Malloy looks like a fool here

[nelsonmuntz]

A month after he gives ESPN millions in taxpayer dollars, ESPN takes an action that will potentially cost taxpayers tens of millions more. Nice work Governor.

 

[businesslawyer]

Which is why you should assume phone lines are being utilized.

 

[uconndogs]

No biz, we assume the absolute worst case, accuse others in absolute terms and do so with limited knowledge of the facts.

Kind of a "ready shoot aim" thing......

 

[businesslawyer]

No biz, we assume the absolute worst case, accuse others in absolute terms and do so with limited knowledge of the facts.

Kind of a "ready shoot aim" thing......

My bad. I need to remember that.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

No biz, we assume the absolute worst case, accuse others in absolute terms and do so with limited knowledge of the facts.

Kind of a "ready shoot aim" thing......

What did I assume? I am simply stating a fact. ESPN received millions in taxpayer subsidies to create 200 jobs they were going to create anyway, and then ESPN turns around and does something that is very damaging to the state university, which will in turn have long-term implications on the state as a whole.

Did you see something different?

 

[Santini35]

You assume that ESPN actually did something wrong... heck I assume they did too, but it's still an assumption. We don't have hard evidence that they did, just a meatball's boast.

 

[businesslawyer]

1. We do not know that ESPN did something wrong. We do have evidence of it through the BC AD. While that's a great statement to have in court, because it's against his own interest, I'm not sure how credible it is in reality.

2. The Governor should never have opened his mouth up here, because it was not a matter he could effect and he didn't need to say anything nearly as specific as he did. That is why I think he looks bad.

3. The deal with ESPN may very well have been important for Bristol and the State. I do not blame him for not talking about UConn broadcasting as part of the deal. What was he going to say? All our broadcast rights are given to Providence. That having been said, I would expect him to be trying to use it to get ESPN to intervene for UConn. But the moment it's public that he is trying to do that, ESPN can't comply.

 

[uconndogs]

What did I assume? I am simply stating a fact. ESPN received millions in taxpayer subsidies to create 200 jobs they were going to create anyway, and then ESPN turns around and does something that is very damaging to the state university, which will in turn have long-term implications on the state as a whole.

Did you see something different?

I have no idea what the details were that Malloy and his staff ultimately negotiated with ESPN for the tax subsidies. For all we know ESPN and Malloy winked at each other knowing UCONN was in the next round. Maybe, Malloy felt it was the right thing to do for a large Conn. based employer and thought that issue trumped UCONN's conference affiliation. Or, maybe he's an idiot and we have the Conn. voters to thank for putting him there.

Evidently you know these things Nelson, but I don't.......

 

[Waquoit]

I really hope I'm

I have no idea what the details were that Malloy and his staff ultimately negotiated with ESPN for the tax subsidies. For all we know ESPN and Malloy winked at each other knowing UCONN was in the next round. Maybe, Malloy felt it was the right thing to do for a large Conn. based employer and thought that issue trumped UCONN's conference affiliation. Or, maybe he's an idiot and we have the Conn. voters to thank for putting him there.

He's an idiot is the correct choice.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I have no idea what the details were that Malloy and his staff ultimately negotiated with ESPN for the tax subsidies. For all we know ESPN and Malloy winked at each other knowing UCONN was in the next round. Maybe, Malloy felt it was the right thing to do for a large Conn. based employer and thought that issue trumped UCONN's conference affiliation. Or, maybe he's an idiot and we have the Conn. voters to thank for putting him there.

Evidently you know these things Nelson, but I don't.......

We don't need to know "behind the scenes" because we have the reality that we can all see.

1) UConn gave taxpayer subsidies to ESPN.

2) ONE MONTH LATER, ESPN participates in an action that will cost the state of Connecticut tens of millions over the next 10 years, and potentially permanently impair the value of the athletic department.

There was a $300k grant for job training on the first 200 new employees ($1,500/employee) plus up to $6MM in state use tax exemptions ($30k/employee), plus a $17.5MM loan ($87,500/employee). Throw into that about $10MM/year that UConn will lose as a result of reduced value of the Big East ($50k/employee/year), these end up being very expensive jobs.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

1. We do not know that ESPN did something wrong. We do have evidence of it through the BC AD. While that's a great statement to have in court, because it's against his own interest, I'm not sure how credible it is in reality.

2. The Governor should never have opened his mouth up here, because it was not a matter he could effect and he didn't need to say anything nearly as specific as he did. That is why I think he looks bad.

3. The deal with ESPN may very well have been important for Bristol and the State. I do not blame him for not talking about UConn broadcasting as part of the deal. What was he going to say? All our broadcast rights are given to Providence. That having been said, I would expect him to be trying to use it to get ESPN to intervene for UConn. But the moment it's public that he is trying to do that, ESPN can't comply.

If the reality changes, then he doesn't look like a fool anymore. And he can do whatever he wants with ESPN. He is a Governor.

 

[flyonthewall]

Most of these cash for jobs arrangements are bad deals for the states, not just for CT. Most of the jobs created would have happened otherwise.

But in any event it is doubtful that any company would agree to having how it is to do business tied to its getting state jobs money. If that was what CT said to ESPN then you can be sure that ESPN would be on the phone to a dozen other states who would be only too glad to hand over the $$ without those strings.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Most of these cash for jobs arrangements are bad deals for the states, not just for CT. Most of the jobs created would have happened otherwise.

But in any event it is doubtful that any company would agree to having how it is to do business tied to its getting state jobs money. If that was what CT said to ESPN then you can be sure that ESPN would be on the phone to a dozen other states who would be only too glad to hand over the $$ without those strings.

So we should subsidize a company that is engaging in a coordinated action with other parties to destroy UConn's athletic program?

 

[geohusky]

Whether the GOV is a fool has nothing to do with college athletics, but that's a discussion for a different forum.

 

[businesslawyer]

So we should subsidize a company that is engaging in a coordinated action with other parties to destroy UConn's athletic program?

The answer to your rhetorical question is of course not. But there are so many unproven, and at times irrational, factors that lead up to your conclusion that ESPN is engaging in a coordinated action with other parties to destroy UConn's athletic program that the question is strictly hypothetical.

 

[geohusky]

So let's assume what you said is correct (which I don't believe but why let facts stand in the way) and follow your brilliant logic. It would have been better to let those jobs go?

Those jobs weren't going anywhere. Expansion was underway.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The answer to your rhetorical question is of course not. But there are so many unproven, and at times irrational, factors that lead up to your conclusion that ESPN is engaging in a coordinated action with other parties to destroy UConn's athletic program that the question is strictly hypothetical.

I seriously doubt that ESPN holds any ill will towards the university that was probably more instrumental than any other in its success. I doubt that it endeavored or colluded in any way to keep UConn out of the ACC, or to damage the Big East. I think it is far more likely that that ACC said, "We're expanding. Can you give us an idea of how adding team x and y or team x and z will affect our contract?"

ESPN probably should have have declined to provide any such guidance. However, I think that even if they did, it is a huge leap from that to some coordinated action to hurt UConn or the BE. It's possible, but I find it unlikely.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

So we should subsidize a company that is engaging in a coordinated action with other parties to destroy UConn's athletic program?

The program was designed to give tax incentives to companies in CT that create jobs. Should we renege because we don't like the results? A lot of people thought this was a pretty good program, on the left and right. You should put your pitchfork away.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Since Malloy is a BC grad, do you think he purposely made those comments to hurt UCONN? Is it possible he has the same attitude towards UCONN as Flipper? I am not saying it is true, but the guy is a BC grad and he is married to a BC grad. He might secretly hate UCONN like rest of the BC fans LOL.

 

[uconndogs]

Oh just kill me!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[businesslawyer]

Since Malloy is a BC grad, do you think he purposely made those comments to hurt UCONN? Is it possible he has the same attitude towards UCONN as Flipper? I am not saying it is true, but the guy is a BC grad and he is married to a BC grad. He might secretly hate UCONN like rest of the BC fans LOL.

This is the problem with message boards. You are joking. But someone will post somewhere else that they heard that Governor Malloy ... and three cites later it will come back to Waylon who will believe that he now has evidence for that theory.

 

[uconndogs]

Sorry if I missed the attempt at humor. But, after reading this board over the last couple of months I was convinced that someone could hold any belief, no matter how foolish, as fact.

 

[geohusky]

When Malloy starting pitching the tax incentives it was "The first five" the first five companies to move into the state. Not the random five I feel like giving money to.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The program was designed to give tax incentives to companies in CT that create jobs. Should we renege because we don't like the results? A lot of people thought this was a pretty good program, on the left and right. You should put your pitchfork away.

Yes we should. There are literally thousands of companies in Connecticut that will not get millions of dollars in subsidies. Why ESPN? If they want subsidies, they should be held to a higher standard.

These programs are universally a waste of taxpayer dollars anyway.

 

[husky91]

I really hope I'm


He's an idiot is the correct choice.

Malloy is a moron. Why is that surprising. He's a BCU alum.