Click here to watch the D.C. City Council vote on the stadium financing bill.
UPDATE: Outgoing D.C. City Councilman Harold Brazil just compared the condition of D.C.'s Chinatown before the construction of the MCI Center to Fallujah. I wonder what the locals think about that?
ANOTHER UPDATE: The Council is debating a number of amendments to the underlying financing bill -- in particular an amendment from Linda Cropp requiring the city to seek private financing to pay for the stadium. The motion has just passed on a voice vote. Cropp is now proposing another amendment on monitoring cost overruns on the project -- putting most of the onus on the District's CFO. Not much opposition on the Council, looks like it will pass.
I'm popping out for lunch, so look for another update in about 30 minutes.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Councilman David Catania is impressing the heck out of me, pointing out that the cost estimates underlying the financing are inaccurate. In particular, that while the deal with MLB was signed in September, the cost estimates the bill uses were determined last Spring -- and a number of the costs contained in these estimates (pegged just North of $400 million) including steel, have increased radically since then.
EVENING UPDATE: 5:25 p.m. and the bill still hasn't come to a vote. See you later on tonight. Here's an update of what's happened so far from the Post.
THE LONG REGIONAL NIGHTMARE IS OVER: The bill, with amendments, passed 6-3 with three abstentions. According to District law, the bill must be voted on again, and it's looking like December 14 or 21. MLB is reserving comment until they get a chance to review the bill. More later.
Catania seems like he’s the only one who’s done his homework. He’s got a great command of the facts and his arguments are clearly making a lot of sense.
Is it wrong of me to just wish he’d shut up though? I want my team, damnit!