Of course proposed United stadium cash could be used for public safety

When it suits special interest groups (in this case the New Mexico United soccer team), the way taxpayer dollars can be used is often molded to their benefit. Often this involves capital outlay vs. operating budgets which usually DO get separated, but there is also the “anti-donation clause” which was supposed to be an anti-corporate-welfare clause when inserted into New Mexico’s Constitution (now it is toothless except when NOT used for corporate welfare).

The United’s PAC has been making the case that of all things gross receipts tax revenues CAN’T be used to hire more police officers. This is crazy and the Rio Grande Foundation connected the two issues in an ABQ Journal article over a month ago.

According to the Journal’s editorial (linked above) the payments on just the $50 million stadium bond (not to mention additional millions and future maintenance) are expected to cost $3.2 million every year for 20 years (that’s already $64 million, btw).

You can hire a lot of extra cops with that money.