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

Barbara Halleck
Jason Maga
Ashley Douglass
Hugh Jassole
Reed Dhein
James Frank
Robert Swanger
Vinny
Jose Manuel Silva Vela
Christopher Carney
Doug Wilson
Dennis Lemke
Katherine Meeks
Jenny Tomlinson
Patrick Callahan
Jessica Dreier
Janet Bacon
Tracy Sahay
louise chapman
Irene Cramer
Cathy Krebs
becky percynski
Daniel Hoagland
Lesle Sheffer
David Stoopler
Sara Ryan
Tamara Saltman
Julie Biggs
Matthew August
Theodore Alexander
4,003 SIGNATURES
4,000 signatures

Will you sign?

  • Barbara Halleck
    signed 2022-12-31 17:04:56 -0500
    Having a stadium facility that attracts tens of thousands of people into a residential area a few times a year is a waste if this prime space not to mention expanses of unused parking parking. This space should be something for all DC residents – not just those who can afford the exorbitant football tickets.
  • Jason Maga
    signed 2022-12-31 15:00:52 -0500
  • Ashley Douglass
    signed 2022-12-31 07:49:05 -0500
  • Hugh Jassole
    signed 2022-12-30 20:43:36 -0500
  • Reed Dhein
    signed 2022-12-30 17:15:13 -0500
  • James Frank
    signed 2022-08-09 15:27:36 -0400
  • Robert Swanger
    signed 2022-07-12 00:56:35 -0400
  • Vinny
    signed 2022-07-11 08:22:25 -0400
  • Jose Manuel Silva Vela
    signed 2022-07-10 13:31:43 -0400
  • Christopher Carney
    signed 2022-07-08 19:51:16 -0400
    I’d like to speak with you about cooperating on our proposal to construct a National Debate Center on this property. We view the property as an extension of the National Mall, and believe that a national debate and discussion forum would promote a vital pillar of our democracy, bring an intellectual center to the community, and play an important role in bringing together divert voices; something our country urgently needs at this time. See www.nationaldebatecenter.org
  • Doug Wilson
    signed 2022-06-22 10:33:45 -0400
  • Dennis Lemke
    signed 2022-06-15 08:52:43 -0400
  • Katherine Meeks
    signed 2022-06-15 00:38:42 -0400
  • Jenny Tomlinson
    signed 2022-06-14 14:44:03 -0400
  • Patrick Callahan
    signed 2022-06-13 16:23:36 -0400
  • Jessica Dreier
    signed 2022-06-13 16:21:11 -0400
  • Janet Bacon
    signed 2022-06-12 14:16:13 -0400
  • Tracy Sahay
    signed 2022-06-12 12:43:30 -0400
  • louise chapman
    signed 2022-06-12 06:18:24 -0400
  • Irene Cramer
    signed 2022-06-11 15:37:41 -0400
    No phone calls please.
  • Cathy Krebs
    signed 2022-06-11 14:45:13 -0400
  • becky percynski
    signed 2022-06-11 10:04:55 -0400
  • Daniel Hoagland
    signed 2022-06-11 09:29:47 -0400
  • Lesle Sheffer
    signed 2022-06-11 07:58:41 -0400
  • David Stoopler
    signed 2022-06-10 22:58:52 -0400
  • Sara Ryan
    signed 2022-06-10 22:23:59 -0400
  • Tamara Saltman
    signed 2022-06-10 21:18:35 -0400
  • Julie Biggs
    signed 2022-06-10 21:12:52 -0400
  • Matthew August
    signed 2022-06-10 18:01:08 -0400
  • Theodore Alexander
    signed via 2022-06-10 17:17:10 -0400