Public Funding for Stadium

[madDOG]

I figured I would post my letter to the TU from last week. I also received a response from Mr. Etkin (I emailed him the letter as well), and my response to his this morning.

 

Mr. Ettkin,

 

As a UAlbany alum closely following the developments of the proposed football stadium, I was very much dismayed by several of your comments in the article "Don't tell us to carry this ball".

 

While I do agree that other Universities have found a way to fund athletic projects using more private donations, and that UA should perhaps do a better job in this area, the fact of the matter remains that other colleges and universities in the SUNY system have benefited GREATLY from public support of athletics and UA doesn't deserve to be excluded, especially when it benefits all of us. Your comments could have jeopardized a project that will pay dividends to the University, the City of Albany, and the Capital Region as a whole. UA is the largest institution of higher education in the region and with its recent and significant success in Division I athletics across many different sports, a more comprehensive athletic facility will only elevate the program and bring more focus and attention to the area. How is this a bad thing? I bet if you polled the bar and restaurant owners, hotel managers and retailers in the vicinity of the school, none of them would call the potential economic impact of the stadium "nonsense". They may however, use that word to describe your assumptions.

 

You also commented that "successful athletic teams may increase UAlbany's applicant pool but wouldn't improve it (do you really think the fan who chooses to attend UAlbany for a sports team is the student you want on campus?)." Yeah, maybe you're right. Why would UAlbany want to compete for the type of high achieving, school spirited student who pack the stadiums of Michigan, Virginia, Georgia, UCLA, Connecticut, Rutgers, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Texas every Saturday? What a crazy notion (note the dripping sarcasm).

 

A recent report suggested that the University at Albany provides the Capital Region with an economic impact in the realm of BILLIONS of dollars. Is the University really asking for that much in return? Please reconsider your position.

 

From Etkin:

Thanks for writing. Appreciate the feedback and your thoughts.

 

I'm not suggesting it is a bad thing for UAlbany to have a new football stadium. On the contrary, I think it'd be a positive and I hope it ultimately comes to fruition -- but not at this price with this ratio of funding. What I'm opposed to is the cost of this plan the source of funding: about 90 percent from state taxpayers.

 

I'm aware that most of the universities you sight have high academic reputations. Their athletic programs supplement the college experience. No dispute there. The point I was making is their athletic programs serve to supplement it; students who would a college just because they're Florida State football fans aren't the ones you want attending Florida State (or whatever school it is when that's their primary criteria).

 

I assure you I've researched and considered my position carefully. It's too important an issue not to.

 

Best,

Brian

my reply

Hi Brian,

 

Thank you for your response- it is appreciated.

 

I guess my point here is that while UAlbany may be asking the state to fund 90% of the project, it is money that is being invested directly into the Capital Region and opposition from locals seems almost ludicrous to me. Where were the editorials in opposition to Binghamton's Event Center or Stony Brook's LaVelle football stadium? Capital Region residents funded these projects too, yet when their tax dollars would be spent here there is suddenly opposition. Plain and simple you are arguing against a $60MM investment in the Capital Region and that is very foolish.

 

No-one is being asked by UAlbany to open up their checkbooks and pay for this project. These funds are appropriated by the SUNY construction fund and it will either be spent here or elsewhere. People arent going to suddenly pay more in taxes because UA built a football stadium!

 

Lastly, to address on your FSU statement- if the FSU fan had excellent grades, scored well on his SAT's, was involved in his community and had ambitions, I think FSU would be very happy that their athletic program was able to market to a student of that caliber. If he wasn't a model student...well, that's what an admissions office is for. Regards,

[danefan]

Good letter and response. The whole point that people are missing, which you indicated in your letter, is that the money is spent no matter what. It will either get spent here or spent somewhere else. Why would anyone want it spent somewhere else?

[UAalum72]

This quote from the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin on the opening of Bing's new soccer stadium:

 

All told the complex will cost $4.2 million, Norris said. Of that, $3.7 million came from New York state. Thirer credited state Sen. Thomas W. Libous, R-Binghamton, with securing the funds for the project.

 

and they've already got their seating installed. What did ours cost?

[danefan]

Once again...where are the capital district reps?

 

104th District Assemblyman:

John J. McEneny

mcenenj@assembly.state.ny.us

 

108th District Assemblyman:

Tim Gordon

GordonT@assembly.state.ny.us

 

46th District Senator:

Neil Breslin

Click here to get to form email page

 

43rd District Senator

Joe Bruno

Click here to get to form email page

 

44th District Senator

Hugh T. Farley

Click here to get to form email page

 

Especially get one over to Senator Farley:

 

From his bio: "He also holds a Bachelor of Science with honors from the University at Albany"

 

Start firing those emails away guys and gals.

[ATL_DANE]

Once again...where are the capital district reps?

 

104th District Assemblyman:

John J. McEneny

mcenenj@assembly.state.ny.us

 

108th District Assemblyman:

Tim Gordon

GordonT@assembly.state.ny.us

 

46th District Senator:

Neil Breslin

Click here to get to form email page

 

43rd District Senator

Joe Bruno

Click here to get to form email page

 

44th District Senator

Hugh T. Farley

Click here to get to form email page

 

Especially get one over to Senator Farley:

 

From his bio: "He also holds a Bachelor of Science with honors from the University at Albany"

 

Start firing those emails away guys and gals.

 

Great post! Maybe this information should be posted on it's own topic to make it easier for folks to locate and use? Anything to get someone to spend 30 seconds to fire off an email in support of the project is a good thing.

[Dane96]

This quote from the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin on the opening of Bing's new soccer stadium:

 

All told the complex will cost $4.2 million, Norris said. Of that, $3.7 million came from New York state. Thirer credited state Sen. Thomas W. Libous, R-Binghamton, with securing the funds for the project.

 

and they've already got their seating installed. What did ours cost?

\

 

His kid was in my Frat. I noticed it and fired off a letter to the Senator asking why he didd not support his son's alma mater.

[alum73]

Thanks for the addresses. I will send an e-mail to my local legislators. I hope that all of the posters have sent in a donation earmarked for the stadium project. Even if it very small, it is important for athletics to be able to show the state that there is a groundswell of support and if each of us shows that by actually donating some of our personal funds, it may go along way in our negotiations with the stae government. I realize there are students here and money may be tight, but even a very small donation is important. I also encourage to all who are able to join the Varsity Club, which now donates most of the dues to the General Athletic funds. Go Danes!!

[GreatDanes06]

i am planning on joining the varsity club...how much does it cost to join?

[bob87]

i am planning on joining the varsity club...how much does it cost to join?

 

 

I think it is $100.

[alum73]

I believe $85 dollars of that $100 dues will be a deductible donation. The $15 covers the tee shirt and media guide of your choice. The shirts this year are nice, they have the words to Purple and Gold on them, to help us sing along with the Pep Band.

[ATL_DANE]

Looks like a bunch of folks from this board wrote letters to the editor and such. I'm a bit slow but I thought I'd get off the side lines and add my thoughts. I took a different angle than most as you can see. I thought perspective would help sway the arguement but who knows?

 

-------------------------------------------------------

 

"Mr. Ettkin,

 

Local residents don't seem to understand who UAlbany's peers are or what their facilities are. I thought this might help. The following peer state schools have significantly better facilities than UAlbany, a SUNY flagship. In most cases D1A facilities (30,000+ Seat Stadium)

 

New England States

• UMASS (Top 25 1-AA)
  
• UCONN (D1A)
  

Smallest States

• Delaware (Top 25 1-AA)
  
• Maryland (D1A)
  

Poorest States

• Arkansas (D1A)
  
• Mississippi (D1A)
  

Liberal States

• UCLA (D1A)
  
• Minnesota (D1A)
  

Sparely Populated States

• Montana (Top 25 1-AA)
  
• Boise State (D1A)
  

Island States

• Hawaii (D1A)
  

Second or Third Tier State Schools

• Fresno State (D1A)
  
• Central Michigan (D1A)"
  

[Classof72/74]

In case you didn't tune in to this morning's webcast of the UA University Council meeting, the top three capital projects (in order of priority) that will be submitted (via SUNY Central presumably) for the 2008 NYS budget are

 

1.new building for School of Business

 

2.Campus Center (new or renovation?)

 

3.multi-use athletic facility (aka The Football Stadium)

 

I must admit I'm not totally conversant with what happens once the request(s) get to SUNY Central.

 

There was also mention of what #4 & #5 were, but I wasn't paying a lot of attention at that point

[UA_MA_2000]

Amen to the Campus Center ... . UAlbany could really use a "student union" that compares to most schools ... .

[danefan]

Amen to the Campus Center ... . UAlbany could really use a "student union" that compares to most schools ... .

 

 

Absolutely. If I am remembering correctly, the proposed business school building will go in Collin's Circle right? I think they got a huge private donation for that.

[GODANESGO]

Amen to the Campus Center ... . UAlbany could really use a "student union" that compares to most schools ... .

 

 

Absolutely. If I am remembering correctly, the proposed business school building will go in Collin's Circle right? I think they got a huge private donation for that.

 

I don't think it will technically be in Collins Circle, as the University is currently finishing construction on the new Plaza Entry on the campus side of the Circle, but it will be placed towards that front side of campus.

 

With all the business undergrads and MBAs who are UAlbany alums, there definitely should be plenty of donation money going that way!