Bill Cunningham, the Great America work on. This is a wonderful Monday afternoon. The Tri State Reds baseball off today, a little bit of our respite until tomorrow Tuesday, Wednesday, business special on Thursday. The Seattle teams in town and the Reds are hotter than the firecracker right now. One to five of the last six they're impregnable. They're unbeatable. And now they have the whole team coming back on Tuesday tomorrows. The life should be a little bit better.
But set things up for the American people. There's a sense, based upon conversations and based upon leeks out of Columbus, that the deal is done. Relative to the Browns getting about six hundred and sixty million dollars the Bengals getting about maybe three hundred million. When I had on Denise tree House, the chair of the Commissioner's Hamley County last week,
she said it's one third, one third, one third. The state gives one third, the Bengals slash NFL gives one third, The taxpayers in Hamley County give one third, one third, one third, one third, and she's cautiously optimistic it's going to pass that one third from the state would be about three hundred million dollars. The whole deal about eight
hundred and fifty eight hundred and sixty million. Of course, the price will go up, and when I speak to the leaders in Columbus, I'm not sure that's the case. There is some apprehension as to whether hard work and schleps like Tony Benner should pay sales tax so multi billionaires can have their play pens that Tony can't afford
to watch games. So as a consequence, I wanted to have more leadership on and I have calls into Governor Mike DeWine and Speak of the House Matt Huffman twice last week scheduled to come on the show with me, but said let's wait a little bit longer. I won't say he canceled. What he wanted to do was wait
about a week or two. So I kind of want to get the insight on what's happening at Columbus with the Bengals from Representative Adam Byrd, who's the Assistant Majority Floor Leader, is one of the four leaders of the House of Representatives. He's at the table when discussions are had about dividing up by the monies. And then also I might add the Carl Linder would like a chunk of so also for some developments next to TQL Stadium. In fact, deer Park High School could use some state money.
I talked to the athletic director at deer Park High School, and since the state's handing in all this money, how about give him a couple million dollars at deer Park High School for the new polo field. But in the meantime, Representative Adam Bird of New Richmond more or less, welcome again to the Bill Cunningham Show. And first of all, Representative, you're at the table. You're the assistant Majority four leader
in the House. And there was reporting last week that the House had approved something in the range of six hundred and sixty million dollars or so in bonds to be paid over thirty years to give to Jimmy Haslam, the owner of the Browns, to move the Cleveland team from northern Tokuyhoker County to southern Cauyhoker County as part
of a multi billion dollar development. So can you generally speak to the issue whether the lawmakers in Columbus are willing to give the Browns the Bengals, TQL Stadium, Carl Linder, and Deer Park High School. Lots of money. What do you say about that?
Hey, No, it's great to be with you today. There's a lot in there. You know, personally, I'm in favor of money for dear Park High School and whatever they need there to keep the Wildcats in option. But you know, as far as the deal that the Ohio House approved last week, that was six hundred million dollars in bonds. But but but remember this bill that that this is a deal where the state is going to make money or be held even And this this deal for for
moving the Browns to Brook Park. That the state's part of that is only one six of a project that is three point six billion in scope. And so the Haslm family, the locals, they're putting off a lot of money here. And so this is a completely different story. In my mind, I'm just one person, but this is this is completely different because the state is going to be held harmless in that and may even make money.
And also don't forget that for the state's section of this part of this, the Haslm family put up fifty million dollars as collateral that will grow in an escrow over the next thirty years, whose value. Its value could be around two hundred million dollars in the next thirty years. So the State of Ohio is holding on to a lot of collateral here. We're only putting up one sixth of the project, and there's no general revenue fund being put into this bill, no general revenue fund being put
into this project. And I say that at the same time that we've given over one hundred million dollars to the State Fair. We've already given money to TQL Stadium, We've already given money to the Columbus Crew. We've already given money to the ATP ten Tennis Center in Mason, We've given money to Intel, We've given money to Andrew, and we give to projects all over the state of Ohio bill. So there's a lot of investment that the State of Ohio has made and will continue to make
because we want Ohio to be a destination state. We want this to be a place that retains our citizens and people want to come here and it's a great place to grow.
So on the Hanslam deal with the Browns, it passed I think by one vote. And when there's some more or less vacant land in southern Cayhoga County that produces little or no money presently. And so from the state's perspective, they look at this undeveloped land in southern Cuyhoga County and they can say, Okay, you're we're going to put up one sixth of the money you're going to put up.
And when all this happens in the next two to three four years, the sales tax from this brand new development that doesn't exist presently would be of such a character that the state's going to actually make money. In addition to that, the states held harmless because of this fifty million in escrow that's going to grow over the next thirty years, maybe the two or three hundred million dollars, in which case the state's going to lose no money. Is that different than the Bengals deal?
Way different? Bill? And remember when you put a dome stadium, and you know the Indianapolis Colts and this dome stadium over there that they have been and gobbling up all of the big things that come to Midwestern United States. And it's time for Ohio to get in this game. And so when this happens, if it happens and we bring the Super Bowl to Ohio, we bring the NFL Draft to Ohio, when you have Monster truck pulls and Taylor Swift concerts and and so we're not talking about
an investment for the Cleveland Browns. We're talking about an investment that that's not just ten games a year. We're talking about fifty to sixty major events throughout the year. And so this is going to present such tax benefit to the state of Ohio that will we'll make money
on this deal. And again, Bill, your reader, your listeners need to know that this is not costing the general revenue one dime, Okay, not one dime, and this is all bond money that we are going to make back and perhaps double what the cost is over the next you know, a couple of decades with the kinds of events that we're going to attract you Ohio.
So right now, there's no deal for the Bengals as we sit here this Monday afternoon, there's no long document that says, okay, the Bengals are great to stay. The county agrees, everything's negotiated, it's done. All we need is one third from the state. Am I correct in making that statement, you.
Are absolutely correct. There is no deal done. And let me tell you something here, Bill, I'm just one guy, okay, but I'm not in favor of a deal for the Bengals until we get a couple of conditions in place. Number One, the least with Hamilton County, in my mind and my way of thinking, needs to be renegotiated because this is among the NFL's worst for taxpayers in all
of America. The Bengals retain all the stadium revenue, all the concessions, all the parking, all the merchandise, They the least that they have mandates, capital improvements, all of the game day expenses are paid by Hamilton County. And guess what, Bill, they named the pay Course Stadium and they're making money off of that when they don't even own the stadium, okay, And so all of the while, the Cincinnati Bengals valuation has grown from like five hundred million back in the
nineties to four to five billion dollars today. And I don't think that's a fair deal at all for them to have every everything leveraged against Hamilton County. So why would the state participate in a deal that is so unfavorable the taxpayers, and many consider the worst in the NFL. That's number one. Number two, if we can get this
renegotiated so it's not so poor for the taxpayers. Number two, Cincinnati Bengals present a deal to the state where the state can make money or at least be held even, and you make those two Again, I'm just one person bill, but those two conditions I think are reasonable for the state of ohiore And.
In the Browns case, this is a thirty year bond. This, as I understand deal, the money from the state needs to come up real soon because they want to redo pay Course stadium and they need the money now to make it look better. Unlike the Browns deal, this deal is we need two hundred and fifty three hundred million dollars now. And the Governor, Mike DeWine. I have a call in to him to come on either Tuesday or Wednesday, But Governor Mike Dwine has said that this is a
low priority. Have you in your meetings with Matt Huffman, the Speaker, and with Mike DeWine, have they expressed concerns about using public money middle class sales tax money to benefit billionaires when it doesn't look as if there's going to be a return other than Joe Burrow winning the Super Bowl, which would be a great I'm all in favor of the Bengals State. I think even though you live in New Richmond, I think you want the Bengals
to stay. But in my correcting, state of the money to Cleveland is paid in such a way the state will actually make money. The money here must be given up front.
Well, you're stating a lot accurate there, Bill. I understand that the Cincinnati Bengals are regional draw and they get people from Kentucky and Indiana and all parts of Southern Ohio that come to And yeah, I want nice things for our area, for Southern Ohio, and I do want it to be a destination and a place for people to go. But as you said, they were wanting general revenue fund dollars up front, Bill, and that's just not
going to happen. We did not spend any of the taxpayer's money on this Cleveland Browns deal, which by the way, hasn't been approved. It's only been through one chamber. It's still got to be approved in the Senate, and the governor still has to sign it. And this does not give any general revenue tax money to the Browns, and I don't believe that we should give any The same thing should be true for the Bengals. We should not be giving hard working taxpayer money for this project unless
a couple of demands are meant. Number one, this is me you can build, but this stadium leaves with Hamilton County gets the worst in the NFL. And why would we throw good money after a bad lease. We have to have that lease renewed, in my mind, and we need a deal where they present a plan to us where the state makes money or is held even, and we're not using taxpayer dollars to do it.
Could you bond the three hundred million dollars the Bengals won over time? Could you much like in the Cleveland deal? And I have a sense I don't know. Maybe the deal will be struck tomorrow, Maybe the Bengals in the county will come together. Here's the deal. It's eight hundred pages long, it's all written. Everybody agrees, contingent upon the state. If all that happens in the next few weeks, June thirtieth is kind of like a cutoff date because for
you in leadership of the House. The two year budget begins July first of twenty twenty five until July first, twenty twenty seven, and so the train's going to leave the station soon plus all out or near that date. The Bengals have to notify the county if they want to extend the least for two more years, in which case under the old lease, which gets worse and worse
and worse. And so if all this comes together in the next two or three weeks in inner page lease understanding passed by the Commission, are you willing to bond that money over the next thirty years like in the Browns deal.
What I would say, Bill is cincinti. Bengals present a plan that shows the state making money or held even, and you're right about the timing. The timing is very short. And I would say that the has one family in the Cleveland Browns have been very proactive in working this for the last year or so, and so now it seems I don't have any proof of this, but it seems like the Bengals are trying to parachute in at
the last second. They have not talked a deal, they have not met any of these things that I have suggested should be in place beforehand. But the time is of essence right now, and the State Senate's considering the budget right now. Over the next month, they'll pass a budget that that changes what the House did, or they'll
late and leave something the same. Then the two chambers will get together and negotiate the differences, and then the governor gets the line item veto and all of that, and then we have to all of that has to be done by the end of June built and so the time is time is running short, and and and
you know, I don't know. The Bengals are used to getting whatever they want with Hamilton County, so I don't I personally don't know that there that Hamilton County is going to be able to be able to negotiate any friendlier terms than than what is right now. That the NFL's worse for taxpayers.
And if that's not a complete redoing of that lease leadership of the House, is am I correct in stating if the status quo is more or less maintained, that dog won't hunt in Columbus.
Well, Bill, I'm just one person, Okay, I'm not talking to anybody else. I'm just one vote out of ninety nine. And and to me, though, I think we recognize I do, I recognize that this lease is not good for the taxpayers, and and so there needs to be a change there in my mind. But again, I'm just one vote. Show us mingles, show us a deal where the state makes
money or held even and and present that. And don't you know if you just come and say, hey, I want and fifty million dollars, I don't think there's going to be any appetite at all at all in the House or the Senate. I suspect Senator Blessing from Hamilton County is going to be opposed to any general revenue dollars for the Bengals as well.
And then the line item veto is kind of a little bit on the weeds. But if the governor can line item veto something out, and the governor's not not keen on any of these deals, it would take a sixty vote in the House and Senate to override the governor's veto. Is that correct?
That is correct, Bill, And I would say that there's probably not a six there's not sixty votes in the House to override the governor's veto. On this particular issue.
Okay, well, let's see what happens. He could do that, now, the governor, he.
Could line item veto that. We'll see what happens. But you know, again, I'm not opposed to nice things for southern Ohio. I would love to see the Bengals be a place that attracts people from all over Central you know, Ohio and Kentucky and Indiana. Sure, and you know we have people who come here all the time for game days. But this, here's another part of the Bengals steel bill that I find particularly offensive, the deal that they hit
with Hamilton County. Hamilton County can't schedule any events there without the Bengals being able to veto anything else. Why why can't Why does an organization that doesn't own the stadium? Why do they get complete veto over the scheduling of any events in a stadium that they don't own.
Well, the landlord normally pays for the ban. The landlord normally calls the tune. Except in this lace, the opposite is true. The Bengals have complete control over a stadium they don't own.
There, you go, all right, Well, at.
Least that's a reality check from Adam Bird, Assistant Majority Floor a leader and lastly, about a minute remaining. New Richmond has recovered magnificently from the flood. Tell me the status of New Richmond this Monday afternoon.
Oh my goodness, Bill, the people have come together. I'm just really again proud of the resilience of my town. And you know, there's so many people at school, kids have come together, Volunteers have come together, and you know, it's a hard working place of people who love the river. And I'm just really proud of the way that they continue to bounce back. And so you and I got to meet and get together at the Front Street Cafe and have a workshop or something.
I love it there and I'm going to come up soon. I didn't want to come this week and I think it was open, but I'm sure things are going to be better on a warm June evening. But stay representative. Adam Bird, you're at the table in the leadership. I think you're bringing reality to these issues and a lot of talking needs to be done and a lot of hurdles have to be overcome in a short period of time.
We'll see what happens. Hope springs eternal and Adam Bird, State Rep. Once again, thank you for coming on the Bill Cunningham Show.
Thank you, Adam, Bill. It's always an honor and I can see it for some you me, Bryson d. Chambeau and Rory Okay, and.
I'll take Rory in that match. Take no, I'll take him because that story with yesterday was unbelievable, how he was gonna win, He's gonna lose, hes gonna win, gonna lose, then he's gonna win, and it was dramatic television. But to Adam Bird, thank you very much and God bless you. Thank you very much. All Right, let's continue with more if a line becomes available five one, three, seven, four, nine, seven thousand, that, my fellow Americans, is a dose of reality on seven hundred WULW