Mailbag: Reader claims lack of objectivity on criticism of Youngkin’s Glenn Dome deal

Love your analysis of UVA sports, as you don’t hesitate to criticize (sometimes wrongly, but most of the time rightly) or praise the ‘Hoos and their coaches. Very objective.

Contrast that with your view of Republican Glenn Youngkin. You lack objectivity there, for sure. Do you really think a guy that headed up one of the most successful private equity firms like Carlyle doesn’t know a successful deal when he sees one?

Do you not realize that your point of view is in disagreement with the unions and the Democratic mayor of Alexandria that the amount of tax revenue and the number of jobs that would have been created would have been amazing for the Commonwealth? So, OK, you are anti-job and anti-development – OK, super!

But hey, when Youngkin is gone, Louise Lucas can upgrade her weed shop.

That would be awesome!

You get an A in sports writing D in econ development analysis.

PS: I bought six of your UVA hoops books. They were great Christmas gifts!

Weaver

Thanks for buying the books!

I’d give Weaver a C- in economic development analysis. Grading on the curve – at least he’s trying.

State taxpayers loaning a billionaire $1.5 billion to build an arena that won’t pay out in taxes to the locality or state for years down the road is a bad deal for the state.

It was a great deal, of course, for Ted Leonsis, who, as it turns out, was clearly just playing Youngkin to get a better deal out of DC.

Let those taxpayers, who don’t have much to work with in terms of their tax base, pay that one down over the next 25 years.

Numerous analyses of similar type deals have shown for decades that sports arenas financed by public dollars are losers for localities and states providing the money.

The mayor of Alexandria was, for sure, a public supporter of the bad deal. His City Council was not, which is why Alexandria stepped away from the table.

I’m thinking that the Democratic mayor there may have shot himself in the foot in terms of his ability to continue in politics in the future.

I’m all for welfare spending – Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, TANF, food stamps.

If we’re going to spend money on welfare, it shouldn’t be for billionaires.