Brewers don’t need more taxpayer help

Today, Governor Tony Evers will unveil his proposed two-year state budget. Like most budgets, there is some good and some bad. Evers proposes cutting taxes, particularly for the low and middle class, and providing more state funding for public education. He also wants to give more money to cities and counties to help reduce their reliance on the property tax. Those sound like good ideas. But although Evers seeks focused on helping those who need it most, he also wants to give a bunch of money to a handful of billionaires. Evers is proposing spending almost $300 million of the state surplus on the Milwaukee Brewers. The money, $290 million, would go toward repairs of American Family Field. I’ve been to AmFam many times, and it hardly looks to be falling apart. The money Evers is proposing spending is almost as much as it cost to build the whole stadium barely 20 years ago. The Brewers don’t exactly need the money. The franchise is valued at more than $1billion. Taxpayers already foot the bill for much of the stadium’s construction costs and shouldn’t be on the hook for more. Wouldn’t that $300 million be better used by giving it back to taxpayers? Evers should stick to his pledge to help the average taxpayer, not give away a bunch of our money to billionaires.