The Marlins’ refusal to disclose the organization’s financial position should have been a deal breaker in the public financing request for their stadium but it wasn’t. Now, the outrage over learning the Marlins misled the public is ludicrous. By approving the deal without the Marlins' financial position, our elected officials were complicit in this charade. Shame...shame...shame.

Posted on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010

Outrage simmers over Florida Marlins' stadium deal

By ADAM H. BEASLEY AND CHARLES RABIN

Revelations this week that the Florida Marlins had turned a $37.8 million profit at the same time they were negotiating a sweetheart stadium deal has some elected officials and a local activist charging the team misled the public during the contentious, drawn-out debate.

``[The idea] is horrible and the financing is even worse. And now you see they took us for a ride,'' said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez, who voted against the stadium plan that ultimately secured city and county funding.

As the Marlins made their final push for a retractable-roof stadium in Little Havana in early 2009, team president David Samson framed the issue as a struggle for the franchise's existence.

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