Six weeks after their season ended, one game short of the Super Bowl, Woody Johnson‘s New York Jets appear close to yet another victory.
The team is in good shape to pocket a $200,000 grant from cash-strapped New York to pay for the expenses associated with holding its summer training camp in Cortland, NY.
Last August, the Jets moved their team headquarters from their 40-year home at Hofstra University to New Jersey — and took with them all the income-tax revenue, home-rental income and associated economic benefit that New York had enjoyed across the river.
Despite that, several influential politicians, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, feel the team is more than welcome to the $200,000 in taxpayer funds — citing the $4.26 million pumped into the local Cortland economy by the 34,000 fans attending the camp. The Jets and SUNY Cortland are negotiating a multi-year deal and are expected to meet again soon –and the grant is a nice carrot to dangle in front of the team.
Schumer said the $200,000 is well worth it — as it produced quite a financial return.
You certainly can’t argue with that logic — but you would think the billionaire businessman Johnson would be able to find a pile of cash from private sources, perhaps from the local Chamber of Commerce whose members stand to profit the most from the move, and would not have to tap public coffers to offset costs he voluntarily took on.
Especially when a lack of state aid may force Mayor Bloomberg to cut the ranks of cops, firefighters and teachers.