DT: Tightwad Fitzgerald offers club legend the final insult

[Gronk]

Look we all knew that the Southern Stand thing was pie-in-the-sky stuff when it was announced in early 2007. Whilst the State Government pledged $6M, the Stadium still had to raise between $9-14M themselves.

With the Stadium struggling to balance the books and the Club's turnover down because of the pokie tax, I for one am not surprised that the Southern Stand aka The Ray Price Stand is strategically being left off press releases simply because it is not a reality at the moment.

AND just before anyone says that we should put pressure on the Government to kick the tin for the whole lot, the recent anti-inflationary spending cuts announced by the Rudd Government will put a huge whole in the NSW Governments bottom line for the next few years.

This is the first installment of about $14 billion in spending cuts to be unveiled in the May budget in an attempt to relieve pressure on inflation and interest rates.

 

[fish eel]

Look we all knew that the Southern Stand thing was pie-in-the-sky stuff when it was announced in early 2007. Whilst the State Government pledged $6M, the Stadium still had to raise between $9-14M themselves.

With the Stadium struggling to balance the books and the Club's turnover down because of the pokie tax, I for one am not surprised that the Southern Stand aka The Ray Price Stand is strategically being left off press releases simply because it is not a reality at the moment.

AND just before anyone says that we should put pressure on the Government to kick the tin for the whole lot, the recent anti-inflationary spending cuts announced by the Rudd Government will put a huge whole in the NSW Governments bottom line for the next few years.

Two points Gronk.

1. The State did announce partial funding for the stadium grandstand yes.

2. Funding cuts by the Commonwealth will not affect NSW bottom line. The funding cuts are federal funding cuts, but these will not include Commonwealth funding to states thorugh the GST agreement. Thats a seperate process to the budgetry process where you are seeing the cuts to funding. It's an existing agreement.

Surely we should be putting the heat on the state to show us the money?

Remember, the $6 million they promised was not just for the Southern Stand, but for TWO stands and upgrades the training and hospitality facilities.