With the nation's second largest city, Los Angeles, begging the NFL for a professional football, to moving trucks are practically circling around St. Louis like hungry vultures. It's no secret that the city needs a new stadium to replace Edward Jones Dome to keep the Rams from bolting for Southern California. Now, as the drama unfolds regarding a proposed billion dollar stadium deal, one St. Louis politician has publicly claimed corruption in the process to keep the Rams in town.
In December, Megan Ellyia Green, Alderwoman for the 15th Ward for the City of St. Louis, contacted the local FBI office reporting a bribery attempt of a family member offering political favors in exchange for her vote on the financial package for the proposed stadium. "I am hardly to only Alderperson on this Board who has received promises of financial (or) political gifts from a party invested in the success of this stadium deal," said Green in a press release posted in full on her Twitter page, @MeganEllyia. "This sort of behavior is indicative of a larger problem in St. Louis politics. Unfortunately, it's commonplace."
The St. Louis FBI has not confirmed the receipt of Green's complaint, and the local U.S. Attorney General says they did not receive a complaint from Green at all. However, Schron Jackson, a spokesperson for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, did confirm receipt of Green's allegations. "Our officers along with the FBI interviewed Alderwoman Green relative to said allegations, and determined that there was nothing actionable," Schron said.
The financial package at the heart of the controversy would require close to $400 million in public funding, a goal the City of St. Louis appear unlikely to reach. According to a story published December 12 on NBCSports' Pro Football Blog, even if the financial plan is approved it is expected to fall short of the $400 by close to $100 million.
What do you think? Should the taxpayers of St. Louis provide the $300 million necessary to keep the Rams or should they move back to Los Angeles?
