(09-20-2017 10:33 AM)the Dragon Wrote: [ -> ]To understand Woodfin's comments, you have to think about his mindset. He isn't talking to anyone other than Birmingham voters right now. He can't do anything unless he is elected!
He knows he will support the project, and he knows what the other stakeholders will commit to. He is telling voters that he will not let the city and its residents get run over by UAB, the BJCC, Jefferson County, or any other group. Of course, he knows those groups aren't hurting Birmingham, but his comments appease those voters who may be worried about those groups.
Exactly. You really can't trust any comments Woodfin or Bell make regarding the stadium at this point in the election season. Bell started out promising announcements on the stadium as part of his campaign and then quieted down considerably when it started backfiring on him. Woodfin's comments have been consistent with his platform of continuing progress but refocusing on long neglected needs of the city that are hurting a majority of residents.
As far as I'm concerned, anything said about the stadium right now from either side is just political talk. The fact is, Birmingham needs to build something and both Bell and Woodfin know that.
I agree with the others that this is political posturing. I personally like Woodfin from my time working with him at the school system, but this says a lot about how little Woodfin thinks about his constituents' intelligence levels.
Birmingham has already played its hand here by fighting for and winning a bid to host the World Games. If he or any elected official continues to hold such a hardline stance after being elected, then UAB should simply play hard ball and hold out. Let them refuse to build a new stadium, and then watch as a stadium magically gets built before the World Games come to town.
Well UAB is already going to hold out. If anyone thinks UAB will contribute to this thing beyond signing a long term lease, they've seriously miscalculated the situation
(09-20-2017 12:20 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: [ -> ]Well UAB is already going to hold out. If anyone thinks UAB will contribute to this thing beyond signing a long term lease, they've seriously miscalculated the situation
Or perfectly calculated it.
(09-20-2017 08:47 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote: [ -> ] (09-19-2017 11:35 PM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote: [ -> ]It is going to take a lot of money to build that stadium we have seen in sketches. That money will have to come from the parties that are expected to benefit from from events held in the facility. Possible contributors are B'ham, Jeffco, the state (4% sales tax to start with), the Bowl game, the MCC schools, pro soccer team, etc. Make that list and send out the invoices for expected commitment of funding and see if it all adds up to what is needed to get ground breaking underway.
In this scenario, who owns and/or controls the stadium and its potential profits. The city? Or all of the shareholders in that consortium you listed?
That has cluster**** written all over it.
Edit: I wrote this before I got to The Dragon's comment, which basically said the same thing more succinctly.
I think it sounds more like a politician just before an election. This way he's not pissing off stadium supporters by saying "hell, no", and he's still positioning himself on the side of the under-served neighborhoods of Birmingham.
Frankly, I doubt that this will be where he finally comes down if he wins the election. It's more posturing and triangulating than anything else.
The city council has to be on board for the city to spend this kind of money anyway, so as long as they're all singing the same UAB tune, then I'm not worried. I think if Woodfin wins, the power shifts from being a mayor vs. council fight all the time to just the power concentrating on the council altogether. They can make it happen even if he doesn't agree with it.
(09-20-2017 12:20 PM)mixduptransistor Wrote: [ -> ]Well UAB is already going to hold out. If anyone thinks UAB will contribute to this thing beyond signing a long term lease, they've seriously miscalculated the situation
exactly
Political candidates have to deal with reality based posturing. In Alabama, this means that a majority of adult voters never saw a 12th grade class in Government or Economics (The last census figures indicate that the average education level for adults in Alabama is about early 10th grade - which is when most turn 16, the last age for compulsory attendance) Look at the psychology behind the TV commercials for the two run off candidates for US Senator. Do you find any appeals to intellect?
Even some who graduated from high school don't understand the restraints placed on municipalities by the "NO HOME RULE" Constitution of 1901 and wonder why B'ham can't do what they see major cities in other states do (not just Atlanta). Ignorance should never be confused with lack of intelligence since one can't know what one has never been taught (by reading or by experience).
The results are almost final and it looks like we will find out what impact the election of Woodfin will have on our pet interests - like a stadium. A number of incumbent members of the City Council appear to have been replaced as well. The latter may be more important than the former since the council votes the funding of projects the city wants to support financially.
I think the stadium project is far enough along that it will get done anyway, but it may take a little longer to finalize details. Woodfin will still need the support of Birmingham heavy hitters to get some of the things he wants to do actually done...
At the very least, the stadium will likely be further delayed. Woodfin built his whole campaign on neighborhood revitalization vs downtown so building a new downtown stadium isn't going to be high on his priority list.
That's the issue. The powers that be that are involved (JeffCo Commission, BJCC, etc) aren't in a mood to wait too long. They want to "strike while the iron is hot" (i.e. while they have the money, to take advantage of the downtown momentum, positive Birmingham national press, economic upturn, etc). The stars are aligned for this thing to happen. If this opportunity is missed it will be many years, if ever, before the opportunity presents itself again - the BJCC reno could well go forward without the stadium. Also, they've lauded the benefits of building the stadium along with the BJCC renovation at the same time as the downtown highway/bridge contruction is in progress.
Woodfin was on WBRC Fox 6 this AM. Says there are plans and discussions he has no been privy too. Just wants to make sure the right people are at the table. Said we have talked about it for years. Said if we're gonna do it, we need to do it or stop talking about it. Seems very open to the stadum happening.
Yesterday's vote probably wasn't good for our cause, but I'm not sure it's a turning point. Austin was a strong supporter and was crucial to #FreeUAB when we needed a political statement in our favor. But he was clearly done. Rafferty also was really helpful, but when you lose like that, nothing was going to save you.
I have no idea how Bell avoided joining his buds Germany and Hilliard mowing the golf course at Maxwell years ago. "Trust me with large construction projects, I already stole all I need" was never going to be a winner, not when his own home neighborhood looks like parts of Grozny or Sarajevo.
The key loss already happened, when former UAB SGA prez Chuckie Faush left as chief of staff. The revitalizations credited to Bell were Faush initiatives and plans: well-crafted, well-managed, and getting a good return on the public dime (Railroad Park was cheap; so would the greenway to Sloss have been).
The stadium's a good infrastructure add, and hopefully can stand on its merits.
If the new mayor and city counsel put the Uptown stadium on the back burner, we should resurrect the on campus stadium discussion to hopefully move the decision along. UaB football may not be able to survive 5 more years at Lesion Field.
(10-04-2017 07:06 AM)WesternBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]That's the issue. The powers that be that are involved (JeffCo Commission, BJCC, etc) aren't in a mood to wait too long. They want to "strike while the iron is hot" (i.e. while they have the money, to take advantage of the downtown momentum, positive Birmingham national press, economic upturn, etc). The stars are aligned for this thing to happen. If this opportunity is missed it will be many years, if ever, before the opportunity presents itself again - the BJCC reno could well go forward without the stadium. Also, they've lauded the benefits of building the stadium along with the BJCC renovation at the same time as the downtown highway/bridge contruction is in progress.
Woodfin was on WBRC Fox 6 this AM. Says there are plans and discussions he has no been privy too. Just wants to make sure the right people are at the table. Said we have talked about it for years. Said if we're gonna do it, we need to do it or stop talking about it. Seems very open to the stadum happening.
WBRC Fox AM Video
http://www.wbrc.com/clip/13786765/birmin...ll-woodfin
(10-04-2017 11:01 AM)WesternBlazer Wrote: [ -> ] (10-04-2017 07:06 AM)WesternBlazer Wrote: [ -> ]That's the issue. The powers that be that are involved (JeffCo Commission, BJCC, etc) aren't in a mood to wait too long. They want to "strike while the iron is hot" (i.e. while they have the money, to take advantage of the downtown momentum, positive Birmingham national press, economic upturn, etc). The stars are aligned for this thing to happen. If this opportunity is missed it will be many years, if ever, before the opportunity presents itself again - the BJCC reno could well go forward without the stadium. Also, they've lauded the benefits of building the stadium along with the BJCC renovation at the same time as the downtown highway/bridge contruction is in progress.
Woodfin was on WBRC Fox 6 this AM. Says there are plans and discussions he has no been privy too. Just wants to make sure the right people are at the table. Said we have talked about it for years. Said if we're gonna do it, we need to do it or stop talking about it. Seems very open to the stadum happening.
WBRC Fox AM Video
http://www.wbrc.com/clip/13786765/birmin...ll-woodfin
Message already softened. He said he hasn't been privy to all the discussions with the various stakeholders (BJCC, UAB/UA System, etc.). He said "if it is feasible, let's do it, we've been talking too long either we do it or move on."