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

Kate Stoltzfus
Amanda Burkett
Lesley Turner
Melissa Wyatt
Eric Kessler
Steven Holtzman
Cliff Majersik
Tim Jirus
Adam Re
Sarah Emrys
Shauna Holmes
John Trimble
David Manowitz
Chantelle Tait
Barbara Cromer
Jeffrey Hale
Vanna Lavery
Emily Price
Abby Chapple
Jeremy Cullimore
Katherine Goldschmidt
Chris Moore
Claire Brunner
Amanda Hare
Alex Beszhak
Corinne Whitlatch
Bryce Maples
Carol Horgan
Marisa Escudero
Michelle Rutter
4,002 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Kate Stoltzfus
    signed 2018-12-20 07:29:53 -0500
  • Amanda Burkett
    signed via 2018-12-20 06:39:46 -0500
  • Lesley Turner
    signed 2018-12-20 04:49:56 -0500
  • Melissa Wyatt
    signed 2018-12-20 03:57:37 -0500
  • Eric Kessler
    signed 2018-12-20 00:45:30 -0500
    (1) What happened to all the other options for developing the 190 acres? Dog parks, soccer fields, river front access? How many more meetings and surveys does the DC government need? This conversation has been going on for decades! (2) No tax dollars to the NFL. If they want it, make them pay! (3) The Maryland Redskins left DC years ago, let’s get over the break-up. (4) Moving the stadium to DC won’t create anymore jobs than already exist in the area, and will have minimal tax gains. The tax gains will not offset any tax breaks given to the NFL.
  • Steven Holtzman
    signed 2018-12-19 23:27:55 -0500
  • Cliff Majersik
    signed via 2018-12-19 23:22:32 -0500
  • Tim Jirus
    signed 2018-12-19 23:17:52 -0500
  • Adam Re
    signed 2018-12-19 23:12:59 -0500
  • Sarah Emrys
    signed 2018-12-19 23:08:25 -0500
  • Shauna Holmes
    signed 2018-12-19 22:58:38 -0500
  • John Trimble
    signed 2018-12-19 22:09:19 -0500
    Just say “No” to a racist team name.
  • David Manowitz
    signed 2018-12-19 21:56:34 -0500
    David Manowitz
  • Chantelle Tait
    signed 2018-12-19 21:43:55 -0500
    Chantelle A Tait
  • Barbara Cromer
    signed 2018-12-19 21:43:21 -0500
    If the Redskins owner wantsa new stadium he should finance it .
  • Jeffrey Hale
    signed 2018-12-19 18:51:55 -0500
  • Vanna Lavery
    signed via 2018-12-19 18:19:34 -0500
  • Emily Price
    signed 2018-12-19 18:00:19 -0500
  • Abby Chapple
    signed 2018-12-19 17:51:01 -0500
    Protect the waterfront and access to the water.
  • Jeremy Cullimore
    signed 2018-12-19 17:13:04 -0500
  • Katherine Goldschmidt
    signed 2018-12-19 17:05:19 -0500
  • Chris Moore
    signed via 2018-12-19 16:52:59 -0500
  • Claire Brunner
    signed 2018-12-19 16:14:53 -0500
  • Amanda Hare
    signed 2018-12-19 16:09:45 -0500
  • Alex Beszhak
    signed 2018-12-19 15:30:08 -0500
  • Corinne Whitlatch
    signed 2018-12-19 15:03:43 -0500
  • Bryce Maples
    signed 2018-12-19 14:02:45 -0500
    Bryce Maples
  • Carol Horgan
    signed 2018-12-19 13:49:07 -0500
  • Marisa Escudero
    signed 2018-12-19 13:36:34 -0500
  • Michelle Rutter
    signed 2018-12-19 13:32:36 -0500
    Aw hail no