To the Point

Publicly Financed Stadiums

The fight over a new football stadium in Los Angeles follows similar battles from St. Louis to Houston in recent years. At issue is how much public effort and cash should go to lure new facilities and franchises downtown. While politicians love the legacy and fans love their teams, critics question whether sports stadiums mean economic renewal or welfare for billionaires. What-s real and what-s rhetoric when developers and mayors say its time to play ball? We ask the former Mayor of New Orleans, a Houston football executive, an economist, a ballpark consultant, and an LA City Councilman whether taxpayers should be cheering or watching their wallets when a stadium comes to town. Matt Miller, syndicated columnist and senior fellow at Occidental College, guest hosts. Newsmaker: Newsmaker: India-s Plans for Limited War The State Department has urged some 60,000 Americans and all but essential American diplomats to leave India because of a rising risk of conflict between that country and Pakistan. Meantime, the Christian Science Monitor reports that India is actively planning a -small war- against terrorists within the Kashmir region. Scott Baldouf, New Delhi bureau chief for the Christian Science Monitor, is in Kashmir. Reporter's Notebook: Management Tips from the FBI Talk of the FBI-s big new reorganization has focused on who-s to blame for intelligence errors and how Director Robert Mueller can weather the political firestorm. But the real job ahead involves a management challenge, which will determine whether all of us are safer in the years ahead. Doug Smith, an expert in the field of organizational change, suggests applying private sector -behavioral modification- to the public institution.