In 1978, the San Francisco giants announced an increase in the price of nickel in Hot Dogs and beer, which raises prices to 80 cents and 90 cents, respectively, to pay new concession equipment.
A fan, Ron Gordon, Tok Umbrage. He calculated that the price increase would deliver an unexpected gain for dealership well above the cost of the new team, and embarked on a national campaign to combat the walk. Hey, he succeeded. The giants retreated the increase in prices in Hot Dogs, and the main inflation advisor of President Jimmy Carter wrote a letter that hosted his efforts as heroic.
While I cannot affirm myself to be a modern Gordon Ron, my experience forces me to undertake a similar fight against the increasing prices of the concession.
I played the university baseball of Division 1 until my career ended because an injury. I still love the game, but our national hobby, like other important professional sports, is a big business. The League brought $ 12.1 billion in revenues last year, and the five best professional sports leagues in North America brought almost $ 60 billion combined.
While the team’s valuations rise more and more, and the owners of multimillionaire teams are enriched, it has become increasingly disabled for a family. In general, a family of four can display to spend an average of $ 240 for tickets, concessions and parking in a major league baseball game. A NFL game will return the theme of $ 631. These costs are beyond the reach of many fans, and if the youngest are not exposed to early game, they may never develop the love I made.
Best offer for fans
We need to change things. These days, sports stadiums are almost always supported by the financing of taxpayers at the local, state and federal levels, which means that fans are paying the bill at both ends. These agreements promise economic development and community benefits that often do not materialize. But we can avoid that the places financed with public funds scam families and future fans, who are prohibited to bring their own food and drink for an affordable snack.
Policy formulators must institute “street prices” for places financed by taxpayers dollars. This means that suppliers can only charge prices that are comparable to the same articles that exceed the stage.
Almost 80% of airports (also very financed by public dollars) are covered by some form or “more street prices.” But as evidenced by the infamous mix of $ 9.99 at Laguardia airport, these policies are ridiculous and rarely apply.
The stages and sands are often ended by private activity bonds, which are tax deductible. As a condition to obtain tax exemptions, the places financed by these bonds must have strict street price policies.
State and local policy formulators must demand the price of the street as part of any negotiated economic development agreement to build or update new places and stadiums. And the Federal Aviation Administration must condition the financing of the airport in the policies and the application of street prices.
A clear home run
This is not just a pro-consumption idea. It is pro-negocio and a good way to make each family member become a fan.
The test is in the pudding (or perhaps an ice cream helmet), since many teams have voluntarily instituted limits in concession prices. When the new Mercedes-Benz stadium opened in 2017, Atlanta Falcons instituted a friendly price with fans, reducing concession prices by 50% compared to its previous stage, offering $ 2 Hot Dogs and $ 5 beers. The discount has been worth it since transactions, revenues and sales of merchandise remain high, and the experience of the team’s fans exceed the NFL.
Portland International Airport has had a strict price on the street since the 1980s, and enjoy retail sales well above the national average.
When the New York Times explained the search for Ron Gordon’s justice for the justice of hot dogs in 1979, they wrote that (i) in an era of prices in constant increase in prices and giant corporations, (Gordon) they set out to prove that a lonely individual could make a difference. “
It has not changed much in the intermediate 47 years. At a time when assistance to MLB games heads 70 million people, the owners of teams and dealers must remember that the love of the game comes from those special memories that we have in the baseball stadium or a home run or a special memory that they will bring home from home.
Families are already being squeezed by the increase in costs of everything, from groceries to homes to public services, and giant corporations institute strategies and rates always prepared to obtain each penny of consumers. Let’s not take away a day affordable in the stadium. And hopefully the owners of multimillionaire sports remember that everything we are asking for in exchange for huge public subsidies to build their stadiums is to sacrifice fair and affordable concessions for loyal fans.
Alex Jacquez is the Chief of Policy and Defense of Groundwork Collaborative and a former university baseball player. Hi, he wrote this column for Calmatters.