Idiot politicians in Oakland nearly lost the Athletics

[Auggie]

Chip Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle / 7-4-14

Oakland's city leaders apparently aren't well versed in the art of the business deal. Once an agreement is reached between two sides, it can't be grabbed by a third party for a do-over.

In an e-mail sent late Wednesday, team owner Lew Wolff laid it out to Oakland leaders in plain and simple language that any idiot could understand. It said, in essence, if Oakland City Hall balks on the lease deal that the A's had worked out with the board that runs O.co Coliseum, the A's had the MLB's authorization to catch the next plane out of town. Now that's hardball.

You'd think Oakland got the message. No such luck. By Thursday evening, only hours after the deal was approved by the Coliseum board, city officials were at it again: Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and Council President Pat Kernighan issued a joint statement urging the team and the MLB to come back to the negotiating table to address the city's "economic and legal concerns." The unwritten message to the A's and the MLB: If we don't get what we want, the City Council won't ratify the contract.

This entire episode is a stunning display of government dysfunction that reveals a lack of coordination and even basic communication among elected officials and city departments and confusion about their roles in service to the public.

FULL OPINION: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/johnson/article/Oakland-leaders-bungling-with-A-s-a-predictable-5599511.php

STORY: How Oakland officials nearly sunk the Coliseum lease deal. http://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/Little-known-rule-nearly-derailed-Oakland-A-s-5599164.php

Whew ... that was close.

[KamaAina]

1. Locking. Chip Johnson is not a credible source for DU.

He's the Oakland version of Faux. He hates Mayor Quan like Faux hates Obama.

[Auggie]

2. I agree with Johnson on this one

[El Supremo]

3. In 1977 the A's almost moved to Denver.

If only!

http://www.sbnation.com/2013/11/4/5064878/oakland-athletics-move-att-park-san-francisco-giants

[JonLP24]

4. I don't blame the politicians

The owner threatened to relocate if the lease wasn't as exactly he proposed. There is a question of what to do w/ the A's because the Raiders are getting a new stadium over the current one which would be demolished but the city actually doesn't own it.

They also don't know how to pay for it when politicians are worried about how to fund schools, infrastructure, emergency services, etc. It is a well known fact that it is a poor economic decision - the economic concerns mentioned are very real taxpayers that have no interest in the A's or baseball (never will use the facilities that will be constructed), transfers massive public wealth into the hands of private interest in a league that builds its profit based on shaking down (leveraging cities).

I see the mayor was all over the place. Politicians would lose jobs if they did but I hate the idea of blaming politicians because the owner made the decision to leave. The multipurpose stadium phase of the 70's was a waste, poor-sight lines so the A's do need a new stadium, I just don't think the city needs to pay for it but they will because the team has the leverage.

[Auggie]

5. This fiasco is over the lack of communication / coordination ...

between the Coliseum board and the Mayor's office / city council. No excuse for that. I don't blame Lew Wolff for being livid.

Oakland is in the proverbial pickle (as you point out) -- everybody needs to be working together, not apart.