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

Asghar Zaidi
Houkje Ross
Diane Murdock
David Joseph
Maya Gold
Lauren Bradford
Kathleen Van De Wille
Matt Koschak
Patrick McGeehan
Alayna Smith
John Paradiso
Yiqing Fang
Nate Lambeth
Connor Maccartney
Andrea Lau
Max Pastore
Valerie Theberge
Elizabeth Tyler
Leanne Brotsky
Donna Parker
Rahima Schwenkbeck
Jason Waskey
Patrick Pannett
Jennifer Mleczko
Ben Edwards
Erin Garnaas-Holmes
Katherine Niekamp
Ethan Dukes
Adam Beardsley
Amanda Swanson
4,016 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Asghar Zaidi
    signed 2018-12-17 10:11:24 -0500
  • Houkje Ross
    signed via 2018-12-17 10:10:52 -0500
  • Diane Murdock
    signed via 2018-12-17 10:06:49 -0500
  • David Joseph
    signed 2018-12-17 10:04:00 -0500
    David Joseph
  • Maya Gold
    signed 2018-12-17 10:03:25 -0500
  • Lauren Bradford
    signed 2018-12-17 10:02:50 -0500
    LAUREN M BRADFORD
  • Kathleen Van De Wille
    signed 2018-12-17 10:02:12 -0500
  • Matt Koschak
    signed 2018-12-17 09:59:47 -0500
  • Patrick McGeehan
    signed 2018-12-17 09:59:11 -0500
  • Alayna Smith
    signed 2018-12-17 09:58:21 -0500
  • John Paradiso
    signed via 2018-12-17 09:57:43 -0500
  • Yiqing Fang
    signed 2018-12-17 09:56:31 -0500
  • Nate Lambeth
    signed 2018-12-17 09:55:53 -0500
  • Connor Maccartney
    signed 2018-12-17 09:55:52 -0500
  • Andrea Lau
    signed 2018-12-17 09:52:55 -0500
    I believe this is a terribly irresponsible use of tax dollars. To make such a decision in a collusive way that benefits only a select few is not transparent or accountable at all.
  • Max Pastore
    signed 2018-12-17 09:52:40 -0500
    DC needs more housing and density at the RFK site. Better connect its amenities to Ward 7! No NFL stadium in DC!
  • Valerie Theberge
    signed via 2018-12-17 09:52:20 -0500
  • Elizabeth Tyler
    signed 2018-12-17 09:50:03 -0500
    This land should be used for something that benefits the citizens of the District of Columbia!
  • Leanne Brotsky
    signed 2018-12-17 09:49:37 -0500
  • Donna Parker
    signed 2018-12-17 09:49:13 -0500
    Donna Parker
  • Rahima Schwenkbeck
    signed 2018-12-17 09:49:01 -0500
  • Jason Waskey
    signed 2018-12-17 09:48:33 -0500
  • Patrick Pannett
    signed 2018-12-17 09:44:33 -0500
  • Jennifer Mleczko
    signed 2018-12-17 09:43:39 -0500
  • Ben Edwards
    signed 2018-12-17 09:42:34 -0500
  • Erin Garnaas-Holmes
    signed 2018-12-17 09:41:41 -0500
    RFK is also located on a fantastic stretch of the Anacostia River and could feature a really world class waterfront park there, along with the new playing fields already under construction. I just don’t see a park like that working with an NFL stadium behind it.
  • Katherine Niekamp
    signed 2018-12-17 09:40:59 -0500
    I don’t need football fans engulfing my neighborhood, chanting for a team with a racist mascot. I go to my local library (southeast) every couple of weeks to check out books and the place is tiny and full of homeless people. Getting resources to those DC residents experiencing homelessness should be priority, then perhaps we could put some work into that library, but building infrastructure to support a sports facility does not deserve a dollar.
  • Ethan Dukes
    signed 2018-12-17 09:39:46 -0500
  • Adam Beardsley
    signed 2018-12-17 09:39:02 -0500
  • Amanda Swanson
    signed 2018-12-17 09:35:27 -0500