Canadians Don't Want Taxpayer Money Going Toward A Rays Stadium In Montreal: Billboard

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Canadian taxpayers don't want to pay for a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium in Montreal, according to a billboard message near parking lot 2 at Tropicana Field and Interstate 275.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation unveiled the billboard Monday. The message reads: "Dear Rays, Montréal won’t pay for your new stadium. Sincerely, Taxpayers.”

Renaud Brossard, Quebec director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said in a news release that Rays management needs to know they don't have hundreds of millions of bucks lying around to build a stadium for the MLB franchise.

A new ballpark for a team that would split its season between Tampa and Montreal ranks well below fixing roads, supporting hospitals and reducing the tax burden on struggling families, he said.

“The Rays are welcome to play in Montreal, but Quebec taxpayers aren’t going to pay for a new stadium,” Brossard said. “Quebec’s economic recovery is fragile, our health-care system is struggling and this is the most heavily taxed jurisdiction in North America. Quebec taxpayers can’t pay for another stadium for a part-time baseball team.”

A group led by wealthy businessman Stephen Bronfman is in talks with Rays owner Stuart Sternberg to have the team spend half the season based out of Montreal, according to taxpayer.com. Bronfman’s group has registered to lobby the government of Quebec in order to get a subsidy for the project, which includes the construction of a stadium in downtown Montreal, Brossard said.

When polled on the issue, 60 percent of Quebec residents were opposed to subsidizing baseball in Montréal.

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According to the IGM Economic Experts panel of the Chicago Booth School of Business, 83 percent of economists say subsidies to build sports stadiums for professional teams are a poor use of taxpayer money.

Mayor Jane Castor has said the Rays could play in Tampa, although “the days of taxpayers footing the bill for sports stadiums are over. But we are keeping an open mind as we await more information from the Rays," according to the Tampa Bay Times.

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Outgoing St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, whose term as mayor ends in January, has told the Times he doesn't want to pull from other resources to build a stadium in St. Pete. He continues to support the business development plans for Tropicana Field that have stalled.

St. Pete's mayoral candidate Ken Welch said at a recent debate that he was more concerned with bringing jobs to the area than the Rays staying in St. Petersburg, and candidate Robert Blackmon said he feels unsure about whether the Rays should stay or go.

Montreal hasn't had a Major League Baseball team since the Expos played their last game there in 1994.

Why Did The Expos Leave Montreal?

According to ESPN, the Expos left Montreal for a number of reasons: