Hail No to a New Stadium at RFK - Add Your Name Below

Read my August 1, 2023 op-ed in the Washington Post.

If you believe the 190 acres of RFK's campus could be more than the next NFL stadium, say #HailNo and sign this petition below:

"As a DC resident, I am against a deal that gives away a single square foot of land or a single District tax dollar to build a new stadium.

  • I believe the 190 acres alongside the Anacostia River could be so much more than oceans of asphalt for surface parking and a 60,000 seat stadium.

  • On average, most NFL stadiums only hold 10 to 20 events annually outside of eight NFL home games, meaning the stadium sits empty more than 300 days a year. An enormous space that sits empty doesn’t spur economic growth or create meaingful jobs and doesn’t help the surrounding community.

  • Make no mistake - people drive to NFL games and they're going to park somewhere, regardless of how much is available. At San Francisco's new stadium, they had to rent out all of the parking lots at a nearby amusement park. Where do you think people will park around RFK if there isn't enough parking for fans?

  • Nationwide, since 1997 we've seen the NFL pit communities against each other while collecting more than $6.7 billion dollars from taxpayers to build stadiums for privately-owned teams. Overall, local taxpayers end up footing around half the bill for a new NFL stadium.  

  • The costs of these projects are always higher than estimated. The five most recent newly-constructed NFL stadiums have surpassed more than $1 billion dollars each!

  • As a DC resident, I don't want to see DC hoodwinked into paying for a billionaire's stadium. The District needs our tax dollars to create new housing at all levels, support local DC entrepreneurs who run small and local business, take urgent steps forward to shift to a 100% clean energy environment, build larger and modern schools for our growing city, fund our Metro system, and in general spend money to make life better and easier for DC residents.

  • Sitting on the banks of the historic Anacostia River, a new stadium and all of the traffic and trash that would come along, would set the Anacostia River's improvement back. RFK has never had to meet standards set by the National Environmental Policy Act, and I am concerned any deal worked out under the outgoing Congress would try to extend the exemption to holding the site accountable to environmental standards.

Dedicating millions of dollars to bring an NFL stadium to the District is a bad deal and a poor use of an incredible opportunity. 

Thank you."

Who's signing

Kristen Helmstetter
Elizabeth Moore
Christine Jamieson
Callie Carnemark
Alison Welcher
Cooper Kidd
Jessica Gardner
Dustin Hickey
Jon Weingart
Ryan Lauer
Amelia Peacock
Jessica Talley
Kevin Whitfield
Olivia White
Alphonso Coles
Rachel Mulbry
Kaly Moot
Bruce O’Dell
Benjamin Wolfram
Lindsey Jones-Renaud 🐺
Andrea Clyne
Adam Hainsfurther
Peter Richman
Rob Pitingolo
Jake Lloyd
Lisa Jones
Mary M McCracken
Dylan Butler
Elizabeth Terry
4,016 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Kristen Helmstetter
    @khelmste tweeted link to this page. 2018-12-17 09:35:10 -0500
    Sign the petition: Hail No to a New Stadium at RFK - Add Your Name Below https://www.hailnorfk.com/?recruiter_id=1218919
  • Kristen Helmstetter
    signed via 2018-12-17 09:34:45 -0500
  • Elizabeth Moore
    signed 2018-12-17 09:34:40 -0500
  • Christine Jamieson
    signed via 2018-12-17 09:34:15 -0500
  • Callie Carnemark
    signed 2018-12-17 09:33:51 -0500
  • Alison Welcher
    signed 2018-12-17 09:32:53 -0500
  • Cooper Kidd
    signed 2018-12-17 09:32:18 -0500
  • Jessica Gardner
    signed 2018-12-17 09:31:21 -0500
  • Dustin Hickey
    signed 2018-12-17 09:31:03 -0500
  • Jon Weingart
    signed 2018-12-17 09:28:59 -0500
  • Ryan Lauer
    signed 2018-12-17 09:28:50 -0500
  • Amelia Peacock
    signed 2018-12-17 09:27:26 -0500
    The citizens of DC have said over and over that Snyder’s business practices and racist attitudes do not represent our city. We have asked that he rebrand our football team to something presentable. We have asked that he stop back-door dealings. He refuses every time. Why should we work with him? Why should I give my tax dollars for his greed?
  • Jessica Talley
    signed 2018-12-17 09:26:17 -0500
    Jessica Talley
  • Kevin Whitfield
    signed 2018-12-17 09:23:37 -0500
  • Olivia White
    signed 2018-12-17 09:23:36 -0500
  • Alphonso Coles
    signed via 2018-12-17 09:22:58 -0500
    Alphonso Coles
  • Rachel Mulbry
    signed 2018-12-17 09:21:31 -0500
  • Kaly Moot
    signed 2018-12-17 09:21:29 -0500
  • Bruce O’Dell
    signed 2018-12-17 09:20:44 -0500
  • Benjamin Wolfram
    signed 2018-12-17 09:16:24 -0500
    No public money and not with that racist name
  • Lindsey Jones-Renaud 🐺
    signed 2018-12-17 09:12:12 -0500
    Lindsey Jones-Renaud
  • Andrea Clyne
    signed 2018-12-17 09:11:04 -0500
  • Adam Hainsfurther
    signed 2018-12-17 09:09:58 -0500
  • Peter Richman
    signed 2018-12-17 09:05:21 -0500
  • Rob Pitingolo
    signed 2018-12-17 09:05:11 -0500
    The opportunity cost of building a rarely-used stadium on such valuable real property is far too high.
  • Jake Lloyd
    signed 2018-12-17 09:04:32 -0500
  • Lisa Jones
    signed via 2018-12-17 09:03:43 -0500
  • Mary M McCracken
    signed 2018-12-17 09:03:31 -0500
  • Dylan Butler
    signed 2018-12-17 08:59:33 -0500
  • Elizabeth Terry
    signed 2018-12-17 08:59:31 -0500