’s will be good business for Nevada. Did You Know?

The NFL Buffalo Bills, among the favorites to win the Superbowl next February, just got approved for a new venue under a cost of $1.4 billion, with $850 million paid by local and state taxpayers, for a franchise owned by multi-billionaire couple Terry and Kim Pegula. It is called the lure of professional sports.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead radio voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Nevada Legislature takes vote tonight on A’s ballpark

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From left, lobbyists Alfredo Alonso and John Griffin, Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher, President Dave Kaval and lobbyist Jessica Ferrato inside the Legislature in Carson City on May 31, 2023. (Nevada Independent photo)

On the Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry F:

#1 Jerry the Nevada State Legislature met until midnight last night discussing the SB509 the public funds from the State to fund the possible Tropicana ballpark in Las Vegas. There are residents who voiced their opposition to the ballpark because they feel the A’s might not be the right team for Las Vegas and that maybe expansion or the Tampa Bay Rays might be a better option.

#2 Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has called his second special session to push for the Tropicana ballpark. The bill didn’t get pushed through on Monday night and had been in a second special session for the last two night Tuesday and Wednesday. As of midnight last night nothing has been decided. The Legislature will take a vote tonight on the ballpark bill where the future of the A’s moving to Las Vegas is on the line.

#3 A’s team president David Kaval was put in a spot when asked about the team paying and being obligated to pay the entertainment tax. Kaval was told by assemblyman questioning him that he was answering a direct question when Kaval said the A’s would pay the entertainment tax through profits from the ballpark but would not make a commitment.

#4 The fact that there still is no decision on the A’s Las Vegas ballpark and it’s Thursday does that basically say that Lombardo who wants a budget passed needs to get the ballpark through for this session and the legislature is trying to sell those who are opposed reasons to try and change their minds.

#5 Las Vegas residents who spoke at last night’s session emphasized that 81% of Las Vegas residents polled are against the Oakland A’s moving to Vegas and that John Fisher and David Kaval are not the right people to lead this campaign and that the legislature should vote no on funding the ballpark.

Join Jerry F for the Oakland A’s podcasts heard Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com