NHL Lottery Idea Should Be Benched
Author:
Walter Robinson
1999/10/12
-- CTF Urges Manley and Eves to "Ice" the NHL File --
OTTAWA: Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) Federal Director Walter Robinson today reacted to media reports that once again raise the spectre of a sports betting lottery devoted to addressing the financial predicament faced by Canadian NHL teams.
"After a summer of free-agent signings, sky high contracts and a refusal by the NHL and the NHLPA to acknowledge that escalating player salaries are the main problem threatening the financial viability of the league, it's time our politicians iced this whole NHL tax relief file," said Robinson. "The fact that politicians at all three levels of government continue to cater to the 'woe is me, bail me out cries' of Canadian NHL owners is offensive in the extreme."
"Independent studies continue to point to the negligible economic impact professional sports has on economies in census metropolitan areas. Heck this information is even available on John Manley's departmental website at strategis.ic.gc.ca," added Robinson. "Yet the Minister and his colleagues continue to push for some form of relief in spite of overwhelming public opinion which clearly indicates that professional hockey should solve it's own problems."
The CTF also pointed to the fact that average NHL salaries have increased from $271,000 (US) to $1.3 million (US) over the last nine years, a 480% increase.
"When lotteries were first introduced in the 70's our elected leaders promised us that net proceeds would be used to fund public goods and community endeavours such as schools, community centres, hospital equipment and libraries," Robinson noted. "Funding private sports entertainment franchises through lottery proceeds is way offside, it amounts to nothing more than corporate welfare."
"We urge both Federal Industry Minister John Manley and Ontario Finance Minister Ernie Eves to move on to more pressing concerns and hang up the skates on this file," concluded Robinson. "Bailing out 22 year-old millionaires on skates and their equally affluent middle-aged bosses is unconscionable."