Saturday
Public goods
I'm not sure what I think about the extensive presence of the NYPD at Yankee stadium. It seems like a subsidy from the city to the team, since otherwise the stadium would have to hire private security. Since I don't think highly profitable corporations have a great claim on the tax revenues used to pay the NYPD, it seems like it's a bad idea. On the other hand, the 50,000+ fans in attendance probably are entitled to some police protection. On the third hand, the density of police per civilian at the stadium is far, far higher than it is in the normal world. Couldn't these police may be better used in other parts of the city, preventing more serious problems? Finally, I don't know if the Yankee organization does in some way pay their fair share for the services they recieve, in which case I don't really have anything to complain about. The line between public and private with major sporting events is a thin one indeed.
Update: Hypothetically, let's say I have a private party where I invite 1,000 people, all of whom are expected to attend. I'm supplying the guests with large quantities of alcohol, and have reason to think that they'll be in an agitated and/or aggressive mood. Can I reasonably expect the police to provide me with free preventive services, rather than wait for the party to actually get out of control, arrest the people who are out of control, possibly disperse the rest depending on how bad it is, and hold me liable for some amount of the damages caused by my out of control party goers? If I could expect the former, it seems like people wouldn't hire private security services. Does the answer change if rather than inviting 1,000 people, the first 1,000 people to purchase tickets get to come? If I hold the party 81 times per year? Finally, what might actually be the important variation, if I get the city to lease me, say, Washington Square Park, for far below market rents, for the 81 parties per year? In this last situation, I apparently no longer need to hire security, because I don't see the difference between it and the Yankee situation. Except that there is probably a non-linear relationship between number of people present and amount of police needed, so it's not clear whether I would be entitled to one fiftieth of the police the Yankees get, less, or more.
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Update: Hypothetically, let's say I have a private party where I invite 1,000 people, all of whom are expected to attend. I'm supplying the guests with large quantities of alcohol, and have reason to think that they'll be in an agitated and/or aggressive mood. Can I reasonably expect the police to provide me with free preventive services, rather than wait for the party to actually get out of control, arrest the people who are out of control, possibly disperse the rest depending on how bad it is, and hold me liable for some amount of the damages caused by my out of control party goers? If I could expect the former, it seems like people wouldn't hire private security services. Does the answer change if rather than inviting 1,000 people, the first 1,000 people to purchase tickets get to come? If I hold the party 81 times per year? Finally, what might actually be the important variation, if I get the city to lease me, say, Washington Square Park, for far below market rents, for the 81 parties per year? In this last situation, I apparently no longer need to hire security, because I don't see the difference between it and the Yankee situation. Except that there is probably a non-linear relationship between number of people present and amount of police needed, so it's not clear whether I would be entitled to one fiftieth of the police the Yankees get, less, or more.
