Tens of thousands of people are expected to descend upon Glendale,
Arizona for Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, but one of America’s most popular
events has become much more than a simple sports game.
While the main attractions remain the football game, the halftime
show, and the millions of dollars spent on creative commercials,
not everything about the event is as fun to digest as a plate of
fried food and ice-cold beer.
With some 60,000 people packing into the University of Phoenix Stadium and tens of thousands of others visiting the Glendale and Phoenix area, the Super Bowl has become a genuine security concern for the American government. At the same time, serious questions have been raised about everything from the use of taxpayer funds to a potential spike in sex trafficking.
None of these security measures come cheap, however. Although it’s hard to say exactly how much it costs taxpayers to secure the Super Bowl area, it easily requires millions of dollars. According to NJ.com, estimates put the price tag for last year’s event in New Jersey at $36.9 million in taxpayer funds. That money went towards security and transportation, and it’s likely Arizona will pay a hefty price as well.
Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers estimates the city itself will spend $3 million hosting the Super Bowl – cash that won’t be reimbursed by the NFL or offset by the $1 million-plus expected in tax revenues. Proponents of the Super Bowl say the event boosts local economies by packing hotels, restaurants and bars, but these benefits may very well be overstated.
In 2008 – the last time Glendale hosted the big game – the city lost $1.6 million overall.
Frustration with the NFL – listed as a non-profit organization – has resulted in a set of proposals aimed at stripping away that status. A new bill in Congress and the New York State Assembly would remove its non-profit status and subject the organization to more taxes.
Read more: Things you need you know about the Super Bowl that have nothing to do with football — RT USA
While the main attractions remain the football game, the halftime
show, and the millions of dollars spent on creative commercials,
not everything about the event is as fun to digest as a plate of
fried food and ice-cold beer.With some 60,000 people packing into the University of Phoenix Stadium and tens of thousands of others visiting the Glendale and Phoenix area, the Super Bowl has become a genuine security concern for the American government. At the same time, serious questions have been raised about everything from the use of taxpayer funds to a potential spike in sex trafficking.
None of these security measures come cheap, however. Although it’s hard to say exactly how much it costs taxpayers to secure the Super Bowl area, it easily requires millions of dollars. According to NJ.com, estimates put the price tag for last year’s event in New Jersey at $36.9 million in taxpayer funds. That money went towards security and transportation, and it’s likely Arizona will pay a hefty price as well.
Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers estimates the city itself will spend $3 million hosting the Super Bowl – cash that won’t be reimbursed by the NFL or offset by the $1 million-plus expected in tax revenues. Proponents of the Super Bowl say the event boosts local economies by packing hotels, restaurants and bars, but these benefits may very well be overstated.
In 2008 – the last time Glendale hosted the big game – the city lost $1.6 million overall.
Frustration with the NFL – listed as a non-profit organization – has resulted in a set of proposals aimed at stripping away that status. A new bill in Congress and the New York State Assembly would remove its non-profit status and subject the organization to more taxes.
Read more: Things you need you know about the Super Bowl that have nothing to do with football — RT USA
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