More Squabbling For Jets Stadium

Cablevision, which owns Madison Square Garden, is trying to put up a road block to keep the city of New York from contributing to a proposed stadium for the Jets, and has asked the City Council to pass a law to make sure it doesn’t happen.

Cablevision believes the 75,000-seat, $1.4 billion project will compete with the Garden and has already funded an ad campaign condemning the city’s financing of the football stadium. This time, the cable company wants a law that will require the City Council’s approval before New York can spend an annual tax fund of about $46.6 million, according to The New York Times.

The law would make it difficult for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office to add the proposed $300 million of tax revenue to the stadium cost, the paper said.

Some city council members could be amenable to Cablevision’s lobbying efforts because they were reportedly upset Bloomberg’s office didn’t include the council nor the city’s budget process before announcing the contribution.

Bloomberg spokesman Ed Skyler chastised the Cablevision effort, pointing out that the Garden gets a property tax break, amounting to $11 million this year.

“Why don’t the lying monopolists – who ironically get an $11 million tax break – seek a law making them the only company that is allowed to have sports teams and facilities in the city?” Skyler told the Times.

“That way, they can raise ticket prices even higher, kick the Mets and the Yankees off the air any time they want and continue to charge the highest cable rates in the country without the petty nuisance of competition.”

City Councilwoman Christine Quinn took the side of the cable company, saying it was valid for Cablevision to question whether the mayor’s office could shift funds slated for other projects.

The stadium would be the cornerstone of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games if New York City is chosen to host the event.