We, residents of the City of Orlando, Orange County and the Greater Orlando Area, are united to oppose the spending of over $1.1 BILLION of taxpayer money on the venues proposed by the Orlando City Council, Mayor Buddy Dyer and tycoon Rich DeVos. The approval of such a measure suggests that local officials and business leaders are continuing to ignore the root problems that face our growing community (increased crime, skyrocketing murder rates, worsening education, hostile law enforcement practices, spikes in homelessness and poverty) in favor of those who are already well off. It would only cost Rich DeVos a fraction of his enormous $3.4 BILLON personal fortune to finance the building of his pyramids.

Various consultants have been hired to sell local politicians on the belief that the venues will generate revenue almost immediately (other than the public arts center, which we support). If DeVos and other business leaders truly believe this, shouldn't they be gambling with their own money instead of burdening us–their poorer neighbors and working families–with their risk? Our local government should not be in the business of venture capitalism or giving handouts to the wealthy elite. It is wrong to socialize the costs and risks of capital improvements for businesses, such as building a new arena for the Orlando Magic, while the private owner pockets the profits.

Here, local government is giving away what is rightfully ours, saying what is "good for the goose, is good for the gander." But here in Orlando, what's good for the goose is good for the goose...and his friends; business developers, contractors and politicians seeking re-election–-the usual suspects. We, the gander, are being used to cover the costs of building and operating a playground for the rich. If the venues are not refused, the City of Orlando will be presenting millionaires and billionaires with a gift that keeps on giving and as they get free tickets to bring their friends and families to a catered skybox with an open bar, you'll still be paying $60 for a nosebleed seat and $7 a beer.

Instead of giving welfare checks to the rich, the City of Orlando and Orange County should be focusing on providing public services that improve the quality of life for the whole of their constituents. If Buddy Dyer and Rich Crotty really want to invest, we have come up with plenty alternatives for them:

• Creating free and low cost housing would help the plight of the poor and homeless who have been under attack by Buddy Dyer and the current Orlando Government.
• Investing in public transportation, e.g., a more intricate bus system (increasing routes, number of busses and hours of operation), light and high-speed rail, a fully-operational metro system. (Not only would this create jobs, but it would keep us safe and generate revenue that could be invested in even greater public ventures.)
• Spending money on sustainable energy, such as bio-fuel and alternative energy sources to improve our ecological efficacy, the health of our environment and create a spectrum of jobs, not just low paying jobs that the venues are "offering" the Parramore community.
• Buying the Orlando Magic, retaining municipal ownership of the arena and building the arts center from the revenue we generate. Each public property. (The current value of the Magic is $237 MILLION, which is only a fraction of what we'd be spending on the venues. If the residents of Orlando held ownership of the team, it could be a cash cow which would afford services to address the real social needs which have been put on the back burner. Instead of wasting money to support DeVos, we'd have a shot at earning more than DeVos to invest in such things as schools, hospitals, buying private lands to build public parks and community gardens, helping those who are down to get back on their feet, free ice cream days, etc.)

You get the picture. Building over Parramore with our resources isnít going to be good for Orlando or Parramore, itís taking whatís ours and giving it to those who donít need it. Orlandoís residents are funding the well being of the well off when we should be working to invest in and actually improve our community. There hasn't been a referendum election proposed for the venues because our leaders are afraid of us giving us what we want; a say in our community. And why should they listen to us! The problem is that what we, ordinary tax-paying, hard-working citizens, want isn't what's good for the few self-interested individuals pushing the venues, but what's good for our community as a whole.

We demand the City of Orlando give us what we want–a referendum election that would let us democratically express our will on the building of the venues. If we take the opportunity, the power we share can shine through the lies being sold to Central Floridians, prevent the destruction of Parramore and START to focus on the real issues at hand. Much of the public is already on board, now we're just waiting on our leaders to follow suit.