Nardolillo: PawSox Providence Pitch "Makes No Sense"

Coventry Rep. Robert “Bobby” Nardolillo thinks the proposal by the owners of the Pawtucket Red Sox to build a stadium in Providence strikes out.

“ I am disappointed that all eyes are on Jim Skeffington and his wealthy cohorts’ proposal to walk-away from Pawtucket to build a new stadium just seven miles south only to create yet another huge taxpayer liability,” Nardolillo said in a statement.

“We have reason to be extremely disturbed by the various responses to Skeffington’s proposal coming from the governor’s office and Commerce RI – formerly known as The EDC.”

It was recently reported that Commerce RI’s board met for the first time this week.

Representative Nardolillo noted that “Our governor chaired that meeting which led the way to approval of a taxpayer funded $150,000 consultant award to guide the board on the merits of Skeffington’s stadium proposal.”

“We do not need to spend one dime on a consultant’s report that will tell us what a middle school student with good math skills would tell us: the numbers make no sense for the taxpayers.”

Referencing the governor’s ‘Truth in numbers’ phrase, Nardolillo explained, “Truth in numbers couldn’t be clearer than the ballpark proposal. The taxpayers are being asked to foot the bill to the tune of $120 million which would likely cover the team owners’ debt service and then some, forfeit prime land in the City of Providence in what has been referenced as the ‘knowledge district’ and deny the city property taxes for thirty years. This represents a major league loss to taxpayers.”

“It is as plain as the nose on my face,” said Nardolillo. “Skeffington and his associates are trying to steal home on the taxpayers.”

“I expected more from Commerce RI – we have made too many mistakes in the past and we can’t afford to follow what seems to me to be a standard practice of picking winners and losers with taxpayers’ money. My larger concern is that any deal to move the PawSox from Pawtucket to Providence will be proposed through the budget process toward the end of the legislative session, leaving taxpayers with another 38 Studiosesque travesty. There would be just one difference – legislators would not be able to claim ignorance of the details if this deal is approved”