Chorus of Boos as Public Financing for Bills Stadium Nears End Zone

An upstate New York Native American tribe has joined the large crowd that is jeering Governor Hochul’s plan to put $850 million of public funds toward a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills.Over the past week, Republicans, Democrats, and members of the Seneca Nation have come together to boo the stadium deal.“In one breath New York’s hostile and shameless greed was laid for the world to see. Hundreds of millions from Western New York, in her own words, given to billionaires,” the Seneca Nation president, Matthew Pagels, said.That’s a reference to Ms. Hochul and her plan to direct $418 million of the Seneca Nation’s $564 million in outstanding debt toward a new Buffalo Bills stadium, which according to the governor will “ensure the Bills remain in New York State and support 10,000 construction jobs.”Mr. Pagels had other criticisms of the governor’s plan.“I’m sure that was welcome news to the governor’s husband, whose company not only operates video lottery terminals within the Seneca Nation’s supposed gaming exclusivity zone with the states blessing,” Mr. Pagels continued, but “also makes millions of dollars in concession business inside this new state-owned stadium and is being paid for on the backs of the Seneca Nation.”Mr. Pagels is referring to Delaware North, a multibillion-dollar food service company. William Hochul is a high ranking executive with Delaware North, which has strong ties to Western New York politics. Representative Chris Jacobs’s father, Jeremy Jacobs Jr., owns the company.Delaware North said Mr. Hochul “was not involved in the Bills’ stadium negotiations – nor was Delaware North. We have been proud to serve as the concessions provider for Highmark Stadium since 1992.”The Bills deal surprised the state senate majority leader, Andrea Stweart-Cousins.“I think we’re still trying to figure out what the parameters are,” Ms. Stewart-Cousins told reporters. “So we’re discussing it.”“I’m not in a position to really talk about it, other than the fact that clearly it is now being discussed. We’re going to get the language. We’re going to take a look at it,” she added.The deal would put $600 million from New York State, including Seneca Nation dollars, toward the stadium as well as $250 million from Erie County. The rest of the money for the $1.4 billion stadium would come from the Bills and the NFL, with the Bills putting up $350 million. The Bills are reportedly at valued at $2.27 billion as of 2021 and took in $340 million in revenue that year; the NFL’s revenue was $12.2 billion in 2020, down from $15.3 billion in 2019.The deal has drawn the criticism of New York’s GOP leadership, including the party chairman, Nick Langworthy, the Erie County executive, Mark Poloncarz, and Representative Lee Zeldin, who is running for governor.“Kathy Hochul should have taken a stronger negotiating position and driven a harder bargain to successfully keep the Bills in Buffalo without their loyal fans and the rest of the state’s taxpayers having to pay a $850 million public cost,” Mr. Zeldin said in a statement.The deal appears to also be widely unpopular with a broad cross section of New Yorkers, according to a new poll. The funding is unpopular with Democrats, Republicans, and independents as well as conservatives, moderates and liberals.The only group seen to approve of the deal are Buffalonians: 58 percent of the city’s residents are cheering.

Chorus of Boos as Public Financing for Bills Stadium Nears End Zone

Chorus of Boos as Public Financing for Bills Stadium Nears End Zone

More from the New York Sun

Did Eve Arden Live the Life Sylvia Plath Desired?

Washington Slow To Tackle a Brewing Crisis, as America’s Most Powerful Mideast Allies, Turkey and Israel, Lock Horns

Hasan Piker’s Mockery of Charlie Kirk Updates Orwell’s ‘Two Minutes Hate’ for the Podcast Era

WNBA Rejects Draft Bid From Former NBA Players, Calling Intentions a ‘Publicity Stunt’

Roni Ben-Hur’s Stylish Latin Jazz Entente

Finding the Altalena

The Rent Freeze Case Moves to Manhattan

‘60 Is the New 50:’ Rule Change Turns NFL Placekickers Into Long-Distance Bombers

More from the New York Sun

Did Eve Arden Live the Life Sylvia Plath Desired?

Washington Slow To Tackle a Brewing Crisis, as America’s Most Powerful Mideast Allies, Turkey and Israel, Lock Horns

Hasan Piker’s Mockery of Charlie Kirk Updates Orwell’s ‘Two Minutes Hate’ for the Podcast Era

WNBA Rejects Draft Bid From Former NBA Players, Calling Intentions a ‘Publicity Stunt’

Roni Ben-Hur’s Stylish Latin Jazz Entente

Finding the Altalena

The Rent Freeze Case Moves to Manhattan

‘60 Is the New 50:’ Rule Change Turns NFL Placekickers Into Long-Distance Bombers