Oakland Leaning on A's, Raiders Fans to Refill Coffers
New tax on parking provokes feud between city and Alameda County
By JACKSON WEST
Updated 1:30 PM PST, Tue, Jul 7, 2009
It's going to cost you $2 more to park at the Coliseum lot the next time the A's are in town thanks to Oakland's decision to implement an overlooked tax.
Back in the '90s, Oakland was granted the right to charge an 18.5 percent tax on parking at the Coliseum, but never bothered to collect.
Now that the city is in the midst of a financial crisis, it wants its cut from the tailgaters.
That means that the A's will start charging more at the gate, which won't make fans happy. Even less happy? Alameda County.
That's because the team is allowed to deduct the cost of the parking tax from their rent, which goes to both the city and county.
In effect, the move by Oakland takes rent money out of Alameda County's pockets.
Oakland officials have to shake the "Brokeland" moniker somehow -- and implementing a parking tax seems less controversial than other options, like becoming "Smokeland" by taxing pot sales.
Photo by Flickr user bk2000.
Jackson West thinks it's a little harsh to tax the two things Oakland's really good at -- tailgating at the Coliseum and smoking weed.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Jul 7, 2009 12:45 PM PST
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