Does any one remember the bill of goods that was sold to the people of New Orleans concerning the building of the Superdome in order to obtain a professional sports franchise to move to the city? It went some thing like this and came from the mouths of our political, civic and business leaders and yes the Chamber of Commerce also.
The building of the Superdome and obtaining a professional franchise would bring a tremendous amount of increase to the City's sales tax revenue that would allow the city to better serve its citizens and improve city services and etc. Well lets look at the latest sales tax revenue as published in the Times Picayune dated 10/10/10 covering the first quarter of 2005, 06, 07, 08 and 09, a period of five years. Sales tax collections for Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany parish are as follows.
Jefferson $507.2 million
St. Tammany 239.4 million
Orleans 167.3 million
The Dome stadium is located in New Orleans and the Saints play in New Orleans along with the Hornets in the first quarter. The Sugar Bowl is played in the first quarter and of course Mardi Gras falls in the first quarter. We have also had a final four in the first quarter. Yet Jefferson and St. Tammany parish beat our tails off in collecting sales tax revenue by a wide margin.
The Bush recession officially started in December 2007. The Sales tax collections above cited took place 3 years before the recession and also during the recession so don't try to blame it on the recession. Don't try to blame it on Katrina either.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will be a great progressive Mayor for the City of New Orleans and will have to address this sales tax problem. And those who support the notion that the Superdome, Saints, the Sugar Bowl and etc. will greatly add to the city's sales tax collection are wrong. The Saints play 10 days a year in the Superdome and possibly 12 days if they have home field advantage in the playoff. It is obvious our priorities are misplaced as a full time business open for business 365 days a year would produce more sales tax than the Saints or any other professional franchise. Yet Mr. Benson and the owner of the Hornets are given millions of dollars of Corporate Welfare every year when they should be self supporting.
Jefferson Parish and St Tammany Parish should never be able to beat the City of New Orleans like a drum in sales tax collections for any quarter. That says it all.
