ICYMI: AFP-IL Urges Arlington Heights to Reconsider Taxpayer-funded Chicago Bears Stadium

Sep 14, 2022 by AFP

CHICAGO, IL — Americans for Prosperity-Illinois (AFP-IL) continues to petition the Village of Arlington Heights to reject a taxpayer-funded Bears Stadium. From commissioning a poll that showed 68% of Arlington Heights voters disapprove of supporting the project with taxpayer dollars, to numerous op-eds, to gathering petition signatures to propose a new ordinance, AFP-IL has been standing up for Arlington Heights taxpayers by urging the Village to reject corporate welfare.

Next week, Deputy State Director Brian Costin will formally present AFP-IL’s proposed anti-corporate welfare ordinance at the Village of Arlington Heights board meeting.

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Chicago Sun-Times: Stadium subsidies are a horrifically bad deal for taxpayers

“Corporate welfare is a curse, not a blessing, and Arlington Heights residents need to be wary of unrealistic economic claims to justify taxpayer subsidies for a new stadium for the Chicago Bears.

“While such deals are almost always billed as a “transformational opportunity” for communities, the evidence suggests a more depressing reality.

“Over and over, stadium deals have turned sour for local taxpayers.”

Chicago Sun-Times: Advocacy group aims to block any taxpayer-funded subsidies to bring Bears to Arlington Heights

“Brian Costin, deputy director of the Illinois chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political advocacy group, tells Sneed he plans to present an anti-corporate welfare ordinance to the Arlington Heights Village Board at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“The ordinance would be aimed at preventing taxpayer-funded subsidies such as tax increment financing ‘from being used to lure the Chicago-based Bears to the suburbs.’”

Chicago Tribune: An Arlington Heights poll says yes to the Bears, no to subsidizing them. The Bears should listen.

“…A recent poll suggests that residents of Arlington Heights relish the idea of the Bears coming to town. The survey, carried out by a libertarian-minded group called Americans for Prosperity-Illinois, found that 72% of respondents backed the Bears’ bid to build a stadium at the site of the racetrack…”

Chicago Sun-Times: Arlington Heights residents want the Bears — but they don’t want to foot the bill, poll finds

“The poll, commissioned by the Illinois chapter of Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a conservative political advocacy group, found Arlington Heights voters overwhelmingly support a new Bears stadium — but strongly reject any taxpayer financing of the project.

“‘Our organization supports the Chicago Bears moving to Arlington Heights,’ said Brian Costin, head of the Illinois chapter of the advocacy group, which promotes lower taxes and smaller government.”

WGN Radio: Americans for Prosperity: ‘The Bears are looking for a beggars handout’

“Brian Costin, Deputy State Director, Americans for Prosperity Illinois, joins John Williams to talk about the Bears plans for a new stadium in Arlington Heights and why he believes it’s imperative that no taxpayer money is used to finance the project”

Daily Herald: With petitions in hand, conservative group’s leader decries possible public handouts to the Bears

“With a petition of more than 650 signatures in hand, Brian Costin came to this week’s Arlington Heights village board meeting to oppose any suggestion of what he calls corporate welfare that could be part of the Chicago Bears’ proposed redevelopment of Arlington Park.

Costin, the deputy state director of the conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, on Tuesday night turned in pages of signatures to Village Clerk Becky Hume in his bid for a village ordinance that would ban any public giveaways to any business — including the Bears — to operate in town.

“Costin’s petition — containing signatures of a little more than 1% of registered voters in town — requires the board to consider his group’s proposed ordinance at the next village board meeting Monday, Sept. 19, under an antiquated and rarely, if ever, used section of the municipal code.”

Center Square: As the Chicago Bears prepare to present stadium plans, opposition growing over taxpayer funding

“Over and over again we’ve seen stadium deals and corporate welfare projects turn sour for taxpayers across Illinois,” Costin told the village board.

Chicago Tribune: Chicago Bears promise ‘first-class experience’ for fans during stadium meeting in Arlington Heights

“Julian Aguilar was outside the meeting working the line on behalf of Americans for Prosperity, a libertarian political advocacy group that’s organizing a petition to bar public money from going to any business entity looking to set up in Arlington Heights – including the Bears…’There’s a lot of people who think we don’t want the Chicago Bears here,’ he said. ‘Our big thing is just to make sure we protect Arlington Heights taxpayer dollars.’…”