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

Stella Li
Lee Ann Richter
Raymond Rhinehart
Tami Plofchan
Lorraine Rodriguez
Andrew Bockover
michael pollock
Lynda Laughlin
Mike Sager
Jessica Wille
Ted Jutras
Joy Ann Grune
Douglas Black
Matthew Mann
Chloe White
Brian Niemiec
Laurence Frankel
Jim Foster
Gabriel Kornbluh
Daniel Newman
Jerry Wei
Jeanne Thum
Jennifer
Robert Coomber
Monica Leibovitz
Nathaniel Hojnacki
Connie Citro
Roger Horowitz
Steve DuBos
Julia Smeltzer
4,003 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Stella Li
    signed via 2018-12-14 15:37:12 -0500
  • Lee Ann Richter
    signed 2018-12-14 15:36:26 -0500
  • Raymond Rhinehart
    signed 2018-12-14 15:36:06 -0500
  • Tami Plofchan
    signed 2018-12-14 15:35:50 -0500
  • Lorraine Rodriguez
    signed 2018-12-14 15:35:01 -0500
  • Andrew Bockover
    signed 2018-12-14 15:34:46 -0500
  • michael pollock
    signed 2018-12-14 15:33:34 -0500
    this just can’t happen- enough already
  • Lynda Laughlin
    signed 2018-12-14 15:29:23 -0500
  • Mike Sager
    signed 2018-12-14 15:28:10 -0500
  • Jessica Wille
    signed 2018-12-14 15:28:00 -0500
  • Ted Jutras
    signed 2018-12-14 15:27:42 -0500
    This would be a poor use of an amazing resource. Recreational uses that serve a broader population, across a much larger part of the year would be far preferable, and considering the profoundly positive fiscal impact that well planned parks and recreation space can have on cities, those uses would be better tools for economic development as well.
  • Joy Ann Grune
    signed 2018-12-14 15:23:59 -0500
    NO
  • Douglas Black
    signed 2018-12-14 15:21:01 -0500
  • Matthew Mann
    signed 2018-12-14 15:19:58 -0500
  • Chloe White
    signed 2018-12-14 15:19:58 -0500
  • Brian Niemiec
    signed 2018-12-14 15:19:22 -0500
  • Laurence Frankel
    signed 2018-12-14 15:19:06 -0500
    No Redskins, No Dan Snyder!!!

    What a bunch if losers…keep them in Maryland and bring the Ravens to RFK!!!
  • Jim Foster
    signed 2018-12-14 15:19:03 -0500
  • Gabriel Kornbluh
    signed 2018-12-14 15:18:59 -0500
  • Daniel Newman
    signed 2018-12-14 15:18:18 -0500
  • Jerry Wei
    signed 2018-12-14 15:17:17 -0500
  • Jeanne Thum
    signed 2018-12-14 15:16:19 -0500
  • Jennifer
    signed 2018-12-14 15:15:32 -0500
  • Robert Coomber
    signed 2018-12-14 15:15:26 -0500
  • Monica Leibovitz
    signed 2018-12-14 15:13:29 -0500
  • Nathaniel Hojnacki
    signed 2018-12-14 15:12:51 -0500
  • Connie Citro
    signed 2018-12-14 15:11:34 -0500
    Constance
  • Roger Horowitz
    signed 2018-12-14 15:11:25 -0500
  • Steve DuBos
    signed 2018-12-14 15:11:11 -0500
  • Julia Smeltzer
    signed 2018-12-14 15:10:15 -0500