Topic: Senate probes COVID funds to use for MU baseball stadium

[parshall2marshall]

Eric Tarr makes disparaging remarks about Marshall on occasion.

Tarr and feather him.

[beau42m]

The baseball field might be the only thing to come out positive from Corona.  The more info that comes out about Covid the worse the corruption is.  I can say that I never liked government but now I have lost all faith and trust. 

WVU has received so much money over the years that this is just a drop in the bucket.

So? we are talking about the current alleged mis-use of federal Covid relief funds by Governor Jim Justice and his administration. We will see. I hope an ethics probe on Justice is opened on this, as was suggested might happen by Marshall Mark.

[banker]

You need to team up with Nick Freidlin, Hessler and the other losers at the HD and write daily letters about how it's a waste of time and money. Do you get out of mommies basement much?

That?s a little harsh just because he has a different view, which I happen to share.  Spending money on baseball is a loser for Marshall. Due to the timing of the college season, we will never be able to compete with southern teams in the sport. Talent will go where the don?t have to practice and play in winter weather or play the first half of the season on the road due to snow.  Not our sport, never will be.

[whf]

That?s a little harsh just because he has a different view, which I happen to share.  Spending money on baseball is a loser for Marshall. Due to the timing of the college season, we will never be able to compete with southern teams in the sport. Talent will go where the don?t have to practice and play in winter weather or play the first half of the season on the road due to snow.  Not our sport, never will be.

We  a special kind of indoor facility, there is no reason that great preparation can not take place; and for us to have a winning baseball program.  They play baseball in the Big 10, schools much farther north than us, and the MAC, etc. 

We can have a good program if we want one and are willing to invest, players will come, pros play in similar weather all over the country for their early part of their season.

[ru4mu2]

As are many in our state of 1.8 million. I'm sure this is just starting for Jim Justice and the future of the proposed baseball stadium at Marshall. Also, I can't believe that there was not more oversight on the BOG's previous purchase of the 24rd St property for the stadium for millions of taxpayer dollars. Later, it was discovered that the property was contaminated with old chemicals, and thus the cleanup cost would have been too great. Also, next time you initiate alcohol sales in a taxpayer funded school arena at Marshall, please perform due diligence about the legal ramifications regarding the structural safety measures present or absent at said arena. I'm a taxpayer and now I can't attend a game at this arena due to decreased capacity related to what should have been an easily corrected safety measure.

Sure you can attend a basketball game.  Let me know, I'll give you a ticket.  There are plenty available if one WANTS to go. 

[svherd]

That?s a little harsh just because he has a different view, which I happen to share.  Spending money on baseball is a loser for Marshall. Due to the timing of the college season, we will never be able to compete with southern teams in the sport. Talent will go where the don?t have to practice and play in winter weather or play the first half of the season on the road due to snow.  Not our sport, never will be.

The dude is a jerk. His posts are never constructive. Marshall can have a solid program with the right resources. Or JJ could have given the money to Steve Williams who would have spent it on opening up more drug houses.

[GreenDaddy]

This state has given so much money to WVU it isn't even funny. Isn't there a state soda tax that directly funds WVU to the tune of something like $14 million a year? I hope this doesn't delay our stadium completion date.

I don't like baseball, and never could get into it as a kid. It just seems to slow of a sport for me. However, it is pretty huge across the country and even locally to an extent. There is enough talent within 3-4 hours of Huntington to build a pretty solid roster. Not to mention baseball is highly competitive in the SBC. It's not out of the realm of possibility to say that we can actually win a national title with the proper facilities in place, similar to what soccer has done.

[MidlandKnight]

I realize most on here know what goes on in this state, but for those short sighted folks who need reminded, exhibit A.

https://ballparkdigest.com/201304186209/at-the-ballpark/future-ballparks/west-virginia-legislature-approves-morgantown-tif-funding

The primary difference between the two is tax dollars came from the State to support this  and the Legislature got the glory, while the other came from the Feds and the Governor got the glory.

And as Herdmeister said, the Senate's review of this will have no effect on the funding for the baseball stadium (sorry to disappoint you little beau). This is about the Senate trying to get more control over the say in how the Governors spends money and Tarr's personal agenda against Justice.

[pembrook burrows III]

Correct, the important distinction with the Marshall donation is that these are federal COVID dollars and not State dollars. There is not much more the Legislature can do about this other than impeach Justice, and that ain't gonna happen.

Justice claims he could use these federal dollars to reimburse the State for COVID expenses already incurred in the WV Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation. That is probably correct. But rather than sending the dollars directly to the WV Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation, he sent them to his gubernatorial slush fund account, where they remain less his $10 million gift to Marshall. Counsel for Justice says this was all legal based on advice received from the accounting/consulting firm BDO.

Senator Tarr says his Finance Committee will send a letter to the U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General requesting a review of Justice's handling of these COVID funds. Effectively, this will be in the feds hands now. I guess theoretically the U.S. Treasury could require the State of WV to repay these COVID funds at some point in the future if (and I say IF) they are determined to have been mishandled by Justice, but I doubt that would stop the ballpark project. Or we may never hear another word about this.

[Buffalo Bop]

If this money was going to WVU you wouldn't hear a peep.

Screw Tarr and screw WVU.