Hartford Stadium Deal Gives Tickets to City Employees. Hey Shawn, What About the Kids?

Hartford city government’s misbegotten contract to build a require taxpayers to build a $60 million stadium for Boston real estate developers includes a provision giving tickets to city employees, but nothing for city families and their children. The proposed agreement, negotiated in secret, provides for “City Employee Night” twice during each season. Hartford’s grabby leaders will receive up to 250 tickets per event.

Many city employees do not live in Hartford and will not be burdened with the cost of paying for the stadium. They will, however, have a chance to receive free tickets. Residents who live in the city but don’t work for it are not provided a similar privilege in the deal. Their obligation is to pay the $60 million in debt the city will assume to finance the bauble by the highways.

The head of the city council, Shawn Wooden, supports the proposal and faces Democratic primary voters on August 12th. They may want to ask Wooden why there are no tickets for them. Incumbent state Senator Eric Coleman has expressed his opposition to the expensive deal.