Columbus Financial Woes

[jack_tors]

Hate to see stories like this but damn does Columbus have some financial problems right now. What a terrible freaking lease agreement. I hope something can be worked out.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-bluejackets-future&prov=ap&type=lgns

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Columbus may have trouble holding on to the NHL’s Blue Jackets because the club has been losing $12 million a year in central Ohio, according to a report released Thursday by a business group.

From my understanding, the CBJ have lost 2 mill a year for the past 6 years for a total of 12 mill, not 12 mill a season.

The team’s owners unsuccessfully asked that the current state budget include a tax increase on beer, wine, liquor and cigarettes in Franklin County to raise $65 million to underwrite a county takeover of the arena.

This part of the story isn't over. I suspect it has no worse than a 50-50 shot to make it in the 2010 budget, depending on the outcome of this year's season and revenue from increased ticket sales.

And yeah, the lease agreement is shit, but that's what you get when the public doesn't want to help out. I'm 100% for the increase in "vice tax", and I say that as a smoker and drinker, I love my CBJ and i'll be crushed if they leave.