SO WANNA A SUPER BOWL, EH?
There is going to be plenty of talk in this town about whether Indianapolis should pursue a Super Bowl bid for 2012. The city tried earlier this year and came close, losing to Dallas. I think a Super Bowl would be good for Indianapolis, but it has to be done under the right circumstances.
First, any effort to raise private funds should accompany the creation a foundation for crime prevention programs. For every $1 raised for a Super Bowl, there should be $.50 raised for a crime prevention foundation. The interest generated could go to fund the city’s many crime prevention programs and efforts.
Also, the problem with this past year’s efforts is that they were done in a backdrop of rising crime and high property taxes. Both are still issues, but with new leadership and a wake up call at the city hall, I feel much more confident that they will get addressed in the right manner.
Third, Indianapolis is a convention city. The city needs conventions to survive and a Super Bowl would clearly demonstrate Indianapolis can handle “the mother of all conventions.”
If done right, a Super Bowl can be good for Indianapolis. However, in the pursuit of the game, city leaders cannot lose sight of what their primary responsibility to the taxpayers.
