Another sports welfare gambit plaguing Ohio

With the new year comes another effort by certain Ohio lawmakers to revive an old fan favorite, typically loathed by taxpayers. The Cleveland Browns, sitting ad dead last in the AFC North even as we write this, apparently want you to fund a new stadium for them.

Ohio lawmakers will consider whether to provide financial help for a Cleveland Browns stadium this year — perhaps through the state’s new two-year budget plan…

While team representatives have been talking to lawmakers about getting the state to cover $600 million of the $2.4 billion cost of a new, domed stadium in suburban Brook Park, no final proposal has been worked out so far, according to new Senate President Rob McColley.

Apparently, at least one Ohio Republican wants to shut this down, which seems fair enough.

First of all, until Cleveland develops into a team that more people want to watch play, in-person, this will always amount to throwing good money after bad.

Second, there are a lot of people hurting in Ohio right now, and the state could do with continuing to try to attract more business and investment here. Raiding taxpayers to pay for football stadiums sure doesn’t look like that.

Third, this really benefits the Haslams more than anyone else. Accordingly, they should be paying for it. And not just all but $600 million of it.

But again, did we mention the need to build a halfway decent team first?