Urging Project Marvel opponents to “accept the reality” of the downtown arena overlooks a key issue: transparency.

While the November ballot focused on $311 million in hotel taxes for the arena, the post-election reality includes roughly $800 million in city subsidies for the Project Marvel entertainment district, including property-tax-backed debt for infrastructure and land acquisition that voters never directly approved.

City Hall provided very limited public engagement, relying largely on midday, midweek downtown City Council sessions while dismissing independent analysis and viable alternatives (admission ticket fees that could reduce taxpayer exposure).

San Antonio’s public contribution remains significantly higher than other recent arena projects, a concern given our budget deficit and dependence on tourism revenue.

The City Council promised no property tax impact and now proposes hundreds of millions in related spending. City residents deserve a voice. San Antonio can support its home team while demanding a fairer, more transparent process.

One point that I make repeatedly is that the city did not receive a mandate from the electorate on the Project Marvel November 2025 vote.

Municipalities like Alamo Heights, Olmos Park and Terrel Hills voted for Prop B in overwhelming majorities. Yet those municipalities are not on the hook for the $489 million contribution, the $250 million infrastructure costs and the generational debt this will incur for San Antonio residents.

Do you begin to see the economic divide?

The Spurs owners who are billionaires have plenty of money to pay for their own arena, while the city sits on a budget deficit looking to cut services for many of us who can’t afford a Spurs ticket.

Let the Spurs pay for it all.

About two weeks ago while shopping at H-E-B in Leon Springs, I asked where the Spurs merchandise was located.

I was told there was none, they didn’t carry it, and probably none of the H-E-B stores in the San Antonio area would have it.

I’m very disappointed that the Spurs are not represented at H-E-B, one of the largest grocery store chains in the country, headquartered in San Antonio, home of the Spurs, one of the greatest basketball teams in the USA.