Selig and Diamondbacks endorse Cubs' Stadium Tax Increment Financing

From http://www.fieldofschemes.com/ - 

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has officially come out against an Arizona-wide ticket tax scheme to help fund a Chicago Cubs spring-training stadium. In doing so, Selig joins every other team in Arizona, who would rather not be helping to foot the bill for their rival's new home, no matter how many Cubs fans boost the gate at their spring games thanks to the team's presence in Arizona rather than Florida.
Selig says he'd rather see a tax-increment financing scheme. The Arizona Diamondbacks agree, which should be no surprise given that a TIF was their idea in the first place; however, team president Derrick Hall hedged a bit, saying, "We would be open to [a TIF], but believe the legislators are not in favor of it. ... We are just seeking other solutions so as to not tax fans who attend any and all spring games." In other words: We don't care who you tax, Arizona legislature, so long as it ain't us.

Diamondbacks open to special tax district to finance Cubs' stadium

From the Phoenix Business Journal - 

Arizona Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall says the team is open to the creation of special tax districts to help finance a spring training stadium for the Chicago Cubs and other projects in the Phoenix area.
The D-backs are among opponents to the current plan to help pay for the $84 million stadium in Mesa, which includes an 8 percent charge on all Cactus League games.
One alternative suggested is a special tax district or a tax increment financing structure in Mesa.
“We would be open to it, but believe the legislators are not in favor of it,” Hall said. “It seems like a solid alternative and by design, should help enhance development throughout the Valley. We are just seeking other solutions so as to not tax fans who attend any and all spring games.”
TIFs involve earmarking tax revenue from a specific area for development and redevelopment projects in the tax districts.
Hall said the D-backs prefer tax zones to the ticket tax and they could help other parts of the region, although he expects opposition from fiscally conservative lawmakers.

More on the Cubs Cactus League stadium

The Phoenix Business Journal reports on the Cubs Cactus League stadium controversy -

The plan to build an $84 million Cactus League stadium for the Chicago Cubs in Mesa is facing plenty of criticism. A stadium financing measure at the Arizona Legislature could raise rental car taxes in Maricopa County and impose a first-of-its-kind ticket charge on all Cactus League games.
The Chicago White Sox and Arizona Dia­mond­backs oppose the ticket fee proposal, which is backed by Mesa Mayor Scott Smith and state legislators.
The Cubs have threatened to move to the Grapefruit League in Florida unless a new stadium is built for them.
The Cubs stadium plan has the backing of Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, the tourism industry and some key state lawmakers. But four other Cactus League teams — the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland A’s, Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox — say it would be unfair to tax all Cactus League tickets to pay for the Cubs ballpark. That portion of the plan must be approved by the Legislature.

This isn’t the first stadium financing battle in the Valley. It took years for the Arizona Cardinals to get a new stadium funded and built. And a disgruntled resident shot Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox in 1997 over raising the county’s sales tax to help pay for Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, home to the Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona ok with Cactus League surcharge if Arizona voters are ok with it

Arizona has proposed a countywide vote on whether there should be a surcharge added to all Cactus League spring training tickets to pay for a new proposed $84 million stadium for the Cubs. 

The Arizona Legislature is considering a bill to raise rental car taxes and imposing fees on all Cactus League tickets to help pay for a Cubs ballpark.
The Diamondbacks and other Cactus League teams also want the Legislature to consider other funding options.

No vote has yet been scheduled.

Two more Cactus League teams come out against Cubs' tax

The Oakland A's and the Texas Rangers join the growing list of Cactus League teams who oppose the proposed surcharge to be added to the price of all Cactus League spring training tickets to finance a new park for the Cubs. 

“The Rangers join the other clubs in the Cactus League in being opposed to this proposed legislation. It would result in higher ticket prices for games in Surprise, which is certainly neither in our fans nor the Rangers’ best interest. We hope that the Cubs will stay in Arizona but not at the expense of Rangers’ fans,” said Rangers vice president John Blake.


“We are opposed to a ticket surcharge on tickets for games played at Phoenix Muni,” said A’s spokesman Bob Rose.


The A's and Rangers join the Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks in opposing the bill.

White Sox and Diamondbacks trying to block Cubs deal with Mesa

From the Phoenix Business Journal -

The Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks oppose a plan to have the entire Cactus League bankroll the $84 million stadium being built in Mesa for the Chicago Cubs.
Arizona lawmakers are crafting plans that could impose new ticket charges on all Cactus League games and raise rental car taxes Valleywide to help pay for the Cubs’ new spring training complex.
Cactus League President Robert Brinton said ticket surcharges previously have been used by specific cities to fund baseball stadiums within their jurisdictions, but this is the first time a leaguewide fee could be imposed for one project. In a nutshell, the D-backs, Sox and spring training fans Valleywide would help foot the bill for Mesa to build a 15,000-seat stadium for the Cubs.
“We’re opposed,” said White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
He said other teams and their fans did not finance development of the new White Sox stadium in Glendale, and he thinks it’s unfair to have other teams pay for the Cubs complex in Mesa. The Sox share the new Camelback Ranch stadium with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
D-backs President Derrick Hall also doesn’t like the idea of leaguewide ticket surcharges to benefit the Cubs.
“We want the Cubs to stay here badly, but not at the expense of our fans,” Hall said. “I’ve heard the argument that the other teams should be willing to because of the visiting crowds that the Cubs bring to their games. They do draw well, as do we, yet we were creative in our search for a new site to identify a partner willing to finance the entire project without public dollars.”
The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is building a new spring training stadium east of Scottsdale for the D-backs and the Colorado Rockies. The tribe is taking a $23 million loan backed by federal stimulus money to help fund that $100 million project. The tribe, which operates two casinos, is paying for the remainder of the new complex.
Cactus League tickets this year range between $4 and $45 per game.
TO THEIR BENEFIT

Brinton said the Cubs are a linchpin of the Cactus League, and he supports the ticket surcharge idea as well as raising car rental rates. The Cubs are the biggest draw in the Cactus League, with more than 203,000 fans attending its spring training games in 2009. The team’s owners, the Ricketts family, threatened to move to Naples, Fla., to play in the Grapefruit League unless Mesa built a new ballpark to replace the aging Hohokam Stadium.
Arizona House Majority Leader John McComish, R-Ahwatukee, is formulating a financing bill for the Cubs. McComish said he is looking at options to pay for the new stadium, including ticket surcharges and increased taxes on hotels and car rentals. He hasn’t finalized the bill, but said it could be introduced soon. It has not been determined how much the surcharge would be.
The Phoenix area already has high car rental taxes, with current rates totaling 18.53 percent.
McComish understands the skepticism from other teams, but he pointed out that the Cubs have a substantial regional economic impact and draw fans to other Cactus League parks.
“When the other teams play the Cubs, they sell out. It’s to their benefit,” he said.
McComish said he’s looking at long-term revenue streams to help the entire league, not just the Cubs.
Keeping the Cubs in Mesa has the backing of key lawmakers, including House Speaker Kirk Adams, R-Mesa. Adams confirmed that ticket surcharges and car rental tax increases could be part of the Cubs package.
“The Cubs are a $138 million impact on the economy annually,” Adams said.
BAD TIMING

Legislators also may face criticism if they fast-track taxes for the Cubs as they cut education and social welfare programs in the face of a multibillion-dollar deficit.
“It’s a tough climate to be making those kind of promises,” said Gretchen Jacobs, president of Arizona Governmental Affairs, a lobbying firm in Phoenix.
Mesa City Manager Chris Brady said in addition to ticket surcharges and higher car rental taxes, Mesa voters will be asked to approve bond money as well as infrastructure and services spending for the new complex. Brady said tentative plans call for two-thirds of the $84 million to come from regional sources and one-third from the city. That translates into a split of $56 million to $28 million. McComish said the split could be more even.

Infielder Chad Tracy signs minor league deal with Cubs

Chicago Cubs have signed utility infielder Chad Tracy to a Minor League contract with an invitation to spring training.

A career .280 hitter, Tracy has 78 career home runs, 318 RBI, a .339 on-base percentage and a .453 slugging percentage over 704 Major League games. He played all or part of six seasons with Arizona from 2004 to 2009 after Arizona drafted him in the seventh round of the 2001 draft.  Tracy has appeared defensively at third base (340 games), first base (246 games) and the outfield (52 games).

Tracy bats left handed and has a career .297 batting average (544-for-1829) vs. right-handed pitching with an .840 OPS (.358 on-base percentage, .482 slugging percentage).

Tracy had his best season in 2005 when he hit a career high .308 batting average, career high 41 doubles and 27 home runs and a career high .553 slugging percentage.  He also had a career high 80 RBIs.

Tracy spent less than three full seasons in the minors before making his Major League debut with Arizona in 2004. He was named to the Topps All-Rookie team in 2004.