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As I See It

Are Brewers playing hardball?

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I must admit I am a bit confused by plans to address the future of the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin. It started when Governor Evers announced his plan to provide $290 million to the team, in exchange for a promise for the Brewers to remain in Milwaukee through 2043. I wasn’t aware of any threats the Brewers would leave Wisconsin, and I’m not convinced they would. I also wasn’t aware, as a study by the Brewers claims, that the facility needs some $400 million in repairs. The stadium only opened 20 years ago. Can it really need that much work? Assembly Speaker Robin Vos doesn’t think so, essentially calling the Governor’s plan dead on arrival in the Republican-led Legislature. So where do we go from here? The state has the money to help the Brewers, thanks to the huge budget surplus. But is that the best use of the money? To help billionaires pay for what they can already afford amid some extortion attempt? Perhaps there is a way to find common ground. A bipartisan coalition appointed by Governor Evers, which includes La Crosse Loggers owner Dan Kapanke, is being formed to try to work out a deal to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee. Vos’ opposition to the Governor’s plan does not bode well for this committee, but perhaps they can find something that both sides can agree on. It is worth a shot, because right now, the future of the Brewers appears to be in question, and the state appears at a stalemate in trying to keep them here.

Scott Robert Shaw serves as WIZM Program Director and News Director, and delivers the morning news on WKTY, Z-93 and 95.7 The Rock. Scott has been at Mid-West Family La Crosse since 1989, and authors Wisconsin's only daily radio editorial, "As I See It" heard on WIZM each weekday morning and afternoon.

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