Joe Lunchbuckett

Welcome to Joe Lunchbuckett!

VIRTUAL COMMUNITY OF CONCERNED CITIZENS AND CUBS FANS

FOR BENEFICIAL CITIZEN OWNERSHIP OF CUBS PARK

VIRTUAL SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR AND ICON FOR FAIRNESS

cubfanjoelunchbuckett@gmail.com

An Open Letter to the

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND MANAGEMENT

OF THE Illinois Sports Facility Authority

Why ISFA Should Include “Joe Lunchbuckett” AS A BENEFICIAL CO-OWNER OF CUB’S PARK WITH ISFA

WE THE UNDERSIGNED Concerned Citizens AND CUB FANS OF GREATER CHICAGO PROPOSE That ISFA Incorporate A STRAGEGY OF BENEFICIAL Citizen (Fan) Ownership in Their Efforts to Acquire Cub’s Park

Benefits For The State of Illinois and IFSA

Thanks to the Green Bay Packers, citizen ownership of professional sports franchises is not without precedent, although possibly fraught with hurdles to jump. But here in Chicago the Cubs are for sale, and the State if Illinois, via the ISFA (Illinois Sports Facility Authority), has been actively exploring the possibility of acquiring the Cub’s Park portion of the deal. But the state has economic challenges of its own which makes financing an issue. That's only one reason why we believe that local fan ownership of Cub’s Park should be seriously considered by the ISFA in its acquisition plans. There are more.

Benefits for the Citizen Owners

There are many models for structuring citizen/fan ownership, the Green Bay Packers model being only one of them. We encourage the IFSA to study these and adopt the best model to ensure legitimate beneficial ownership by Cub Fans who are citizens of Greater Chicago. At the very least, the possibility of issuing Phantom Stock as a reward for fan loyalty, or in some way employing the beneficial ownership concept to benefit the poorest of the poor, would be better than the current way in which ownership is concentrated in the hands of a few.

Benefits for the Neighborhoods, Counties, the City, and State

Handled correctly in future sports property applications, such a citizen ownership strategy could economically stimulate and stabilize citizen owners, their families, and the neighborhoods in which they live, along with the city's, county's, and state’s economy. Furthermore, this kind of economic stimulation and stabilization is accomplished while avoiding band-aid government interventions such as the recent tax rebates or prime interest rate adjustments.

Benefits to the Cubs Franchise

This strategy would provide a greater incentive for citizen owners of Cub’s Park to support the Cubs in all kinds of ways, including attending their games. And increased support would inevitably translate into increased value of the Cubs Franchise for its future owners?

Benefits to Major League Baseball

In the midst of the recent steroid scandal which has tarnished the reputation of MLB in all kinds of ways, implementing a citizen ownership strategy here in Chicago would be wonderful public relations for a league whose owners and players have been placed in a very negative light. MLB can ill afford to continue having fans question the integrity of its players and the reality of its competition. Cheating was anathema to the Black Sox back in 1919, and it's still anathema today. Citizen ownership of Cub’s Park here in Chicago could serve as a potent counter measure to that festering problem.

PROPOSED ACTION BY ISFA

For all these reasons, the Joe Lunchbuckett Community of Concerned Citizens and Cubs Fans urges the ISFA Board and management to make it a policy, and to pass a resolution to include a strategy for beneficial citizen/fan ownership when structuring the acquisition of Cub’s Park. Such a resolution, if adopted, would minimize the growing citizen opposition to, and garner voter support for the ISFA acquiring Cub’s Park.

ENDORSED BY:

Rick Osbourne
Greg Hughes
Aaron Powers
Pam Osbourne
Frank Sprude
Annie Powers
Carol Carlson
John Pimenta
David LaRue
Jim Carlson
Cody Osbourne
Zach Riberdy
John Osbourne
Dominic Cannata
Judy Osbourne