June 11 Editorial
In one of the more sane days the editorial staff has had in some time, one thing stood out that I would like to discuss. In one of the editorials today, entitled "Public-private: Legislative meddling is last thing needed" (Imagine that! Another let the market decide tuned column!) the writers discuss the situation of private schools and their classifications (and possible re-classifications) in Oklahoma High School sports.
A statement in the article stood out, showing once again how the Oklahoman Editors know so damn little about so damn much. They write "...Apparently some of our state lawmakers are bi
tten with the same bug that has infected members of Congress, who believe it’s their duty to deal with such issues as ...the use of performance enhancers by major league baseball players."
Two things guys. One, all Major League baseball teams receive massive subsidies from the tax-payers. Some accountability therefore is needed, and from the representatives of the people and not the representatives of the millionaire owners and players. Also, Major League Baseball is exempt from anti-trust laws. That is a pretty good deal for these guys, and ensures them massive profits as you can't just start up a team and work your way up the ranks as is the case in European soccer leagues (where they use a system of relegation and promotion based on how well you do, for example if a similar system were in play here, and the Redhawks won their AAA division, they'd be an MLB team next year, and if say the Mariners came in last, they'd be AAA next year).
Given these great deals they get from tax-payers and from lawmakers, anyone with a functioning brain should be able to deduct that some accountability should be offered up. And not another one of those fantastic "Hey we will just watch over these things ourselves!" like the banksters got with securitization.
I understand that the editors would never want to say anything to offend the fancy MLB guys, regardless of the disgracefully unfair advantages they have in running their businesses. Heaven forbid one day we have a chance at a franchise and an owner might look back at an old editorial where controversial things like facts and history were discussed and throw a Lou Pinella style tantrum all over the place.
Oh, and how this relates to state lawmakers and the situation discussed in the editorial... I think I will just sit back and see how it all plays out.
A statement in the article stood out, showing once again how the Oklahoman Editors know so damn little about so damn much. They write "...Apparently some of our state lawmakers are bi
tten with the same bug that has infected members of Congress, who believe it’s their duty to deal with such issues as ...the use of performance enhancers by major league baseball players."Two things guys. One, all Major League baseball teams receive massive subsidies from the tax-payers. Some accountability therefore is needed, and from the representatives of the people and not the representatives of the millionaire owners and players. Also, Major League Baseball is exempt from anti-trust laws. That is a pretty good deal for these guys, and ensures them massive profits as you can't just start up a team and work your way up the ranks as is the case in European soccer leagues (where they use a system of relegation and promotion based on how well you do, for example if a similar system were in play here, and the Redhawks won their AAA division, they'd be an MLB team next year, and if say the Mariners came in last, they'd be AAA next year).
Given these great deals they get from tax-payers and from lawmakers, anyone with a functioning brain should be able to deduct that some accountability should be offered up. And not another one of those fantastic "Hey we will just watch over these things ourselves!" like the banksters got with securitization.
I understand that the editors would never want to say anything to offend the fancy MLB guys, regardless of the disgracefully unfair advantages they have in running their businesses. Heaven forbid one day we have a chance at a franchise and an owner might look back at an old editorial where controversial things like facts and history were discussed and throw a Lou Pinella style tantrum all over the place.
Oh, and how this relates to state lawmakers and the situation discussed in the editorial... I think I will just sit back and see how it all plays out.
David Cay Johnson discussing this kind of stuff:
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