Groups unite to oppose stadium

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A diverse coalition -- including local politicians, black-power militants, homosexual activists and child-welfare advocates -- has emerged to oppose plans for a Major League Baseball stadium in Southeast, as the D.C. Council today begins debating legislation for the "sweetheart" ballpark deal.

A group calling itself No D.C. Taxes for Baseball, made up of more than 20 organizations ranging from the New Black Panther Party to D.C. Action for Children, plans to demonstrate this morning on the steps of the John A. Wilson Building, home of the City Council and the mayor's office.

Among those scheduled to speak against Mayor Anthony A. Williams' plan to publicly finance the entire $435.2 million stadium are D.C. Council members Adrian M. Fenty, Ward 4 Democrat, and David A. Catania, at-large independent, and three Democrats who are likely to join the council in January -- former Mayor Marion S. Barry, Kwame R. Brown and Vincent Gray.

Other groups in the coalition are the Campaign for the D.C. School Budget, the Council of Latino Agencies, D.C. Black Church Initiative, D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, D.C. Library Renaissance Project, the D.C. League of Women Voters, Parents United for the D.C. Public Schools, Save D.C. Parks and Play Spaces, the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless and Wider Opportunities for Women.

Although they represent an array of causes, the groups are united in the belief that the District could better spend taxpayer money on any one of their missions. They also agree that when the Montreal Expos relocate to the District, the team could make RFK Stadium its permanent home.

"This [stadium] goes to the core of what is wrong with government in the District," said Chris Weiss, of Friends of the Earth who helped coordinate today's rally. "We have to focus on what will make the lives better for D.C. residents and not on something that may primarily benefit visitors from Maryland and Virginia."

Meanwhile, Mr. Williams has embarked on a public-relations campaign to sell his ballpark plan to constituents.

"Not one dime of residents' money is going to the stadium," he said when describing the financing deal to reporters last week.

He proposes paying for up to $500 million in stadium bonds with a combination of a 10 percent sales taxes on baseball tickets and stadium concessions, an annual $5.5 million rent payment from the team owners and a gross-receipts tax levied on the city's multimillion-dollar businesses.

A memorandum of understanding between MLB and city officials would cancel the Expos relocation deal if the council fails to authorize the bond issue and the Southeast stadium site by Dec. 31.