Junket by any other name still a waste

Apart from the fact that Youngstown's government doesn't have the money to pay for junkets, the recent trip to Hidalgo, Texas, by two members of city council and a Democratic nominee for council (who paid his own way) doesn't make a lot of sense. The reason for the visit, according to Councilman Artis Gillam Sr., D-1st, was to get a first-hand look at the Rio Grande Valley Events Center, which is scheduled to open in October.
There's just one problem: If Gillam, James E. Fortune Sr., D-6th, and Mark S. Memmer, who won the Democratic nomination for the 7th Ward seat in the May primary, are of the opinion that Youngstown should explore the possibility of building a facility of similar size, there already is one in Youngstown -- in the downtown area, no less.
It's called the Beeghly Physical Education Center at Youngstown State University. It was built with private and public dollars, and in May 2002, the facility underwent more than $2.5 million in renovations. It has new front and rear lobbies, new hallways and locker rooms. A $150,000 sound system was added to the arena.
Beeghly is home to the YSU men's and women's basketball programs and women's volleyball, but it also accommodates intercollegiate basketball and volleyball contests, other university events and serves high school competitions, World Wrestling Entertainment matches, concerts, trade shows and numerous other functions.
The Beeghly complex boasts an Olympic-size swimming and diving facility, racquetball and squash courts, classrooms and administrative offices.
Recreation center
That's why another 5,000- to 6,000-seat facility in downtown Youngstown doesn't make sense. As for the argument that scheduling would be a problem for the kinds of activities being envisioned for the proposed Youngstown arena, YSU is scheduled to begin construction next year on a $12 million recreation center that would lighten the scheduling load at Beeghly.
In other words, a city of 80,000 -- and declining -- needs another 5,000-seat arena like it needs another crooked member of Congress.
Why, then, are Youngstown officials now considering a facility of that size when the talk -- ever since former Congressman-turned-federal jailbird James A. Traficant Jr. secured a $26.8 million federal grant for a convocation/community center -- has centered on an 8,000- to 10,000-seat facility that could accommodate minor league hockey and arena football? Because the city can't find a private developer who is willing to match the public dollars to meet the $50 million price. Put another way: A big arena in Youngstown, Ohio, is a pipe dream.
So the next best thing, in the minds of some city officials, is to spend the $25 million that's left from the $26.8 million -- the mayor and council have already purchased the site for $1.5 million -- on a scaled-down version. That way, they don't have to listen to private developers telling them the project will be a loser.
To his credit, Mayor George M. Mc-Kelvey has consistently argued that sports arenas don't make money, and that even if a facility were built entirely with taxpayer dollars, it still would not generate enough revenue to meet the operation and maintenance costs.
But you can hear it now, from the members of council who visited Hidalgo: If they can do it, so can we.
International Bridge
No we can't. Youngstown isn't Hidalgo. They might have some things in common, such as a main bridges linking them to other communities, but consider this: The town of Hidalgo, with a population of 5,563, sits on the banks of the Rio Grande River separating Texas from Mexico, and the International Bridge linking the United States and Mexico has a daily southbound traffic count of more than 30,000 vehicles and pedestrians.
In other words, Hidalgo has a concentration of people that Youngstown does not have.
Yet, the push continues for an arena to be built on a site between the Market Street and South Avenue bridges. No one in city hall is taking credit for negotiating the deal and it seems the $1.5 million price was pulled out of the air.
The purchase -- without formal appraisals -- is certainly an issue the federal government may want to investigate. But once the city used the grant to buy the land, it locked itself in. If it doe snot build on the site, the federal government will have to be reimbursed.
That's why the arena project is being pursued, even though it will be a drain on the general fund for years to come -- unless a private developer agrees to take full financial responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the facility.