This week the News’ Juan Gonzalez reported that over the past several years the Yankees have overstated their expenses by more than $24 million as a way of underpaying rent to the city. Gonzalez reported in the same column that since 2001 the city has forgiven the Yankees $5 million a year off its annual rent to pay for planning costs on its new baseball palace across 161st Street from the old one. When caught, the Yankees agreed to pay up in full, making it sound practically heroic.
It was also in the Times this week that the cost to the city on infrastructure for both new New York City ballparks – parks, garages, road improvements, commuter rail stations – has jumped by $458 million over time. In addition, the Times reminded us that the two teams, combined, are getting nearly half-a-billion in city, state and federal tax breaks.
