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

Meghann Kovler
Heather McLendon
Adrian Black
Cynthia Williams
Rhonda Coolidge
Katherine Eddins
Andreas Behnke
David Thews
Timothy Spies
cooper martin
Erin Heard
Julie Meyer
eric eckert
Jeremy Frisch
Daniel Workman
Raymond Bert
Nancy McInerney
Danielle Gervalis
Shayna Tivona
John Curtis
Martin Smith
Jessica Simpson
Michael Bock
Nicole Lucier
Justin Terry
Andrew Coffey
John Varallo
Professor R L Widmann
Dan Englender
David Sherman
4,016 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Meghann Kovler
    signed 2018-12-17 19:16:03 -0500
  • Heather McLendon
    signed 2018-12-17 19:13:21 -0500
  • Adrian Black
    signed 2018-12-17 19:11:35 -0500
  • Cynthia Williams
    signed 2018-12-17 19:09:20 -0500
    We already have 2 stadiums in dc! one can be used for the the football team! And further more, I’ve traveled that route in the past and it’s nothing over there! The mayor tripping! PS, grow up on 21st n.e and remember when it was an open field! #HAILNO!!!!!
  • Rhonda Coolidge
    signed 2018-12-17 19:08:49 -0500
  • Katherine Eddins
    signed 2018-12-17 19:08:31 -0500
  • Andreas Behnke
    signed 2018-12-17 19:08:14 -0500
  • David Thews
    signed 2018-12-17 19:03:47 -0500
  • Timothy Spies
    signed 2018-12-17 19:01:33 -0500
  • cooper martin
    signed 2018-12-17 18:59:51 -0500
    If I were king, I’d use this (proposed, potential) money to improve transit. But mostly “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.”
  • Erin Heard
    signed 2018-12-17 18:58:57 -0500
  • Julie Meyer
    signed 2018-12-17 18:53:40 -0500
    Julie Meyer
  • eric eckert
    signed 2018-12-17 18:50:57 -0500
    eric eckert
  • Jeremy Frisch
    signed 2018-12-17 18:47:42 -0500
  • Daniel Workman
    signed 2018-12-17 18:46:43 -0500
  • Raymond Bert
    signed 2018-12-17 18:45:51 -0500
  • Nancy McInerney
    signed via 2018-12-17 18:45:38 -0500
    Nancy McInerney
  • Danielle Gervalis
    signed 2018-12-17 18:43:39 -0500
  • Shayna Tivona
    signed 2018-12-17 18:37:32 -0500
  • John Curtis
    signed 2018-12-17 18:35:04 -0500
  • Martin Smith
    signed 2018-12-17 18:34:18 -0500
    If we have a half a billion dollars to give to a jerk who owns some stupid sports team, then we can also apparently afford a half a billion dollar tax cut to D.C. taxpayers to offset the new SALT deduction cap.
  • Jessica Simpson
    signed 2018-12-17 18:32:18 -0500
  • Michael Bock
    signed 2018-12-17 18:29:48 -0500
  • Nicole Lucier
    signed 2018-12-17 18:26:12 -0500
  • Justin Terry
    signed 2018-12-17 18:26:09 -0500
  • Andrew Coffey
    signed 2018-12-17 18:25:16 -0500
  • John Varallo
    signed 2018-12-17 18:24:50 -0500
    John Varallo
  • Professor R L Widmann
    signed 2018-12-17 18:22:16 -0500
  • Dan Englender
    signed 2018-12-17 18:19:30 -0500
  • David Sherman
    signed 2018-12-17 18:19:05 -0500
    David B Sherman