Pennsylvania voters are dead set against giving taxpayer money to sports team owners to build stadiums. But that apparently hasn't slowed down state politicians, who have approved a plan to subsidize new professional sports facilities.

• In 1997, taxpayers rejected by three-to-one a tax increase to pay for new ballparks for Pennsylvania's pro baseball and football teams.

• But in 1998, Gov. Tom Ridge (R) advanced a plan to give the franchises $300 million or so outright -- prompting outraged taxpayers to swamp newspaper editors with letters.

• Last month, Democrats failed in an attempt to tack the governor's bill onto unrelated legislation.

• So Gov. Ridge, in an attempt to line up Republicans behind his efforts, proposed a $650 million expenditure -- with the extra money earmarked for pet projects of rural GOP legislators.

Despite phone calls running 100-to-1 against the stadium projects, the state legislature has just approved a plan to get the sports teams $330 million -- by calling it a loan.

Analysts report that a slew of think-tank studies have concluded that stadiums actually reduce per-capita income in their locations. Whatever economic good may accrue, it is canceled out by the drag and cost of taxes levied to subsidize them.

Source: Editorial, "End Run," Wall Street Journal, February 16, 1999.