The Yankees baseball team will not have to produce more financial documents subpoenaed by the New York State Legislature, according to a Albany, New York State Supreme Court Judge John C. Egan Jr.’s ruling (Richard Sandomir "Yanks Don’t Need To Give More Stadium Documents" New York Times July 31, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/sports/baseball/31stadium.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=Egan+Brodsky&st=cse)
Assemblyman Richard Brodsky is investigating the taxpayer financing of the new Yankee Stadium. Judge Egan suggested that the focus of the inquiry should be New York City’s government which granted the funds rather than the Yankees.
I cannot say whether the judge is right or wrong about that question.
However, the entire question should be academic as taxpayer financing of sports teams or other business should be prohibited.
In fact, it is prohibited by the New York State Constitution but the Governor, legislature and municipalities ignore its provisions. See http://groundreport.com/articles.php?id=2890386 "Stop The Pork Lawsuit Butchered In Supreme Court". I am a plaintiff in this lawsuit.
As a libertarian I regard this taxpayer financing of the Yankees, the Mets, the Nets basketball team and others around the state as legalized theft. We libertarians reject corporate welfare in general and sports welfare in particular. I say "Let’s separate sports and state." -30-
Atlantic Yards Eminent Domain Abuse Scheme Confronts Reality http://groundreport.com/articles.php?id=2857809