Hoo boy what a day. On Sunday, The Buffalo News reported that Kim and Terry Pegula had requested $1.1 billion in funding from New York State for a new stadium in Orchard Park and $400,000 for renovations at KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo. These reported upgrades to the homes of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres were met with disdain from folks around New York and beyond.
Politicians and citizens from all over the state recoiled at taxpayer money going to subsidize a billionaire’s private business and the tone-deaf attitude of asking for 100% financing when teams typically get between 40% and 70% of the building financed.