Nevada state Sen. Ruben Kihuen is slamming a proposal to build a publicly-funded NFL football stadium in Las Vegas, despite lobbying previously for the construction of a soccer stadium using taxpayer dollars in 2014.
The flip-flop comes shortly after the Culinary Union, which is largely responsible for the Democratic Party’s district ground game, came out against the deal.
“What I am opposed to is asking taxpayers to shoulder $750 million of the cost, especially as a handout to one of the wealthiest people in the world,” he wrote in an op-ed for the Las-Vegas Sun, mirroring the union’s statement on the stadium. “Sheldon Adelson could easily pay for the entire stadium himself; if he wants the profits, he should be expected to bear more of the cost.”
Kihuen is in a tight race against GOP Rep. Cresent Hardy, who is vocal about his disapproval of the way the stadium deal is structured. While both candidates say they are opposed to using taxpayer dollars to build the potential new home for the Raiders, Kihuen strongly advocated for the use of $200 million in federal subsidies just two years earlier.
The state senator argued the soccer stadium would stimulate the economy by creating jobs and attracting tourists to the area, a sharp contrast to his position on the $1.9 billion NFL facility.
“A stadium could also be used as a multipurpose venue for rugby, football, rodeo and concerts. Las Vegas is losing out on millions of dollars each year by not having a modern, state-of-the-art stadium,” he wrote in a press release, adding he believes Americans are gaining interest in the sport. “Our nation’s rapidly changing demographics – especially from waves of immigrants from Latin America – indicate that soccer will only continue to grow in popularity.”
The Nevada Democrat recently completely changed his tune on how stadiums affect local economies.
“As we’ve seen in most other cities, the real impact is a short-term boost in construction jobs, followed by a marginal increase in economic activity and low-wage jobs,” he said. “Case in point: The City of Oakland is still paying debt on the stadium it renovated to lure the Raiders back in the mid-1990s.”
The failed soccer stadium ended up costing the city of Las Vegas a whopping $3.1 million, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
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