Quote:
Reliant Park and Harris County officials on Thursday announced the launch of a campaign to garner voter support for a plan to redevelop the Astrodome, with Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and Precinct 1 Commissioner El Franco Lee each pledging $5,000 to the effort.
A referendum to fund the project will appear on the ballot this November. If approved, the county would issue up to $217 million in bonds to turn the now-vacant stadium into "The New Dome Experience," an energy-efficient event center flanked by an "inviting" outdoor green space.
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Officials from Harris County, which owns the Dome and Reliant Park, and the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, the agency that oversees the complex and conceived the renovation plan, will drive the campaign, along with a coalition of local and national historic preservation groups keen on saving the structure.
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http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news...gn-4810625.php
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Usual line-up of suspects here, including the fat-cats like Emmett who already "manage" the fiscal affairs of Harris country, who are pushing this deal. We all know that there's never been any project for the Dome that's made economic sense to the private sector, that's why it's stood vacant all these years.
I saw a story on the national TV news this week about some of the nations largest municipalities including Chicago & Philly that may be right behind Detroit in terms of their futures fiscally speaking, so if you are a Houston taxpayer and you like that kind of publicity for your home town on the 5:30 news I suggest you vote for this project in November. But if you don't want to add more debt to the citys balance sheet for something that's not economically feasible, say "NO" to the referendum in November !