Rhode Island sure loves its investments, especially when they’re in the eight-figure range. 38 Studios is always a great example, a $75 million failure spearheaded by right-wing crank Curt Schilling and signed off on by State legislators. That one really is stunning, I mean, imagine actually believing that the jobs created by a single video game company would be worth such an investment. It’s laughable.

So laughable, in fact, that the proposed construction of a new stadium at the Apex Building site seems downright sensible. Real brick-and-mortar construction, retail development, and baseball? For only 83 million dollars? Sign us up!

Dropping the sarcasm for a minute, let’s take a look at the details. This deal, which passed a Rhode Island Senate vote 26 to 9, will indeed cost a total of $83 million. Of that figure, taxpayers will be responsible for $27 million, all in debt of course. The Paw Sox ownership, led by Larry Lucchino, has also committed to developing at least 50,000 square feet of real estate in the area.

A good place to start is that last point. Commitment to development is a very attractive point, of course, as the resulting economic stimulation has potential to benefit the citizens of Pawtucket. Unfortunately, the study performed and presented by stadium ownership did not analyze demand for business in the area, so the potential for economic growth is little more than a gamble. When stadium ownership claims a hotel will be built, remember that they have done no research to determine whether the area can support such a business.

Now consider the debt that taxpayers will take on from this project. First of all, debt is not necessarily a negative if we can be confident it will eventually result in profit., but that is doubtful in this case. Needless to say, this new stadium would replace the existing McCoy stadium, thus eliminating revenue from that facility. The most generous capacity estimates for the proposed facility place it at a comparable level to McCoy, so it’s not like the team would be selling more tickets. An option to increase revenue would be to increase ticket prices, a move that would make the games less accessible to the very people who paid to build the stadium. Supporters of the deal suggest that the stadium could be used for more events than McCoy, but have done no research to determine whether there is sufficient demand.

McCoy Stadium is old, yes, but it is a unique venue. Because it is not surrounded by parking lots, local residents have the opportunity to make up the difference by offering affordable parking for games. This existing symbiotic relationship between the community and the stadium is, in my view, a preferable alternative to hotel proposals and retail stores.

Unusual parking conditions and already low ticket prices make Paw Sox games an uncharacteristically affordable professional sports experience. If Larry Lucchino and his team of investors and opportunists get their way, this will undoubtedly change. Like so many before them, these individuals use trumped up incentives and hollow threats to get their way. They have floated the possibility of the Paw Sox moving to Worcester in an attempt to squeeze the state of Rhode Island, effectively saying “all or nothing”.

Of course, this is simply how these people operate. Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, attempted to squeeze the people of Massachusetts for funds to build Gillette Stadium. They refused, however, and Kraft was forced to gather his own funds. Today, he is the owner of one of the most successful teams in the NFL. Looks like he didn’t need the people’s money after all.

Now, Lucchino and his cronies could do the same, but why would they? Rhode Island lawmakers have already made big steps towards granting him his wish, and if he were held accountable here, where would it end? Would the next step be paying his players minimum wage?